Do It Yourself'ers take note - because this DIY seaside soiree by Dorothy Gautreaux Photography has style for miles and heart for even more miles. You can see it through each of the gorgeous sunshine-infused images, and you can feel it in the bride's description. It's intimate, it's got a whole lotta personality and there is even more to see in the full gallery!
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From the Bride...We did everything ourselves as far as the decor (with the exception of the flowers). We went to thrift store and garage sales to find the vintage plates and all the bottles. We took multiple trips to Joann's fabrics to get the fabric for the banners and the altar. Jonathan stained and distressed the 3 pieces of wood that made up our altar as well. We bought one huge bolt of the antique-y blue fabric and cut it into squares for the table cloth and napkins. This was a particularly daunting task because we had to fray the edges of all those napkins and table cloths! The invitations were difficult too, because we stamped each envelope individually...same goes for the save the dates, which we decided to do on sand dollars and make them into ornaments, seeing how everyone received them around the holidays. All of the shells and coral were found at local shell shacks along with the vintage Florida post cards we used for invitations.We were going for a vintage-y ship wreck feel deriving inspiration from shell shacks, ship wrecks, and vintage pieces. I also browsed a lot of wedding blogs and design magazines.
My advice is to do exactly what you want, and if you cant afford it do it yourself. The DIY stuff seems like it would be a lot of work...and it is, but it is a labor of love. I have fabulous memories if spending time with my mother and girlfriends and brothers making all the decor. If you have a vision, stick to it. For example, Jonathan and I really wanted to have our food served family style so it would feel like a family dinner. People tried to tell us it would be easier to do a buffet, but the thought of it made us cringe. It ended up being so lovely to watch all our friends and family pass each other food and engage with one another.
My favorite memory of our wedding is the few minutes directly after we walked back down the aisle. We stopped close to the dunes and embraced each other and all of the emotions poured out. I remember turning around to hug my best friends and family and the tears of joy just wouldn't stop. Also, an enormous flock of birds flew above us in a flying V formation. It. Was. Epic.
Wedding Photography: Dorothy Gautreaux Photography / Catering: Salt Water Cowboys / Floral Design: 57 Treasury / Groom's Tux: J.Crew / Wedding Dress: Low's Bridal / Cakes: Nothing Bundt Cakes / Make-up: Chanel