Do you remember the post we blogged about 2 weeks ago? If so, and if you enjoyed it, then get ready… because you’re going to love this next “How-To!” In today’s “How-To”, we follow the same concept on how to clean the bottles, but we’re jazzing things up and making them even more fun by adding some color! Simply follow the instructions below and you’ll be on your way to super cool DIY decorations.

1. Find empty bottles and remove the label. Make sure the bottle is completely clean, with nothing left on it. (See our previous post for tips on how to best clean your bottles.)

2. Visit your local hardware / craft store and pick up the color spray paint you wish to use.

3. In a well ventilated area, apply a very light coat of spray paint. Make sure you cover the entire surface of your bottle. Only apply a light coat. Too much paint, and it’ll begin dripping down the bottle, causing an uneven layer.

4.Let the paint dry. Typically this only takes a few minutes.

5.Apply two more light coats of spray paint to your bottle (just as you did in Step 3).

6. Once you’re satisfied with how the paint looks, let the bottle dry completely.

*At this point, you can choose to either leave your bottles the way they are… or you can be even more creative by adding another special touch to your bottles by applying the table numbers. It’s easy to do!

7. Pick up, or create your own number stencils. In this demo, we printed the numbers on cardstock and cut out each individual number.

8. Use double sided sticky tape to hold your stencil to the bottle.

9. Lightly spray paint over the stencil, and then allow it to dry.

10. Apply two more light coats of spray paint over your numbered stencil.

11. Once the spray paint has completely dried, carefully remove your stencil.

There you have it! Your very own and unique colorful recycled bottle centerpiece! But don’t stop just there. Have some fun by adding more bottles around your table… adding even more flair! You can even try painting the bottles more then one color, and/or mixing and matching different types of bottles.

One of the ways we’ve seen brides pay homage to the actress is by copying her trademark curls, red lips and cat eyes.

If Marilyn’s make-up is too drastic of a look, another bridal option is a Marilyn-inspired wedding dress. The addition of long gloves or a pair of shoes from her favorite designer, Salvatore Ferragamo, also add to the glamour.

Decorations are another method of playing up the Marilyn-glam. Diamonds were Marilyn’s best friend. Using crystals on your tables or hanging them from chandeliers and candelabras is perfect. Feathers and pearls complete this sophisticated décor.

If your style is less glam and more fun, why not try polka dots? Marilyn loved them! Polka dot table runners, polka dot napkins, polka dot ribbons tied around candles and bouquets. Crafting table number cards with famous quotes by Marilyn along the bottom will delight your guests. Some of her favorite sayings?

“If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything!”…
“The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space!”… and, of course,
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”

Overall, the best way to incorporate Miss Monroe into your wedding is to keep it simple. Choose one or two things that you absolutely adore and go with them. Keep it modern, but don’t overdo. Guests will be in awe of your subtle tribute to an icon.

You can also incorporate the red from Marilyn’s signature lip color as part of your color scheme. Her favorite colors were beige, cream, white, black and red. Adding touches with these colors is a great option.

Here’s a great idea for a Marilyn-loving-bride that wants to do something extra-special: mirror some of Marilyn’s iconic poses from her many photo shoots. Not only can these pictures have just the right amount of class and sex appeal, but they’d certainly be unique when it comes to bridal shots. (credit Archives of Milton H. Greene, LLC.)(Shaw Family Archives Ltd.)

Do you enjoy helping the environment? Do you like saving money? Here at Castle Farms, we love doing both! A great way to incorporate going green and saving green at your wedding is to use old glass bottles for decorations. Take a look at the pictures below to see some of the ideas we came up with at Castle Farms.

We used empty Crown Royal bottles as our vases. It’s easy to get the label off the bottle. Simply peel as much of the label off as you can, then use Goo-Gone to remove the rest of the stickiness. If that doesn’t work, fill your sink with hot water and let the bottle soak. This allows the label to come off easily, but you may need to use a little Goo-Gone to remove any leftover stickiness.  (Helpful hint: using steel wool to scrub off the label once it’s soaked makes the process much faster!)

Choose your favorite flowers to fill your bottle. Either do it yourself, or simply give the bottle to your florist and let them do it for you.

If you don’t have any old bottles lying around, and don’t have enough time to gather what you need, try contacting a local restaurant or bar. They may very well be happy to let you take their bottles off their hands.

Now, go on and start saving your bottles! Check back next week and see how we take this simple idea one step further. 

In a word: PERFECT!

First, I must confess that it felt rather strange, being Mother-of-The-Bride at a Castle Farms wedding. My position as Gift Shop and Tour Director at The Castle has given me a unique perspective when it comes to brides and weddings, but actually being Mother-of-The-Bride landed me on the flip side of things. But even if I didn’t work here, we would have been thrilled that Kelly and James chose to celebrate their wedding and reception at Castle Farms. The Castle is such a magical happy place. Their special day went off without a hitch.

The wedding rehearsal the night before was perfect. Our Castle Farms coordinator Sarah made sure everything ran smoothly, and we practiced enough so that Kelly’s young Flower Girl (so sweet!) got pretty good at dropping the petals. The rehearsal dinner, held at The Weathervane, a local restaurant on the water, featured superb food. With such wonderful weather, we were able to stand on the deck and enjoy all the boats going by. James’ family and friends from Seattle were very impressed.

Wedding day dawned, and the weather was up-north-perfect. Sunshine, blue skies, warm temps, and a slight breeze greeted us for the 5 PM ceremony in The Knight’s Courtyard. Kelly made such a beautiful bride coming down the aisle on the arm of her dad. And yes, I must confess that I blinked back tears as I watched the two of them. Dennis looked so handsome in his tux and Kelly was absolutely radiant. Plus, our son Kevin was super supportive in his role as Brother-of-Honor. Dennis and I were so proud of him. Believe me, no Maid of Honor could have fluffed the train on Kelly’s dress better than Kevin did! The minister, Glad Remaly, did a wonderful job of making the wedding personal, yet keeping in mind what Kelly and James wished. In short, it was a simple and sweet ceremony. The best part? It joined Kelly and James as husband and wife.

The groom, James, escorting Glad, the minister

Peggy, the mother of the bride, escorted by Kevin, her son, the bride's brother and the man of honor!

The bride, Kelly, escorted down the aisle by her father, Dennis

So many months went into planning and debating over major and minor details, but in the end, it was totally worth it. The wedding reception in The Knight’s Castle was so much fun! The food was delicious, and the presentation by Grey Gables was superb. We received so many compliments about the entire reception. As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the table decorations were simple, yet elegant. The diamond glass bead confetti and other stones sprinkled on all the tables around the shimmering tea lights and purple chair sashes perfectly complimented the rich purple hydrangeas that totally blended into the color scheme Kelly chose for her wedding. The blooms were so perfect many people had to touch them as they were sure they had to be silk rather than live flowers. Friends helped us decorate, and we’re so grateful to everyone who assisted in transforming The Knight’s Castle into something straight out of a mid-summer night’s dream. The Hot Club Trio serenaded the wedding crowd before and during the ceremony plus the cocktail hour with soft, sweet renditions on sax, guitar and stand-up bass.

A+ Digital D.J., Tom, did a wonderful job in keeping the party mood on track, plus keeping us dancing throughout the night. It takes a lot to get my Dennis out on the dance floor, but watching his Father/Daughter dance with Kelly was very special. Remember my blog about Kelly’s bridal gown with detachable skirt? She looked elegant and chic walking down the aisle on Dennis’ arm, but out on the dance floor, in the shorter version of her dress, she was pure Kelly: swingy and fun as she danced to the music! At one point, D.J. Tom came down to lead a line dance. He even whisked me out on the dance floor for a song! My Mother-of-The-Bride gown sparkled and glittered to the music! Having the right D.J. is a definite must when it comes to planning a successful wedding reception. D.J. Tom’s musical selections were perfect for the different age groups celebrating with us as we partied the night away.

Right there with us throughout the entire day was Meg Paxton of Paxton Photography. Meg was low profile, discreet and captured Kelly, James and the entire wedding party with the most amazing shots! The photos we’ve already seen are proof of that. But we expected nothing less from Meg Paxton. She is brilliant.

One of my blogs shared how James wanted cupcakes and Kelly wished for a chocolate amaretto cake. Kingsley Cakes did a marvelous job of combining the two and decorating them! Our guests raved at the assortment of delectable sweets and rich wedding dessert. Naturally, like most bridal couples, Kelly and James got a little carried away when it came time to feeding each other dessert! But who can blame them? It was so much fun!

To conclude the weekend festivities, we planned a Day-After-The-Wedding-Brunch here at The Castle for out-of-town guests before their departure for home. Everyone raved about the food served by A Matter of Taste, which was held in the Queen’s Tavern. The Brunch proved a fun way to say goodbye to all the people who helped us, and those who travelled from so far away to be with us for the celebrations. Following The Brunch, I gave a guided tour of The Castle to guests who had time to linger. They just loved it!

