Jill & Matthew's Rustic Rock Fall Wedding!

How They Met: These adorable darlings met when Jill posted an extra ticket to Ryan Adams on Craigslist. Matthew was the first one to respond that he wanted it, and they ended up sitting next to each and chatting through the concert. They exchanged numbers after the show and couldn't stop chatting that night. The rest, as they say, is history.

Their Theme: They chose fall colors for their September wedding and labeled each table after a concert they had been to together. It fit perfectly with the rock-club venue of the Bottom Lounge, in the West Loop of Chicago.

Thanks: These guys were super mellow and very crafty (they made all the candle holders out of wine bottles! All of them!!). We are so happy to have worked with them on their incredibly special day. Love you guys!

Floral Chairs

A beautiful touch to rustic or garden themed ceremonies is tying flowers and fabric around the ceremony chairs.

While tulle tends to work best (it's structural and wide - as well as being affordable), any ribbon or fabric can work.

Assuming you only need to cover a few chairs (say, for parents or honored guests), get 5 yards of tulle.

- Cut the 5 yard piece into 3 sections - this will be enough for 3 tiebacks that drape a bit down the chair. (If you want shorter tiebacks, this will be enough for 4.)

- Wrap the tulle around the chair and bring the end pieces together in the back to tie a knot.

- Fan the tulle out to cover the chair back and tuck the flowers into the knot of the fabric.

Fresh, dried, or silk flowers can all work well for this decor. You can also use non-floral items like balloons or tucking programs into the ribbon. If you do choose fresh flowers, you may want to put each bunch in a water tube to keep them fresh.

Mason Jar Decor

Whether planning a garden party-themed summer wedding, a rustic fall wedding or an elegant glass-centered winter wonderland wedding, mason jars can be a budget-friendly way to create warm lighting, charming decor and memorable favors.

I'm sure you're familiar with the classic and beautiful flowers-in-mason-jar centerpiece. Both wildflowers arranged by the wedding party or family or professionally arranged flowers look fantastic in mason jars and give a homey welcome to the event.

They can also be used as table lighting with a little bit of sand (colored or natural), stones or shells as a base for votive candles. This inviting lighting allows for a protected open flame at the table and less (potentially more costly) lighting elsewhere.

Another option for lighting is hanging lanterns. This involves slightly more DIY-work on your part, but are a great option if you're going with an outdoor wedding. P. Allen Smith has a great how-to on their website: www.pallensmith.com

And never underestimate the charm of using them for guest favors. Use your imagination to showcase the wedding locale or your personalities through a small mason jar full of items like:

- local jam (ex: huckleberry jam in Montana)
- a favorite candy (or candies in the color of the wedding)
- soil & a planted seed (for a green-themed wedding)
- local flowers petals (to evolve into potpourri; also involves a bit more DIY)

The options are endless!

A Love Grows in Brooklyn

Check out these adorable ideas of decor for a garden-party-themed wedding!

(My favorite is the place cards tied to mini trees.)

One note: the bucket table with cards spread out is actually a "wishing card" table - in lieu of a guest book, this couple chose to lay out notecards stamped with words like "passion," "love" and "inspiring," then asked their guests to write a wish and throw it in the bucket for them.

A lot more to keep track of in your scrapbook, but it allows the guests to be as personal as they want without the awkwardness of someone reading what they wrote.