When it comes right down to it, it’s the floral design that makes a wedding in my book. And when you’ve got Sarah Winward by your side, it’s destined to be one super happy day. Add in all the rustic scenery an outdoor lover could imagine and you’ve got a woodland wedding dream-come-true. Jesse Erasmus snapped up all the photo goodness, and there’s even more right here.
From the Bride…We wanted to essentially “dress up” the rustic scenery, so we played up this look with natural wood farmhouse tables, forest animal favors, masquerade masks, and loose and wild looking flowers. Then we tied it all together with black accents. It was gorgeous and whimsical and completely unexpected. Our guests loved it!
Did you have a theme for your wedding? Absolutely. Having a theme helped make every decision a little easier. Our wedding design was based on a woodland motif. We planned our wedding in Utah because of the incredible scenery and wanted to make sure that both our out-of-town friends and even local friends, really felt a sense of the awe-inspiring beauty at the reception location.
If so, what inspired the theme? Basically the idea of having this dinner party deep in the forest, under the moon, with lots of twinkling necklace lights draped through the trees. Everything from our homemade wild currant and rosemary cookie favors and animal place holders to our wildflower arrangements and forest creature masks at the end of the night ran with the woodland theme. However we also wanted to throw an elegant party, which is where the neutrals and black colors come in. The refined palette really helped balance it from something that could have been kitsch, to something a little more polished-like a masquerade.
What family, cultural, ethnic, or other traditions did you follow? Jessica’s family is Polish, so there was plenty of vodka for the guests to partake in toasts. For the main toast, at the beginning of dinner, Jessica’s parents offered an introduction to the bride and groom based on an old Polish wedding tradition. Two shot glasses were placed on a tray. The newlyweds were each told to take a glass and drink to the toast. One glass was filled with water, one with vodka, and the tradition says that whoever discovers that theirs is the vodka, will be made the head of the household.
Describe your engagement: Dan proposed in a wobbly little rowboat on a cold, rainy Saturday on The Lake at Central Park. He nearly tipped the boat as he got down on his knee! People on the banks and bridges nearby were cheering and screaming for us! It was surreal.
Our favorite moment during the ceremony was: The end! Once we made our way back down the aisle, our wedding party immediately surrounded us with screams and applause. Everyone was so happy!!
Our favorite moment during the reception was: The dance party! Being with everyone on the dance floor and watching all our friends and family dance their pants off late into the night. It was cold out and yet everyone was sweating from having so much fun! It was one of the most fun nights of our lives!
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: Having to ask our photographer, DJ, and late night taco cart to stay several hours past midnight! We had the property to ourselves all night so we let the party go as late as it could. We ended up dancing until the early morning hours!
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Wedding Photography: Jesse Erasmus | Wedding Planning: Mara Harwood of Events by LMG | Floral Deisgn: Sarah Winward, of Honey of a Thousand Flowers | Invitations: DIY | Ceremony: St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church | Officiant: Fr. Stanislaw Herba | Reception: Tillotsen Ranch in Oakley, Utah | Cake: Julie Hill at Layers Cake | Band: The Puddle Mountain Ramblers | DJ: Wilson Chan of Mr. Wilson DJ | Caterer: Culinary Crafts | Linens: La Tavola Linen | Rings and Jewelry: Jay Lecompte of Cast of Vices (Los Angeles) | Weddng Dress + Veil: Vera Wang | Bridesmaid Dresses: Various | Jewelry: Kenneth Jay Lane | Make-up: BeautyLush Hair and Makeup Artistry by Mary Ann Cruz Horne | Groom’s Suit: Martin Greenfield suit by Martin Greenfield Clothiers | Groomsmen: Own Suits