It really doesn’t get any cuter than this whimsical, DIY wedding sent into us by the oh-so-talented Delbarr Moradi Photography. This creative couple crafted each and every aspect of their day including those adorable save the dates and invitations. With the help of family and friends they also arranged all the florals, a photobooth, and a cake topper…You name it, they made it! Join me in the gallery for even more fun!
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From the Bride…The day was incredible. The beginning felt a little chaotic, getting to the venue, getting the ball rolling with setup and decorations, etc. Thankfully we had a super creative group of friends and two amazing wedding coordinators to help us with all the tasks. I knew everything was in the best hands. The ceremony and reception went really smooth. It was perfect. Simple and intimate, just what we wanted. I could relive that day over and over again.
DIY/ handmade was a major theme for us. The venue included nothing, so we were able make everything just the way we wanted. It did add a significant amount of stress because there were so many things to plan out but looking back I wouldn’t have done it any other way. Our wedding was so “us!” We designed our own save the dates and invitations. All the flowers arrangements including the bride and maid-of-honor bouquets were made by friends and family. We had a DIY photobooth that was a big hit with the crowd. The napkin rings were all hand rolled and scripted by my mom and I. Menu boards and ceremony signs were all hand painted as well. I also think the cross stitched table cloths and quilts really brought together the handmade theme. My favorite DIY project was the cake topper. I made it myself from felt, dried flowers and other objects I had in my craft box. It was inspired by a Hayao Miyazaki film. He is quite an inspiration to both of us as artists and I couldn’t think of anything better to represent us as a couple.
Planning and designing the wedding was a bitter sweet adventure. I LOVED the designing part but the actual planning way scary and just plain frustrating at times. We decided to hire I Do Venues as our “day-of” coordinator and it was the best money spent by far. Gloria and her team kept us focused and on task through the whole process. They thought of everything! We couldn’t have done it without them. I highly recommend to any future bride to hire a coordinator. Worth every penny for the peace of mind.
Every decor element was hand picked by Josh and I. We scoured antique shops, flea markets and Etsy to find our perfect pieces. The best part is that we will be able to use all our wedding stuff around our apartment! Great way to remind us of that special day!
I think I am most proud of our budget friendly flower arrangements. We went to a local farmers market as per a friends recommendation and were able to pick up 8 summer bouquets the morning of the wedding. The bouquets were enough to fill 6 large centerpiece jars and multiple other vases. They were freshly cut and gorgeous. We had some close friends do the arrangements at the venue. Total cost: 60 dollars and some big thank you hugs! Check your local farmers markets a couple weeks before your wedding. You can often preorder the flowers you want and it saves you a bundle!!
Josh and his family are from Puerto Rico so we had some little hidden culture jems in there. The obvious was the salsa dancing. Really, how could you miss all the hip action! We also had a cigar bar which the boys really enjoyed. We had our caterer to do a plantain appetizer and our wedding cake was also tropics inspired. It had layers of passion fruit and mangos inside. Yum!!
Venue: Rengstorff House Mountain View / Make-up: Kristen Calderaro / Hair: Gigi Moss / Wedding Cake: Sweet Productions / Caterer: Crunch Catering / Wedding Cinematography: Sonny Aguirre Jr., Friend / Wedding Coordinator: I Do Venues / DJ: Elite Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Enzoani via Rin’s Bridal / Reception Dress: Banana Republic / Bouquets: DIY / Flowers: Whole Foods / Reception Flowers: Palo Alto Farmers’ Market / Groom’s Attire: Zara / Earrings: Etsy / Bracelet: Brides’s Great Grandmother’s pearl necklace / Lighting: Enhanced Lighting / Officiant: The Groom’s Sister, Marilyn / Bride’s Shoe: Classiques Entier® ‘Tamara’ Pump via Nordstrom / Stationery: The Bride + Groom (design) + Zazzle (printing) / Birdcage Veil: Etsy / Maid of Honor Dress: Anthropologie / Ceremony Rug: Anthropologie / Favor Pins: Anthropologie / Wedding Photography: Delbarr Moradi Photography