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Real Weddings:

Jessie and John’s wedding at Red Tail Ranch

photographed by Katherine of Max & Friends

In honor of May Day, we’re sharing Jessie and John’s wedding at Red Tail Ranch. It’s a true testament to the power and brilliancy of great florals. Rain poured down on the couple’s outdoor wedding day and their planners, GATHER Events, hustled behind the scenes to keep the day beautiful and comfortable for family and friends. The result was a tented reception filled with graphic florals by Of The Flowers in a vibrant palette of yellow, tangerine, coral and ocher complimented by clean lines and natural textures like those in the paper pieces by Swell Press. The bold beauty of the floral palette and joy of the lovely couple was only enhanced by the grey backdrop of the rainy day and lucky for us Katherine of Max & Friends captured it all.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Well — it POURED rain for what we had planned to be an outdoor wedding! Although we were initially worried, this turn of events morphed into an incredible opportunity for us to feel the love of our community, who just took the whole thing in stride. Our GATHER planners and other vendors moved heaven and earth to make sure our friends and family were comfortable and having the best time ever despite the weather. It ended up feeling special, memorable, and intimate in a way that we certainly hoped for, but never could have planned!

We also ended up having a welcome hour / cocktail hour prior to our ceremony, where we got to welcome our guests to our wedding. We had been nervous about the whole “ta-da” moment of the ceremony feeling not “us” — getting the chance to see all of our favorite people show up for us was a great way to make the ceremony more meaningful and feel more connected. Another cocktail hour also gave The Whaling Club another opportunity to wow our guests with their incredible cocktails and hospitality, a true wedding highlight!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it.

We found Jessie’s dress at Sarah Seven — the first place we visited.  The experience was incredibly uplifting, affirming, and reasonable — and gave Jessie and her mom some really wonderful memories.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We had some incredibly thoughtful and creative people help us make things personal. All of our wedding paper was created by Britt Rohr of Swell Press — she in particular helped us honor loved ones who couldn’t be there in our ceremony program. Natasha of GATHER miraculously turned some of Britt’s work into the coolest bar signage we’ve ever seen and which still graces our apartment bar today. We also wrote each guest a note on their place card  — it was a big priority for us to communicate to our community how much their support meant to us and GATHER helped us make that happen.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

It’s trite, but the best part of the day for both of us was saying our vows in front of our village. We felt so much love and support as we took this next step together.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met at an HR training at work — such a snooze!  Once we got to the point where we decided to truly build our lives together, the thought of one person asking the other didn’t feel right. So, after doing the dishes following a big dinner party at our tiny apartment, we decided to “go public” with that decision. For us, the highlight of becoming “engaged” was the chance to share that decision with our friends and family and get all sorts of support and advice for our next steps together.

Planning/Design: GATHER Events // Photographer: Katherine of Max & Friends // Florals: Of The Flowers // Invitations: Swell Press // Ceremony Venue: Red Tail Ranch // Calligraphy: Red Letter Day // Gown: Sarah Seven // Makeup/Hair: Page Beauty // Dessert: Knead Baking Company // Laser Cut Signs: Spoken Glass // Dj: Dart Collective // Caterer: Whoa Nelly Catering // Bar: The Whaling Club // Furniture Rentals: Found Rentals // Table Top Rentals: Borrowed Blu / Casa de Perrin // Linen Rentals: La Tavola Linen // Rentals: Town and Country Rentals / Marborg Industries // Transportation: Dutch Details Ojai

 

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Real Weddings:

Sasha and Alex’s wedding in Sayulita

photography by Leila Brewster Cross

Colorado couple, Sasha and Alex, gathered all the closest friends and family for their tropical destination wedding in beautiful Sayulita, Mexico. Villa Valentin, a breathtaking beach estate, had all the charm and character one could desire for a modern Mexico affair and the couple played up the vibes with colorful, joyful details. Adorable, hot pink custom paper goods and invitations were by Della Torre Designs while delightful florals were created by Flor Mimo. Sasha’s Leanne Marshall gown was the epitome of chic, simple beach vibes while fun accents like rainbow pom-pom garland, super adorable gift bags added touches of lightheartedness. Check out all the details in these lovely images by Leila Brewster Cross.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

It was such an incredible experience to have all our closest friends and family in a tropical destination! That was our vision and it really came to life once everyone arrived and we not only had the wedding day but a few days leading up to the wedding to enjoy Sayulita.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I have been obsessed with Leanne Marshall for years and I knew I wanted some lightweight for the heat in Mexico so silk seemed like a great option. It was actually the first gown I tried on and ended up going back to it after trying on many other gowns. I loved the gold detail that made it feel a little less traditional and gave it some flare.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We did a lot ourselves once we arrived to Mexico; I think the gift bags were super fun and we put those together ourselves with the help of some Etsy finds and local goodies. The ceremony was officiated by the bride’s father which made that so special.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

We both agree that the ceremony was our favorite part of the day, such a surreal emotional moment. The first look was also really fun!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We got engaged at the top of the gondola in Telluride, under a shooting star Alex dropped to one knee, it was a total surprise. We had an amazing few days celebrating in Telluride after that.

