Oh be still my woodland, rustic, DIY loving heart! This wedding is the epitome of gorgeous and has so many sweet and simple DIY projects that can be easily translated and infused into your own big day. I’m loving their creativity from the plant-stand ladder ceremony backdrop to the beautifully understated table settings. Emily Blake Photography was on hand to capture each and every detail. What else can I say? I’m totally smitten. Click here for more.
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From the bride… It was really important for mine and Scott’s families that this wedding accurately portrayed our personalities, but also be as much fun as possible for our guests. We tried to plan everything so that guests would never be waiting, bored or hungry. We knew photography would delay us arriving to the reception, but decided that dinner would be served at 6:15 p.m., whether or not we had arrived. It was also really important that all the toasts, welcome speeches and first dance, father/daughter and mother/son dances happened while guests were seated and eating dinner. We wanted dancing to be the main focus of our reception because as guests, that is always our favorite part of a wedding.
We made a lot of DIY projects, including homemade apricot preserves in 4-ounce quilted jars (made from my family’s much loved apricot tree we planted 10 years ago) and 16-ounce mason jars tied up up twine and a hand-stamped price tag (for drinking and keeping). All of the flowers for decoration, bouquets and boutonnieres were put together by me and my mother. We also incorporated old lace thrifted from all over southern California as much as possible. My favorite way was stretched and cut to fit in different sizes and shapes on embroidery rings (hung behind us as the backdrop for the ceremony, and on all the windows at the reception). I also thrifted all across Southern California in search of old floral silk robes for us girls to get ready in.
I had always dreamed of getting married in the fall, with autumn colors and turning leaves everywhere. The location for the ceremony couldn’t have been more perfect, with huge cedars and redwoods, surrounded by turning sycamores and blooming lavender everywhere. Our DJ was so wonderful, he played everything we asked him to, and he really tried to get a grasp for the feel we wanted our music to give. I walked up the aisle to Sigur Rós’ “Hoppipolla.” My favorite part of the entire day was saying our vows. We had decided together that traditional vows are good vows. And something our officient pointed out was that almost all of the married couples at our wedding would have used those same vows in the past. By us choosing to repeat those, our guests were witnessing a new marriage that also reminded them of the day they said those same vows. Our wedding could also become a sort of renewal of vows for our married guests. I will never forget the way Scott could hardly whisper his vows and the tears we both had streaming down our cheeks. All of our friends and family are the reason we were able to have such a wonderful day. From helping with DIY projects to being chauffeurs, the people who love us are the people that made our day so wonderful.
Wedding Photography: Emily Blake Photography / Wedding Ceremony: Cedar Grove Park Ampitheatre in Tustin, California / Wedding Reception + Catering: Beach Pit BBQ in (Old Town) Tustin, California / Flowers, Apricot Jam Favors, Mason Jar Glasses + Decor: DIY / Wedding Coordinator: Casey Glass / Wedding Gown: Pronovias / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Hair + Airbrush Makeup: Casey Glass / DJs: Bobby Wooldridge and Matt Heim (bobbywooldridge@gmail.com) / Custom Matchboxes: The Knot
