A Rehearsal Dinner at Matt Jones Gallery

I recently planned a rehearsal dinner at Matt Jones Gallery and wanted to share a few details with you.

One of the things I like most about Matt Jones' Gallery is the decor that is already in place before you bring in the first flower. The artwork and drapery are so beautiful, you could almost get away without doing one thing! When I began planning this event, my client and I decided we didn't want the dinner to be overdone. We wanted a simple, elegant look for her guests to enjoy.

I began brainstorming of what I wanted to do and I came across this photo.

I love winter rye grass more than anything! I don't know why....it's just really cool! When I saw this photo, I decided it would be the inspiration for the night. I believe I posted a few weeks ago about "growing our own rye grass." Well, I got too busy and decided to order it from my wholesale florist to save my sanity! Besides, when I went to Home Depot to buy the supplies...it was far more expensive to grow my own!

The event was a week before Christmas, but I wanted to stay away from the traditional reds and greens, so I decided gold with a little green would be appropriate.

If you do anything with rye grass, remember the you will need to cover up the roots with something. I chose brown satin ribbon, but you can use flowers or whatever you wish!

Instead of having a slide show, we decided to hang baby pictures of the bride and groom from branches over the place card table. Guests enjoyed looking at them as they arrived. I thought this was a great way to show where the bride and groom came from without having to play a 15 minute video that your guests won't think is as cool as you do!

One plus for booking an event at Matt Jones Gallery is that the venue comes with table linens. We opted for ivory linens to keep with our neutral tone. To add a little kick, we used gold chargers under the plates. It was a really nice touch!

The centerpieces were simple 12" fish bowl vases with 4 mini calla lilies, curly willow and a floating candle. Simple, yet elegant!

The groom's father writes for the newspaper in Dothan, AL. When his son got engaged, he wrote a sweet article about their family expanding by one. I really wanted to incorporate the article into the event someway, so we had it framed under the photo tree.

My favorite part of my job is exceeding my clients expectations. As this client stated:

"There is no way to tell you how wonderful the rehearsal dinner was! The compliments I have received from the beginning of the night have been overwhelming. At least four or five people told me that is was the best rehearsal dinner they had ever attended....quite the compliment! Others talked about the tables, the trees and the grass, the beautiful colors in the gallery, the bowls on the tables, on and on. What a compliment to you."

Many thanks to Kathy G. and Go Pro Events for all you did! It was a lovely evening enjoyed by all!

Happy Planning!

-NB