Eden + Daniel had a fairly short engagement at only four months, but since Eden has been photographing weddings for years, she already had quite a few ideas for their day. :) They wanted a whimsical, wooded backyard wedding with local food and their closest friends.

Eden + Daniel were determined to spend a fraction of the average American wedding, so they pooled their resources and realized that what they lacked they more than made up for in their friends willing to help. The perfect location was offered by a family friend who owns a beautiful piece of property in the country of Tennessee. They exchanged vows at sunset in a large open field for the ceremony followed by the reception in the woods with food, music, dancing and bonfires. Such a perfect day! Congrats to Eden + Daniel and thanks to Brandon Chesbro for the photos.

Most memorable moment of your wedding day? Daniel is not a crier. I was certain I was going to be walking toward a calm and collective groom. As my father and I were approaching the ceremony, shedding tears, Daniel put his arm around his best man and lost it, the majority of our guests lost it watching him. We all cried as we walked down the aisle and didn’t really stop till the end of the ceremony. Sharing that moment with my two favorite men by my side, I couldn’t have imagined a more memorable moment.

Our music:
Processional: “Be Here Now” by Mason Jennings (sung and played by Micah Tawlks, Johnathan Davis and Jesse Carr)
Recessional: “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies
First Dance: Since our reception was in the woods our friends surprised us with our first dance. “Love” by Nancy Adams played in Disney’s Robin Hood when Robin Hood and Maid Marian fell in love.

The wooded area made for a whimsical setting and was dolled up beautifully with flowers, a family tree (literally) and decorations with emphasis on small details. After a long and leisurely dinner, the evening culminated on the dance floor where we spent the rest of the night cutting the rug with our friends and family.

Daniel and I both love bonfires, so we had two of them plus smores at the reception. We had gourmet cheesecakes for our wedding cake and Disney’s Robin Hood playing for the kids (and of course a few adults!) We wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Any advice for those planning now? Absolutely. At the end of the day, you’re married. This is a joyous occasion, don’t let anything get in the way of just being with your friends and family. Nothing is more important than that.

photography: Brandon Chesbro // event planner: Melanie Smith // floral design: Melanie Smith at A Village of Flowers and Evelyn Farris Raines for the Herb arrangements // wedding dress: Local Honey // hairpieces: InVintage – Colleen Whitver // shoes: Minnetonka Moccasin // hair: Jessica Katina // makeup: Leah Elmquist // groom suit: J.Crew, Urban Outfitters // cinematography: A.J. Gibboney // invitations+ paper goods: Micah Jones // catering: Baja Burrito and Provence // cake: Crystal Thomas Morgan // music: Mike Boggs // rentals: vintage rentals by Vintage My Wedding

Emily + Alex were married on Alex’s parent’s farm in Stafford, Oregon last September. Their wedding was the definition of do-it-yourself, from the hand-made boutonnieres, bunting and signage to the hand-curated vintage salt & pepper shakers, milk glass vases, plates and napkins. The affair featured local Portland vendors: the food was catered by an Italian comfort food cart, a 20s-inspired trio crooned old-fashioned tunes, their guest favors were the deliciously local Stumptown coffee, and Emily’s dress was custom-made with her Grandma’s table-cloth by the incredible Holly Stadler. Such a lovely affair! Big thanks to the ladies at The Weaver House (formerly Steep Street) for the gorgeous photos and congrats to Emily + Alex!

Holly Stadler incorporated Emily’s family-owned, vintage crocheted table-cloth into the front and train portions of her dress. It was given to her grandmother by her great uncle when he returned from a trip to Panama many years ago, then handed down to her mother, then to her. A really sweet (and stylish!) memento, right?

photography: The Weaver House (formerly Steep Street) // venue: Private farm in Stafford, Oregon // wedding dress: custom made by Holly Stadler // hairpiece: handmade by bride // shoes: The Weaver House Vintage // makeup: Nadia Artistry // hair: Ashley Larson, friend of the bride // groom suit: Hugo Boss // decorations, photo booth + paper goods: by the bride & groom // catering: Italian comfort food by Shut Up & Eat // desserts: The pie guy from 3 Doors Down Cafe // ceremony music: Galen Cohen from The Portland Cello Project // reception music: Boy and Bean // favors: Stumptown Coffee

I love a great DIY wedding and this one today totally fits that bill. :) Becca + Orion were married in the backyard of Becca’s parents home in the San Francisco Bay area. They were on a strict budget, but they didn’t let that stop them from creating a magical day! Friends and family pitched in on the food and desserts while the maid of honor + sister (Allison of Engaged & Inspired) crafted up a storm creating a simple + fun design that was bright with color and adding personal details all over the space. It rained all day until moments before the ceremony started at which point the sun came out and everyone was able to have an outdoor cocktail hour in the sun. Big thanks to Pictilio for the gorgeous photos!

