The idea of a SURPRISE Wedding is both exhilarating and all together frightening. Frightening only in that I would have no idea where to begin with such a feat. But with the help of Jacin Fitzgerald of Lovely Little Details + a bit of glitter, confetti, and an already planned New Year’s party, it became a total reality for this fun couple (with a bride who happens to be the voice behind the fab blog, Rinse. Repeat). It’s festive times about a billion and all captured down to the last sparkling smidgen of glitter by the talent that is Flory Photo. See more of the day right here. And if your brave enough to take the leap into “Surprise, we’re getting married” land, we only ask one favor…please, oh please can we be invited? Us SMP ladies make really good wedding guests!
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… Our wedding was absolutely spontaneous! My fiancé and I first chose a 2012 wedding date. He returned to Iraq, and I busied myself with wedding “to do’s.” But being an ocean apart changed our priorities and suddenly it was crystal clear: life is so short! We didn’t need to wait eight more months to have a perfect wedding, because our truest, purest hope was simply to become husband and wife. Any day that ended with “I do” would be perfect! So, we scrapped our original wedding, and turned our New Year’s Eve engagement party into a surprise wedding!
With so much help from Jacin of Lovely Little Details, we secretly pulled together an entirely new wedding. From the wedding dress and florals, to booking a new location, it was all done in just eight weeks! New Year’s Eve was quickly approaching, so we kept it simple: romantic and very, very festive. Peach, mint, gold and lots of sparkle, but absolutely nothing fussy or forced. Everything sparkled. Jacin designed florals straight out of a dream, and even sprinkled gold dust over our blooms! The biggest surprise of the day came when our guests arrived to the “engagement party,” only to be greeted by a bride, groom and bridal party! I’ll never forget the way my mom couldn’t stop laughing, and my father couldn’t stop crying. The entire day was nothing I had originally planned, and yet so, so much more than I could have hoped. Wildly fitting — the same could be said of falling in love with my husband.
A piece of advice to other brides: You don’t need a year to plan your dream wedding! You really don’t. If you keep your budget and DIY expectations realistic, you can do a beautiful wedding on a shortened timeline. Just be prepared to be busy and compromise on a few things! Most of all: Remind yourself that a wedding isn’t about dresses or cakes. It’s about committing to a lifetime together, and nothing can take away the beauty that brings to your day!
Wedding Photography: Flory Photo / Wedding Venue: Flower Farm Inn in Loomis, California / Wedding Planning, Styling + Floral Design: Jacin Fitzgerald of Lovely Little Details / Wedding Stationery: Rinse. Repeat. (The Bride) / Officiant: Rev. Rick Tan / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Balloons: Geronimo Balloons / Catering: Golden Gourmet Catering / Wedding Cake: Cake Coquette / Cake Pops: Sweet Lauren Cakes / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Bride’s Shoes: Miss America via DSW / Bride’s Jewelry: From Vintage & Thrift Stores / Veil: Tessa Kim / Cardigan: From a Thrift Store / Garter: Mamie+James / Hair + Makeup: Betten Chaston / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Handmade / Groom’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse