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Why You Really Should Write Your Own Vows

November 9, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

photo by Abby Roses

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We’re not typically in the business of telling you what you should and shouldn’t do on your wedding day because we believe that every couple and every wedding is unique. However, the more we think about it, there’s one aspect of your day that we really (really) do encourage: writing your own vows. When it comes down to it, what’s most important aren’t the decorations on your tables or the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses, but rather the marriage that begins on your wedding day. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not to write your own vows, we’ve got four good reasons why you absolutely should.

photo by This Rad Love

What You Vow is Up to You

Your love and your relationship are one-of-a-kind and your vows should be too! When you read your vows, you’re reading what you are uniquely promising to your partner – something no one else can decide for you. It may be helpful to look at traditional vows for inspiration when deciding what promises you want to make, but at the end of the day, the most honest and true vows are inspired by your love for the person you’ve chosen to marry.

A great place to start when deciding what to vow is your story together. How have you been there for your partner, or how have they been there for you, over the years? Is there a time when you felt you fell short for them in the past but are now aware how you can do better in the future? Consider the tough times and the tremendous times you’ll no doubt experience in your lives together and write vows that address how you want to handle those situations as they come.

photo by Megan Yanz

Remember Why You’re Getting Married in the First Place

Wedding planning can take a lot out of a couple. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s most important when your conversations revolve around choosing a menu for your reception and going to dress fittings. The experience of sitting down to write your vows is a wonderful opportunity to remember why you’re getting married in the first place. This process can help ground you and connect you to your partner when wedding planning seems to get out of control. After the wedding is over, you’re married to this person and get to start your lives together. Embrace all the feelings that come with embarking on your next chapter and write vows that honor this time in your lives.

photo by The Shalom Imaginative

Your Guests Are Here to Celebrate Your Love

We hear a lot of couples say they want their wedding to feel like “them” – and you know what – your guests want that too! You loved ones are gathering on your big day to see two people choose to love each other forever and they want to hear why and how you’re going to keep choosing each other every day for the rest of your lives. Wedding guests pack tissues in their purses and pockets for a reason – they’re expecting to cry! Don’t be afraid to get a little emotional at the altar; your guests will appreciate it more than you know!

photo by Kreativ Wedding

It’s About What’s In Your Heart, Not How Good a Writer You Are

The number one reason we hear that couples don’t want to write their own vows is that they feel like their writing skills aren’t up to the challenge. We’re here to tell you that it doesn’t matter! Great vows come from the heart and no one will be paying attention to how you decide to string those words together, just that you said them. As long as you’re honest and speak from the heart, your vows will be perfect because they’re yours!

Looking for more help to write your own vows? Check out these insightful posts:

6 Unique Tips for Writing Your Wedding Vows

Thinking About Writing Your Own Vows? Read This First.

Wedding Planning 101 – How to Write Your Own Vows

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You’ll Love the Modern Take on Greenery in This Hotel Eldorado Wedding

November 9, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Lance and Scott’s modern Hotel Eldorado wedding will have you swooning over the geometric decor and details. Dressed to the nines in their King Brothers Clothiers suits, these two said “I do” with the mountains and lake in the background – talk about ceremony goals! Moving the party inside for the reception, the tables are full of Crocus Floral Design blooms and gold geometric figurines. To top it all off, the dessert table is what dreams are made of, featuring a cake from Whisk Cake Company and the most perfect geometric backdrop. All of these gorgeous details were captured by Joelsview Photography and Matt Vautour.

The Couple:

Lance and Scott

The Wedding:

Hotel Eldorado, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

We both had custom made suits for our big day. They sometimes say blue and green should never be seen (together), but we think our suits looked great together. Our groomsmen wore light grey and our groomsmaids wore white, which was so fun as there was no bride wearing a white dress.

 

Our photographer Joel of Joelsview Photography was nothing short of perfect before, during and after our wedding day. He is so talented at what he does, and also invests time and effort into really getting to know his clients. We picked him because of his whimsical style and the creative things he does to capture each wedding uniquely, and he did not disappoint.

Kelowna is one of the most beautiful places in Canada, surrounding a gorgeous lake and breathtaking mountains. Hotel Eldorado is the perfect place to experience the scenery from an amazing lakeside location.

A wedding planner is worth every penny. Do your research and hire someone that really takes the time to get to know and understand you. That way, you have the time and peace of mind knowing every aspect of your big day will be taken care of by someone you trust.

Our wedding colors were white, grey and gold, with lots of greenery and a few hues of different blues. These color choices were inspired by our love of Carrara marble and connection with nature and the outdoors.

