Sutton + Kristin are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet. I have been just plain giddy with excitement over their unique wedding. They switched things up and treated their guests to a whimsical carnival inspired reception. The groom made the frame suspended from the ceiling to hold fabric for the DIY big top, how cool is that?!
They honestly had me at cotton candy though. I knew the moment the words left Kristin's mouth that I was putting her rings in it. This wedding was full of clever, pin worthy features so get your pinning finger ready.
One of my favorite parts, besides the sprinkles, the pin wheels, the popcorn... was the games. This couple really wanted to see all their guests have something to enjoy. Each table had a game on it... I was eye balling the table with Operation!
They picked the perfect fall day in November to get married. The leaves were perfect shades of red and burnt orange and we were so thankful for a warm sunny day. You have to scroll to the end for their bride & groom portraits!
Step right up and enjoy all the fun from this charming duo's spectacular day.
From Kristin + Sutton
The credit for coming up with a carnival themed wedding goes directly to Kristin. We’ve always been firmbelievers in the phrase “Those that play together, stay together” so we wanted to make that the center of our wedding. Probably the first thing you think of with a carnival are the games. Going to several weddings, we knew itcould get really boring waiting on the bridal party to show up to the reception so we wanted something for our guests to do. We decided on four games. Three (Ring Toss, Bank Shot, and Corn Hole) we built ourselves and the fourth one was rented from a party rental company. Naturally these had to have some flashy signage to draw you in so we made signs for each with accompanying flashing lights. In addition tothe four main games, each table had its own game such as cards, board games, etc. that people could play with other guests.
Of course, it’s not a carnival without a tent! Since we were getting married in November, an outdoor wedding was out of the question so we decided to build the tent indoors. We brainstormed (Googled) ideas and thought the best approach was to drape stripes of red and navy blue fabric from the ceiling. We built a center ring that would be suspended from the ceiling and be the central attachment point for the fabric. The main lights were turned off and strings of lights were hung under the tent and around other areas to give the warm glow a night time carnival would have. It took several trips to JoAnn’s, about 150 yards of fabric, and three days of work to put it all together but we pulled it off! In fact the church liked it so much, they left it up for the holidays.
Popcorn and cotton candy were available for guests as well as a candy bar for making yourself a sweet to-go bag. We also had a pseudo-photobooth where guests could put on their best carnival gear and audition for a part in the big show. The LOVE sign was also hand made by painting foam core poster board and hooking up some lights.
Second Shooter : Danielle Valimont
