RB Blog

Cotton candy and carnival games make a stylish vintage amusement park event unforgettable

Falling in love can make you feel like a kid again, so a wedding reception held in the bumper car pavillion at Glen Echo Park amusement park felt like the perfect way for fun-loving couple Carrie and Jon to kick off their life as a married couple. Their unique wedding, full of fun vintage and DIY details, was the result of a creative collaboration between the bride, her crafty matron of honor, and the brilliant Maryland-based event planner Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events. Stephanie Ascari from Cleverly Candid took the beautiful photos.

{*What’s Wedding Porn Wednesday?}

Carrie switched between her white satin bridal shoes, a comfortable pair of pumps for the reception, and cool cowboy boots for dancing. Her talented Matron of Honor made the paper flower bouquets, the ribbon boutonierres, and all of the wedding stationery.

If only all matrons of honor were this crafty! Check out the gorgeous, intricate paper flower arrangement.

In keeping with the amusement park theme, all the wedding stationery had a vintage ticket-booth look. Bright red and turquoise throughout created a festive feeling.

Carrie purchased a lot of things online, including the vintage gumball machine and the clear drink buckets that were filled with colorful Jones sodas and used as table centerpieces. The details from this wedding prove that you can be fabulous on any budget. This smart couple avoided spending on flowers, and held their reception in the afternoon, which typically cuts the bar tab in half. Below, cupcakes are adorned with the couple’s wedding logo.

Bags of cotton candy were customized with a cartoon rendering of the bride and groom, and served to guests on a cart with fresh popcorn and bags of peanuts.

Instead of traditional table centerpieces, Carrie and Jon used buckets of Jones soda and jars filled with nostalgia-inspiring candy like Mary Janes, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Sugar Daddys and rock candy.

A variety of carnival games provided entertainment for guests, including a peach basket toss, coke bottle ring toss, and ball roll.

Carrie is an avid swing dancer, so she chose the Blue Sky Five to play swingin’ tunes, and everybody got a dance lesson after a barbecue lunch was served.

For more fabulous weddings like this one, check out Bellwether Events. Thanks to Janice, the adorable couple (who recently welcomed a daughter!), and  Cleverly Candid photography for sharing these fun pics.