From Becca, The main inspiration behind our day was color! We wanted something romantic (soft colors and lots of candlelight) mixed with something fun for all the guests to enjoy. The basic details (linens, etc) were white and we added in a lot of color and pattern to reflect our personalities a little bit more. The main thing I was dead set on was the bright pink felt heart cake topper with a white cake filled with pink cake. To me that expressed our fun and bold personalities the most, and we just built everything off of that.

photography: Pictilio // event design + DIY crafting: Engaged & Inspired // dress: Sarah Seven // venue: Parent’s Backyard // florals: Floral Theory // necklace: Haute Bride // cake: I Do Wedding Cakes // paper goods: Wedding Chicks Printable // program + music curation: Ian Silber

Today’s wedding is full of SO much love + joy – exactly the way a wedding should be. I just adore this couple + their approach to their wedding. Harriet is a woven lighting installation artist + Mat is an organic garlic farmer. They were married on Harriet’s Dad’s property in Australia, amongst Australian gum trees and with 120 guests. The reception was held in a hidden forest with outdoor table settings with bush flowers. Every single detail of this wedding was handled personally by the couple. Not a single flower was purchased – instead, the women of the family took a bush walk, or multiple, and returned with arms full of Australian flora. Harriet made her own dress and her head piece was made in a matter of minutes by a family friend, just moments before it was placed on her head. A bit more about their wedding from Harriet:

This wedding had been a long time coming. We were engaged years ago, set the date, then Dad was diagnosed with an agressive cancer so we cancelled the wedding and eventually decided to have our first baby instead. After years of treatment, and four grandchildren later, Dad has officially survived so the wedding had a little extra kick. Nature was our inspiration all the way. We’re country kids so our first choice was to have a non-traditional wedding outdoors. I am an event manager turned fibre artist so I really loved every minute of organizing the wedding with my Mum – we both wish we could do it all again :)

Big thanks to the ultra talented Tim Coulson for letting me share his gorgeous photos.

I tried on dresses by designers but I didn’t like myself in any of them so I printed the fabric for my dress using leaves from the garden and places of significance to us and had a local dressmaker make it to my design.  I hand embroidered the invitation and did all the graphic design, I op-shopped for plates, and did menu planning etc. with my Mum. Mat is a garlic farmer and we grow a lot of our own meat and vegetables so finding someone who could help us put our home-grown food on 120 plates was also important to us.

We used our friends’ abundant talents in as many areas as we could. The planets were in alignment for us because we had so many lucky breaks. For example, I met a woman poring over silks in the fabric store who seemed lovely and knowledgeable, she was just studying dress-making but I thought it was fateful so I rang and it turned out she lived 3 minutes from my parents house. She ended up being perfect for me. Another: one of our close friends knew we were planning sashimi for one of our canapés and the week before just happened to go deep-sea fishing and catch masses of beautiful Kingfish which he gifted to us. Everything at the wedding was home-grown, hand-made, made or gifted by friends and it was in my parents garden. It couldn’t have been more personal.

Today’s wedding is full of so many sweet handcrafted details and a fun, eclectric color palette. I’m totally in love with their style + sweet ceremony in the woods. I think Star explains it best, so I’ll let her talk about her day! :)

The moment we got engaged we knew we wanted a small wedding. However, that was going to be challenging for us as we both have such large families! We decided to meet in the middle with a private ceremony in the  Los Angeles National forest with our immediate family and closest friends and then we would continue the celebration at my grandparents house with a larger reception. Both of us are artistic and knew we wanted to do a lot of the details ourselves. I started crocheting tiny hearts and making fabric flowers. At the time I had no idea what I was going to do with them but I knew they would be great for something! We spent many weekends at flea markets gathering vintage doilies that we could stamp for our private ceremony invites. There were many label stamping, utensil tying, pie baking and streamer making parties. A lot of the fun was having our friends and family come together to help create everything. Fortunately for us, our family is extremely eclectic and has collected some awesome furniture, stoves, bathtubs and small knick-knacks. We didn’t need to rent anything! Remember those crocheted hearts I was talking about? We used them for the family boutonnieres and as streamers along with doilies and twine. I spent a day hunting for old frames that my dad later converted into chalk board signs and one of my bridesmaids did all the calligraphy. She’s crazy talented!  We really didn’t have any color scheme or over all plan, we just made things we loved and hoped for the best!

Star + Duncan are photographers, so photography was super important to them and they knew they wanted to have Picotte Weddings photograph their wedding.  From Star, “Suthi’s work is beautiful, timeless and just plain awesome!!” I couldn’t agree more! Thanks so much Suthi for letting me share your gorgeous photos today!

