If you ask me, this couple deserves some kind of serious trophy. Because not only did these two designers DIY the heck out of their seaside wedding, they did it SO well it looks 100% by the pros. From the decor to the website and every little paper good in between, this my dears, is a true labor of love. Miss Laura Ivanova was on-hand to document the day, and it’s all waiting for you here!
From the Bride… It was 9/29/2013, a memorable day for me and Ryan. We had been together for 3 years, and we were and still are deeply in love. The goal in our relationship is to be together, grow together, and love each other unconditionally – as difficult as it sounds, it is our ultimate wish. Therefore, we found it important to convey this message by designing, managing, and executing our wedding solely by ourselves.
We both are designers and are extremely particular about the details of our wedding. We wanted to do everything right and on our own – from the website, engagement photos, invitation, favors, guest signature tree, seating board, dessert table, boards, signages, painting, décor, props, theme colors, to the dog leash for our special guest. It was all DIY. Not to mention, Ryan and I spent 4 months learning how to sing and dance.
We spent countless hours for 9 months shopping in thrift shops, craft stores, etc. for raw material, or simply for inspiration. We didn’t want to just have any kind of wedding. We put a lot of thought and personal style into it. We wanted a wedding that would be remarkable, one that would draw us even closer together.
Our wedding: the venue is in The Old Field Club, East Setauket, Long Island. We visited many venues. We picked this one because of its lofted ceiling and floor to ceiling windows all around the dining area. This gave me a sense of open space. We planned to have our wedding in the daytime, therefore sufficient natural sunlight was one of our criteria. We also liked that the venue is clean, airy, and soft which matched well to the theme of my wedding, and also to my personality. Most importantly, the venue is not overly decorative which left us room to decorate.
The style of our wedding was Rustic Elegant. The theme color was coral pink. Our favorite décor was the door signage which is hand painted by Ryan with acrylic paint. The vanity chest filled with flowers and our balloon photo gallery gave a warm welcome to our guests. We got married under a clear blue sky, blessed with warm, beautiful weather. The highlight of our wedding was Ryan singing “Grow Old With You” with his ukulele while I walked down the aisle in the outdoor ceremony.
Our favorite part of the art projects in this wedding was the wedding invitation and favors. In the invitation, Ryan did the graphic design part, while I created the envelope idea and machine-sewn opening of a regular brown paper bag. In the favors, as a Christian, I wanted to share God’s words to inspire all our guests such that they would leave with a positive attitude. Therefore, I created a chocolate bar wrap with ten impactful bible verses. For signage, we picked up a pallet from the trash, recycled it, painted it with chalkboard paint, and created a repurposed wedding sign. Each of our table numbers were hand painted as well.
Finding the perfect dress: my ceremony and reception dress is by Pronovias. I found it hard to choose a dress as I tried on many different ones. While I thought many of the wedding dresses were very nice, picking one that speaks to you, touches your soul, and tells people who you are was certainly my main criteria. My dress is very simple, sweet, and elegant. Ryan had chosen a blue J. Lindberg suit, therefore, I had my mom sew on a pink sash to match the color scheme. I also chose a J. Crew dress to wear before the ceremony to take photos.
Working with the vendors: our florist, dessert table caterer, and photographers are the most amazing people I ever worked with. They are all very talented and professional. Working with them was a great experience. I’d like to extend a special thank you to my florist who helped me execute the decoration with zero worries.
As I mentioned above, teamwork is what’s important to our wedding. This wedding definitely is a prelude to our lifetime journey.
Photography: Laura Ivanova Photography | Groom's Attire: J.j.lindeberg | Venue: Old Field Club | Bestman Attire: J.Crew | Bride Dress: Pronovias | Bride Second Dress: J.Crew | DJ & Emcee: Joy Creation | Decoration Design & Arrangement: Bride | Dessert Catering: Koei Bee | Floral Arrangement: WI Events | Invitation Design: Bride & Groom | Maid Of Honor Dress: Donna Morgan | Painting Signages: Groom | Ukulele: Fender | Wedding Website Design: Groom