Reformation is a clothing brand beloved by bold bridesmaids and trendsetters alike, so it’s no surprise that this Reformation designer bride had a unique gown crafted for her own wedding! Sonja and Gabe gave their Mayowood Stone Barn wedding timelessly fresh, rustic details like a sage green and light pink color palette and added modern details with clean silhouettes to truly make it their own. We love how Sonja designed her gown with her own style of effortless romance in mind while including some nods to Reformation‘s signature deep V-neck and low, open back designs. Julie Pepin Photography captured every stunning detail of this couple’s wedding, including their creative table numbers that doubled as dessert!

The Couple:

Sonja and Gabe

The Wedding:

Mayowood Stone Barn, Rochester, Minnesota

I am a clothing designer (for Reformation), so very thankfully had the resources to design my own dress. The inspiration for my wedding dress was more about capturing a feeling than a particular look – I wanted to of course feel pretty, but also effortless and free like I could run through a field without any trouble (which I did end up doing).

The final dress was made of three layers of body skimming chiffon that floated in the breeze and glowed in the sun. It could not have been more ideal. Following the nature theme I wore a golden flower headband from Jennifer Behr, and finished off with a touch of delicate jewelry and flat slides to match.

Our little dog Eggplant served as ring bearer. After trotting down the aisle mid-ceremony, sans leash, to bring us our rings tied to her collar, she sprinted straight away and wouldn’t stop for anything. I’m just glad she made it down to the end of the aisle before she decided to leave!

My bridesmaids were also wearing dresses I designed for Reformation – I wanted their look to be feminine and fun. Groomsmen looked sharp in suits we found from The Black Tux – and besides that, flowers for all and we were done!

Our advice: If anyone wants to help, say yes! Whether still in planning mode or on the day-of, spend your time on what’s important to you, and find wonderful ways to include others who want to participate as well. It will not only make your life easier, but will be really meaningful in the end to have family and friends be a part of making your wedding day real.

Julie Pepin, our photographer, was incredible. What we love about her is that she has a talent for capturing a moment that’s really happening, rather than creating a moment to capture. Both professional and inspirational, she was the reason we ran through a field barefoot right after we got hitched. I can’t imagine that would have happened without her.

Gabe has a deep running passion for music, and so was really important to both of us to get the music right for our wedding. We wanted live music for the ceremony and outdoor cocktail hour, and a DJ who could be totally flexible playing through dinner then heating it up into a wild dance party at night. After much searching and vetting, we found our live band and DJ who both really blew us away. They were true artists – tell them your inspiration and they’ll play it out in ten different ways you could never imagine yourself.

Processional/Recessional: We were so grateful to have No Man’s String Band play live both for our ceremony, and cocktail hour after. Our processional was a song original to them – If It Wasn’t For You – leading into a mandolin/fiddle melody for me (the bride). Processional was a cover of Blackberry Blossom – was perfectly joyful and fun, and lead everyone to the cocktail hour without skipping a beat! Literally, the band walked everyone over and kept on playing. It was magic.
First dance: PPP by Beach House. A song close to both Gabe’s and my heart, it sounds just like just how Gabe and I first met and fell in love.

Congratulations to Sonja and Gabe, and a big thanks to Julie Pepin Photography for sharing their gorgeous wedding with us. Love the idea of a fresh and modern barn wedding? Then you’ll love this Maine barn wedding that serves up muted colors and a bit of edge!