Wedding That Proves Thank You Notes Never Go Out of Style
Jennifer and Matthew tied the knot on the same weekend as the bride's parents almost exactly 30 years prior, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that their wedding was centered around family, friends, and the love they all share.
One of our favorite aspects of this wedding that was beautifully styled by Girl Meets Party is the fact that the bride learned calligraphy and then wrote thank you cards for every guest that were specifically tailored to them. That's just the tip of the iceberg of surprises that this bride had in store for her guests. See more details in the full gallery, photographed by Dabble Me This.
Intimate DIY Wedding Details
When we dreamt of our wedding, we always pictured an intimate weekend filled with our closest family and friends. With every detail planned with our guests in mind, we settled on Lake Geneva for its quaint feel, charming backdrop and proximity to Chicago. I spent the next 14 months planning nearly every day creating every little detail I could. I created my niece’s flower girl dress for her as well as designed our wedding invitations. I wanted our wedding invitations to be a true preview for the day. To do so, I designed matching menus.
One Of A Kind Thank You Cards
Labels with Love helped me to create matching mini champagne labels that I used for our place cards and favors. I created signs for each table with every ‘first dance song’ and why it was chosen to be inclusive of all guests. By far the best surprise at the table though was the thank you cards. I learned calligraphy for the wedding, and I hand calligraphed our wedding invitations, a special sign for our rings to be photographed on and thank you notes for every single guest. We wanted our guests to know just how special they were to us so we wrote them personalized thank you notes detailing our favorite memory we had spent with them and thanking them for being an intricate part to our big day. The cards were awaiting them at their place setting.
Father & Daughter First Look
Our wedding date was the same weekend my parents married 30 years prior. As my ‘something borrowed,’ I redesigned my mother’s wedding dress and wore my grandmother’s engagement diamond as a necklace. As an only child and a forever ‘daddy’s girl,’ I wanted a first look with my dad. The second he turned around, he couldn’t help but cry looking at his ‘little girl’ in his wife’s wedding dress. My favorite part was surprising our guests after dinner with an engagement & wedding highlight reel.
Wedding Memories In Motion
Matt proposed with a video, and we decided to carry the momentum through our engagement documenting all events. We captured photos and videos of all key pre-wedding events: bridal showers, asking our wedding party attendants, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, our Friday night sunset cruise and the wedding ceremony. Our videographer, Pat Clark Productions, blended our moments with the music perfectly. We all gathered around the dance floor to watch laughing and sharing tears of joy. We proceeded to dance the night away soaking in as many memories as we could.
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- Bridesmaids Dresses: Vow to Be Chic, Jill Stuart
- Cakes & Catering: Gooseberries Market
- Dress: Silver Moon Vintage
- Entertainment: A Personal Touch
- Event Planning & Design: Girl Meets Party
- Flowers: Treasure Hut Flowers
- Health & Beauty: Mobile Make-Up Pros
- Jewelry: Kate Spade
- Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
- Venue: Geneva National Golf Resort
- Wedding Films: Pat Clark Productions