After a long New England winter and a non-existent spring, this bright summer affair by Jenna of Jenna Davis Photography is just what my little soul needs. The crisp colors warm me right up, and I just love the idea of bridesmaids carrying different yet similar versions of their cheery bouquets. Genius. It just goes to show how weddings on a budget can be oh so beautiful. Check out the full gallery for even more!
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From the Bride… With Sean being from Indiana and myself being from Connecticut, but now both living in Chicago, we had a difficult time figuring out where to have our wedding and have all of our loved ones be able to make it. We met at DePauw University in central Indiana, and when I went back to visit the campus, I knew this was the perfect place. All of the memories came back to us and the beautiful red brick, white columns, and floral details that the campus offered was a great backdrop. Gobin United Methodist Memorial Church personalized our ceremony for us, and the Walden Inn was amazing, offering us great customer service and a beautiful setting with glass windows that led to the outdoor patio for our guests.
We wanted our theme to be a casual summer wedding with bright colors and garden style flowers. I wanted the dresses to feel a little bit like the 50’s, classic and timeless, yet simple. J.Crew had such a great selection, and when I tried on my satin gown, I knew it was the one. Then I found a simple flower clip to put in my hair that had pearl and flower accents from Etsy. I absolutely loved the tropical aqua bridesmaids dresses because of the color, but also the light chiffon material that would work in June weather. Sean was adimant about looking like “James Bond” so of course we opted for black tuxes with a touch of aqua in the groomsmen vests.
My father had passed away just 3 years before the wedding, so knowing that we would be on a budget, but also very emotional, I wanted to feel comfortable with the setting, guests, and finances. I managed to stay under a strict budget but have a beautiful day, with 125 guests, and amazing food that the venue helped us get a deal on, including Jumbo cocktail shimp, quesadillas, bruschetta for appetizers, and stuffed chicken with asiago cheese sauce, as well as Beef Au Jus for dinner. We offered an open bar, which our guests definitely seemed to love.
We were very lucky to have Sean’s mom handmake the adorable gifts for our guests, with aqua striping and aqua and white M&M’s that had our date printed on them. I decided to place the flowers in mason jars because I loved that homemade, garden feel. The florists, Eitel Flowers, completely translated my vision, with every bridesmaid having their own unique bouquet, yet with a similar theme. I made table numbers out of stationary that I picked up in an office supply shop, and printed the numbers on the floral cards, both in yellow and aqua. This was such a simple task and really added a nice homemade touch as well. I decided to put a small shrine up in honor of my father, with a few framed photographs, flowers, and candles next to the guest book so that everyone could take a look at it.
The cake was homemade buttercream from Benda’s cakes and I think I had about 4 pieces!! We alternated layers of marble cake and vanilla buttercream, with yellow cake and chocolate truffle filling. It was moist and delicious, and definitely completed a great evening. Sean was lucky enough to get the first taste, all over his face in fact!
It was supposed to be stormy, but ended up being sunny and in the 80’s all day. Our photographer, Jenna Davis, was absolutely amazing and certainly took advantage of the day! We loved her artistic, journalistic style, and she picked out the perfect locations on campus. We were lucky to have great architecture and flowers that offered a great setting. We couldn’t have been happier with the memories, both in print and in our hearts!
Wedding Photography: Jenna Davis of Jenna Davis Photography / Floral Design: Eitel’s Flowers / Event Design & Coordination: The Bride / Wedding Ceremony Location: Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church / Wedding Reception Location: The INN at DePauw & Event Center (Formerly Walden Inn) / Wedding Invitations: William Arthur / Bride’s Shoes: Coloriffics / Wedding Dress: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bride’s Hair Piece: Tessa Kim / Bride’s Clutch: Murwati / Brownie Pops: Beau Coup / Tuxedo Bubbles: ForeverWed / Bridesmaid Totes: Wedding Favors Unlimited / Groomsmen Pocket Watches: Groomsmen Gifts / Wedding Cake: Brenda’s Cakes