Paper Flower Wall DIY

Paper Flower Wall via Leslie ReeseI am one of those people who is always looking forward to the next party or celebration. I just love making the most out of any holiday or event.  I absolutely loved helping two of my daughters plan their weddings and I honestly can't wait to do it again someday for the next one! I live for this stuff! What's fun is that each wedding is as unique as the people getting married. This past July Elizabeth and Jon got married at the Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, PA. Elizabeth had a vision and knew exactly what she wanted. In case you missed the last post, you can find a little recap here. It was truly a beautiful day. One of our favorite things from that day was the paper flower wall that stood as a back drop during the ceremony and reception. We made it ourselves. It was a labor of love and we were thrilled with the result. We thought it would be fun to share the progress of such a big project with you.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (15) (640x489)It all started when we had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Martha Stewart Bridal Market Party in New York City last October. It was a real Who's Who in the event planning world. It was a fantastic night and as you can imagine there were amazing things to see and do. One of the things that caught our eye was the photo booth. The wall behind it was covered with white flowers. It was beautiful.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (14) (640x426)At the time, Elizabeth was engaged and the minute she saw the wall she said " I want this at my wedding!" So naturally, since I'm her mom and a person who loves a creative challenge, my answer to her was " Then you shall have it!" We stood in awe of the wall taking pictures and examining the flowers. The whole thing was made from paper. It was so cool. No big deal...right? Well, sort of...

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (11) (640x426)Soon after we returned from New York City we began the process of making this wall happen. We had 9 months, which was plenty of time, but we couldn't find a how-to anywhere. Not on Martha Stewart's website and not even on Pinterest! So we decided to just figure it out. We started by making tons of paper flowers. We made patterns and cut them out of everything from single sheets of copy paper to rolls of craft paper. The varied weights in paper gave the flowers a few different looks.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (12) (640x507)Elizabeth made a job out of designing and cutting paper flowers.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (13) (640x426)We had flowers everywhere so we carefully attached them to a bare wall in our basement to keep them from getting wrinkled or torn.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (4) (640x480)While we were creating the flowers, Jon and his dad constructed a 12' high by 8' wide wall that would wrap around the fireplace in the ballroom at the Cork Factory. We tested the fit before the big day to make sure it worked. The Cork Factory staff was fantastic to work with and were happy to accommodate us with this project. We just love them!

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (6) (480x640)Once the wall was constructed we attached the flowers to it. We used a combination of glue and staples.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (5) (529x640)In order to make it portable Jon and his dad used five separate boards to create the wall. Three across the front and one on each side. They would all be attached together at the venue.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (7) (480x640)Once most of the flowers were attached we stood each section of the wall up to see how it looked (it helped that Jon's dad's basement had high ceilings!). We added more flowers to completely fill the wall.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (8) (501x640)The wall was transported to the venue the day of the wedding in a covered truck. A HUGE thank you to Jon's dad Glenn for making that happen!

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (640x426)When the wall was set up in the ballroom we touched it up with a few more flowers and a little bit of glue. We lined the base of the wall with glass vessels filled with water and floating candles. It softened the look and gave the wall a romantic glow.

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (1) (640x426)Mission accomplished!

Flower Wall DIY via Leslie Reese (3)This paper flower wall was truly a labor of love. Elizabeth had a vision and with some hard work and  the collaboration of some amazing people it became a reality. And it was perfect!

Have a beautiful day!

Leslie xo

Hello September

Elizabeth and Jon  Wedding July 6 2013Welcome to September! I can't believe July and August are over. How did that happen? It seems like just yesterday I was saying "I'll be back soon" and all of a sudden we fast forward to September and the last few months are memories. I hope you had a wonderful summer! Mine was filled with celebrations, new beginnings, adventures and time spent with family and friends. It flew by quickly! When that happens we sometimes find ourselves hanging onto the season, not wanting to let go of the here and now. Other times we feel ready for a change. It's why those back to school commercials resonate with mothers everywhere! Either way, it's time for transition and ready or not, here it comes. I love this time of year so I will be embracing the new season and all that it brings but before I jump into fall recipes and cool weather projects, I want to share one of my favorite summer memories with you.

My daughter Elizabeth was married to the love of her life, Jon, in July. It was a magical day and I can honestly say I have never seen her happier. The entire process leading up to that day was wonderful. It was a fantastic collaboration of amazing people and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had. I loved every minute of planning this special day with Elizabeth. We worked hard, laughed a lot and even shed a few tears. It was truly the highlight of our summer.

Cork Factory Hotel Wedding ~ Elizabeth and Jon The wedding was held at the Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, PA. The wood ceilings and brick walls of this 19th Century building once housed the historic Armstrong Cork and Kerr Glass companies. This well preserved structure was a perfect setting for Elizabeth and Jon's special day. The awesome photos in this post are the work of New Chapters Photography, in Harrisburg, PA.

Handmade Paper Flower Wall via Leslie ReeseElizabeth had a vision for a white flower wall that would be the backdrop for her wedding ceremony. After weeks of cutting and gluing, we covered the entire 8' X 12' structure with handmade paper flowers that we designed ourselves. We were thrilled with the end result. I will be sharing the experience from start to finish in an upcoming post.

Candles and Paper Flowers via Leslie ReeseFloating candles in a variety of glass vessels lined the bottom of the flower wall giving it a soft romantic glow.

Wedding Programs via Leslie ReeseHandmade programs tied with coral ribbon were hanging from chiavari chairs for each guest.

Simple Garden Flowers via Leslie Reese #weddingsElizabeth wanted simple but elegant hand tied bouquets of garden flowers. Blooms by Vickrey in Camp Hill, PA did a fantastic job with the entire wedding. Owner Mark Vickrey was on site all day making sure everything went as planned. Not only did that give us peace of mind, Mark was a blast to work with. He is one of our favorite vendors.

Handmade Wedding Headpiece via Leslie ReeseElizabeth's headpiece was beautifully unique and a perfect compliment to her dress. When she decided to wear a headband I thought I would try to make one for her. I designed it to include a removable veil so she could wear the headband during the reception. It was so simple to make and was special for both of us.

Babies Breath Balls #weddings #flowersSimple elegance was the goal for this wedding. Elizabeth chose balls of babies breath, some of which were suspended over the tables, instead of traditional arrangements. Another job well done by Blooms by Vickrey.

Individual Miniature Wedding Cakes via Leslie ReeseIndividual miniature wedding cakes made by Kyrsten's Sweet Designs were placed on the tables for each guest. Kyrsten is an extremely talented local baker and cake designer from Harrisburg, PA. I will be sharing more about her and her amazing work in an upcoming post.

Chocolate Covered Sugar Cookie Spoons #events #coffee #tea via Leslie ReeseA few of our favorite things from this special day were the ice cream bar, the homemade chocolate covered sugar cookie spoons on the coffee bar and the fact that the guests loved taking their cakes home in individual boxes. We even included a fork just in case they wanted to dig in before they got home!

It was a wonderful day and a memory that will last a lifetime! What is your favorite summer memory? Do you have one or are there many that you will tuck away? It feels good to be blogging again! I'm looking forward to sharing lots of new things this fall so stop back soon. I hope your summer was memorable and you are heading into the new season looking forward to all of the wonderful things to come! There are so many!

Leslie xo

Photo credit and many thanks to New Chapters Photography! Another favorite vendor!