Maryland Backyard Wedding full of DIY

No words, just lots and lots of sighing over this next beauty. The photography from Jocelyn Mathewes and Mindy Best are so beyond. They completely capture all of the love and romance swirling around this Maryland backyard wedding. And the Bride seemed to have a hand in nearly every element down to her gorgeous dress that she handmade from curtains. Curtains! Some people have so much talent it hurts. See the full day and so many more thoughtful details in the gallery.

so stinking gorgeous…see the rest here!

From Jocelyn Mathewes…

Iain and Natalia were the surprise clients of my life. Booking from across the Atlantic ocean far, far in advance without even seeing me in person, they put their faith in me for what turned into a most exquisite event. I have to say that I’ve been impressed with all of my brides’ unique tastes, flair for details, and the like, but Natalia–a fashion designer and seamstress–really dove in head first, and created nearly all the details herself. But down to the story. Mindy, my assistant for the day, started with Iain, as he donned his traditional Scottish attire. Check out that belt buckle–fashioned with the couples’ initials! Oh, and Natalia made him a fabric boutonniere to match her bouquet. Natalia made her dress from the curtains of her bachelorette apartment, with accents of antique French lace–they don’t make it anymore!!!

One of the things that made Natalia and Iain’s day very unique was that they planned a block of three hours to drive around Hagerstown and take portraits in locations they found beautiful and meaningful. It made for quite a hilarious and lovely time; the weather was perfect (if a bit windy), and Mindy and I managed to catch some fabulous moments. The rings were passed around to guests for warming, and the priest–Natalia’s godfather–wrapped their hands with his stole to bless the exchange of rings. After a joyous kiss, they planted a sapling in the garden to symbolize their unity, and then greeted all the happy guests with a wonderful, beautiful party. As the toasts and speech punctuated the dinner, the party became even more lively, and everyone celebrated with the sweet taste of cake and dancing.

Lead Photographer: Jocelyn Mathewes / Second Photographer: Mindy Best / Venue: private home / Cake: family friend / Dress, Bouquet, Boutonniers, Bunting, Event Design: the bride / Catering: A Cut Above Catering (Frederick, MD)