I hope you aren’t on wedding overload quite yet because we are only halfway through today’s lineup and it just keeps getting better and better. Take for instance this cute couple from Virginia who had a lovely outdoor soiree packed to the gills with vibrant color and fun details and get this, the bride designed EVERYTHING. She is an aspiring wedding planner and I think she may have found her niche. Check out the gallery for more from this color-packed day straight from the camera of Catie’s Photography.
see more of the festivities here!
We really wanted our wedding to be creative, unique, modern, yet charming with a slightly laid back approach. As a designer, I thought about every little detail and knew much of the event would be DIY. My love of brightly colored patterns is what lead me to find a few Kaffe Fasset fabrics. These inspired the design and details for the day. Our color palette was predominantly black and white, with pops of red, purple, magenta and chartreuse green. A wedding coordinator was not in our budget, so I knew I would be wearing the bride and planner “hat”! Finding the right outdoor location for the ceremony and reception was so important to us. Dave and I first met on the beach in our neighborhood, a small community located on the Chesapeake Bay. We spent so much time together here -enjoying the beach, the quaint restaurants, building friendships with our neighbors, sharing bike rides. Knowing we didn’t want a beach wedding, we noticed our neighbor’s home more and more as a venue option. Once we had the approval, we knew it was the perfect location!
Many of our guests had not met before, and I wanted everyone to feel like they were part of one huge family. We created a table, which included framed photos of Dave and I as children, our families, and bridal party members. Guests wrote messages, and attached strips of photos in a custom guest book I found from Kolo. The black and white classic photo booth was our splurge, as it had to be driven from New Jersey for the event. The homeowner had lots of lush outdoor plants that I incorporated into the lounge and reception area. Decorative ceramic lanterns and candle holders were scattered throughout. I spray-painted old containers, and borrowed some vintage milk glass for potted plants. I also used my grandparents’ vintage chairs to create a smaller lounge area. Our guests were greeted at the reception with fresh purple mojitos, Purple Mojo’s, (we named them)! I made the purple simple syrup and our friends helped pre-mix and muddle the limes and mint beforehand. Towards the end of the evening, the servers passed around Slice ‘o Lime Shooters, which were lime slices filled with vodka and lime jell-o. My mother and friends helped to make these a couple nights before the wedding! We must have cleaned out 100 limes!
The day was so special to Dave and I because we were able to share it with our families, and friends in the neighborhood we called home. We utilized so many resources available to help with our budget and customize our day! It was truly memorable!
Photography: Catie’s Photography / Caterer: East Beach Catering / Cake and cupcakes: Carrie’s Cakes in Virginia Beach, VA / Florist: Leslie Hartig Floral Design / Photo booth: Photo Illusion / DJ: Dr. DJ Entertainment / Dress: Cymbeline / Hair: Shannon Fortin of Gary Allen Hair, Virginia Beach, VA / Makeup: Michael Eason of Bobbi Brown, Norfolk, VA / Flower Girl Dress and Ring Pillow: Jesse Curtis / Paper Goods: thegirltyler
