Country Wedding in the Heartland

Your wedding is an ideal time to gather family and friends together in joyful celebration. And while you're at it, why not garner their assistance in the planning and preparations? Like an old-fashioned barn raising or quilting bee, your wedding can bring loved ones together to work toward a common goal: making your day perfectly memorable.

Details of the DayLocation

Choose your wedding location with care, making sure it's a place that's close to your heart. Whether it's the home you grew up in, a unique family gathering spot, or the botanical garden where you and your true love first kissed, that special setting will guide you in choosing your wedding theme and colors. Even a barn on the family farm can provide a romantic backdrop if the details are chosen with care. Whatever the site, you can easily adapt our ideas to fit your surroundings.

You?ll need a passel of tables and chairs for seating and dining, so call on friends and relatives to help you search garage sales and secondhand shops and dust cobwebs from the ones you pull from attics and basements. Host a painting party and ask everyone to contribute a brush and white paint; with a fresh coat, the dissimilar pieces will coordinate and look as good as new. To perk up the tables even more, drape them with a soft covering of tulle netting.

Rather than renting china, stemware, and flatware from a rental firm or catering company, purchase inexpensive, mismatched pieces. Choose a theme, such as the pink flowers on our china; then put together a collection by searching flea markets, thrift shops, and tag sales. You'll be delighted by the treasures you'll discover...and when the wedding is over, you'll be set to host large family gatherings with a full china cabinet.

A simple lollipop tree made from wallpaper-covered Styrofoam offers sweet treats.
Make it easy to corral the kids at mealtime by setting their special table with individual servings that will appeal to their appetites. These meals containing sandwiches, chips, and fruit are wrapped in large napkins and packaged in shiny tin buckets. A candy cane peeking out of each (it's tied to the string) is the pi�ce de r�sistance.
A rosy bouquet displayed in an enamelware coffeepot shines as a centerpiece.
The simplest details--such as these paper napkin rings tied with pink floral ribbon to embellish secondhand china?can make your table complete.

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