Real Wedding: Elizabeth and Johnny, II

“My only rules going into this were no glue guns and no fondant.”

Classic first words from today’s gorgeous bride as she described her vision to Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens Images. The bride wanted a wedding that was all about the love, all about the romance. And most importantly, all about the friends and family that they shared their life with. And the result captured my heart completely!

Elizabeth, the bride, has been sweet enough to share some really beautiful details from her wedding….

It’s funny because we never really talked about a particular theme, but rather just making the wedding a representation of who we are as individuals and as a couple. At one point in the planning process I read something about having a theme, and we decided that if we had one it was likely to be “thrift store chic.”

The most important thing to both of us was to truly involve our families, friends and community in the event. So many weddings feel like a party you just show up at, where you are completely catered to, and where everything matches perfectly. That approach works for a lot of couples, but for us those ideas lend a feeling of being disconnected from the event itself.

I read a lot, and as I read about weddings, I learned that in the early part of the 20th century a wedding was likely to be a gathering of the community with everyone bringing some sort of contribution. Whether it was food or clothing or flowers, or giving their time and energy, everyone pitched in. That was the feeling we wanted to create – that of a truly collective experience and celebration.

Johnny (who is a musician in local jazz band, “Le Chat Lunatique”) and I have many of our own interests, but it was our shared joys that really influenced the wedding. One of our first conversations included a chat about how we both feel we may have been born in the wrong era, and our strong connection to the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. He’s the only man I’ve ever known who chops wood, drives a pick up, goes mountain biking, yet also understands and loves fashion almost as much as I do.

{to see the full gallery, click here!}