This bride. Oh this bride. She is all things I love about weddings. She is simple, she is understated, she is chic. She is, quite frankly, fabulous. And the wedding that she and her cute husband crafted is nothing short of lovely. Burlap and lace details, peonies and wildflowers…all framed beautifully with little touches of sweetness and style. Photographed by the official title holder of “most popular wedding EVER” on Style Me Pretty, Tanja Lippert. Click here to see so much more.
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From the bride… Our wedding theme was “burlap & lace,” right down to my gown. And oh, the cotton! I was obsessed with it, envisioning tufts of wild cotton and peonies delicately framing everything. Peonies evidently weren’t in season, but my florist used these romantic cabbage roses to my delight. My then-fiance and I love rummaging through antique stores and fairs in our free time. As such, we felt that it was both necessary and appropriate to incorporate vintage elements and found objects into our wedding. Almost all the decor and personal touches, both seen and not seen here, were handmade by me or with the help of my fiance. He was my ultimate hero in building frames for the signage with reclaimed wood and drawing the handsome thumbprint tree. I made straw and burlap nests for our escort cards, filled with a variety of wildflower seeds and secured the envelope with a darling lace tie. And I cannot speak enough about what an incredible resource Etsy was. My stunning veil and fascinator, antique rose lace belt, estate jewelry, vintage purse and invitations were all found there.
So was I one of “those” brides? Yes and no. Yes, I was eager, shopping for and trying on wedding gowns before my boyfriend formally proposed. No, I did not chew off anyone’s head in the months leading up to the wedding (at least not that I’m aware of). I was, admittedly, a very particular bride. Having my heart set on an outdoor rustic wedding, we drove all over from Sonoma to Santa Cruz not two weeks after the engagement to locate a venue with a barn and an overgrown oak tree that would shade us during the ceremony. Many of the farmhouse venues in Napa were beyond our budget, while the ones that came within were rough around the edges. Crestfallen, the leading contender was, in our minds, one too many tool sheds and manure piles away from confidently selling the idea to our traditionally-minded parents. So we let go of the wine country wedding to find the happy medium at Nestldown. I got my romantically lit, airy barn and abundant orchards, and our parents won pristine perfection in the flourishing ponds and manicured gardens. Instead of a single oak tree, we exchanged our deepest vows in a magnificent cathedral of towering redwood trees. I will never forget how the sun’s rays cast a spotlight down in between the trees on just the two of us, my veil almost glowing from the sumptuously spiritual light. In the end — between the synergy of the fairy tale venue, each one of our truly amazing vendors, my DIY touches, Ivan’s penchant for collecting antique typewriters and cameras, and my friend who acted as day-of coordinator — our rustic elegant vision was fully realized, and we wished the day could have been played on repeat.
Among other things, we had not a spare moment to enjoy our antique wooden croquet set with friends, but in our minds, the day was nearly perfect. It lives on in my dream and in the breathtaking photography of Tanja Lippert. She carefully, lovingly, captured all the special details we wished we had all the time in the world to take in. Love.
Wedding Photography: Tanja Lippert Photography / Assistant Photographer: Luke Goodman / Venue: Nestldown / Wedding Planning + Design: The Bride / Flowers: Precious and Blooming / Wedding Dress: Robert Bullock Bride for Birnbaum & Bullock / Shoes: Nine West / Earrings: Passionate About Vintage / Vintage Purse: Storied / Wedding Invitations: Papier Lapin / Wedding Cake: Margaret’s French Bakery / Hair + Makeup: Julie Dy / DJ: Woody of Big Fun DJs