This Florida wedding by Jessica Lorren Organic Photography can be summed up in one word – fun. Crazy, colorful, nerdy, fun! Ok, that’s a few more words but each and every one of them so fitting! Throw in the fact that almost all the details were either handmade by the couple and their families (the amazing ceremony bookcase was built by the bride’s grandfather!) or independent vendors found on Etsy and you have a stellar, hand-crafted event. Are you sticking to just a couple colors or are you incorporating all the colors of the rainbow? Click here to see even more!
Click here to see the entire image gallery!
From the Bride… For our wedding, we wanted everyone to have a good time and for it to feel like our wedding. We wanted it to be unique and reflective of our personalities. Both Wyatt and I are self-proclaimed nerds who love books and reading. I love teacups and anything old with a story. We took these loves and created decorations that would be memorable and very Katie and Wyatt. I collected teacups and books from any and every source I could: thrift stores, antique stores, book stores, even my own personal collection. We were able to give our guests a unique gift as well: they took the books and teacups home with them! The bookshelves that my grandfather made for me a few years ago became the perfect backdrop for our wedding: tying together the decor and giving a unique twist to the idea of an arbor or an altar.
Another important aspect of the decor for me was color. I didn’t have any specific colors in mind, I just knew I wanted all of them. I gave my bridesmaids specific colors and told them to pick any dress they wanted. I chose the flowers in my bouquet based on whatever had the brightest colors. Peacock feathers showed up a few times in the decor because of the beautiful jewel tone we could incorporate. Using silk and paper flowers in the teacups meant I could use whatever colors I could find. I wanted the day to have as much bright and happy colors as possible. I am extremely grateful for Jessica Lorren’s beautiful photography: she captured all of the details I wanted to remember and many I would not have remembered. Now I have our entire day captured in stunningly beautiful photographs.
Most of the wedding was handmade by myself, my friends and family, or people on Etsy. I tried to get as many details as I could handmade by talented people: the flower-girl dresses and wands, boutonnieres, my jewelry and hair accessories, photo booth chalkboard, and jewels for the cake all came from Esty. My amazing grandmother handmade my veil, many people put together teacups or the garland, my best friend Sarah made us our beautiful and fun cakes, my grandfather made our bookshelves and garland, my mom’s cousin put together all of the paper goods, my best friend’s dad drove us away in his boat, even the groomsmen helped by putting the decorations in arrangements on the tables! The handmade element was extremely important to me because I knew everything we used was made with love and hard work.
The day happened better than I could have imagined: we were surrounded by our family and friends, many of whom had helped with the wedding in some way, shape or form: my grandfather and father-in-law were the officiates, my aunt was the unofficial wedding planner, my sister and best friends were bridesmaids, my new nieces were flower girls, my young cousins were ring bearers and program ushers, my older cousins took photographs and manned our photo booth, our DJ was a family friend… it was truly a beautiful day of community, love and joy.
My favorite moments are too difficult to choose. Some of the best moments include walking down the aisle on my father’s arm and seeing everyone who had come to celebrate with us, Wyatt and I dancing our first dance, seeing my grandmother, mother and father all dance to the Twist, our dear friends dancing with us on the lawn, and seeing all the hard work and planning come together in a beautiful day.
Wedding Photography: Jessica Lorren Organic Photography / Wedding Cinematography: StarFruit Productions / Floral Design: The Flower Guys / Ceremony & Reception Location: The Powel Crosley Estate / Caterering: Sarasota Catering Company / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Bride’s Earrings: Bettina Johnson Jewelry / Boutonnieres: Scattered Stardust / Flower Girl Dresses: Boutique Mia / Flower Girl Wands: Finns & Flowers / Ring Bearer Bowties: Tiny Ties / Ring Bearer Suspenders: Zebra Duck Design / Bridesmaid Dresses: Modcloth + J.Crew + Ross / Bride’s Veil: Grandmother of the Bride / Paper Goods: Cousin of the Bride / Wedding Cakes: Friend of the Bride