Since the ceremony location was a surprise, the guests were shuttled in a baby blue vintage school bus. They all gathered under the oak trees for a short + intimate ceremony. Star walked down the aisle to their friend playing Rose of My Heart by Johnny Cash.

When the ceremony was over, they exited to their friend’s rendition of Big Rock Candy Mountain. Then all the guests piled in the bus and went to the reception where they joined the rest of their friends + family for a wonderful Mexican feast and danced the night away. Stay tuned for part two with their reception + lots of sweet crafted details! :)

photography: Picotte Weddings // florist + styling: Peony & Plum // wedding coordinator: Events by Heather Ham // hair + makeup: Fiore Beauty // venue: Private Residence // furniture: Collected from Friends and Family // mini pies + desserts: Homemade by the Bride & Bridesmaids // printables, garlands, signage & crochet hearts: Handmade by the Bride // chocolate mustaches: The Frosted Petticoat // bride’s dress: BHLDN // bride’s shoes: Seychelles // taco cart: Friend of the Family // ceremony music + first dance:  A friend, Kyle Logan // groom’s shoes: Flea Market Find // groom’s jacket, jeans + shirt: H&M, Levi’s & Urban Outfitters //

How gorgeous + intimate was Star + Duncan’s ceremony in the woods!? And now for their super fun backyard reception!

A bit about the design inspiration from Star: I had fallen in love with Heather of Events by Heather Ham and Susan with Peony & Plum‘s work so I knew I didn’t want to have anyone else be a part of my wedding day. When I met with Susan it went kinda like this – “You’re the artist!  I just want something colorful and eclectic!”, and as you can see she completely knocked it out of the park!  Heather was fantastic as always.  She calmed my nerves, kept the ball rolling but most of all made everything look better then I could have imagined. 

Totally loving this beer + wine display!

And how cute is their Sweets Table!? Love.

Congrats to Star + Duncan and thanks for letting us share your sweet day!

photography: Picotte Weddings // florist + styling: Peony & Plum // wedding coordinator: Events by Heather Ham // hair + makeup: Fiore Beauty // venue: Private Residence // furniture: Collected from Friends and Family // mini pies + desserts: Homemade by the Bride & Bridesmaids // printables, garlands, signage & crochet hearts: Handmade by the Bride // chocolate mustaches: The Frosted Petticoat // bride’s dress: BHLDN // bride’s shoes: Seychelles // taco cart: Friend of the Family // ceremony music + first dance:  A friend, Kyle Logan // groom’s shoes: Flea Market Find // groom’s jacket, jeans + shirt: H&M, Levi’s & Urban Outfitters

I’m totally loving the relaxed + fun vibe of his wedding today from Australia. Candice + Sam really wanted their wedding day to be like “the feeling of all your close friends and family sitting around a large table eating and drinking, laughing and telling stories – those evenings that you never want to end.” Love those kind of nights too! They based their wedding around capturing that “feeling” along with great food + wine. Luckily Candice had also been collecting old things + new things for several months to help with the decor also. :) All their guests dressed with the gypsy theme in mind too! Oh, and thought it might be fun to note that the whole wedding was planned in just four months and that included Candice making her own wedding dress!! Amazing. Congrats to Candice + Sam on your lovely wedding day and thanks so much to Lara Hotz Photography for the photographs!

Sara + Max live in Mexico City and got married on Sara’s grandmas property in the woods outside the city. They literally built the spaces for the ceremony + the reception on her grandmother’s grounds for 900 guests! Talk about a crazy amount of work! And wait until you see the reception area – seriously stunning! Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of details about the day from the couple, but I think you’ll agree that this wedding was too gorgeous not to share. :) Big thanks to Katie + Tyler from Tyler Branch Photography for the stunning photos.

Lots of pin-worthy ideas right? All photos by Tyler Branch Photography and you can see even more photos of the wedding on Tyler’s blog.

Sara + Max live in Mexico City and got married on Sara’s grandmas property in the woods outside the city. They literally built the spaces for the ceremony + the reception on her grandmother’s grounds for 900 guests! Talk about a crazy amount of work! And wait until you see the reception area – seriously stunning! Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of details about the day from the couple, but I think you’ll agree that this wedding was too gorgeous not to share. :) Big thanks to Katie + Tyler from Tyler Branch Photography for the stunning photos.

Lots of pin-worthy ideas right? All photos by Tyler Branch Photography and you can see even more photos of the wedding on Tyler’s blog.

