Hope everyone had a great weekend! I thought we could start off the week right with the most beautiful, green inspired wedding that two adorable high school sweethearts put together in Eastern Washington. It was a total DIY affair and one that completely brought the two families together. The bride actually included her entire wedding story, so rather than blab, I’ll just let her share all of the wedding goodness with you. Oh but before we get to that, let me just say that Josh Kill of Josh Kill Photography, well…killed it (I’m sure he never hears that one).
Matt and I met and began dating while we were in high school and continued our friendship and romance for the better part of the next ten years. It was not until Matt suffered a serious skiing accident that almost cost him his leg, and I was able to care for him that we realized we really were there for each other through “Better or Worse.” Eight months and three surgeries later Matt surprised me in New York City while I was working there and proposed on one knee even though his air boot cast almost caused him to lose his balance and tip over in the process!
When Matt’s parents offered their home as a site for our wedding, it seemed a natural choice to return to our hometown and the sage covered hills of Eastern Washington to celebrate our special day. We wanted to have a simple but elegant wedding that reflected who we are as a couple. We identified five items that were most important to us and tried to base all decisions with those priorities in mind. A pretty, intimate, stress free wedding that had a feeling of community was top on our list. We wanted to maintain a link to our families, to include their talents as well as those of our friends, and to preserve the integrity of the environment in every way possible. And we wanted to have fun! With my mom’s help and her intuitive ability to understand what we wanted even when I couldn’t exactly explain it to her, we were able to achieve our goals and experience the most amazing day of our lives.
Matt and I opted to have our brothers as our only attendants. My older brother immediately labeled himself as the “Best Bride’s Man”, and short of throwing me a lingerie shower, was the perfect “maid of honor”. Matt’s younger brother was the Best Man, and together they were the ideal combination to stand by our sides. We also decided to include our young friends as part of the ceremony and we were amazed at the joy they brought to the wedding. One of my most cherished memories is of riding to the ceremony site on the tailgate of an old Scout International with the kids sitting in t he back. As we approached the site the children spontaneously began to sing their own sweet version of “Here comes the Bride”. We could never have planned such an incredible moment and our guests were enchanted!
We included some special DIY projects in our celebration. My mother-in-law designed and made our beautiful wedding cake, using crab apples and pears from the surrounding orchards (not to mention 4 pounds of butter and 68 eggs!) She also created my wedding jewelry from pearls that had belonged to my grandmother. This was especially meaningful to me since my grandmother had died unexpectedly shortly after Matt and I became engaged. The earrings and bracelet were exquisite, and I know they will become family heirlooms.
My mother made all the napkins, napkin rings, table runners and spent hours on eBay purchasing 20 different antique table cloths for our table centers. She also planted 150 succulents in individual pots to use as favors and somehow also found time to make the flower girls dresses, headpieces and the vests for the ring bearer and bell ringer. My dad made the table number holders from half inch cuts from birch limbs and twisted wire. Matt and I both enjoy photography and wanted to include a very personal touch to the day. We made twenty of our favorite shots into small magnets to hold the escort cards. We then placed one of the photographs on each table, a description of where and when the photo was taken and why we liked it. The guests matched their magnets to the photographs on the table to find their seats for dinner. A good friend made two “bouquets” from lottery tickets that Matt and I each threw near the end of the evening for all our guests, explaining that we felt “lucky” to have them as our friends and family. We included ideas we had found on Style Me Pretty such as our guest book “tree”, and opted for a unity “planting” instead of a unity candle to symbolize our own growth as a couple and the importance of “growing and renewing the environment.” We saved paper by making blackboards to use at the ceremony instead of programs and whenever possible used recycled “green” products for any paper goods we needed.
We had hoped to be able to celebrate the entire evening out of doors in the beautifully lighted tents we had decorated with branches, twinkle lights and small lanterns with candles, but an unseasonable arctic wind and rainstorm swept up the valley during dinner (strong enough to blow the salad from the dinner plates!) and we were forced to move everything indoors. (So much for the Farmer’s Almanac!) Thanks to our incredible on- site wedding helper, my “Best Bride’s Man”, my gracious in-laws and many candles, the rest of the evening went off without a hitch, and it seems like we had always planned it that way. The small setting added to the intimate feeling of the evening and encouraged everyone to participate in the festivities.
Our wedding day was just as we had always hoped it would be… the best day of our lives!
Photography by Josh Kill and Tyler Thompson of Josh Kill Photography / Flowers by Janine Davis of Bloomers Floral Designs / Event Planning by Monica Simmons of Claret Designs and Events / Ceremony Location: Wenatchee, Washington (The home of Elizabeth and Fred Melton) / Invitations by Peggy Nichols of Pickled Papers / Shoes by Cole Hahn / Dress by Ramona Keveza