DIY Wedding in Memphis, II

Before we dive back into the adorable wedding that we are currently devouring, I wanted to mention…for any of you that are dreaming of starting a stationery business we are chatting all about it over on BackStage. Starting with the invitation company that I started, we are working through all of the ins and outs of taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Come join in!

Ok, back to the task at hand. I really think that if Etsy could build a wedding of their own, it would be this one. All of the little details that the bride provided are kind of amazing, kind of awesome actually. She found a ton of inspiration right here on SMP and in turn is inspiring brides to no end with her own affair…

From the lovely bride…

The wedding day went by in one beautiful flash, which is why I’m glad Heidi was there to capture the elements that were so important to me. I tried very hard to make the wedding meaningful and creative without spending tons of money. I made our caketoppers out of salt and pepper shakers, elements from my mom’s wedding dress, clay and a vintage letterpress stamp found on Etsy. A friend of mine made my veil from the tulle of my mom’s veil. And another friend designed our programs based on a unique invitation design I found online.

I tried to use all Etsy vendors for everything, and only went to non-Etsy vendors when I couldn’t find it there. I love supporting artists, and Etsy is an endless supply of wonderful crafters. Using the lanterns was an easy way to avoid flower centerpieces and a nice gift for our wedding guests. Not a single one was left at the end of the night! Plus, we saved tons of money by buying them in bulk and on sale at TJ Maxx and Marshal’s.

The things you couldn’t see in the photos were the beautiful songs my now-husband wrote and recorded for the processionals. He played everything on cello, guitar and keyboard and it turned out so gorgeous. He based the melody on the song he wrote to propose to me. His is the John Benjamin Band.

From Heidi Ryder, the fabulous photographer…

John runs an online music community called SongFight! and to propose to Dorie he enlisted the help of some of his SongFight friends by having them each write a love song for Dorie. When he posted those songs online, he showed them to Dorie and stayed nearby with a ring while she listened to the songs. Those same songs were played during the ceremony and made into a mix CD called “Super Secret Love Maneuver”, which  was given out to the guests as a favor. The amazing programs were designed by Dorie’s friend, Sara Jackson.





Here is a list of the vendors that participated in this awesome, awesome day.

Flowers by Gesture Gifts / Cupcakes by Sugar Bowl Cupcakes / Map Boutonnieres by Hope and Joy Studios / Corsages by Petals Handmade Wedding Accessories / You Are My Sunshine studios by YeeHaw Studios / Jewelry by JMG Jewelry