This week’s Real Wedding is an explosion of color and joy that we have absolutely fallen in love with. Photographed by Gabriel Boone, Erin and Mat’s August wedding was a bright and lively celebration with plenty of good food and good times to go around.
The goals: Erin says their two main goals for the big day were to “throw a kick-ass party and eat well.” The food was the first big decision they tackled as a newly engaged couple, and it was also their biggest expense. But, as the bride says, “it was worth every penny – we love to eat.” In addition to having an organic, sustainably-grown feast, Erin and Mat also wanted to have an outdoor wedding. They found their perfect matches in an organic farm in Poulsbo, Washington, called The Farm Kitchen, and delectable food from Ciao Thyme catering.
The look: Inspired by a recent trip to India, Erin chose a casual Indian motif and lots of bright colors for the wedding look. The two main colors in their wedding color palette were a peacock blue that fit well with the Indian theme, and a bright orange, which is Mat’s favorite color. The flowers for the wedding came from a farm down the road from the venue, and were made up of vibrant in-season blooms and lots of herbs, placed in Mason jars around the site.
Keeping with the casual theme, Erin wanted to wear a stylish dress instead of a more traditional wedding gown, and her mother, an accomplished seamstress, made it happen. Combining several patterns together, a one-of-a-kind dress was created and lovingly sewn by mom. Her mother also made her a detachable ruffled train and corsage for the big day. The groom and groomsmen looked handsome and hip in J.Crew suits and customized shoes from Converse.
The moments: After raining for a week the skies cleared just in time for the wedding day, and the ceremony, officiated by the bride’s godmother, turned out beautifully. Erin wore a Leica camera down the aisle since Mat actually proposed with the camera instead of an engagement ring. “Since we are both photographers, Mat often joked that instead of buying me a ring, he should just buy me a Leica – or neck jewelry as us shooters call it. I always wanted one, but it was always on my dream list. I never thought he was serious about getting me one. So, of course, I had to wear it down the aisle.” Both Erin and Mat remember tearing up and hearing each other’s voices crack during the vows, a moment they both treasure. After a heartfelt toast from the father of the bride, the couple had their first dance to Otis Redding’s “Thats How Strong My Love Is”. Says Erin, “we were too busy to practice, so we just winged it. Sorta like our life!”
The details: Following along with their Indian-motif, the invitations were made in India by IndianWeddingCard.com, an inexpensive option that still looked beautiful and felt heavy and luxurious. The couple customized one of the company’s stock cards with an elephant stamp the bride had purchased in India the year before, and then went on to incorporate the stamp into all different sorts of items at the wedding, including the favors. A cousin with his own roastery; roasted, bagged and labeled coffee, a Seattle staple, as favors for the guests. Instead of cutting a traditional wedding cake, Erin and Mat cut into a Lemon Meringue pie, one of many fresh seasonal pies at their “crazy awesome” wedding reception.
The pros: To learn about all of the wedding professionals that helped to make this wedding a reality, be sure to visit our Real Weddings section.
Thank you so much Erin and Mat! We loved learning about your wedding!
To plan a Seattle or Southern California wedding of your own, don’t miss our trusted Plan Your Wedding Hotlist!
I LOVE THIS! First of all, the Farm Kitchen is gorgeous. So many ideas I want to integrate into my own wedding. Wish I would have known of this venue!
This wedding is fantastic! The colors are blowing my mind and the pictures are gorgeous… thanks for sharing!
Beautiful couple and color palette! I love the orange and purple and the way they are coordinated throughout. The pictures are great fun and I adore the ones of the bride and groom behind the lens.
That was one terrific wedding! So glad we got to experience it in person!
1. love that he proposed with a leica 2. love that she wore it down the aisle 3. love that this couple “winged it” for their first dance….this is how it should be…no practicing or dance lessons. couples shine when they leave it up to the moment. love this wedding.
I woudl DEFINITELY take a leica over a ring…. I’m sold! ahha
That was a fun wedding! We had a blast shooting it. Thanks for featuring Gabe and I Junebug.
This entire celebration looks “crazy awesome”! Food, photos, and all of the little {well thought out} details look fabulous. Well done everyone!
What a wedding! From those stunning invitations to that delicious looking food, this event was perfection! The photographs were so well taken too! Congrats to Erin and Mat on an amazing wedding! Thanks for posting this!
Erin and Mat were truly a pleasure to work with and as their Day of Coordinator I am so glad to have been party of their very magical day. Thank you Junebug for featuring Erin and Mat’s wedding and Elegant Affairs.
We love clients like Erin and Mat–the perfect blend of creativity and fun! We catered their backyard bbq rehearsal dinner and their wedding. You know you have great clients when your whole staff (and a rubber chicken) ends up with them in the photo booth after dessert! Thanks for including Ciao Thyme.
I love this couple, they are so full of joy! Exquisite wedding, the details are spectacular.
Wow. Love the color, the flowers are gorgeous, the invitations are so lovely I would never throw it out and the potted herbs are fresh and original. This looks like the kind of wedding where everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing.
I love the third photo down – Erin taking a photograph herself! I love that idea of the bride getting so involved with the photography of the wedding. It’s a distinctive change seeing a bride behind the camera instead of in front of it! Looks like it was a beautiful day!
Congratulation Erin and Mat. Your wedding photographs are really fabulous and they are so full of joy!
Outstanding wedding photography, really wonderful & create elegant charm both of you faces. Entire arrangement of weeding also amazing.