Backyard weddings have a magical way of touching the soul – and this drop dead gorgeous fête captured by Sarah Ashley Peters Photography? A heart stopping masterpiece. Set against an intimate (+ breathtaking) backdrop of sky-high trees and rustic goodness every.which.way you turn, it’s burlap ring pillows meets beyond darling DIY details meets a laid back, yet elegant vibe we can’t get enough of. Oh, and did I mention some of the prettiest paper goods you ever did see by Rifle Paper Co.? Settle in, lovelies. You’re in for an entire weekend of pretty. See it all here.
Click here for the FULL wedding!
Oh, and we’re not done yet. We have a stunning film from Jesse Beecher to brighten your day even more. Enjoy!
From the Bride… Landson and I were married about an hour outside of Orlando in Clermont, Florida, on April 29, 2012. Our beautiful outdoor wedding site was owned by family friends and is located behind acres of orange groves, literally in middle of nowhere — in a cow pasture. During our four-month engagement, Landson and my dad were out at “the ranch” (as we nicknamed it) scooping up cow piles, fixing the fence so no more cows could get in (although they almost always managed to), trimming overgrown bushes and trees and raking leaves nearly every weekend. Because of their hard work, our wedding was even more amazing then I could have possibly dreamed. I work in Winter Park, Florida, for Rifle Paper Company, and I had the pleasure of having my lovely boss, Anna Bond, illustrate our wedding invites. Then I had them letter pressed over at Mama Sauce, a print shop near by that Rifle is good friends with. The simplicity and classiness of the invite set the mood of the entire wedding.
I knew long before I was engaged that I wanted a gorgeous outdoor wedding in a place that made you feel like you were in the middle of nowhere. Guests had to take not only a longer drive to Clermont from Orlando, but once they arrived at the ranch, they had a 10-minute scenic drive through orange groves and cow pasture before arriving at the beautiful tucked-away venue that had it all: a little “screen room,” a poured slab of cement for a dance floor and a beautiful canopy of trees, ideal for an intimate ceremony free from the hot, Florida sun. Julie Arnold, owner of the charming Florida citrus shop “Showcase Citrus,” which sits on the edge of the property that hosted my wedding, is a collector of vintage things. One of her vintage items is an old Studebaker truck! She offered to let me borrow the truck for whatever we needed for the wedding, which we used for our engagement photos, and since it happened to be vintage blue and cream with accents of red (the exact colors of my wedding) I knew it was meant to be! We decided that since the property was so big, that my dad would drive the truck in for the ceremony with me sitting in the car, and my bridesmaids and ring bearer would sit in the bed of the truck on bails of hay. It was perfect way to enter and was a wonderful piece to be sitting in the background of my wedding for the rest of the event.
After Landson proposed, my mom assigned my dad to the job of finding us used china in his obsessive garage sale hunting. Sure enough, a few weeks later, my dad found us 80 sets of china to use. My mom also started to collect a massive assortment of red, white and blue fabrics to use for table cloths, couch cushions and, most importantly, the flags that decorated the trees of the venue. She made miles of banners, which we hung everywhere! Our ceremony was my favorite part. Of course, I had dreamed about it for years. I walked down the aisle to what I think’s the perfect song – “Forget me Not” by the Civil Wars, performed live by my best friend and two of Landson’s brothers. I have always had a love for hand-written notes, and since I work for one of the greatest stationery companies ever, there were naturally some cards and writing involved. Landson and I wrote our own vows, but rather than having them on a plain piece of paper, we picked two different cards from Rifle and wrote our vows on them. Now they are in our home for us to see daily. The day couldn’t have been any better. It was so full of laughter and love, and was more than I could have ever imagined. Everyone cried in the ceremony, laughed during the speeches and danced their hearts out at the reception. It was the perfect way to start the rest of my life with my favorite person.
Wedding Photography: Sarah Ashley Peters Photography / Wedding Venue: A Private Property in Clermont, Florida / Event Planning, Floral + Event Design: DIY / Wedding Cinematography: Jesse Beecher / Wedding Invitations: Rifle Paper Co. / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden / Bride’s Belt: J.Crew