SASHA + ALEX MARRIED! VILLA VALENTIN SAYULITA, MEXICO WEDDING TEASER from Betsi Ewing Studio on Vimeo.

Photography: Leila Brewster Cross // Florals: Flor Mimo // Planning: Carly, Milk Glass Productions // Invites + paper goods: Della Torre Designs // Venue: Villa Valentin // Gown: Leanne Marshall // Hair: Riley Fidel // Makeup: Hannah Thorndike // Catering: Sofia Sanchez // Rentals Group: Trendy Eventful Furniture // Video: Daneil Orren Betsy Ewing Studio // DJ Nick Challed  // Music: Tetewari Music / Esau Galvan Saltos / Alberto Perez Ramirez / Daniel Marquez Ortega / Sonny Davis

 

Real Weddings:

Prita and Mac’s wedding at Twin Lake Village

featuring Kelsey Combe Photography

It was only natural that Prita and Mac host their wedding at Twin Lake Village, as the 100-year old breathtaking lakefront property in New Hampshire overlooking Little Lake Sunapee was developed by the bride’s extended family. The couple invited their friends and family to share in the love, along with the rustic scenery, lake home accommodations and tennis, boating shuffle board and hiking. The lawn ceremony and white tent reception were coordinated by Naturally Elegant Designs. Stunning florals and greenery by Emily Herzig Floral dressed every detail including a ceremony arch and a suspended escort card display. Lucky for us, Kelsey Combe Photography was on hand and captured all the breezy beauty and airy details of the lakeshore event in these beautiful images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Our wedding took place over Labor Day Weekend at Twin Lake Village (or TLV as we like to call it!). It was developed by my extended family and has been in business for over 100 years. It is a beautiful property located in New Hampshire overlooking Little Lake Sunapee, and is home to a gorgeous hotel, houses scattered across the property that can house anywhere from 6-14 people, a par-3 9 hole golf course, boat house, tennis courts, shuffle board and amazing hiking trails! We both love the outdoors and wanted a place where family and friends could relax over the holiday weekend and partake in fun activities. My Dad grew up on the property before college, and my parents (bride’s parents!) got married there, as did many of my cousins, so it felt right and special to have it there too!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

We were living in Connecticut at the time and one of my girlfriends who had gotten married the year before spoke highly about a small boutique a mile down the street from where I lived. It was started by a woman who left her job in investment banking in New York City to pursue her passion and start the bridal boutique. I thought that was so badass so naturally I went!! It was the 2nd or 3rd dress I found and I never looked back. I loved the boutique because of how down to earth and kind everyone was and how cozy and private the space felt. The dress is made by Spanish designer Pronovias and has been seen on so many different brides – and it doesn’t surprise me because it has a special way of conforming to a woman’s body and making anyone feel beautiful.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Mac (short for Macpherson) is of Scottish descent (specifically, the “MacPherson” clan for all you Scottish history buffs), so all the groomsmen wore ties that featured the MacPherson clan tartan.

We wanted our ceremony to be personal so we had a very close family friend officiate, Mac and I wrote our own vows and we asked close family to prepare readings (of their choosing!).

My mother is Indonesian and I was fortunate enough to spend my childhood there. She wanted to bring some Indonesia to the party so she and my aunts wore traditional Indonesian formal wear (Kebaya).

Having the wedding at TLV was personal and special as well because everyone stayed on site and the entire property was walkable, which was fantastic for bonding and partaking in activities. We had a party on the beach the day before the wedding and hosted a golf tournament. Everyone attended a BBQ the night before the wedding on the lawn.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Oh man this is such a hard one! So many. Walking down the aisle was pretty surreal. I was so nervous! I think the most memorable part of the day was the dancing we did. The band was INCREDIBLE. We were all so sweaty by the end of the night that we all jumped in the lake!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Mac and I met in college, but didn’t start dating until junior year! We had been dating for seven years when Mac proposed on the top of Mt. Lafayette, a 5,240 ft. mountain in New Hampshire that we had hiked up. We were with two very good friends of ours who had no idea. My girlfriend had sprained both her knees on the hike and we had to move slowly so she didn’t injure herself more! When we got to the summit of the mountain, the sun was setting, and we were an hour late. Little did we know, Mac had hiked up for the past 7 hours with a bottle of champagne and an entire charcuterie board ON HIS BACK!! We laughed and cried and proceeded to hike down to the hut we were staying in, in the dark.

