Wedding Part II Food and Decorations

The 5 days leading up to "the BIG day" had a fairly similar routine for my parental units and I.
One of us entertains the Monster. (Papa)
One of hot glues/ties bows/makes food/prints programs etc. (K8)
One of us runs errands and pays for everything. (Gaga)

By Thursday I was feeling pretty good.
The Gallery (reception site) looked like this:

We set up the guest book table.
I used a children's book about Dreams and asked people to write down their dreams.
(It seemed more interesting than writing you name and congrats. I mean, who wants to read that in 10 years?)
The winner goes to my cousin Laura...
"I dream of a world where it rains chocolate and artichoke dip is considered a currency. Intelligence and humour are valued over silicone people. I also dream of Jeannie."

Laura...
You rock socks.

I am fairly certain that every night after dinner I'd settle in with ribbons and glue, the Monster would cuddle up on the couch, and we'd watch Wall-e. Also fairly certain that the movie Wall-e will forever remind me of my wedding. Romantic wedding song? nope. Pixar movie? yep.

I may or may not have wanted to collect real leaves from my Parents yard to throw (instead of the boring bubble, rice, birdseed, sparkler stuff) when I noticed Dad raking all the leaves up.
I may or may not have then started crying and hyperventilating.
Mom may or may not have then reminded me that "We aren't in Texas anymore. There are actually plenty of leaves in mid-October Southern Indiana".
I may or may not have then felt like Bridezilla.

Fresh leaves...
In a basket...

Prep work begun!
At this point I was either:
1) freaking out
2) engaging in crazy kitchen dancing
3) calling someone to go pick up that one thing that's next to the other thing over there

The Monster managed to keep his shoes on for about 5.4 seconds.
That's a record.

I spray painted apples, cut little slits in them, and used them as place cared holders.
I also turned boring white cups into fall fun with a stamp of a leaf.
(I love sounding REALLY dorky).

Big, beautiful mums from my mum (hehehehe) and my super-duper amazing friend Jas (who was also very pregnant) arranged the lovely bouquets of wildflowers which she brought from Bloomington (my old college town).

My Pops picked out a selection of his work that he felt fit the feel of the ceremony and hung them. He also cleaned and put together the tables.
Vintage table clothes, pumpkin bowls filled with candy corn and peanuts, and bell jar vases add the finishing touch.

Dried flowers in a vintage vase?
Don't mind if I do.

Turned my WONDERFUL handmade wedding lantern from the Meltons into part of the display along with the candles from my new sister in-law...

This is the simple, yet much needed Mother-of-the Bride, Cooks, Decorators, Bride, Organizer, and drink-a-glass-for-me-because-i'm-pregnant- friend table hidden in the back kitchen.
Vital at any wedding.
We don't like to share our wine.

How could a K8 wedding happen without my Momma dancing, looking beautiful, and organizing everything all rolled into one perfect expression?

"She is smizing and thinking "told ya I'd pull this off"!

The infamous H pumpkin.
D's contribution to the decorations.
It looks great!
Please let it be noted that on the other side of the pumpkin you can see the horrid looking H that I was about to cut.
Give me a break, I was still a Mullen at that point, not a Hazelwood.
The whole H thing was still a foreign concept.

The GREAT PUMPKIN CAKE!
(can you tell I like pumpkins?)

I was so busy organizing food and setting up the reception site that I COMPLETELY (almost) forgot about the actual ceremony. Luckily, my Mom was on that and my bestest friend Casondra showed up to give her some style tips and a hand. Amazingly enough, they didn't throw out a back lifting pumpkins nor did either of them have any dirt or glitter on them.

And lastly, there is the Monster keeping us entertained and unglue-ing everything that he could get his chocolate covered fingers on.