Romantic greenery in lieu of flowers has been one this year’s top wedding trends. And while we’d never venture to say florals are out of style, there’s something about an abundance of beautifully draped greenery that can’t be beat. Inside The Vault you’ll find the prettiest ideas for incorporating a look of organic elegance into your Big Day with Stephanie Brazzle behind every capture.
From The Bride…Woody, green, natural, organic, classic and vintage” those are the words jump out of my brain when I thought of our wedding and we spent every minute thinking about how we could make it together. With two month’s preparation, it was intensive but joyful.
Murphy and I are DIY-ers. We emailed a cute illustration to our guests as the Save the Date to start the wedding. I designed the wood invitation and Murphy made the map. Making proposals to our wedding party was still an interesting part. “We cannot tie the knot without you. Will you be our bridesmaid/groomsman? Plan with me, stand with me, laugh with me, and cry with me” We engraved those words on a vintage wood wine case and our wedding logo on the wine.
We had the ceremony at the Bella Donna Chapel, a small classic chapel surrounded by the lake and Mediterranean architectures. We fell in love with the moment when we saw it. “This is the one.” And the reception venue Stonebridge Country Club was also so wonderful, two minutes away from the chapel with the golf course. It was such a beautiful place to have the first look, bridal and groom photo session and also a great place for guests to drink, walk around and eat. Murphy and I are nature lovers and we decided to use the nature do the talking. Instead of the flowers, we used a lot of greenery and vintage lamps to decorate the chapel.
A vintage music sheet as the wedding program went so well with it. Wood center pieces, greenery, white flowers, bottles were used everywhere in the reception area. And 200 succulents as the wedding favor ended up stunning. Our guests keep talking with us how their little plants growing after our wedding. “Find your seats, take one home and let the love grow.” Yes, the love grows in everyone’s home now.
Music was very important to us. We invited one of our bridesmaids and two grooms to lead the worship in the ceremony. They are the excellent singers of our church. “You Are My All in All ”made everyone refresh their marriages and God’s love. “When God Made You” is our favorite and we chose it as the unity candle song. Every time when I hear this song, I will think of our vows and the moment that I was closing my eyes, leaning to Murphy and singing this song with tears in the chapel.
We wanted to have a special moment for just the two of us, and I knew that if we waited until the ceremony to see each other, we probably would have cried the entire ceremony, so we decided to have a first look. When we saw each other I couldn’t help but laugh loudly! After more than two years, we finally made it. As he gave me a hug and held my hands, I saw he began to cry and he suggested we pray together. Murphy has been one of the strongest Christian influences in my life and prays with and for me every single day, ever since the very beginning of our relationship. We enjoyed those special and last few moments together with each other and God as our focus before becoming husband and wife.
The entire wedding, the most challenging thing for us is the timeline. What touched us most were the prayers and the help from our families, friends and neighbors. They crossed the states and the countries to join our big day and help us, through and through. They mean a lot to us and we wouldn’t have enjoyed such a memorable wedding without them.
Photography: Stephanie Brazzle Photography | Cinematography: Owl & Tree Films | Floral Design: Sage Fine Flowers | Cake: The Cake Guys | Ceremony Venue: Bella Donna Chapel | Reception Venue: Stonebridge Ranch Country Club | Bride's Shoes: Manolo Blahnik | Rings: Tiffany & Co. | Hair And Makeup: Ewald Wang | DJ: Sound Masters DJ Entertainment | Transportation: Blue Diamond Limousines | Groom’s Attire: J. Hilburn | Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar