A beautiful bride, glamorous Jenny Packham fashions, and trees with pink blooms were a winning combination in this dreamy Georgia bridal session. Shaun Menary Photography captured Grace’s natural beauty effortlessly, and we can’t get enough of the combination of her embellished gown and delicate headpiece against the rustic landscape.
A great love will stand the test of time. After a five year engagement, Kelli and Justin were both graduated from college and more than ready to say “I do” and begin the next chapter of their lives together. Instead of a tropical destination wedding in Hawaii like they previously envisioned, the bride and groom opted for a romantic and intimate beach wedding along the Oregon Coast. Inviting only 13 of their nearest and dearest loved ones in addition to their photographer Amanda Marie Studio, they exchanged vows in the sand on a foggy day in Waldport.
I have always been a simple girl, and knew that I wanted a small wedding with immediate family only. We both love the ocean and the beach and always vacation on the Oregon Coast. Originally we wanted to do a destination wedding in Hawaii or somewhere tropical. My mom was insistent that we finish college before getting married, we were engaged for nearly 5 years. When we graduated we didn’t care where we got married, we just knew that we didn’t want to wait any longer. We decided that instead of waiting another year to save for Hawaii, we would just rent a house on the beach on the Oregon Coast and get married in the sand in front of the ocean. We made our wedding a vacation! It was perfect we stayed in the house for a week with our immediate family and had a fun vacation along with a beautiful wedding. Our wedding was ocean themed and very simple. We only had 13 guests, and four of them were involved in the wedding party. We used sea shells, burlap, sand, and blue/tan colored decor. We had a bamboo arch set up in the sand, five chars on each side of the isle, and a unity sand table. My brother got ordained and married us, it meant so much to both of us to have him be such an important part of our day. We wanted simplicity and low stress and that is exactly what we got. Looking back we would do it all the same and not change a thing.
The Moments:
There are so many special and favorite moments from our wedding day, I don’t know if I can narrow it down to just one, the entire day was perfect. I personally loved our vows, We wrote our own, I love how much thought was put into them. When we were at the alter saying our vows it seemed like it was just Justin and I having a conversation. There were laughs, tears, even a “high five” thrown in there. In that moment I wasn’t stressed at all, I was just having a conversation with my best friend. Another moment that stands out for me is after the ceremony when we left with Amanda our photographer to another beach nearby (Seal Rock Beach) and had our couple session with her. It was an adventure let me tell you! I knew my dress would get dirty, but I didn’t know that it would be smothered in bird poop, ocean water, and sand! We had so much fun hiking in Restricted areas, and climbing fences to get the perfect shot. There was even some rock climbing involved where we got the most beautiful breathtaking shots.
The Couple Recommends:
Our photographer Amanda went above and beyond! Her prices were very reasonable, we had her booked for four hours, although she stayed and shot for over five hours and didn’t even ask for compensation. She is so warm and friendly, within 5 minutes of meeting her I felt like we had known her forever. Her style of photography is fun and nothing like I have ever seen before. We were laughing and having so much fun with her the entire time. If you are looking someone to capture moments and not have posed awkward photos she is the one for you! She captured every moment so beautifully! I was shocked at how many pictures she took, we have over 700 pictures! She stayed in contact with me from the moment we booked her, she even went to the beach we were getting married on before we even saw it and sent me pictures and ideas of where she wanted to take pictures of us. It was her idea to head to a separate beach after the ceremony to shoot our couples pictures and she nailed it! She even sent us a beautiful wood box with our wedding date engraved on the outside. Inside was a flash drive with the rights to all of our pictures, some of her favorite shots from our wedding professionally printed out, and a delicious trail mix to take on our next adventure. She was so thoughtful! Our pictures are breathtaking and more than I ever expected or could have dreamed for. I could go on and on about he, she is simply amazing! We definitely hit the jackpot with her! Thank you so much Amanda!!
Congrats to Kelli and Justin on their Oregon beach wedding and thanks to Amanda Marie Studio for sharing these incredible images! For more intimate wedding inspiration, check out Janet and Mike’s bohemian Costa Rica elopement with their sweet daughters!
It’s all about bridesmaid dresses for today’s From Blogger to Bride! One of the smaller aspects of the wedding planning process, but definitely not the least stressful! You want your bridal party to feel great and have a fun time at your wedding, and mixing a large group of personalities, styles, and body types together can make this an overwhelming task. Today, I have Weddington Way to give us the low down on bridesmaid dress styles, etiquette, and more! Weddington Way is the leader in offering bridal parties a collaborative shopping experience, so they know a thing or two about how to choose your bridesmaid dresses!
What styles are popular this season for bridal party wear?
Mix & Match is still a major trend that we’ve seen consistently dominate. However, what we’re noticing now that’s different than the past is the mixture across fabrications. It is why we’ve developed both the Dove & Dahlia and Weddington Way collections! Both brands allow parties to have the same pantone color across different styles so that brides can let their bridesmaids choose from different fabrics/styles/prices while still hitting her aesthetic/palette.
This season, we’ve noticed that the color purple has had a renaissance in popularity. It’s perfect for any season and looks great on all skin tones! Country star and One Tree Hill alum Jana Kramer just got married last month and her five bridesmaids all wore our exclusive Dove & Dahlia Charlotte Dress in French Lilac!
Metallics are also a category that we have seen a lot of growth in this season! We built this collection after seeing a surge in site searches for gold and metallic dresses
How can you ensure that all of your bridesmaids are happy with their dresses?
Let them choose what works best on their body! Mix & Match is great because it gives bridesmaids free reign to choose the styles that are the most individually flattering. A major advantage to this trend is that bridesmaids will select dresses they can (and will) actually wear again for other occasions. Happy bridesmaids = better pictures = happy bride!
What advice do you have for bridesmaids who are unhappy with their dresses?
Get it tailored! It may be her big day, but the better you feel, the better bridesmaid you will be! Sometimes all you need is a quick alteration to get the dress fitting perfectly.
Is there etiquette a bride needs to follow when she begins selecting bridal party outfits? For example, is there a rule to follow when it comes to dress pricing?
It’s best to follow the lead of the members of your party and take into consideration their individual budgets and the total amount they’re spending to be a part of your wedding (which can add up!).
What additional advice, if any, do you have for brides who are about to begin choosing their bridal party outfits?
Have fun and live in the moment!
In summary, give your maids options and be conscientious of price!
*Junebug Tip: It’s best to have dresses ordered 6 months out from your wedding day. It can take up to 4-5 months for dresses to be delivered and even then your bridesmaids may need to have alterations done.
For my bridesmaids, I sent out a 4 month timeline as well as a rough wedding day itinerary to keep them in the loop! I want them to feel involved and aware of what’s going on and how they can contribute. Luckily, I have some awesome bridesmaids who are helping so much and are on top of getting their dresses ordered and travel arrangements in place. I’d like to think that me keeping them updated and in the know helped them understand what was expected of them and what deadlines they needed to meet for certain things. So, if you just got engaged and are about to select your bridal party, keep in mind that their behavior is totally dependent on how you treat them! Let them choose dresses that work for them, keep them in the loop, and give them tons of opportunities to help (but don’t expect them to!).
Next time on From Blogger to Bride, I’m talking bachelorette parties (as mine is right around the corner) and how to do them right! Stay tuned and happy wedding planning!
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