Casual Backyard Wedding Reception: Alexandra and Carvil in Canada

My sister-in-law Alex found the man of her dreams and in May they were married in Michigan.  Since he’s Jamaican and she’s Canadian, most of their family was unable to attend the wedding.  Last weekend we celebrated the Canadian portion and it was so much fun!  More details after the jump!

Alex and Carvil’s wedding in Michigan was casual floral fun, and the theme continued North of the border.

I am in LOVE with Alex’s dress.  After searching online and coming up empty, Alex bought a fabric she loved and asked a local tailor to craft this dress.  Carvil is equally stunning in his dark blue suit and contrasting coral tie.

Guests arrived late afternoon and were invited to relax and visit in a treed canopy.  The party was BYOC- Bring Your Own Chair.

Related: Money-Saving Boutonnieres and How to Decorate Your Own Wedding Cake.

On the menu?  Burgers, Hotdogs, and plenty of salads.  The lights above the food tent added a special touch.

To keep the children occupied, we filled a wheelbarrow full of bubbles, hula hoops, balls and balloons.  Tears may or may not have been shed when this particular balloon popped.

Dessert was a simple but delicious strawberry shortcake.  Many of the guests came back for seconds.  Watch for the recipe later in the week.

While the food was amazing, the yard beautiful, and the twinkling lights serene, nothing was more stunning than the happy smiles of the bride and groom.

Here’s the larger version of the floral hoops I made a couple of posts back.  If you ever make these, make sure to put flowers on both sides!  I did not account for the wind twirling them around.  However, everyone was having so much fun that nobody seemed to mind.

All in all, the Canadian reception was a magical day full of friends, family, and fun.

P.S. Bocci ball is definitely my new favourite summer game.  Anyone can play and it is hours of fun!

Just in case you thought we could get through a post without flowers, here they are!  Peony season for the win!!

I’ll be blogging about the actual wedding when the photographer gives them their pictures, and the Jamaican portion in the winter.  I’m so excited to meet Carvil’s family and see the non-touristy Jamaica!

Have you thrown a backyard wedding reception?  I’d love to hear about it.