Jadie + Johnny had a beautiful backyard wedding – and with just a $5000 budget! I love how all their family + friends really joined in to help them create their dream wedding. :) Their wedding was inspired by Jadie’s love for Disney and Johnny’s appreciation for classical storybooks (which many Disney classics originate from). They both dreamt of an outdoor wedding, so hosting it in the backyard Jadie grew up in was the obvious appropriate setting. Jadie + Johnny both have a love for children – they both serve within a children’s ministry at their church – so they had kids in mind when putting together their wedding. In addition to all the kids from their extended family, they also invited many of the kids and their parents from their church family since they are an influential part of their lives and were an inspiration to their wedding day. From Jadie + Johnny, “We knew if the wedding could be enjoyable and fun for the kids it would be also for the adults! Thanks so much to Bwright Photography for the gorgeous photos and congrats to Jadie + Johnny!

Our budget was quite small ($5,000) compared to most so a DIY wedding was our only option which was really the best option especially for the style we were wanting to acquire. We had so many ideas but little time to complete it all. We were graced with a large community of friends and family who volunteered to be apart of the process. Many of our friends and family had just the right skills or connections that we needed to implement our ideas. This saved us so much time and money. The best thing about true DIY weddings is that most of the best ideas or popular trends that are found in the mainstream blogs stem from a bride + groom who had a very small budget which caused them to get creative with what they could afford.

Many of the details in our wedding had a history or story behind them. We had the privilege of hosting Reed’s Ginger Brews at our reception which has been our favorite beverage that we have enjoyed throughout our relationship. The candy bags were hand screen printed by Johnny (Johnny has a screen printing business).

Our dancing was inspired by our high school days. Every year of high school we participated in traditional ballroom dancing at the annual class banquets. We had a great time doing some not so traditional dancing that evening. Instructions were given on how to perform these dances by two of our friends. The guests loved it and everyone can participate!

Jadie handmade the maple-pecan cinnamon rolls for our cake the night before the wedding! Her aunt arranged it into a cake for us the morning of the wedding. It was topped with a cashew cream frosting (Johnny’s favorite pastry).

Our budget (as we said before) was very small – $5,000 small. It is still at times very difficult to understand how this all came together. Before we could get into any of the fun crafty stuff we had to work the ground (literally). The landscape you see in the photos was all a dirt pile two months prior. My wife, and I and her parents and brother did a large part of the manual labor ourselves such as digging trenches for irrigation, weeding, raking, spreading mulch, building the gazebo, gutting out the barn, and countless other maintenance related duties. Along the way we were graced by family and friends who joined in to help us during our final weeks; some who even lent us their own personal resources such as tools and even workers form their own personal business. Once the literal ground work was behind us we all shared a sense of gratification. There is always something priceless about putting your own sweat and blood so to say in to a project.

photography: Bwright Photography // venue: Country Cottage Estate // day of planner: Bridget Denton // floral design: RSVP Events // wedding dress: Mori Lee // bridesmaid dresses: Modcloth // hair + makeup: Katie Peters at Acappella Salon, Temecula // groom suit: My Tailor Store // invitations + paper goods: Paper Source, Cricut, Jadie and Johnny, Cregar // catering: Tony Rose Catering // treat bag printing: Johnny M of Squid Ink Printers

Angel + Dominic really wanted their wedding to be fun and more like a party – my kind of people! :) They hired the fabulous Noa of Feather Love Photography to capture their Palm Springs wedding. They choose to get married at the Sierra Estate Palm Springs (a fab home in Palm Springs you can rent for weddings for under 75 guests) and celebrated all the people that made them who they are. Such a fun wedding full of personality + sweet moments. Thanks Noa for letting me share your work again and big congrats to Angel + Dominic!

Our Music
We made 3 customs mixes for the wedding – a pre ceremony mix, a cocktail mix, and a dance party mix. We picked songs we wanted to hear, and mixed those in with the Palm Springs style of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to keep the vibe right.

Our wedding song was our procession song: “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” by My Morning Jacket. We got engaged about a year earlier and after the proposal at a park off Highway 1 in Malibu, we drove to Santa Barbara for the night. We listened to that new My Morning Jacket in the car on that ride and that song was perfect for us as it represented our relationship and was so timely.

The recessional song was a Wilco song called “I’m Always In Love” which has a great fun, happy feel and was significant for us, because when we got back together a few years back we’d went to see Wilco as our sort of “first date”.

photography: Feather Love Photography (see even more photos from the wedding here) // venue: Sierra Estate Palm Springs // event design: Angel Quintana // floral design: Madison Workshop West // wedding dress: vintage Celine, vintage brooch from my great, great, great grandmother // hairpieces: Shop Vintage Valentine  (includes bridesmaids necklaces and bride’s headpiece) // bride’s shoes: Jeffrey Campbell // bridesmaid dresses: all vintage, some purchased from Shop Vintage Valentine, the others on etsy or flea market // hair + makeup: Vea (Veronica) Serna, from J Russell Salon in Palm Desert // groom suit: Custom Made Suit from My Tailor Store in Thailand // cinematography: Austin Conroy // invitations + paper goods: Wedding Paper Divas // catering: Merida Sanchez-Molina // cake: Cupcakes: Over The Rainbow // music: Dominic Bernacchi // Personalized chocolates by Neapolitan Printing // ring bearer bow tie: Bobo Bandits

