Some of my most favorite weddings are backyard affairs. They have a certain coziness and charm that can’t be beat. And this Texas wedding is nuzzled into the backyard of the family’s historic Dallas home, making it even cooler. The bow ties, the cafe lights, the simplicity… it all comes together for a wedding that truly embodies love and family. See all the beauty captured by Mary Fields Photography right here.
The familiarity of home, the hard work of friends and family, the personal touches of decor from your own collection, the feeling of relaxed togetherness and the flare of vintage DIY all made it a day of sweet celebration for Stephen and I as we promised forever. It was exactly what we wanted and a day for the record books. When we got engaged, we determined that the most important things were cost-effectiveness, simplicity, togetherness and celebrating with people that we love. Those were the driving forces as we planned our at home/backyard DIY wedding.
As a couple, we really value the idea of togetherness and so we worked to make that the overarching theme of the wedding. So much of our relationship was spent on the front porch of this home, where Sara lived. It’s a beautiful home located in a historic district of Dallas, TX and has so much character to it. We would often times spend late nights on its porch just laughing with with people we love so when we were trying to decide where to have the ceremony, it was only fitting that our marriage begin there…at home. Simplicity was also a driving goal as we planned the wedding, keeping focus on the celebration itself. One of our first and most memorable dates was drinking lemonade on the front porch on a summer day. With that in mind, Stephen’s vision was for everyone to have a drink in hand as they watched the ceremony, creating an atmosphere of relaxed celebration.
Personal touches included chalk-board labeled mason jars, wildflower-inspired table decor, antlers repurposed as table centerpieces, market lights strung across the backyard, a picture frame/Polaroid photo booth and local food truck catering. The food truck was one of our favorite touches because of its uniqueness and its convenience. They pulled up right in front of the house so that guests could simply walk up and order. The food was delicious and we think it really added to the relaxed ‘family-style’ feel we were going for. Our favorite part of the day, though, was the fact that so many of our loving friends and family did the decorating and coordination themselves. It was truly a ‘family’ affair, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Overall, the day came together perfectly and better than we could have imagined. We were able to celebrate with the people we love, in a place that we love and in a way that celebrated our love in accordance with who we are as a couple.
Photography: Mary Fields Photography | Florist: The Good Garden | Wedding Dress: Sue Wong | Bride's Shoes: Anthropologie | Caterer: The Butcher's Son Food Truck | Hair Stylist: Rebekah Klueber | Groom's Suit: Off 5th- Saks 5th Avenue Outlet- Van Gils | Invitations/Print Items: Bekah Wertz Design | Veil/Headpiece: Etsy