A Vintage Engagement Affaire...

It started with an Engagement Party (postcard) Invitation that I created.

(some names & addresses have been deleted for privacy)

FRONT...

BACK...

About 100 invitations were sent out and we had an arrival of approximately 125-150 guests that attended.

It was a success!!!!

It was a fairytale night indeed, full of family and friends.

Here are a few photos of the decorations...(I have to brag about it...because it really WAS awesome)

The engagement party was an "end of the road" country setting, located outside in the evening light.

It was a little breezy, low 60's, bright moon...just perfect with the DJ playing our favorite music in the background.

Each of the 8 table centerpieces was decorated differently.

Several weeks before the party, I bought some small (real) pumpkins.

I taped off the stems and spray painted the pumpkins gloss ivory. After they were dry, I hot glued some moss to the tops of them. Simply elegant.

I pulled out all of my vintage "stuff"... lanterns, books, doilies, old frames, and everything I could find and we had a blast decorating!

I also printed "Thank You" cards and placed one on each table. I love that special personal touch and to say "Thank You" is always appropriate!

I have this old desk that we used as the "sign in" table and decorated around it with personal touches...

We used my vintage Samsonite suitcase for the gift cards...

**an idea I stole borrowed from Suzanne's daughter's wedding!!!

My old vintage Underwood typewriter with a cute little note that I printed and "vintaged up" a little...

On the other side of the desk, we placed some hay bales and covered them with a vintage inspired blanket.

There we put the gifts.

We also covered some Hershey Chocolate bars in some coordinating paper and fluffed them up for the guests to take home on their way out...

We placed other hay bales and covered them with vintage inspired blankets so the guests could cozy up and visit with one another...

We also had an open bar...

I had some old military burlap that I've been wanting to use.

Since I didn't have a stencil large enough for the letters, I printed out the letters "B" "A" "R" as big as I could each on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

I used an exacto knife to cut out the letters, leaving me a nice sized paper stencil.

Using a sponge, I dabbed some black paint inside the stencil, let dry and hung them with safety pins.

The glassed frame above is from a garage sale. I think I picked it up for $2 last year. It was a picture of a boy and girl (not too cute) but I had big plans for it and it had been sitting in my garage for way too long. There was no better time to "convert" it as now! 

So I took it apart, turned the picture board around and painted it with black chalkboard paint.

**Correction: I did not paint it...The Man sprayed it for me!

The best chalkboard paint to use is Valspar and you can get it at Lowe's for $14.99 a quart.

I've tried the Krylon spray can and wasn't too happy with the results. At all.

After drying, I used chalk to write all the liquor, wines and beer that we were serving...

I then put the frame, matting and glass back together.

I know what you're thinking...

In Southern Louisiana, we sure can drink! And yes we do!!!

We find a reason to celebrate anything and everything!!!

Also on the bar table, I decorated a glass vase and turned it into a tip jar and placed it on some old books. I also placed some napkins in an old sewing machine drawer...

The tip jar must have worked well as the little guy we "hired" to bartend emptied it quite often and was very happy!

As for the beer, we gathered "feeding" troughs and wash pans from family members.

I knew I was serving only four varieties of beer so I only needed four large containers and after looking through family member's barns and sheds, this is what we came up with...

(after much cleaning!!!!)

Again, we used hay bales to lift them up (plus the hay absorbed the condensation) and gave them just the right height we needed.

We tied some can openers and labeled each trough/wash pan with the choice of beer that was chilling inside.

I must say, the guys were impressed! 

We also had the white wines (chardonnay, riesling, & pino grigio) chilling in a smaller wash pan and used another wash pan for the bar ice...

We set up a "self-serve" table that included sodas, tea and ice for those who do not drink alcoholic beverages.

(Just a note...that table was rarely touched!) haha!

And last but not least, we had one more useful old hay bale...

We placed my old vintage bath tub on it and filled it with bottled water and ice (and labeled that too of course!)

One thing was for sure at this party...

Everyone knew "what" they were drinking!

So as the sun began to set and the guests began to arrive, our decorating  job was finished and it was time to spoil the guests upon their entrance...

   One by one they signed it and took in each and every little detail...

And all of us hostesses just sat back and smiled at our job (very) well done.

Oh...and there was food too!

Each hostess brought a side dish of their choice from the menu that I prepared in advance...

How could I be so rude as to not show you?

We transformed a carport into a dining extravaganza, filled with appetizers, meats, veggies and fruit...

The main course was Jambalaya and white beans...

and desserts plenty...

So feel free to fix you a plate full of goodies and dine by the pool...I'm so happy you came too!!!!   ;)))

It was a lot of planning, a lot of preparation, and a lot of detail but it certainly all paid off in the end.

It was nice visiting with all of our aunts, uncles and cousins and most of all, knowing the couple of honor had just as much fun as we did!!!!

They say this party was the talk of the year...

and that makes my heart happy (& proud).

Now it's time to unpack all of my vintage goodies and save them in their rightful places here at home...

Save all of my laundered linens (thank you Sonya)...

And sit back and enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday!!!

(no more parties for a while...I think I may be just a little sad)

just a little...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!!!

~ be safe, be generous, & be thankful ~ 

cheers!