It’s been a little while since we featured one of the beloved rustic chic affairs that I know many of you really, really crave. Well, I have just the ticket. Ken Kienow sent us this little gem that is heavy on DIY charm and filled to the brim with steal-worthy ideas. Held at the Dana Powers Barn in Nipomo, California this past December, this wedding is a total keeper. Love, love, love.
From Ken…Melissa is naturally gifted with crafts/decorations and does some wedding planning on the side, so there were many unique, hand-made elements in the wedding. Melissa’s bridesmaids all wore the same dress, but they each were responsible for finding their own pair of brown vintage boots to wear with the dress. Everybody ended up with something slightly different. Nearly all of the decorations were found and purchased online by Melissa, with a few items coming from friends. To save money on the manzanita branches, she got permission to harvest them from a friend’s ranch property instead of purchasing them. Mason jars (and baby food jars that hung on the manzanita centerpieces) were found at hardware stores and online, and the monogrammed mugs were purchased from Anthropologie. Melissa found the lace in her centerpieces and old books from thrift stores. Table assignments were written on the glass of three vintage window panes. Lantern centerpieces were also found on Amazon.
Overall inspiration came from the barn itself. The Dana Powers Barn incorporates vintage farm equipment, old mirrors and furniture, antique trunks, etc. Pies were purchased locally from Avila Valley Barn instead of having a traditional wedding cake. Wedding programs and their invitations were designed by a friend and ordered from Overnight Prints. Melissa and Ryan bought vintage stamp lots from eBay and used them for postage on the invitations. Upper Crust provided the catering and did an amazing job.
The week before the wedding was rainy, and the week afterwards was too. Melissa and Ryan had all sorts of contingency plans in place – moving the ceremony indoors, having blankets and heaters, but it ended up being 75 degrees and sunny on that day (in the middle of December). It felt like a summer night, which fit perfectly with their warm, vintage wedding.
Vendor Credits: Photography by Ken Keinow / Venue Dana Powers Barn / Florals by April Flowers / Bride’s Gown Pronovias / Table numbers Paper Eclectiques