filtered to family & friends of Dean;
As the 30th birthday (and don't give me that different times and physical age stuff, it's still the date of his birthday in this reality) of my best friend is in two days and he needs something happy right now, I'm throwing a surprise party for Dean at my house, Tuesday the 24th, seven p.m.
Key word here being SURPRISE. So shh.
It's nothing super fancy because this is for Dean. I bought a grill, so burgers and other grill stuff, normal party food, a cake Mary's baking, stuff like that. I just need to know who'll be there so I have enough of everything.
Sam, do you think you could keep him distracted after he gets home from work that day, maybe get him out of your house around 6:30 so everyone can get over here without him noticing, then make up an excuse to come by my house?
And if someone could give me a lesson on how to work this grill, that'd be awesome.
[second filter; Heather & Jo] After digging through Sarah's totally excessive notes and browsing around the internet, I've got ideas and suggestions and a bunch of links for all things flowery.
I've been typing as I was researching, so this is a lot of little facts and stuff all thrown together.
Now, I wasn't sure if you wanted super traditional flowers (only roses), traditional mixed with others (like this, roses and tulips, or this, roses and calla lilies) or tropical flowers in pastels or even how many shades of pastels (like pinks and orange/peach and yellow in those roses up above, or pinks and whites and multi-purples, like this, or some other combination), so I tried to stick with pastels in the images that are the examples of ideas, but they range from traditional to not traditional.
Ceremony: Gazebo Flowers: You can have them pretty much anywhere on the gazebo, like the points of the roof or down each post or you can do one large one over the main entrance of the gazebo OR a combination of those plus tulle.
Are you putting a table on the gazebo for the unity candle?
Ceremony: Aisle Flowers: Since you're having the white folding chairs, there aren't pews for pew bows/pew flowers, but you can line the bottom of the aisle (outside where the aisle runner will sit, like this), or you can have stands that are connected by ribbon or tulle (like those red carpet velvet rope things?). I found these white wire candelabras, but even with the glass around the candles, the candles would likely look cheesy in daylight – they have them without the candelabra top though. It would put those arrangements about neck level with a person of "average height" and are supposed to be for the start of the aisle, so when you make your "entrance" (since it's outside, you won't actually be entering), you and your bridesmaids are all framed (I dunno, it's a picture thing, there were all these photographer "tips" with it), and not the end, as then it would block people's view. For the end closest to the gazebo, they'd suggest something like these because they're chair height.
Since you don't have a lot of chairs, I did see this, that makes the chairs look a bit like benches or pews because the tulle runs along the backs and then drapes down on each end chair. At each end before the drapey part is the bow, but I'm thinking you could do flowers there too/instead if you wanted.
If you don't want the ribbon or tulle, the stands at each end of the aisle can probably stand alone. There were also larger arrangements that tied right to the chairs (flowers and tulle in one image) but they looked like the people sitting in those chairs would be bumping them a lot.
Reception: Head Table: You can do an arrangement like this or you can order bouquet clamps that attach at the front or simple or fancy bouquet stands so you can use the bridal party bouquets as the head table decoration. Those stands accommodate these nifty holders that feed water into the cut flowers so they don't go limp before the day is over. The florist can wrap ribbon around the holders so you can't see them, but leave the bottom free so you can refill it with water throughout the day, as apparently some cut flowers are 'thirstier' than others.
Reception: Guest Tables: Did you want any kind of theme for any of it, beyond just the pastels with the greenery accents? They can even do them in themed holders, like watering cans. Really tall arrangements would likely be a bad idea, only because the wind might blow and make them wobble. Even though it's outside, candles inside glass (like those hurricane lamb globes or something like this) surrounded by flowers might be good, as there's the overhead light strings, but light on the tables would bring more light as the sun sets.
I don't know if you've decided on what your favors will be, but one idea is a combination – an arrangement of multiple bud vases on a display (tiered, like how a cake is tiered) that are also favors at the end of the night, because you can have them printed in black, silver or gold with your names and the wedding date on them and all the guests can take them and the flowers in them home.
Bridal Party Bouquets: This depends on your bouquet, as they'll have the same flowers and they'll be smaller (like the medium/small cascade one above, this small round bouquet matches it). Bouquets are traditional, but you can also do several long-stemmed flowers and greenery tied with ribbon and they can just be held at the middle, usually where the bow in the ribbon is.
Boutineers/Corsages: Mostly this is just going to be you picking one of your main flowers and the florist putting greenery behind it, as far as the boutineers. The corsages have more – like two or three of the bouquet flowers plus greenery – and either pin on or can go on wrists like prom flowers.
I know not all of the list applies, but this is basically what you use each for:
Boutineers go to the bridal party men and men who are important or doing stuff for the wedding, like fathers of bride and groom, important family (grandfathers, godfathers, people like that), ring bearers, ushers, other males helping with wedding things (like if someone built an arch for the ceremony or has some kind of other role).
Corsages go to women who are important or doing stuff for the wedding, like mothers of the bride and groom, important family members (grandmothers, godmothers, family from far away that came in special) guest book/place card table/favor attendants, wedding planner (unless the wedding planner was a guy), other women helping with wedding things.
The photographers rule is apparently whoever you want in a lot of the pictures, put flowers on them so it's an easy way for the photographer to make sure the important people are captured. I don't think you guys are having a ton of guest, so it might not be as important of a rule in that case, I'm not sure.
And I think that's what I have for now, so, thoughts?
[ooc: I know it's LONG. She's trying to do a good job helping Heather, DON'T JUDGE.]