For some couples, the thought of jumping up one day and having a spontaneous elopement is delightfully exhilarating yet daunting. Brz Photography dreamed up this Canadian elopement inspiration as a way to show couples that not only is a spur-of-the-moment elopement beautiful, but it’s achievable! This inspiration shoot features a couple that have a secluded helicopter elopement in an area of Bragg Creek that’s totally untouched by civilization. We love how this couple’s style blends cowboy details with the adventurous elegance of a Theia bridal gown and stunning bouquet from Flowers By Willows.
Eryn and Alexis love the California countryside so much, they decided to throw their wedding there – even though they live in Paris! Luckily, Eryn’s family lives in California, so they were able to secure the couple’s dream venue and help plan the details while Eryn and Alexis were overseas. The couple’s special day at Mann Family Farm featured West Coast countryside charm with touches of romantic French culture, which meant tons of gorgeous florals and a honky-tonk band at the reception! Photography team Helena and Laurent captured every stunning moment of this wedding, including a musical processional hike that all the guests took together to the ceremony site.
All love stories are unique, but our wedding story began in 3 years before our Bolinas celebration when we married for the first time (at a small courthouse in Napa) before moving to Paris. Planning this fête was a long time coming, and Alexis and I wanted to invite all of our friends and family to a place that felt like home for both of us: in nature and close to the ocean.
We both spent our childhoods running through the countryside and along the coast (one in Northern California, one on the west coast of France), and Bolinas felt like the best of our American dreams. After choosing the Mann Family Farm, everything else came together easily, and we were able to have a simple and beautiful evening with our guests eating delicious California produce, drinking French wine, and dancing to some good bluegrass and honky tonk!
I fell in love with my dress almost immediately, for its simplicity, silkiness, and the delicate back. Alexis‘s suit was as classic as a French man’s suit should be.
We felt very lucky to have Eryn‘s parents living in Northern California, not too far from vendors and the farm, and in the end – everything went smoothly! Our advice would be to keep it simple, don’t get too caught up in the details, and just enjoy the moment!
As we are not in California often, having family and friends from all stages of our lives together in one place was very special. From the bluegrass band, The Good Bad, leading our guests on a short hike up to the ceremony site, to our parents’ and friends’ speeches (and my French mother-in-law spending months studying English to give her much-loved and appreciated toast), to Miss Lonely Hearts playing a country cover of “Who’s that Lady?” for our first dance – everything was beautiful.
For our friends (bridesmaids, groomsmen, and groom’s ladies), we decided together that there wouldn’t be a strict dress code; they could wear what they felt comfortable in (with ladies in white/beige/cream and men in gray/blue/black). It all came together and everyone was beautiful!
From the start, Alexis and I wanted our celebration to one of good live music, good eats, and good drinks; one that felt like a lifetime of friends coming together for a slightly refined backyard spring barbecue, Memorable yet nothing too serious.
I have always enjoyed design and making things on a small scale, so it only seemed natural to do most of the decorations ourselves. Only challenge was doing this while being in Paris! For all printed items (save the dates, invitations, menus), I worked with a letterpress in Paris. My parents and best friend all had a part in building various signs, penants, and place card frame, and during our first few days in Bolinas, we had a lot of friends tying up name cards to our favors, small succulents for everyone! Besides these few DIY decorations, the beautiful and natural flowers and plants did the work.
The greatest surprise may have been the video that Alexis‘s sisters and brother-in-law prepared. They had gathered wishes from friends and family around the world and put everything together in a hilariously good show that brought us and our guests to gut-wrenching laughter, interspersed with tears. How lucky we are!
When it comes to reception table styling, the options are endless! Filling long tables can make this task a little daunting with so much space to decorate. A great table runner can be a real wedding décor workhorse, both in the space it occupies and the sense of personality it offers. When you close your eyes, what do you envision beneath your centerpieces and table numbers? Don’t have a clear vision? Get inspired by these 34 creative table runner ideas; there’s something here for everyone!
Crêpe
The crinkled, effortless look of crêpe adds a dose of romantic charm to your table decor and overall reception ambiance. You truly can’t go wrong with crêpe, whether you’re inside or outside, or use the lightweight fabric on your all farm tables in a soft neutral shade or just to highlight your sweetheart table with a bold-hued fabric!
Perfect for celebrations with a rustic or elegant aesthetic, lace provides a bit of vintage texture to your wedding reception. With so many intricate and unique lace patterns to choose from, you can find one that speaks to your personality as couple, or mix it up with a different one on every table!
Whether your reception is indoors or outdoors, a strip of moss down the center of your table achieves a perfectly au natural affect. Complement the moss with other natural accents like driftwood, antlers, fruit and berries, terrariums, and small arrangements of flowers. We also love the addition of a few tall candlesticks to give your look some levels!
It’s no secret that macramé is a huge trend right now. Macramé table runners give your reception a bohemian feel that simultaneously relaxes your guests and impresses them with your attention to detail. Complement your macramé table runner with wildly arranged florals and greenery and an eclectic assortment of vases and tableware.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone! Instead of a table runner and centerpieces, opt for a lush garland of greenery down the center of your farm tables. Coordinate with your florist to select interesting leaf shapes and pairings. Keep it natural and minimalist with a garland of pure greenery, or give your tables a pop of color with a few blooms scattered along the garland!
We’ve got a soft spot for beautiful patterns, and your table runner is a great place to employ them! Throwing a destination wedding? Use local textiles in unique prints to wow your guests. Got an especially bold print? A black and white fabric keeps things from getting too busy with everything else going on in your table décor.
For some brides, a wedding isn’t a wedding without a little sparkle! One of our favorite places to see the glitz and glam is in a sequin table runner. Play with volume in the width of your sequin fabric, size of your sequins, and the space between each sparkly circle.
Looking for even more table décor inspiration? Check out these ideas for what to put on your farm table to make your wedding reception beautifully yours!
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