I kind of live for weddings like this. Weddings that are the perfect combination of laid-back and whimsical, with a dash of DIY thrown in for good measure. Weddings that turn simple mason jars into chalkboard-infused cocktail carriers and BBQ and s’mores into the perfect wedding yumminess. It’s a day that joins one darling duo with the perfect stylings of Sittin in a Tree Weddings and a whole lot of pretty captured by Mark Elkins Photography. See it all in the full gallery.
From the Bride… I wanted our wedding to be a perfect reflection of everything Chas and I are – laid back and fun- no stuffiness allowed! For us, this meant an outdoor wedding, barn reception, BBQ and s’mores! We had a pretty tight budget, but didn’t want that to limit the possibilities for our wedding, so we took on a lot of DIY projects. Looking back, we might have taken on a few too many projects, but they all came together in the end to help create my dream wedding. I liked the projects so much I even opened my own Etsy shop after the wedding, so I could keep crafting!
The DIY crafts started from the very beginning- we designed, printed and assembled our wedding invitations ourselves. My mom sewed the bridesmaids’ dresses, and even made me a coordinating one that I wore while getting ready! I made the belt for my dress and borrowed my sister’s veil. My hubby Chas put all of our wedding signage together himself, and I painted and finished them. One of my wonderful bridesmaids helped make all of the chalkboard mason jar glasses. Our ceremony altar was built by my dad, and covered in pinwheels my sister and I made. We worked with the preacher to create a ceremony that we felt represented us and our relationship. It was truly a beautiful ceremony.
We incorporated a lot of DIY details for our reception, as well. I sewed our wedding cake topper and also refinished an antique desk that belonged to my late grandmother to use as our dessert table, which we then topped with some of our families’ favorite desserts! We had BBQ for dinner at the reception, complete with a BBQ sauce bar with different sauces – my mom’s homemade sauce, the delicious sauce from our favorite restaurant (Fox Bros BBQ in Atlanta) and a North Carolina style sauce to represent Chas’ side of the family! Even our rehearsal dinner the night before was a low country boil to incorporate my Louisiana roots! We ended the evening with a s’mores station complete with a bonfire log and sparklers!
My favorite part of the day was our First Look before the ceremony. It was so nice to take a few minutes to see my man and catch my breath before the ceremony began!
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Wedding Photography: Mark Elkins Photography | Wedding Venue: Kingston Stables, Lakemont, Georgia | Floral + Event Design and Planning + Coordination: Micki Velmer of Sittin in a Tree Weddings | Invitations: Bride DIY | Wedding Dress: Tara Keely, Bridals by Lori | Hair + Makeup: Hair and Makeup by Nicole Chatham