Just when you think an Alaskan wedding inspiration shoot couldn’t be more epic, it turns into a surprise proposal that’s as stylish as it is romantic! Relic Photographic helped Steve, the lucky groom-to-be, plan the surprise of a lifetime for his girlfriend Chantel that included a stunning styled shoot in the Alaskan wilderness. They chose a bold color palette of burgundy, light blue, and tan, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wintry landscape. They also enlisted the help of Lynn + Lou Paper Co. to calligraph the love letter that Steve gave to Chantel just moments before he popped the question. Be still our hearts!
From the photographer: Steve contacted us privately and asked that we would facilitate him proposing during a session. We were happy to oblige! Chantel thought that we chose them as models in a nordic-styled wedding session. Little did she know that the love of her life was about to surprise her in the most meaningful ways. We (Relic Photographic) completely styled the session. We asked a calligrapher to create a beautiful love letter from text that Steve had written and passed to us. In the right moment, Steve asked Chantel to read it. She realized quickly that it was a love letter meant for her. Then tears. Then Steve beaming at her from on one knee. Then laughter. And more tears. It was so. stinking. beautiful!
We love a wedding that really lets the couple’s personality shine. From hand-written vows to hand-me-down wedding details, there are so many ways to personalize your day! One aspect of the wedding where you can really turn the volume up is your reception. By 2017, we’ve all been to at least one wedding with a photo booth setup. While there are always new, inventive ways to have a photo booth (in a VW bus! with face-in-hole cutouts of the bride and groom! making use of an stylish lounge area!), we started thinking of reception activities beyond the booth. If you’re looking for ideas to entertain your guests between dinner and dancing, these creative reception activities are for you!
Typewriter Poetry
Much like you would book a DJ or emcee to entertain your reception, there are talented typewriter poets for hire! Give your guests the gift of words with a poem written on the spot, just for them. We guarantee your guests will be raving about this wedding take-away for years to come!
P.S. We highly recommend checking out The Haiku Guys + Gals for amazing on-the-spot typewriter haikus at your wedding!
You’ve obviously got an incredible photographer to capture each little moment throughout your day, but there is another kind of artist that can capture your wedding in a unique way! Hiring a live artist to paint or draw a scene from your reception is impossibly classy. Not only will your guests be wowed as they sneak peeks at the masterpiece throughout your affair, but you receive a one-of-a-kind canvas to display in your home that was created in full during your wedding.
Does your reception venue come with a pool? String lights and colorful floaties are eye-catching, but you’ll really turn heads with a team of synchronized swimmers! Words can’t really express the delight of seeing a group of brightly-suited dancers take on the water in sync, so we’ll let these Palm Springs wedding photos below do the talking!
Confession time: we are huge fans of karaoke here at Junebug Weddings. That said, we’re dying for an invite to a wedding reception with karaoke! What better way to get guests involved in the fun than belting out “Don’t Stop Believing” as one massive group?
Whether your guests are a heavily tattooed crowd or don’t mind a little temporary body art, a tattoo station is an activity guests won’t soon forget! Give your guests something they can take home with them to remember your day by. The quickly fading temporary tattoos may not last as long as a permanent one, but your guests are sure to remember either experience as creative and totally YOU!
When it comes to DIY dessert, there’s no option more delicious than s’mores! From roasting marshmallows together over an open fire pit to crafting their perfect treat, guests will have way more fun with dessert when they get to play with their food. Step up the s’mores game with Reese’s, cinnamon sugar graham crackers, and flavored marshmallows.
Having a signature cocktail is always a lovely personal touch to add to your reception. Now, imagine that all of your wedding guests left the party knowing how to recreate it at home? Rather than simply hiring a bartender for your event, consider booking a mixologist to provide craft cocktail lessons on the spot. Who doesn’t love a little learning with their liquor?
Weddings are all about celebrating the next chapter in your life. Having a tarot card reader at your reception fits in perfectly, getting your guests in the mindset of thinking ahead to what their own future holds. Especially if your wedding reception has a bohemian or eclectic aesthetic, a tarot reading could be your perfect reception activity!
A cigar lounge during your reception provides a perfectly relaxing getaway for guests from the strobe lights of the dance floor. Many guests may have never experienced a cigar before, making this both a unique wedding activity and a crossed-off bucket list item.
If there’s one thing we love more than weddings, it’s saving the earth – and this couple’s big day combines both! Sophie and Matt always suspected a large wedding was in the books for them, but they also wanted to be environmentally conscious about the materials they used. The couple thoughtfully incorporated locally sourced décor materials and opted to compost and repurpose as many items as they could once the wedding was over. Zoe Morley Photography captured every stunning detail moment of this eco-friendly wedding, including the elegant hanging chandelier planters that Sophie collaborated on with her florist!
My brother (the Bridesman), played the organ as I walked down the aisle which was very special. He also played while one of my Bridesmaids sung ‘Make You Feel My Love’, while we signed the register.
Our ‘Ecofetti’ was so much fun! We had no idea it was going to have such an impact on us and our guests. Definitely one of the most excitable parts of the day!
I bought my dress about 10 months before the wedding – it was one of the first things I did for the wedding. The dress was very me – a vintage feel with lots of embellishment, but also quite understated at the same time. I hadn’t seen many dresses like it and all I knew was that I wanted to wear something unique! It didn’t have much of a train so I decided to buy the overskirt to wear to the ceremony, and I felt like a traditional bride and then enjoyed my sassy wedding dress post ceremony. It was perfect!
I had been recommended Zoe Morley Photography and looked her up straight away. I had never seen photos like Zoe’s – there’s many fantastic photographers out there and I looked at a lot of them, however no photos spoke to me like hers did! They have a certain feeling to them; with each photo its like you’re there in the moment. She has an incredible ability to capture each moment naturally and a lot of the time we didn’t even know she was there with us! We couldn’t be happier with our photos.
From the groom: The venue was close to home, and had the ‘Australian bush’ feel (Soph grew up in the Blue Mountains, and I grew up in the country), so it was very ‘us’. It also had accommodation on site for my interstate family. It was the first of only a few we looked at and it ticked all our boxes.
Growing up in the lower Blue Mountains, we had a big backyard, full of Australian natives. My dad used to pick a selection for my Mum and she’d always have them on our dining table. Native flowers have always reminded me of their love for one another and I always knew they would make an appearance on our big day. I also love the way they look. But I wanted to do something I had never seen before. So I experimented by teaming them with a Moroccan bohemian feel, through the lanterns, candlesticks, vases, and glassware. I loved the patterns on these, which I hired from Penny Lane Studio. I knew it could be risky if these two elements clashed, but I think they worked well together! I then chose a colour palette of burgundy, blue, and gold.
One of the most unique aspects of our wedding was that almost everything was hired locally or made by creative friends and family. It was virtually waste-free! A few examples are as follows: The florist is a friend of mine. Matt and I bought structures to hang from the ceiling from Bunnings to give to her. We had seen photos of hanging floral installations and wondered if they would work. They were actually just hanging planters (baskets) that the florist filled with foliage. Matt and the groomsmen then measured some chain and hung them up on hooks around the chandelier! Now that the wedding is over we will use them again for plants in our backyard!
Gum leaves were hand selected from my Aunty’s backyard for the place cards – she is my godmother and I grew up across the road from her in the Blue Mountains, so it was so lovely to involve her in the process. Her calligraphy skills on each setting was a beautiful touch for each of the 140 guests. Of course these were composted after, to reduce waste!
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