We wanted it to be reflective of our own personalities. Fun and laid back, but also meticulously detail-oriented. This is why we chose Shawna Gray with White Orchid Wedding Consulting and Yuriko Larson of Vintage Origami as our planner and decorator. They care so much about their clients and the work they produce that we easily left it in their hands and they create something that was so uniquely “us” based on a few ideas and things that we like. The surprise of what they were able to create for us was remarkable!

The wedding favors that we gave out to our guests were handmade soaps by West Coast Soap Co. They were triangular-shaped, as our decor was influenced by geometric shapes and each were stamped with a customized stamp just for our wedding. They were also scented with sandalwood – one of our favorite smells!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Joelsview Photography
Event Planning – White Orchid Wedding Consulting
Event Decorator – Vintage Origami
Reception Venue – Hotel Eldorado
Floral Design – Crocus Floral Design
Cake – Whisk Cake Company
Officiant – Darlene Samin
DJ – Alex Bird
Live Music – Jeff Piattelli
Videography – Matt Vautour
Invitations – Ginger Creative
Makeup Artist – Jenna Jones
Groom’s Apparel – King Brothers Clothiers
Groomsmen’s Apparel – King Brothers Clothiers
Rings – Rebecca Overmann
Favors – West Coast Soap Company

 

The biggest congratulations to Scott and Lance on their wedding day! If you loved this wedding by Junebug member Joelview Photography, then you have to check out this sweet Autumn engagement session at Gellatly Nut Farm that he also photographed.

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Intimate Urban Wedding at Houston Rental Studio

November 8, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Kelly and Matt’s wedding at Houston Rental Studio will give you major heart eyes! From Kelly’s stunning Casa de Novia bridal gown to the lush floral ceremony backdrop created by Flower Vibes to the dreamy light in the studio, there is absolutely nothing not to love about this intimate, urban wedding. Photographer Joseph West killed it with Kelly and Matt’s portraits with the way he played around with the light and shadows around the studio space. To top it off, Kelly and Matt exchanged their vows in the most intimate setting, with only 15 people attending their wedding. Now go grab some tissues in preparation to weep and enjoy this magic!

The Couple:

Kelly and Matt

The Wedding:

Houston Rental Studio, Houston, Texas

Simplicity was so important to us. I had planned a wedding before, and it was stressful. When Matt and I got engaged, I asked him if we could keep it low key, without sacrificing all of the details. Simplifying the wedding allowed us to enjoy every moment of the process.

We wanted a place that we could take beautiful pictures in, so a photography studio just felt like an easy choice. The lighting was stunning and the studio combined old and new elements creating a beautiful backdrop.

Matt and I both did a 7-day juice cleanse before the wedding in order to feel and look our best. The day we got married, I was taking care of last-minute details and completely forgot to drink my last day’s juices. By the time Matt was supposed to arrive for pictures, I was desperately hungry. He asked his Uber driver to stop at a cafe on his way to the venue and brought me the best grilled cheese sandwich that I’ve ever had. We got to enjoy that “first look” together with Matt in his suit bearing bread and cheese.

Our favorite photo by Joseph is a picture of us from the waist up as we’re looking at each other and I have my head thrown back in laughter. This is our normal (I am generally laughing with/at Mattand it was beautiful to get to see it captured. Even while I was in a tight dress with all eyes on us, Matt was able to ease my nervous energy with humor (something he does regularly and very well). We are grateful to have a picture that reminds us of that.

I always wanted an outdoor wedding, but Houston makes that next to impossible for most months of the year. Instead, I wanted to have a lush garden backdrop during the ceremony. I found a couple of free flowing floral designs online and sent those pictures to Holly from Flower Vibes, who made the best of all of those pictures come to life. (She’s seriously the best)

Try to ignore the outside pressure! We felt some pressure to do things “conventionally.” We love big weddings with tons of friends; however, we ended the day feeling like a 15 person wedding with immediate family only was the perfect wedding for us.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Joseph West
Ceremony Venue – Houston Rental Studio
Reception Venue – Underbelly
Floral Design – Flower Vibes
Videography – 31 Films
Hair and Makeup Artist – Hey Lovely Makeup
Wedding Dress – Monique Lhuillier from Casa de Novia
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply
Rentals – Aztec Events and Tents

 

The biggest thank you to Junebug member Joseph West for sharing Kelly and Matt’s wedding with us! For more industrial vibes, check out this lovely vintage wedding at the Houston Heights Fire Station that Joseph also photographed.

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