Photographer: Kelsey Combe Photography // Coordinator: Naturally Elegant Designs // Florals: Emily Herzig Floral // Stationery: Crissie Vitale Creative // Venue: Twin Lake Village // Gown Designer: Pronovias // Salon / Boutique: A Little Something White // Hair & Makeup: Jenny Luu // Wedding Cake: Milk Bar // Bridesmaids Dresses: Watters // Ties: Gordon Nicholson Kilt Makers // Band: East Coast Soul // Rentals: Lakes Region Tent / Exeter Events & Tents

 

Real Weddings:

Darcy and Brad’s Backyard Wedding

photography by Kelsey and Michael Cowley

Darcy and Brad’s adorable backyard wedding took place at the bride’s family home. The couple enlisted Moody Blooms to design and transform the home into a venue filled with big, vibrant blooms and lots of love. Florist Cargo-Creative made all of Darcy’s floral dreams come including the photo backdrop wall of blooms and greenery dripping from an industrial light installation. Other personalized details include the couple’s favorite foods and a series of darling cakes by Society Sweets. You can check it all out in these happy images of the day captured by Kelsey and Michael Cowley.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

What made our wedding special and unique is that it was in my own family’s home. I had this idea and I was nervous about how it would turn out. I didn’t want it to look like a house with some decor, I wanted it to look like a venue. It was so fun to design every detail and pick every item of food for the whole event because we didn’t have any venue restrictions. It also just made it so special to have such an important day in my own family’s home.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I got my gown from The Perfect Dress in Holladay, UT. I always imagined wearing a really tight dress. When I finally went to pick my dress I didn’t feel very “bridal” in any of the tight dresses! I tried on this dress, with its massive tulle skirt, and I knew it was THE one. It looked completely different on top at the bridal store and I wanted to change it to add a fluttery-lace-sleeve. The process of adding the sleeves took about 4 months, but my seamstress, Lydia, was incredible. She made it exactly how I’d envisioned it.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Most of the personal touches were in the design and things I hand-picked. The X and O on the barn doors were something I really wanted and my amazing florist made it HAPPEN. So amazing. The wood wall with flowers was something I had dreamed up for a photo booth backdrop and it turned out even better than I imagined. My absolute favorite touch was the dessert room. I have been obsessed with the hanging light bulb fixture with greenery dripping from it forEVER. This was my one dream, to have the hanging light and my three amazing custom wedding cakes made by my own mom through her company, Society Sweets. It turned out even better than I hoped.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

I think the most memorable part of the day for me was the dinner. It was our favorite foods, our closest friends and family, Brad’s and my song choices, and exactly what we’d envisioned. It was so cool to all be at the one huge table together and celebrating such a big day. My favorite part of the dinner was the toasts. I love the pictures from the dinner and all of the memories they hold for us. It was so intimate and stunning.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Brad and I met in 2014 when we were both freshman at BYU in Provo, UT. We had a class together and became friends. Brad asked me on a “date”, but didn’t call it a date, so I brought a couple of my girlfriends, ha! From then on we were pretty established as “just friends”. We both went on service missions for our church after our freshman year of school. Brad went to Brazil for two years, and I went to Alabama for 18 months. We stayed in touch here and there, and reconnected the Halloween after we both got home at a party. We talked for a long time and I just felt a spark with him. More time passed and after NYE, Brad asked last minute if I could pick him up from the airport. We talked the whole way home, and the next night we kissed!! The rest was history and we got married 6 months later.

Brad + Darcy from Ben and Bluebird on Vimeo.

