I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the beloved Gene Wilder. While he was an incredibly talented actor, he will always be, in my mind, Mr. Willy Wonka. I remember watching the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory during Thanksgiving holidays, cooking and baking with my sisters, and running around, joyfully singing “Oompa loompa doompety doo.” My husband has been a fan for many years as well and has many of the same happy memories associated with the movie.

When I was designing my wedding invitation, I had decided early on that I didn’t want to go with the usual wording (cordially invited…blah), so when Jon mentioned doing a playful riff on Wonka’s golden ticket, I sprung at the idea. From there, we incorporated quotes from the movie into our table decor, website and programs. Weeks before the wedding we watched the movie in a local theater celebrating the 45th anniversary. Though the theater was a quarter full, everyone there shared a true love for the story and for Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka in particular, who received applause at his first on-screen appearance.

Last night we caught an airing of Willy Wonka on TV and I must say, it never gets old. Thank you Mr. Wilder for giving us so many happy memories – you will not be forgotten!

Have a great Labor Day Weekend and be sure to enjoy this remix of Pure Imagination.

P.S. All the handwritten images on She’s So Bright are made by me, unless otherwise credited. Please message me if you’re interested in desktop backgrounds of the images. I’d be happy to share! <3