Well, not exactly a chapel.

Rather, the Antheia Ballroom in Snohomish, WA. was the setting for my sister’s handmade wedding this past weekend.

From the invitations, flowers, food, and cake, to the fashions, photography, service, and even the Officiant, this was an entirely handmade wedding, filled with family love and many DIY projects.

My sisters vision included 1920′s fashion and rust and chocolate brown signature colors.

There are just too many DIY projects to highlight here in one blog, so I will be spending the rest of the week highlighting some of the projects my family and I worked on to make this wedding spectacular.

Let us begin…..

Officiant:

Our Grandpa, a retired engineer, has always been active in his church and community.  But he took it to the next level for my sister’s wedding!  Hesitant at first, and after much coaxing by my sister, he agreed to get ordained and marry my sister and her now husband!

Apparently, it’s a pretty easy process.  Follow these steps here to get ordained for your special day.

Food:

All the food was prepared by the groom’s brother, who is a the Sous Chef at the W Hotel in downtown Seattle.  Together, he and a friend prepared some fabulously gourmet finger-foods, including gazpacho shooters, antipasto platter with meat, veggies, and an assortment of cheese, caprese salad, turkey and avocado aoili sandwiches on focaccia bread, roast beef sandwiches with white cheddar and garlic aoili on focaccia bread, meatballs in mushroom sauce, and a light dessert of peaches and mint and strawberries and basil.

Cake:

The cake.  Oh, the cake.  Arguably one of the best parts of any weeding.

This one was homemade, by my fabulous mother, who really takes the cake for this wedding.  Pun intended.

(My mother and her mother, who she learned all her cooking skills from.)

I mean she coordinated and created this entire wedding, in addition to creating this beautiful and delicious three-tiered cake.

• three pounds of butter
• three cups sugar
• 10 egg whites cooked to 140 degrees and whipped to a frenzy for 10 minutes.

In addition to these DIY bits, some of my cousins bussed the tables, and were paied handsomely for their efforts.

Another sister did the bride’s and flower girls’ hair and affixed her hair accessories and veil (made by yours truly, tutorial to come), while I did the bride’s makeup.

The table floral arrangements were created by myself, my grandmother, and yet another sister, music by even another sister (I have a lot of sisters), and all the photography was done by friends and family!

What a lovely day!  Congratulations to the happy couple!