I’m a total sucker for a DIY backyard wedding and this one has so much personality and spunk that I know you’ll fall in love with it just as fast as I did. This truly was a family affair and everyone (even the family dog) pitched in to make sure this couple’s day was a unique reflection of their love for one another. The bride cross-stitched all the signs and made the napkins, her brother in-law hand drew the invitations, and her mom did all the gorgeous flower displays that included ranunculus, tulips, pussy willows, and billy balls. Talk about a talented family! Lassara Photography was on hand to capture all the amazing details and as always, there’s so much more in the gallery!
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From the Bride…We knew we wanted a wedding that was colorful, intimate, and reflected the things we love without having too much of a defined theme. We also knew that we are lucky to have totally creative friends and family, so creating this event was definitely going be a group effort.
My husband is a professional film blogger and so we framed photos of classic Hollywood couples to identify individual tables and our reception featured a popcorn machine. Our dog, Oscar, was an integral part of the day — he was on the hand-drawn invitations created by my husband’s brother and on the stamps of our postcard-sized RSVPs, which were written in MadLib style. My brother-in-law also drew the icons used on 1″ buttons, distributed as favors to our guests. I took it upon myself to cross-stitch various signs and made the napkins, into which we rolled utensils and tied off with a kraft paper name tag. Music was all run via iPod and it took us months to curate an 8-hour “greatest hits” playlist. One of our best friends acted as our officiant and was ordained for the occasion. My mother is a florist by trade and her shop did all the flowers, incorporating my favorite ranunculus, tulips, pussy willows, and billy balls. We incorporated twine, raffia, and other natural materials throughout the decor — our ceremony arch was hand-built from twigs and we used freshly-cut logs (cut down by my stepfather) as cake stands and to display centerpieces.
As we’re both big fans of Mexican food, we had a make-your-own-taco bar and three separate wedding cakes, one of which was completely vegan. All cake flavors were conceptualized by me and baked by a friend of my mother’s. Another friend made a large paper-maiche pig for our guest “book” note cards. (My husband is known affectionately to his friends as Porkchop.) Finally, family friends were gracious enough to allow us to use their beautiful backyard for the event and though it rained lightly as the ceremony took place, it cleared up for the reception and we were able to dance the night away without umbrellas.
All in all, it was the best day of our lives! We’re so happy that our friends and family were there to join in the fun.
Wedding Photography: Lassara Photography / Floral Design: Flowers By Addalia / Venue: Private Residence / Invitations: Brandon Campbell (brother of the groom) / Menus + Programs: Vistaprint / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet via Kleinfeld Bridal / Veil: velvet owl / Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden / Bridesmaids Dresses: H&M + Zara / Ties: Express / Hair + Make-up: Appearance Workshop / Catering: Surf Taco / Buttons: Busy Beaver Button Company / Cake Toppers: ReadyGo + BlossomHill / Cupcake Flags: Belletristics / Guest Book Cards: Eden Wedding Studio / Props on a Stick: MaroDesigns / Event Design + Planning: The Bride + Mother of the Bride