Amy Majors and Debra Ackmann were the photo geniuses behind our next wedding and to say that they captured some beautiful moments is an understatement. It is more like they knocked it out of the freaking park with each and every image. Can you tell that we mega-heart Amy Majors Photography? Well we also mega-heart this Minnesota flower farm wedding to pieces. It is perfectly shabby-chic, effortlessly adorable and the color palette is totally worthy of a swoon or two. That is what you call a recipe for wedding perfection. See more of this pretty day in the gallery.
see the full wedding right here!
From the Bride…
Shabby-chic. That, in one word is what best describes the feeling of our wedding. Back when we got engaged around Christmas, I immediately started visioning a wedding that could take place in an Anthropologie store. I’ve always been in love with the modern vintage look – a mixture of classy meets quirky. Now, we all know weddings can be extremely expensive – especially when getting caught up in all of the little details. When I say “details,” I mean everything from the invitations and place cards, to the table settings and favors. I’ll be honest in saying that it’s hard not to pay attention to these things. After all, these are some of the things that your guests will remember, and set your wedding apart from the 100 other weddings that they will attend over the years. As I started looking for inspiration, I found that weddings have become a huge industry. You can find everything you need for your big day on one stop on-line stores. Unfortunately, everything on these sites seem to be cheesy, plastic, cookie-cutter visions of someone else’s cardboard wedding. So, with realizing this, I decided to take on these “details” myself. After all, I wanted our wedding to be one to remember – and what better way to personalize something than to personally making these things yourself? We chose to go with a muted teal, and orange color theme. It ended up being a lovely combination – just look at the pictures! Once these colors were picked, everything seemed to fall into place. I went to school for graphic design, and am currently looking for any opportunity to use what I’ve learned. So, I attempted to use my creative design skills for all of the printed materials – the save-the-dates, the invitations, and the programs. We decided to get married in Stillwater, MN at Camrose Hill Flower Farm. It’s a delightful place – landscaped with old red barns, and flowers in every direction. The pavilion and tent where the reception took place was glittered with lighted branches, lanterns, and vintage chandeliers which hung from the ceiling. I really wanted to capture the feeling of the farm in the invitations. By using the chosen colors, and creating layers of vintage patterns, they turned out to be perfect. After the invites were mailed out, and the wedding day was approaching, I found other do-it-yourself projects. We painted Mason jars a light teal color – replicating the old ones you see at antique stores. We went to every thrift store imaginable to find random vases – varying in size. The centerpieces for the reception ended up consisting of one jar filled with beautiful orange and white flowers, and two mismatched skinny vases. They looked beautiful on the orange tablecloths.
it was a hot and muggy Friday. But despite the heat, we, along with our friends and family, made the day magical. The ceremony was surreal, as we were wed alongside all of the people who have played an important role in who we’ve grown to be as a couple. We wanted our wedding to be a time of true celebration, and a “thank you” to those who have encouraged us along this journey. We said our vows outdoors, surrounded by the remnants of an old dairy farm, and tall lush trees. I felt like I was standing back in time, and somehow everyone I loved was there enjoying it with me. After the ceremony, people found their place cards (which I made out of patterned paper and buttons) hanging from tiny clothespins attached to twine that was tied to two wooden stakes. They became something people could take home with them, along with their box filled with old-fashioned caramels and taffy we had sitting at each place setting. I really went to town on the patterned paper I found at a specialty paper store! It was so fun mixing and matching colors that would compliment the quirky feeling I was going for. That night, people delighted in good food and drinks, our personal favorite desserts, music, and dancing. We rented an authentic 1950’s photo booth where guests could take endless strips of pictures to remember the event. People put on silly hats, boas, and their own funny faces. We told people to use some of their poses to make a scrapbook page for what became our guest book. It was a hit, and the book continues to make us laugh to this day. Who knew our old neighbor could look so sassy! With all of this said, I can truly say that I wouldn’t have done anything different. When planning a wedding, it’s important to never lose sight of your love for each other – after all, that’s what a wedding is meant for, right? Also, never lose sight of yourselves and who you are. There’s endless opportunities to make the day your own – you just have to reach into your creative self and find out how. All of the DIY projects are worthwhile, and they’ll make your wedding unique – becoming a little glimpse of who you are and what you want your day to reflect.
Photography: Amy Majors & Debra Ackmann of Amy Majors Photography / Venue and Flowers: Camrose Hill Flower Farm / Wedding Dress and Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew / Cake and Caterer: Byerly’s / Rentals: Ultimate Events /Photo booth: Photobooth Memories