If I could pass along one tip to future Mothers-of-The-Brides, it would be this: be sure to relax and have fun. Remember, you’re making special memories that will last a lifetime. Try not to stress out about the little things as others will not notice them. It’s best to have some support close by, because it’s guaranteed that things you never thought of are sure to pop up. One of Kelly’s close friends, plus a friend of Kevin’s, kept us company in the bridal suite. They were lifesavers, willingly pitching in whenever something was needed! Plus, the coordinator Sarah and The Castle Staff—as always—were amazing and super helpful. When a minor hiccup involving the florist occurred, the Castle Staff stepped in and handled things quickly and efficiently. But at Castle Farms, I expected no less. Surprisingly affordable, and simply elegant weddings. The perfect site, the perfect day.

This is my final Peggy blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Kelly and James, and their trip to the altar. It was a magical time in all our lives. My husband Dennis and I were thrilled at the way everything turned out. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome our new son-in-law James into the family. Now it’s back to reality. Kelly and James are happily settled in Seattle, beginning their new life together as husband and wife. As for Dennis and I, we plan on enjoying the rest of the summer and the beauty that Northern Michigan has to offer. There’s a reason they call our town Charlevoix the Beautiful, and there’s also a reason why Castle Farms is known as The Happiest Castle in The World. Believe me, our family is very happy. Kelly’s Castle Farms wedding was a dream come true!

All photos courtesy of Paxton Photography.

1.      First, scout out inexpensive pictures frames. Make sure you have the same amount of pictures frames as you do the number of tables. Often you can find inexpensive picture frames at local craft stores. These picture frames from IKEA are only .99 cents for two!

                                             (Via: IKEA)

2.      If the color of the picture frames you’ve found doesn’t suit you, simply buy some spray paint, and paint the frames with any color you wish.

3.      Visit your local craft store for scrap book paper. This will serve as the back drop for your table numbers. Here’s where your creativity and personality can really shine, just by the choice of paper you choose.

* Can’t decide on just one design? That’s okay! Choose as many designs as you like. After all, you’re the bride! Who says you can’t mix and match?

4.      Cut the sheets of scrap book paper to match the same size as your picture frames.

5.      If you’ve got a steady hand and perfect handwriting, draw the table number onto the scrap book paper in the middle of the paper. But if you’re like most people, and think your handwriting is horrible, it may be best to buy wooden numbers at your local craft store. Simply glue them to the paper in the middle of the frame. Hint: These wooden numbers can also be painted any color you choose.

               (Photo By: Delbarr Moradi/  Via: Style My Pretty)

There you have it: Your very own one-of-a-kind table numbers! And why stop there? You can use these same steps to create matching signs to decorate elsewhere during your Reception, such as on your gift, card, or dessert table.

After a weekend away in Charlevoix, Tia came home to a few wonderful gifts from Jim, including an unexpected proposal! Tia immediately thought of Castle Farms when it came to planning their wedding. She and Jim had often driven by The Castle on their trips to Jim’s Lake Charlevoix cottage. The two chose to have their ceremony in the Knight’s Courtyard with reception following in the Knight’s Castle. They were blessed with clear sunny skies and 85° weather when their wedding day came!

A group of amazing vendors came together to help make Tia and Jim’s wedding beautiful and memorable—with floral décor by BLOOM, linen and paper design by Tableau Events, cupcakes from All Cakes All Occasions, and catering by Grey Gables Inn. Pro DJ’s kept the party going, and EC Campbell Photography and Dr Films were both on hand to capture the entire event. Tia and Jim’s decision to use birch candle holders handmade by Tia’s dad added the perfect personal touch to the festivities. With the weather, décor, location, vendors, plus close family and friends combined, Tia and Jim’s wedding day will be one to remember for a lifetime.

Read their entire story and see more pictures on their Castle Couple page!

1. Seating Assignment Display

Melissa and Ryan chose an alternative display for their seating assignments. Rather than laying out individual cards or creating one poster, they found this old window and used the windows as frames for the seating list! The distressed paint created a rustic country look, which we thought was perfect for the Knight’s Castle (originally built for use as a horse barn!).

2. Guest Books

Instead of one guest book for wedding guests to sign, Melissa and Ryan decided to use sixteen different guest books, one on each table. With guests writing different messages in each book for different anniversary years, Melissa and Ryan will be able to open the books and read their guests’ comments about love, marriage and the celebration. A very touching romantic idea which will surely make for anniversaries filled with love, laughter and memories throughout the years.

3. Guest Favors

Melissa and Ryan wanted to do something personal for their wedding favors. When it came time for planning, Melissa used one of her family’s favorite traditions – Jordan almonds! Since this sweet nutty treat is an absolute must at every family gathering or celebration, it was a must that they be part of the wedding celebration. What better way to include them than to give them to every guest!