Kelly + Colton love being outdoors so they decided to get married under a big tree on Colton’s family farm in Montgomery, Alabama. They also love playing music with their friends, so Colton and his friends formed a little marching band to enter the wedding – and their friends also left the wedding jamming in a parade! So, so fun! They also incorporated lots of personal touches to their wedding since family is so important to them. One of my favorites is a photo of Kelly being driven to the ceremony in an antique checker cab that was owned by Colton’s late grandfather – how special! Love that Kelly + Colton really just did what they wanted for their wedding day and thanks so much to One Love Photo for the gorgeous photos!

Gets me every time! Such a sweet first look!!

The processional (Sun it Rises by Fleet Foxes, and Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles) was definitely one of the highlights of the ceremony – Emily and Garrett started out playing ukelele and classical guitar, then Colton came in on his electric and led the bridal party in. They had a couple of guitars, a mandolin, crash cymbals, ride cymbal, tambourine, cow bell, snare drum, triangle, bell kit, and a big tom, all of which we grabbed from Colton’s house on the way to the wedding. So much fun! The recessional was Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, performed by Emily and Garrett Blaising and the wedding party.

My sister-in-law, Alexandra, took a collage of Polaroids which, when pieced together, form a huge picture of Colton and I at the farm. One of these Polaroids was sent to each guest in their invitation, and they pinned them onto a board as they entered the wedding.

I’d like to thank our great photographers, Heather and Jon Almeda, from One Love Photo. They flew all the way to Alabama from Seattle to photograph our wedding, braving the heat and rain and obviously working hard to find images that inspired them. I felt so comfortable knowing that we were in good hands. They pay close attention to composition and light, and they used a lot of 35mm and medium format film for us! (Colton is a cinematographer and photographer, and I’m a photographer too. We’re pretty choosy, and spend a lot of time looking for the right photographer.) We appreciate it, you two! I couldn’t be happier with the images from our wedding.

photography: Heather and Jon of One Love Photo // venue: Colton’s family farm in Montgomery, AL // floral design: Perky Long, our wedding coordinator, picked up daises and helped me arrange them in jars the morning of the wedding! // wedding dress: Casablanca Bridal, purchased at Monica’s Bridal in Chattanooga, TN. I made the sash from some upholstery material // shoes: Miss L Fire // bridesmaid jewelry: made by Kelly – her etsy store is Whisper Will // groom suit: Brooks Brothers // cinematography: Brandon McGuire // invitations + paper goods: Colton // catering: Smokin S Bar-B-Cue in Wetumpka, AL // cake: Cookies courtesy of Mrs. Fields // music: Emily and Garrett Blaising

Leslie + Nolan were married at a family home in Redlands, California. With the help of family and friends, they made hundreds of paper chains and draped them across the entire ceremony and reception site – totally transforming the home’s front yard! They also handmade hundreds of paper pinwheels to line the ceremony aisle. Leslie wore her mother’s wedding dress and her flowers were picked from her parent’s garden and arranged by her aunt. Leslie’s sister made all of the groomsmen’s bowties and created the wedding programs. Her cousin was the officiant for the ceremony – truly a family affair and labor of love. Big congrats to Leslie + Nolan and thanks to Josselyn Peterson for the photos!

I was inspired to have paper chains at our wedding after decorating my 5/6 grade classroom for Christmas. The color explosion was so fun! We made the wedding about the two of us by using aspects from each of our personalities using color, funky clothes, desserts, tea, and most of all family.

photography: Josselyn Peterson // venue: Aunt and Uncle’s home in Redlands CA // wedding dress: My mother’s dress // hairpieces: Serenity Crystal // shoes: Bride’s Toms; Groom’s Sperry Top Siders // bridesmaid dresses: Lush purchased from il Teatro Boutique in Pasadena CA // hair: Sang // groom suit: Menswear Collection // invitations + paper goods: Emily Unterseher (sister) designed, printed at the Loma Linda University Print Shop // catering: Kopper Kettle Kafe and Katering – Yucaipa, California // cake: Dessert Reception and Hippo Cookies from Dad’s Donut Shop, Balboa Island CA

Today’s wedding is the gorgeous backyard wedding of Brittany + Mike – who is also an amazing wedding photographer! They wanted to create a causal gathering for their wedding and I just adore their color palette of dark navy blue, peach, gold, creams, browns and greens – so perfect for fall! Their ceremony (and pre-cocktail hour) took place in the front yard of the house and the reception was held on a large wooden deck in the backyard. Big thanks to the lovely Jill Thomas who captured it just beautifully!

