backyard wedding bliss.

if i could bottle up everything about this reception, i would. i absolutely would.

soak in the beauty. all photos taken with my trusty iphone.

ps: this is part two of a two-part wedding recap. check out the AMAZING ceremony here.

a few fun facts about the reception:

– brooke did ALL the flowers. ridiculous right? smart AND talented. it’s her happy spot, she says. her inspiration: fall field flowers, anything that had a soft blush-like color & INEXPENSIVE. perfect.

– brooke had a very limited budget & she wanted to spend it on her two favorite things: music & decorations.

– dinner was a POTLUCK! brilliant. people either brought a salad or a side & she provided the meat.

– brian made all the reception tables . . . from scratch. such a special touch & very backyard-looking. loved that they looked rustic & handmade.

– with lots of help from her kids & ahna, brooke made all her centerpieces. i die a little every time i look at them. so simple, elegant & beautiful.

– brooke bought the silverware & believe bows from etsy. her hope is that her daughters can use them one day at their weddings. precious.

– all the milk glass jars were from Accent Decor.

– all the plates belonged to her parents. they’ve been in the family for a while. i love love love the little things about this wedding. & i loved how the plates didn’t match.

– which brings me to the CHAIRS. THE CHAIRS. brooke didn’t want to spend lots of money on renting matching chairs so she went to the thrift store & hit the jackpot on mix-matched chairs. however, she couldn’t afford to buy them all, so she made a deal with the store & asked to RENT the chairs: $1/chair. if you look closely at the pictures, you’ll see the price tags hanging from most of them. what a smart idea. ugh. loved it. i honestly wanted to buy a few right then & there!

– fireworks were set off during brooke & brian’s first dance. it was magical.

– brooke’s parents own potts point – the most gorgeous backdrop ever for a perfect southern maryland reception.

the end. my dream wedding has come to life & i’m so thankful to have been a part of such a sweet little love story.

here’s to you, brookie & brian.

brooke is the definition of design; check out her portfolio here.