This is hands-down my new favorite DIY wedding ever. It’s full of so much personality and creativity, that it’s totally impossible to pick a favorite detail. It’s simple yet unexpected and oh-so-fun. Francis Joseph Photography captured this couple and their day to absolute perfection and you can see it all right here in the full gallery!
From the Bride… Graham and I met 5 years ago in NY while he was living in Austin and I was living in NY. We spent the next 5 years traveling back and forth and video chatting every minute that we could. I quickly fell in love with Austin and it soon became a second home. When it came time to decide where to have our wedding Austin won hands down. I knew that planning an Austin wedding from NY would be a challenge but as soon as we found our venue, Barr Mansion, most everything fell into place. Barr Mansion had everything, a beautifully detailed Victorian house to get ready in, gorgeous gardens for our outdoor ceremony, and the rustic yet elegant Artisan Ballroom for our reception.
While Barr Mansion didn’t need much decorating as it already had the rustic and natural feel we envisioned we did want to incorporate some DIY elements to make it more “us.” Lucky for me I had the help of my wonderful friends and family with many of the projects. Our neighbor built our wooden signs and Graham’s sister hand painted them, my mother and sister made the sash for my reception dress, Graham constructed our chalkboard menu and my sister did the lettering and artwork for it. Other DIY projects: moss letters for the doors, yarn letters for the reception, ceremony programs, ribbon wands, ribbon backdrop for the dessert table, menus, and escort cards. While these were definitely time consuming projects they were all worth it because it reflected us as a couple and made our wedding more personal. And for those elements that I wanted a personal touch in but knew I didn’t have time for Etsy became my BFF!
By far the most memorable part of the day was the ceremony. It’s not often you have all your loved ones in one spot. Graham and I wrote our own vows and to be able to recite them in front of all our friends and family was incredibly moving. What made it even more special was that Graham’s sister officiated the wedding.
A few tidbits of advice for brides: Do your research to hire the right vendors for your wedding. Being able to trust each vendor with their craft helps to take some stress away from you. We loved each and every vendor we worked with and they all helped to bring our vision to life. For DIY brides, know when to say no to a project! It’s easy to get sucked into all the gorgeous weddings on blogs, Pinterest, Etsy, etc that your DIY list quickly piles up. I had grand ideas to sew my own bunting for the photobooth but with the wedding quickly approaching I found an awesome Marimekko fabric to use instead and called it a day. Also, try not to stress too much! Things will go wrong (I forgot to bring our custom cake topper to the wedding!) but at the end of the day none of that matters. You’re surrounded by the people that love you celebrating the love that the two of you share so enjoy the day!
Wedding Photography: Francis Joseph Photography / Wedding Venue: Barr Mansion in Austin, Texas / Floral Design: Verbena Floral Design / Wedding Cinematography: Lizama Videography / DJ: ATX DJ / Hair: Andrea Juarez from Pearl Hair & Make-Up Studio / Makeup: Maris Malone Calderon