It’s always fun to see the wedding day that a wedding planner creates for herself. In this case, Grey Collective member Dana, of Field & Feather, put together a modern-boho celebration with a fresh, laid-back vibe. Show-stopping details include the foliage wall and details by Florist: The Farmers Daughter, the graphic, black-and-white stationery and paper by Field & Feather, hand-dipped linens, the naked cake by The Butterwood Bake Consortium and a ballerina silhouette Leanne Marshall gown. Notably, though, when the couple encountered tough times during their planning process, even the focus of a professional planner bride was challenged. See how Dana worked through it and the beautiful, intimate day that was the result in these stunning images by Palermo Photography.
What made the wedding special and unique?
The year we spent planning our wedding was more trying than not, and brought on new challenges. In addition to being newly engaged and planning a wedding, my husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. As we rode the learning curve of what that meant, we were simultaneously designing and coordinating things like invites, budgets, and decor. Even as an event planner, it started to feel materialistic compared to what we were going through in “real life”. But we carried on and tried to stay focused on designing a day that would reflect who we are together. We are so happy we did, as the day was exactly what we wanted and needed–mostly thanks to our amazing vendors, friends, and family. We’ve never felt more love and support as we did on that day, knowing everyone traveled great lengths to be with us in Pittsburgh. We will forever be thankful to those that shared the weekend with us.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
The wedding dress was Stella by Leanne Marshall. A ballerina style has always been a silhouette that works with my body type. I tried fighting it in the beginning of my search, wanting something “new” for my wedding style. But in the end I tried on this dress, and it just felt like mine. Each of Leanne’s designs are beautifully draped and layered, making you feel like you’re in a romantic dream. My husband still claims it to be “the most beautiful dress that’s ever existed”, and that’s all a bride wants to hear at the end of the day. I never wanted to take it off.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
We wanted our venue to feel cozy and fun and a little non-traditional. Bar Marco–which is a converted fire station–was really special in allowing our vision to happen. They allowed us the freedom to be creative with how we designed the space. On the patio garden, we felt like we were in someone’s backyard. And inside, we felt like we were hosting a party at home. Field & Feather hand-dipped all of the linens and set up very cozy lounges against my favorite detail: the fern wall installed by The Farmer’s Daughter. All of the signage, coasters and quotes throughout the space were handmade by Field & Feather and were special to us. But, hands down, the most personal touch was the furniture, which was designed and custom made by my dad and me. It was so special to see all our work as we walked down the aisle and enjoyed the night!
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of the day was our first look. Up until that point, we had put so much effort into designing the wedding and making sure it looked good and was laid back and fun for our guests. We very much knew how the event was going to “look” but didn’t comprehend how emotional it was going to be. When we saw each other for the first time, we immediately realized that we were there for much more than fern walls and good food. It was very special and I’ll never forget Tim’s face when he turned around or how much we giggled between happy tears.
Event Designer: Field & Feather // Photography: Palermo Photography // Florist: The Farmers Daughter // Venue: Bar Marco // Furniture: Custom made by the Bride and her Father // Hair/Makeup: BreAnn of Hannah Conrad // Cake: The Butterwood Bake Consortium // Cake Topper: The Roc Shop // Wedding Dress: Leanne Marshall // Bride Shoes: Free People // Accessories: Aritzia / Accompany / Catbird // Groom Suit: J.Crew