When a blogger becomes a bride, the Do-It-Yourself and Etsy gods collide… and this my friends, is the gorgeously epic result. Soy candles, handwritten signs and eclectic cloth napkins create a home-sweet-home vibe in this vastly grand turn-of-the-century ballroom. Who knew industrial rust and boarded up windows could look THIS chic? I tip my hat to Valo Photography for using such ethereal light to capture Audra’s vision of her perfect day. The stellar photos continue on into the gallery, and I’d suggest checking out the bride’s super cute blog too!
From the Bride… Andy and I fell in love before hundreds of people way before we fell in love for real. Our relationship began as co-stars in a theatre production, and we shared our first kiss and proposal on stage (In the play I proposed to him!) It wasn’t until a year and a half after that stage kiss that Andy had his chance to pop the question in a small California park where he used to play as a kid. Though we met in Vermont, and live in NYC, we chose to get married in my hometown of Milwaukee. We fell madly in love with our venue and it became my biggest source of wedding inspiration. From the moment Andy & I walked into the gorgeous antique Turner Hall Ballroom, I felt like I had been transported to the 1800s when it was first built. The stunning earth tones and rustic charm were the perfect background for the vision that I had imagined.
I knew I wanted a warm, neutral palate with hints of peach and champagne for a romantic, ethereal vibe. I wanted to have a huge part in all the decor so I took on many projects from my little NYC living room. I hand made the burlap and lace table runners, all the distressed chalk board table numbers/signs, the mix-matched cloth napkins, the ring pillow, the flower girl baskets, the “Yay!” flags, the dessert bar banner, the “Mr.& Mrs.” cake topper, and the trivia cards for cocktail hour. My Mom and I made the lovely soy candle favors (Bride’s own DIY tutorial here!) that also served as escort cards, the lace candle sleeves as well as some of the baked goods for the dessert bar. My talented older sister/matron of honor designed elements of the invite, the programs, the menus and all the hand-written signs/tags. My sister-in-law drew the gorgeous tree that we used for our thumbprint guest book.
We were blessed with some wonderful vendors. Simon from Valo Photography was such a joy to have around that whole day. He made us all at ease knowing that he was a pro at this, and his fun personality made Andy & I want him as a new best friend. My two favorite parts of the day were actually the only two things I didn’t plan down to a T: Andy’s vows (which brought most of the guests to tears and blew me away.) And- although Andy has more musical talent than many I know, he rarely shares it. Luckily for me, my wedding gift to him- (an engraved guitar pick,) inspired him to throw together a beautiful performance of “Wild Horses” that he sang during dinner. After months of planning and creating- those two moments are the ones I will never ever forget. Wedding Photography: Valo Photography / Wedding Venue: Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin / Floral Design: Bloom Floral and Event Design / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BL Couture / Robes: Silk & More / Paper Products: Bride’s Sister / Flower Girl Dresses: LaParisLaur / Table Runners, Napkins, Favors and all other DIYs: The Bride (The Baker Chick)