4th of July Wedding

 My sis-in-law Carmella wanted a 4th of July wedding since she was getting married on July 2nd, so we gave it to her with an elegant and fun twist!  

*Homemade pinwheels in sand were arranged as the centerpieces in lieu of flowers and I tied the clear canning jars with red and white twine for a fun and classic touch. My mother-in-law made the stunning food table centerpiece of pinwheels in the blue sand.  I also had the groom's mother dash to the store when I found out that gorgeous red geraniums were on sale and I had the pots lining the outside steps.

*We made paper fan-medallions to hang off the house with white paper lanterns.  I absolutely adored them and they looked so great with the pinwheels since we used the same paper. (I actually shipped the paper to GA so family could get a head start on making them before I arrived.  And THAT is how you plan a wedding 3,000 miles away.)

*I ordered the red white and blue striped straws off of etsy and I loved them oh-so-much.

*The paper was not extremely bright and instead had a mix of subdued red, white and blue tones, so I brought some vintage aqua glass jars with me in my suitcase (flown from Seattle to Atlanta) that I think brought it all together (I know...I am a bit crazy for doing that).  But they worked perfect with her teal ribbon on her bouquet so it was worth the weight in luggage.

*The food was very casual with a mix of red and blue fruit paired with white yogurt dip to accentuate the flavors of the Summer season.  Crunchy old-fashioned kettle chips and sandwiches with slices of sweet juicy watermelon were perfect for the warm weather. Yummy Boston Cream Pie played the part of the wedding cake.

*My daughter painted a cute box with the words "let your love sparkle" that stayed center stage on the gift table (she was super happy about that since she wasn't there to attend).

*My sis-in-law Jacie made the sparkler tags/holder that read, "Let the Sparks Fly!" and it was one of my very favorite details.

*Most of the tablecloths were white, but a select few had quilts on the top with baskets to create some vintage flair.  It just so happens that I made the one in the pictures above for my mother-in-law a few years ago (I was super pregnant and crazy because I made one for every in-law family member for Christmas. Who does that? I am nuts.)  We also used vintage-like red and white floral handkerchiefs for under each table centerpiece as well.

 I was a bit daunted with the 4th of July theme--afraid that it might be too casual--but I think it turned out great and I loved every element as it came together.

Horray for Fireworks!

+photos by me and thanks for all who helped!  Namely--my MIL Annette, my niece Sydney and new nephew Conner, my Aunt-in-law Mariwilla, my SIL's McKenna from near and Jacie from afar, friends Candi and Angie for the pinwheels and direction signs, and my bro-in-law Robby for hanging those fans from the roof;) Oh!  And I guess we should thank the happy couple for getting married;)