4. Thank You’s

During their planning, Melissa and Ryan took time to think about how to thank their guests after the celebration. Ultimately, they had a special Thank You sign made which their photographer used to snap a shot for Melissa and Ryan’s use with their Thank-you cards to guests. What a creative way to give their guests a personal “Thank-You”, along with a reminder of the celebration!

5. Bride & Groom Signs

To mark their seats at the head table, Melissa and Ryan went for an nontraditional type of sign: pillows! They found these Mr. & Mrs. printed burlap sack pillows to add to their seats, continuing the country style and adding another unique touch to their wedding.

Each of these ideas came together to make Melissa and Ryan’s wedding beautiful, personal and memorable. With such a unique wedding, we just had to turn to the bride to see how she came up with everything! Here’s what Melissa herself had to say about her beautiful Castle wedding:

“A simple piece of burlap really started the ideas for our wedding décor. We are pretty laid back and my style leans towards a more rustic like feel, which is why the Knight’s Castle was a great venue for the reception. My mom had an example of a vase surrounded by twigs with a candle in the center from a party she had attended and I fell in love with that idea. Since those were a lot of work to make, we figured we would split the tables and use large mason jars on the other tables to showcase some flowers that had more of a relaxed feel to them. From there, the ideas just kept rolling. I tried to tie in pieces together so that things felt like they had a flow to them. I used similar backgrounds/colors from our wedding invitations for the favors and other stationary items. I fell in love with Pinterest and took bits and pieces from different things to try and come up with clever décor. I try to be more unique then traditional if possible. I found some Kraft card stock and fell in love with the idea we used to create the programs and the table number/guest books that people could write in. I also found a cute fork/spoon stamp that allowed me to personalize a menu card for each table as well. The seating chart was my favorite project. It’s not completely original because I saw it all over on the Internet, but I thought adding the burlap behind the table info was a nice touch and it was so much fun to gather all of the wedding pictures of parents and grandparents to put on display for all to see. To be honest, I was a little nervous to see how all of these separate ideas were going to fit together on the big day, but I couldn’t have been more pleased with how things turned out.

Our wedding day was absolutely perfect—and I truly mean that! Nothing went wrong. If there were any hiccups, Castle Farms did a great job of smoothing it over so I didn’t notice.”

Have you ever been to a wedding where the instruments weren’t in tune, the songs weren’t great, and no one danced? Well, I have, and I always went home feeling sorry for the bridal couple. No way did I want that happening to Kelly and James. When it came time for them to hire musicians, I recommended one of the businesses on The Castle’s Preferred Service Provider list. I felt comfortable suggesting Kelly and James hire this particular vendor. The business is owned by a wonderful couple. Together this husband and wife make up a dynamic duo. They play The Castle on a regular basis and I’ve had the chance to hear some of their music. I’ve also seen their D.J. interact with the crowd as Master of Ceremony. There are always people on the dance floor when he works a wedding. They’re also extremely accommodating in working with couples to guarantee they get what they want. Here’s an example: They offer a trio of live musicians including violin, guitar, stand-up bass and saxophone. Kelly and James (who live in Seattle) loved the idea of the trio playing for the wedding ceremony, but couldn’t decide which songs to use. Without missing a beat, the owner offered to play a selection on his violin over the phone so Kelly and James could hear the different melodies. Music to their ears! Their list was done in record time.

For the reception, we’ve asked the D.J. to serve as Master of Ceremony. I know he’ll make it so much fun. He has a knack for getting people out on the dance floor. You know how that goes… once people start dancing, great parties follow! Kelly and James like a wide variety of music and this D.J. does it all—rock ‘n’ roll, swingy tunes, and soft romantic melodies. I’m sure he’ll also throw in a polka or two, for my husband Dennis is Polish and many relatives will be attending. No doubt I’ll be twirling in his arms as we dance our way across the dance floor!

So there’s the story of Kelly and James’ wedding music. Once again, we turned to The Castle’s Preferred Service Providers’ list and came up with a winner. And though the wedding and reception are still a few days away, we’re already humming Brown Eyed Girl!

1.      Find inexpensive vases that you want to use. These can easily be found at craft shops or dollar stores.  The one used in this demonstration is from the dollar store, and only cost $1!

2.      Stop by your local home improvement store and purchase spray paint primer and chalkboard spray paint.

3.      Making sure you’re outside in a well-ventilated area, spray three thin coats of primer on each vase. Be sure to thoroughly let dry between each coat.

4.      Just as you did with the primer, spray three coats of chalkboard spray paint on each vase. Remember to let each coat thoroughly dry before applying another coat.

5.      Use chalk to write the table number on each vase, and then fill it with beautiful flowers!

We hope future Castle Farms brides use this idea. All of us at The Castle love it!