// Photography: Kelsey and Michael Cowley // Wedding Coordinator: Moody Blooms // Florist: Cargo-Creative // Stationery and Desserts: Society Sweets // Venue: Bride’s family home // HMUA: Swell Beauty // Videography: Ben Thompson // DJ: Hayden Davis // Rentals: Archive Rentals // Catering: Tender Greens

 

Real Weddings:

Karla and Peter’s Lake wedding in Indiana

featuring Sharin Shank Photography

Karla, originally from Chile, met Peter in Granada, Spain while traveling abroad. So, it was very important to the couple to incorporate as much of Latin American culture into their wedding day in Columbia, Indiana. The vibrant, outdoor celebration was planned by Christina Burton Events and held at Peter’s grandparent’s private estate. The day was filled with tailored details like a Brazilian music band during cocktail hour, a first dance to a salsa song,  Alfajores and sandwiches as midnight snacks, Chilean wine flowing all night and a large neon signs that read Los Laskey (The Laskeys in Spanish) above the DJ stand. Florals by Woven Blooms added bold color at every turn and we’re loving ALL of it in these images by Sharin Shank Photography + Becca Novak.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

Because I am from Chile, it was very important for us to incorporate as much of Latin American culture into our wedding as possible. That’s why we choose to have a Bossa Nova (Brazilian Jazz) band play, a tequila shot toast instead of a champagne toast (with handmade traditional Mexican Talavera glasses for each guest), a Spanish tasting meal with lots of saffron, Chilean wine served throughout the festivities and even had my mother bake and decorate Alfajores, Chile’s national dessert biscuit. Since the wedding was outdoors in Peter’s grandparents’ home, we tried to incorporate the woods and nature into our celebration, encouraging guests to enjoy the lake and views during the cocktail hour and having our dance be under the stars.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

It look me about a year to gather each piece of my look. I first purchased my Louvienne gown from a boutique store called Lovely Bride in Chicago. The gown is very simple and classic, it has a silk bustier top and a matte stretchy bottom with a long tail and silk buttons down the spine. From the beginning I knew that was the look I wanted for the party but wanted to accessorize with a topper for the church ceremony. A few months later I found Anna Campbell and her amazing hand-beaded toppers and gowns and I immediately fell in love with her work. I ended up purchasing the Anna topper, a very delicate hand-beaded top modeled after the designers´ own wedding dress. Each topper is made at request in Australia and shipped months after placing the order. At Alice in Ivory in Chicago I got my beautiful cathedral length veil made by Sara Gabriel, a Colorado based designer. One of the hardest things for me to settle on were my shoes. I knew I wanted something comfortable but I also love high heels, so after purchasing and returning some 5 different pairs of shoes I decided to go with a very bold blue velvet block heel from Sam Edelman. It ended up being the perfect choice as I was super comfy and they also allowed to express more of my style, which is less traditional.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

Every single part of the wedding was personalized. All stationery from the invitations to the menus and escort chart were hand written with guest’s names as appropriate. Our processional song was a live piano cover of Yellow by Coldplay. We mixed English and Spanish throughout the wedding ceremony and had family members from both sides do readings or speeches in our native languages. We had a Brazilian music band play during cocktail hour, a large cheese and bread table to bring out my family’s French background, a large American flag waving above the bar, we carefully tailored the music that our DJ played for it to combine Latin American and American songs, had our first dance to a salsa song, had Alfajores and sandwiches as midnight snacks, Chilean wine flowing all night and a large neon signs that read Los Laskey (The Laskeys in Spanish) above the DJ stand.

 

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

The actual ceremony, when we made our vows, was the most beautiful and special moment. We did not expect to feel so deep in love and emotion at that moment but it was truly a magical experience of overwhelming peace. Saying our vows in front of our loved ones and God was the reason we were all there that day and that intention of love and commitment was palpable throughout the rest of the day and night.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Peter and I met in Granada, Spain while we were both studying there in 2012. When we returned to the US later that year we were living in different cities and and did long distance for over a year. Peter ended up moving to Chicago where I was finishing school and we lived together for one year before he proposed. We were on a trip back home to Chile where my entire family lives, when in a remote town in the south of the country Peter asked me to marry him. It was perfect.

Photographer: Sharin Shank Photography + Becca Novak // Event Planner: Christina Burton Events // Florals: Woven Blooms // Invitation Designer + Calligraphy: A Fabulous Fete // Getting Ready Venue: Hotel Indigo Columbus, Indiana // Ceremony: First Baptist Church // Reception Venue: Private Lake House // Brides Gown: Louvienne from Lovely Bride in Chicago // Beaded Top: Anna Topper by Anna Campbell // Catering and Cake: Kahns Catering // Shoes: Sam Edelman// Veil: Alice in Ivory Chicago // Hair & Makeup: Lesley White // Groom + Groomsmen Suites: The Black Tux // Equipment Rentals: Violet Vintage Rentals // DJ: Looby Music and Event Service // Videographer: Toast Films // Live Music: Rio Bamba Band // Tables, Chairs and Tents: A Classic Party Rental