A bit about the day from the sweet couple: “As part of the wedding industry, we wanted to do something that we (personally) have never seen before. So, we created a pre-ceremony cocktail hour for our family and friends to mingle while the shuttle was dropping guests off. We served almond champagne and a variety of freshly baked hors d’oeuvres. We hired a mobile wood fired oven catering company to prepare made-to-order wood fired pizzas and salads from a local farmers markers in Los Angeles. Our pre-ceremony cocktail hour featured the chef and his assistants making all of the hors d’oeuvres in the oven.”

We worked alongside DJ Matt Phipps, whom understood the feelings we were trying to create with our music. The pre-ceremony cocktail hour featured artists like Bon Iver, Fleet foxes, Jack Johnson, Adele. Brittany walked down the aisle to our close friend playing “Skinny Love,” by Bon Iver on the acoustic guitar. We danced for the first time as a married couple to “You are the Best Thing,” by Ray Lamontagne. We are in love with French Café music and decided to play this genre while our family and friends enjoyed their freshly prepared pizza and salads. The rest of the night was history – we played old school hip-hop, to rap and R&B hits. Best time of our life!

My little brother, Blake, (the cutest 10 year old ring barer in the world!) and I wanted to lighten the mood of the ceremony. It was Blake’s idea to buy a sock money jack-in-the-box and tie the rings to the monkey’s head. Can you imagine a large, quiet crowd standing around you, and then you have to wind this box listening to the classic jack-in-the-box song to get the rings out? It was a classic moment that we will never forget. It sure made Mike laugh, and not to mention the entire crowd.

And their sweet film by McDuff Productions…

photography: Jill Thomas // venue: private home // catering: Pizzeria Olio // hair: Kami with a K // florals: Art With Nature Design // videography: McDuff Productions // dj: Matt Phipps // bride’s dress: BCBG // bride’s shoes: Repetto // bride Earings: Trina Turk // groom’s suit: Bar III from Macy’s // groom’s shoes: Cole Haan // groom’s shirt + bowtie: Nordstrom //cakes + cookies: homemade // table chart: Handmade by Bride // bridesmaid dresses: No Rest For Bridget

Today’s wedding is fun, sentimental + just so sweet! It also features the largest bridal party we’ve shared here on GWS – 24 people! :) The location for their wedding was one of their biggest inspirations for the day. Jessica’s family owned and rode horses for most of her childhood. She spent many days + weekends on trail rides, at horse shows, and training in the backyard. It’s for those reasons that her parents’ backyard is a very special place for her and was the perfect location for their wedding. Big thanks to Sara Lucero for the photos and congrats to Jessica + Mike!

Love the bright yellow knitted ties!

Our biggest desire for our wedding day was to invite people into those parts of our lives and to make sure that each person knew the special ways that they have shaped us to be who we are as individuals so that we could be who we are now as a husband and wife.

And their wedding film by Fruitful Films!

photography: Sara Lucero // venue: Murieta Equestrian Center + Bride’s Backyard // groom + groomsmen suits: H&M // cupcakes: Apryl Cuffel // paper goods: Mike McGowan (the groom) // dj: Jeremy Ricci of Dj Pro’s // veil: Gilded Shadows // garter: KrumpetsDesigns // sash: BeSomethingNew // flowers: Lori Fischer // hair + makeup: Emily Barton // cinematography: Fruitful Films

Heather + Mike’s circus theme wedding was actually born out of a joke Mike made one night. Kind of love this story told by Heather…

One night we were talking about what we wanted our wedding to be like. I’m a wedding photographer myself, so obviously I was taking this conversation a little too seriously. My husband (then boyfriend) turns to me, and jokingly says “Yeah, and instead of ring bearers, we can make my nephews dress up in bear costumes.” To which I responded “I know you’re joking, but we’re doing that now.” So that set the tone for our circus affair. Even though Mike and I are definitely not acrobats (unless you count making it back from the fridge with an armful of diet coke and candy as a death defying stunt), we definitely like to have fun, which at the end of the day is what I think we wanted out wedding to be all about. We had about 10 or so kids there, and while we thought they would be the ones overly thrilled with the circus themes, it was really our older relative who loved it. There’s just something about the circus that makes you feel like a kid again, no matter how old you are.

I could not agree more Heather + Mike! Their wedding was a total DIY wedding and took place in their backyard in Michigan. Big thanks to Gabe Aceves for the photos and congrats to Heather + Mike for throwing such a fun wedding!

Each of the girls picked out their own dress in their designated color. In addition, they each portrayed an animal, through their shoes and hats (zebra, tiger, and peacock). My sister made the hats as well as my veil and reception piece.

Really, the big thing that made the day special was how many people in our family put their hands on something for the wedding to make it special. My small army of cousins and siblings set up the chairs and hung the bunting. My dad, with help from my Uncle, made the frames for the lights. My Aunts made salad, and arranged for a popcorn machine for a little mid wedding snack. My sister made the hats. My brother made sure the music cues were set up. Mike’s Aunt made goodie bags for the kids (young and old, alike) including clown noses, stickers, and paddle balls. My brother-in-law married us, and really set the tone for the whole wedding with how awesome our ceremony was (complete with “conjoined twin” singers, disappearing rings, and magic tricks). Mike’s father and brother brewed the beer that the guests enjoyed. I could go on and on. It really was a wedding made by everyone, and for that reason, it was infinitely more special to us.

I ordered my flowers at wholesale and arranged them myself 2 days before the wedding. The included ranunculus, anemones, thistle, carnations, and seeded eucalyptus. It was a big job. Each of the bridesmaids arranged their own bouquets. My bridal bouquet also included oriental poppy pods that my grandmother planted at our house when she was still alive. We collected containers (bottles and vases) for a few months, and snagged the adorable popcorn containers at Target. Corsages for the moms were handmade fabric pinwheels.

I’m not just saying this as a photographer, I’m saying this as a bride. Doing a first look was one of the best decisions we made about our wedding day. My husband is my person, if that makes sense, and really I needed him there with me to deal with the emotional roller coaster that is a wedding day. As soon as I saw him, I instantly felt I could do anything. The wedding seemed like a piece of cake from that moment on.

photographer: Gabe Aceves // venue: bride + rroom’s home // bride’s attire: A modified Eureka Dress by Amy Kuschel from the Gown Shop // shoes: Zara // veil: handmade by my sister // groom’s suit + shoes: Asos; Shirt: J. Crew; Tie: The Tie Bar // Catering: Pompeiis + homebrew beer // cakes: Made by a family friend, Becky Durik // hair: Ashley Hayes of BeJe Salon // makeup: Laura Allen // day of coordinator: Kaeli from Luna Soiree

Such a gorgeous fall wedding to start the week off today – a stunning prairie homestead wedding! Since Will’s parents are custom wheat harvesters and LeAnn’s family has always lived where you can see nothing but wild prairie grasses and small farms for miles, it seemed only natural for them to bring their wedding close to their roots. In fact, when LeAnn was little, she always wanted a simple wedding “out in the field” but loved the idea of the chapel, so a prairie chapel was a must-have element!

The wedding took place in Western Minnesota at LeAnn’s parents home. Almost everything for the wedding was DIY. They had lots of talented friends + family which really helped them create their dream wedding. The ceremony plot was outlined, mowed + manicured by LeAnn + Will. They found antique pews (built around 1910) from a sale in St. Paul, Minnesota and stained the antique dresser, made wooden signs, and fashioned the photo wall out of old frames, plywood, and 1970′s wallpaper picked up from an antique shop. LeAnn’s mom made her dress and the bridesmaids dresses. So many DIY details from the couple and their friends and family! In fact, I think their photographers were the only artists they hired! And such a great choice. Totally loving the photos Jeff Loves Jessica Photography captured. Congrats to LeAnn + Will!

LeAnn’s mother, Fawn Alstadt, designed and created not only her bridal gown, but the sweaters for all of the bridesmaids as well as the bridesmaid dresses! Wow! I’m pretty obsessed with those sweaters and LeAnn’s gown is gorgeous! Will’s mother and sister grew the flowers and arranged the boutonnieres, bouquets, and centerpieces.

LeAnn stayed up with her mother wee into the early hours of Friday morning, baking 23 pies from scratch!

A huge thank you to all the family members, friends and professionals who contributed to our wedding, either by sewing, cooking, baking, digging stakes, hanging lights, setting tables, ushering, serving, peeling potatoes, letting us tear apart your house all summer (Mom and Dad Alstadt) and all the other infinite tasks we accomplished in a year and a half. Oh, and thank you for just loving us.

photography: Jeff Loves Jessica Photography // venue: Private Residence, Wendell, Minnesota // bride’s hair + nails: ManeFrame Salon and Boutique // bridal + bridesmaid gowns: Fawn Alstadt // men’s vests: Land’s End // men’s neckwear: The Tie Bar // bakery (bread bowls): Roer’s Family Bakery // band: Classic Gold // groom’s dinner: Benny D’s Bar and Grill in Wendell, Minnesota

Also, LeAnn + Will are selling lots of items from their wedding (everything from the photo wall to the stoneware dishes to the mismatched antique drink glasses to the 100 year old church pews!) through LeAnn’s mother’s etsy shop. Check out the Teal Door if you are looking to buy anything from their day!

