When Lesley and Doug first met with me, they told me they wanted to plan a super fun, casual, outdoor wedding that would be filled with lawn games and local beer and amazing food and oh yay, they didn’t want to spend any money on flowers but they wanted it to be super bright and full of color and their ideal location would be a big field. I felt like I was in a “wedding planner challenge” game and it was awesome. We decided on using Heritage Park, a huge grassy area just south of Old Town that is both private and has historic homes and a temple right on site. Perfect for this Jewish couple. Lesley and Doug signed their Ketubah in a private ceremony in the temple and Lesley used that as her place of waiting before the ceremony began.
As guests arrived (above), they were directed by hearts made out of baking flour up the cobblestone pathway to the location of the ceremony and reception. For the ceremony, Lesley and her friends and family made fabric flowers that we hung from the gazebo (with a prayer shawl so that it would be an official Chuppah) and paper pin-wheels to flank the aisle. Because she wanted it colorful, Lesley decided on 5 colors that we would layer throughout the event: purple, lavender, bright yellow, fuchsia pink, and apple green. I instructed Lesley that whatever she purchased, should be in those colors. Even if it were hula hoops and bubbles, make sure everything was only in those colors and the whole event would be brought together through it’s color scheme.
After the ceremony, guests were directed to the “cocktail area” that was filled with bacci ball courts, bag toss lanes, hula hoops, and other games for big and little kids. Signature beer was displayed at the bar, made by friends of theirs, and seed packed escort cards were displayed to direct guests to their tables. The “guest book” was a bingo style turner where guests were instructed to place the customized “mad libs” Lesley created and we set at each place setting. Check out Lesley’s DIY sign below, as well, that she made from paint cards–in her 5 colors!
For the guest tables, we set long banquet style tables and mixed our 5 colors among them as well. Each table had a white base linen, a layer of 30″ paper (the exact width of the tables) taped down to it so guests could color throughout the lunch, a bright napkin and a bright runner (we mixed the 5 colors throughout the tables so each had a different combination of runner and napkin), and baskets of candy and games that Lesley and her friends put together.
Concepts Event Design built a dance floor right on the grass and strung paper lanterns in a canopy above it. Authentic Flavors Custom Catering created a comfort food lunch with sliders, mac’n’cheese, risotto, fries, and salads.
To cap off the afternoon, the bride and groom swung at a pinata and threw candy throughout the crowd, we set up cake pops and a mini cake for the bride and groom to cut, and then finished it all off with an ice cream truck that gave out treats right from its open window. I told friends of mine that it was pretty much one of the most FUN days ever for everyone who attended. I would say that Lesley and Doug absolutely created their vision and it was super fun to be part of their special day! Thanks to Jenny Mann Photography for the great photos.
Cynthia Zatkin Events 
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