How to Stage a Celebration!

I never thought this day would come so fast.  The day my daughter marries the man she loves and leaves our home for her own.

Ok, so THAT day has already come and gone, but now THIS day, the day we invited lots of people to share in their joy, came pretty quickly, too. 

And the really nice thing about this day, is that I was ready for it, ready enough so that I had a nice time, too. 

I've learned to make lists, and lists and more lists.  I've learned to start early on my lists and buy things over several weeks.  I've learned to make friends of people with punch bowls, and serving plates, and coffee makers.  I've learned that you can put on a pretty nice little reception, in two months, with a very little outlay of money.

Next time I would be earlier in sending out the invitations, but other than that, it all went pretty smoothly. I am learning how to delegate and how to give people jobs that ask for help.  So, if you don't want to help, you better not offer!

So, I bought things every time I went to the store.  The things I needed from Hobby Lobby had to wait until the last week, since I was waiting for  40% off coupons, and then I must have gone into the store about 8 times after I got them.

Other than traipsing into Hobby Lobby twice a day, I made the cake balls and dipped strawberries at the very last.

Cake balls are easy, just crumbled, baked cake, with frosting mixed in, then dipped in almond bark or dipping chocolate.  They are just yummy, but mine don't look so much like balls.

My daughter helped me with the strawberries.  I like to dip them from the double boiler, since the chocolate keeps warm on the stove, while I dip or do other things.

Dip then drizzle.

Then we had to see if they were any good.

They were.

At first thought, I wanted to save the money and make the sheet cakes to serve at the reception, but mom offered to buy Walmart cakes, so I took her up on it.  I'm not too keen on staying up all night and working on big projects, I just can't do it anymore.  My nerves just can't take it. 

Lorene wanted a round cake for a centerpiece, so I decided to make one, just to see what I remembered from the cake decorating class I took in 4-H when I was a senior in high school.  My friend, Lynisha, the cake decorator, (self taught I believe), gave me this hint, to fill the cake pans big enough to use the edge as a guide to make an even layer.

Icing!! Wilton's whitest.  I made it just like the recipe and it seemed so stiff.

Filling with stiff icing.

The problem with these large pictures, is that not only can you see just how to do things, you can see all the mistakes, too.

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One thing they taught us is my decorating class is to put a thin layer of icing on the cake and let it dry.  Which I did.  But, I'm not really sure it was necessary, since I put on a really thick layer of icing on anyway.

This looks really good here, all nice and straight and upstanding.

But, here I was globbing icing on and it's LEANING!!  By this time I felt it was too late to try to take off the layers and reposition them.  So, I just made sure the side I wanted to show looked the best, and less like the leaning cake of the reception.

I suppose there is a way to do it, but I didn't want to take the time, get icing all over me and everything else, and by not knowing what I was doing for sure, increased the risk of a major catastrophe, and no round cake at all. I'm just not good at careful and patient.

Here is the final product.

Then it comes to setting up time, cake balls and strawberries on my 2 tier stand.

Lorene made the mints.  These look nice.  The first batch she made using the color I gave her, were ORANGE.  Too bad no one bothered to read the color on the lid.

Guest book table.  Lorene and Aaron received in the dining room so people signed as they came in.

I ordered these cakes from Walmart.  I like the second one the best.  I learned a few things about what I'd like the next time I order cakes.

Aarons' mom rented the glass boxes and those are REAL roses in them.  Very elegant, and yet so simple to do. 

We set up in the garage.  The temperatures were supposed to be in the 40's and windy that day, so we had a nice little propane heater warming it up.

I was so pleased with the way everything turned out.  It looked nice, the food was good, it was warm enough that people didn't freeze and cool enough so they really enjoyed their coffee....

When the people came in.

And these nice ladies are the reason I had such a good time during the reception, and was able to take pictures.  Nothing like good help!

Red roses are so beautiful, we were able to enjoy them for another few days.

And...the happy couple!

It was a lovely day, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves especially the family.  It is nice to have an event you can remember with pleasure.