We’re suckers for a bride in a short dress. We always get excited to see what will follow the lead of her playful frock and this wedding by IRIS Photography does not disappoint. Complete with darling handmade touches, including the bride’s bouquet made completely of vintage broaches and DIY boutonnieres made with buttons and peacock feathers. This backyard affair is so adorable you’d never even know that just hours before the wedding, the power went out at the venue… while the bride was in the shower! The couple was left without music for their ceremony, so their family and friends ended up serenading them down the aisle! Love it. That could be a new wedding tradition if you ask me!!?!
From IRIS Photography…
This DIY tented wedding at the bride’s parents’ home alongside a private CT lake included so many great details including a bouquet made entirely of vintage broaches by a UK woman found on etsy. The centerpieces incorporate vintage buttons. The wedding dress was seen by chance in a window while the bride and her sister were walking the streets of Venice. The photobooth and placecard boards were made from a tablecloth. Erin, the bride, loves bluebirds which inspired the palette of orange and blue and can be see on the custom wine labels.
From the bride…
Lee and I met in Graduate School while getting our masters as Physician’s Assistants. While were at an Emergency Medicine Conference in Tuscon we went for a moonlight walk in the desert. He told me we were going out to take pictures of the desert in the full moon. While were enjoying the stars in the cold spring night, he proposed to me as I sat on a fence. Lee is very interested in photography, he researched several vendors, but really fell in love with Jane and Mikes work.
I love my parents house on Lake Columbia. We wanted something outside and a place that was special to us, so there was really no decision to be made. We wanted something that wasn’t too fussy and was fun yet elegant. We did not have a traditional wedding in the sense that we did not have a cake, cake cutting ceremony, garter, or a very large wedding party; but, we did have family heirloom brooches in all of the bouquets and in the centerpieces. Both Lee’s family and my family went through their jewelry boxes and found as many as they could. We also had my bouquet made from antique brooches. There were also two small pin cushions in my bouquet. One had the date sewn in and the other had our initials. My sister and I made the boutonnieres from old buttons my great aunt gave us.
We lost power during the day… while I was in the shower. It was pretty memorable, having no electricity to run toilets, music, food, etc.. it made for some excitement. The generators not working didn’t help much either. The boys showered in the lake, I had to go to the inn and get ready there. I was an hour late for the wedding, but it all worked out in the end. There was no music for the recessional so our families sang as Lee and I walked down the aisle. Seeing how quickly everyone came into tune for us was really special, made us laugh and smile.
For our favors, Lee and I made our favorite wine, Sauvignon Blanc. We bottled it, corked it and designed the label to incorporate the inspiration for our color scheme, a bluebird, my favorite bird. One thoughtful couple actually gave us a new bluebird house as a gift.
Vendor Credits: Photography: IRIS Photography / Wedding Gown Designer: Moschino / Bridesmaids Dress Designer: Anne Taylor / Event Designer & Planner: My sister Kerry Hoffman and myself / Invitation Designer: Wedding Paper Divas / Catering: Chatterley’s Catering / Cake & Desserts: Candy Bar and cupcakes by Chatterley’s / Tent and Rentals: Taylor Rental / Flowers: Brides’s sister, Kerry Hoffman / Venue: Private Residence