Amalie + Eric had just the sweetest backyard wedding in Wisconsin this past September. I just love the entire feel of the day – and Amalie’s smile is so contagious in these photos by Anda Marie! :) Even though Amalie wasn’t one of those girls who dreamt about her wedding day, she knew as soon as she was engaged that she wanted to get married where she grew up. A bit about the day + the location from Amalie:

Way back in the day, my dad and his two best friends were road-tripping (they had moved around the US in the 70s, living out of a VW bus, travelling from Colorado to California and so on). In their adventures they found this beautiful 120-acre plot of land in southwest Wisconsin. They bought it, divided it 3 ways, each designed and built their own houses, and raised their families. Our families are all really close, and as I was raised as an only child (my half-brother & half-sister are in their 40s, they were not living at home when I was a kiddo) the daughters of these ridge families are like my sisters. Once Eric and I decided we’d have a celebration, I knew it had to be surrounded by the hills where I grew up. There’s just something about the driftless area of Wisconsin that just slows down your pace. The beauty just demands your attention. I couldn’t imagine celebrating us spending forever together anywhere else.

We really wanted the wedding to have a relaxed feel, with a focus on local food & beer. The area is so naturally beautiful that I didn’t want to clutter it up with details. I knew that I couldn’t be the expert in everything, so we only picked people we loved and trusted to handle the details: the food, the flowers, the music, the photography. I realize not everyone can be so lucky, but it really allowed us a lot of freedom (not having to drill down to the tiniest decision) and it also allowed people we trust to really showcase their talents.

Just love Amalie’s BHLDN dress!

photography: Anda Marie // venue: Private Residence, Wisconsin // make up + hair: Jennyface // dress: BHLDN // shoes: Ralph Lauren // groom’s suit: Calvin Klein // invitations: ElloThere // paper goods: Wood & Grain // catering: Rooted Spoon // cakes: Craigs Cakes // tarts: Whole Foods // music: Steez // violinist: Eleanor Bartsch // vintage rentals: A La Crate // beer: Pearl Street Brewery // flowers + decor: Shining Hills Farm & Garden // flower crown: Daffodil-Parker

Heather + Kyle were married at Kyle’s grandfathers gorgeous Arizona home. The home holds so many special memories for the couple + family, so it was the perfect spot for them to get married – and wait until you see the backyard! So perfect for a wedding. :) Heather loves anything vintage and wanted their wedding day to be a perfect mix of vintage + glam. She was lucky that Kyle’s sister is Constance Curtis – a talented wedding planner + designer – who helped the couple bring their vison to life. Big thanks also to Aaron Young Photography for the photos and congrats to Heather + Kyle!

How adorable are the kids!!? Love the photo below of them trying to take a peek at the ceremony. :)

event design + planning: Constance Curtis Events // photography: Aaron Young Photography // venue: Private Residence // floral design: Amber Lay Florals // wedding dress: Vera Wang // shoes: Stuart Weitzman // bridesmaid dresses: Monique Lhuillier // hair + makeup: Angel Lopez and Kim Davenport // groom suit: Vera Wang // paper goods: anna.michelle Cards // vintage dish rentals: Dish Wish // cake: Simply Sweet Creations by Liz // music: SKM Entertainment // table numbers and Mr. and Mrs. signs hanging from the chairs: BHLDN

I love intimate weddings and Alissa + Jeb’s autumn wedding is a perfect example of a lovely small wedding. Their wedding took place this past October and was inspired by the beauty of autumn and the colors, spirit, and abundance of the harvest. I love that they wrote their own vows and had their dogs as part of their wedding day also! After their backyard wedding with their immediate family members, they joined friends + family at their favorite local restaurant in Pittsburgh, Bar Marco, for a reception filled with live music, local fare, homemade desserts, libations, and a made-to-order coffee bar. Their entire wedding and reception was shaped by the complete and generous involvement of friends and family at every stage. Thanks so much to Joey Kennedy for the photos and congrats to Alissa + Jeb!

photography: Joey Kennedy // venue: Our home + Bar Marco Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania // event design + planning: Thommy Conroy // floral design: Wedding party flowers and bridal bouquet, Jessica Martin (sister of the bride), Event florals, decor + hairpiece flowers by Thommy Conroy // wedding dress: 70’s Vintage // shoes: Faryl Robin // groom suit: J. Crew – Ludlow Suit // invitations + paper goods: Thommy Conroy // catering: Bar Marco (reception) and Desserts By Annalee (catered dinner at our home and desserts at reception) // music: Live Music: Lungs Face Feet (a Balkan/Cumbia infused brass band) // dj: DJ Dad Time