The Periwinkle Wedding

I was completely shocked and honored when I was asked to be a sponsor/matron of honor for a friend at church. This would be my first wedding where I hadn't been the bride, or an obligatory participant as with my sister's wedding. We started discussing her ideas for the wedding, styles, colors, ideas. She had settled on a very winter-esque wedding- ivory, silver and periwinkle.

Periwinkle is a very lovely, and difficult color, especially when attempting to coordinate it for a wedding. Right now, it's not a very popular wedding color, which made my task even more difficult. None of the bridal shops carried anything periwinkle, or even close. The nearest color to the delicate purple/blue was a pink-purple they called " Lilac" So, we went another direction to provide dresses and accents for her wedding- the fabric store.

I shopped through the 4 local stores, hoping to find something acceptable. Finally, we managed to find the  color in a custom dyed collection of lace, sheers, satin and gabardine. We decided on the design, purchased the required materials and headed home with 2 months to make dresses, sashes, wraps and linings for baskets. She found 2 daughter's dresses at the bridal shop, which left only 2 dresses. What a relief!

I managed her oldest daughter's dress with ease, and she seemed very pleased with the outcome. My dress, however was another challenge. Through all the years I've sewn, I have yet to figure out how to fit my own garments. I realized I had to have help. So, with a great deal of packing, measuring,transporting and discussion, my wonderful mother helped me fit the top. The skirt worked itself out, and hung perfectly.

The Bride and I had also discussed her flowers. Having experienced an expensive florist and having access to wholesale flowers, I couldn't bear to have her make the same mistake I'd made for my wedding. I still shudder at the mistakenly placed bright "hot pink" carnations in my romantic english garden esque arrangements. We went to the wholesale shop and selected the flowers and accents, planned the arrangements and made notes to order 2 weeks before the wedding. We didn't need many flowers, but they were adequate.

The ceremony handout

The weekend of the wedding arrived, and we started the compilation. The dresses fit beautifully, sashes and wraps were tested and received approvals. Shoes were compared and eliminated, and we went to retrieve our floral order. Almost everything had come in except ....our periwinkle colored flowers. The gentleman assisting us had great ideas for replacing those flowers, and we wound up with a better bouquet than we'd originally created. We trekked back to the church with our fragrant load, and then, I received the best news I could have received.

" Did you know the groom's godmother is a professional florist? She's offered to do the flowers."

The Altar table, with beautiful flowers, candles and crowns

Someone could have told me they'd given me a million dollars, and it not have meant so much to me. We were set! I explained our thoughts, laid out our supplies, and off she went. Before the hour was up, she had arranged the bride's bouquet. Those ivory flowers, silver leaves, and rhinestones became the most beautiful arrangement of bridal elegance I'd seen- I think it rivaled the arrangements in the couture bridal photos.

Her flowers- they had rhinestones that captured the candlelight beautifully.

Not long afterwards, the bridesmaids arrangements, corsages, and table arrangements were completed in sparkling elegance. With that the last thing to complete, the winter wedding was well on it's way to being successful.

We're all ready! Her girls were gorgeous! She was breathtaking. Beautiful wedding!

Wedding day was a fury of excitement and herding the bride and her 3 girls into hair, makeup, and nails. We commandeered a Sunday school classroom, set up stations, and began the rounds. The result, a great big giggly girl party with the photographers hovering, nails drying and hairpins flying. Needless to say, we had a great time!

The girls hair was all similar. Gorgeous! 

Pre-wedding photos began, and 20 minutes before the wedding, the bride says " I don't have my toes painted!" So what were we to do? Yes, 10 minutes before the ceremony, we painted her toenails. What a hoot!!

yes, really we painted toenails moments before walking to the church!

Our Periwinkle Party

The wedding went off without a hitch, unless you count the missing cufflinks- later found under the seat of the car. We had some extra buttons from the flower arrangements, and a creative godmother that came to the rescue.

The Bride and Groom on their trip around the Gospel

Father's Blessing

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Briday Party left to right, Sophia, Susanna, Julianna, Paul Constantine, Rosy
Front- Adrianna, Victoria

On to the reception- we had such fun! The bride had chosen a wonderful, mostly vegetarian buffet with greek chicken. Her cake was lovely, and looked very much like her dress, and cheesecake was laid out on marble slabs. Earlier, we had ordered custom m&m's with their name and date, and put them in sheer ivory bags. They were a hit!

Bride's cake

The groom's cake was cheesecake- it didn't last long! We decorated one of his award trucks. Too Cute!

Her daughter and I decided she should throw my bouquet, so she wouldn't knock someone out with hers.(That thing was heavy!) And who should catch the bouquet? her daughter of course! Such a sweet moment.

So, a few weeks after the wedding, Im taking the last of the periwinkle fabric and making a wedding pillow for them. I'll embroider their names and dates on ivory in periwinkle, of course, and fashion them into a cathedral window quilt style pillow. I hope it comes out as well as I'm hoping.

Mr. and Dr. Morrison

And next time, we'll know where to find periwinkle!