Champagne Wishes and Lavender Dreams

My wedding dress displayed on the lawn, this past Sunday afternoon.  Come to think of it, now it's just a month or so shy of thirty four-years-old.  Lots of lace and a chapel length train.  Oh, so very 1980!

Champagne bottle tops attached to clear candle holders were the vases for tussie mussies made by the guests at the "Happily Ever Afternoon" tea party.  They made perfect party favors.

Well, it wasn't exactly an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", this last Sunday.  (For those of you who are too young to remember that 1980's TV Show hosted by Robin Leach whereby he would close each episode his thoughts of "Champagne wishes and caviar dreams.") Yet, it was a lovely "Happily Ever Afternoon" garden party held under shady porch eaves and sun-drenched white canopies with lavender-infused prosecco pouring freely while scones smothered in jam and cream and tasty tea sandwiches were the order of the day.

Some of our lovely guests.

Some more of our lovely guests.

Some more of our lovely guests enjoying tea on the porch.

Floral dresses, chapeaus and fascinators adorned the guests of honor--and all who attended were the guests of honor--while they poured pots of tea and reminisced, planned or just talked on the topic of weddings.  It did not matter whether or not each lady had been a bride herself.  What did matter was that everyone was happy and had attended or will attend, at some point, one of the happiest of all special occasions in life, a wedding!

White tents and tulle provided shade and cool and even a touch of charm and whimsy to the linen tablecloths, silver, crystal and china.

Tags for the tussie mussies explaining the message of the herbs and flowers used.  Among the flora to pick from were; rose for unity, boxwood for constant love, Lavender for devotion and marjoram for joy and happiness.

Wedding cakes made by my dear friend, Kim, owner of Loudoun Valley Herbs.

The weather was perfect and even if it had decided to rain, it would not have mattered because rain on a wedding day or on a day that has anything to do with a wedding is good luck!!  (Aside from the fact that no matter the weather, the sun always shines at Blooming Hill.) Tulle floated in the warm breeze and crystal chandeliers tinkled while tussie mussies, conveying the warmest of wishes to love and life, were created by each guest.  And, of course, a petite wedding cake prepared expressly for her to share, or not, thoughtfully bestowed at the end of the day.

Kim and I standing by my wedding dress with her wedding veil crowning it, just before the tea party began--none of us showing any age at all!!!  We look just a little wrinkled and I am referring to the summer linen we are wearing--nothing else.  Looking at the wedding dress--was I really that skinny way back then?

I can't even fathom of a more pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon than enjoying champagne wishes and lavender dreams wrapped in "sweetly-cool" white thoughts filled with happily ever afters...

Isn't this a wonderful idea for a champagne bottle?  Of course, none other than my true love, P. Lorenz came up with the idea.  He cut them and I glued them.  The bottoms were used for vases of flowers that adorned each table while the happy guests took their top home festooned with their own handmade tussie mussie....aaaahhhhhhh!  I really like garden parties--especially ones that end ever so happily.