WEDDING BLOG

July, 2014 Throwback – Destination Elopement on the Playa de las Catedrales in Spain

December 28, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

Melissa and Bill decided to hire one of the world’s best wedding photographers, Ed Peers, for their destination elopement to Playa de las Catedrales in Spain. From the breathtaking cliff shots to their romantic portraits on the beach, it’s easy to see why this elopement quickly became one of our favorite features of 2014. Enjoy!

The Couple: Melissa and Bill

The Wedding: Playa de las Catedrales, Spain

The Goals: We wanted our marriage to be intimate and our own. We knew we couldn’t afford to have a huge wedding and then do an elaborate honeymoon so we decided to do our wedding our way. Everything we needed would be in a couple of suitcases. It was our honeymoon and in the middle was our elopement. It was absolutely perfect for us.

The Planning: Our vision for our wedding was to be special and meaningful but at the same time simple. I wanted a bit of bohemian flair but nothing too contrived. I picked my flowers from the side of the road before our photographer got to us. Everything just fell into place perfectly since it was just Bill and I. We had nothing at all to worry about. It was all about the adventure – which is what both of us believe life is about. We’re just lucky we get to hold each others hand through it…

The Location: Bill is a surfer so it was only natural for us to be married on the beach. My grandfather was from Spain and I thought that was very sentimental and perfect for a location with stunning beaches. Bill looked at the map and honestly picked the best spot where he believed the waves would be great. He picked a spot and I researched the locale and found Playa de las Catedrales – Cathedral Beach.

The Moments: The most romantic part of the day was the exchange of our actual vows. My husband wanted to be married on a rock in the Atlantic Ocean. A beautiful idea – though a bit difficult in a dress. We waited for the tide to go out and waded out to the spot. The tide was crashing on the rocks around us but of course he wouldn’t have let me fall. He knows I am a little nervous in the ocean, but he made me feel safe and loved. It felt like we were the only two people in the world; about to embark on a life full of excitement and new experiences that are uniquely our own.

The Advice: Remember that your wedding day is about who you are marrying and the life you are about to create together as partners. Don’t forget that it is just the beginning to so many fun new experiences. In the very end after all the planning – all that matters is that you will be marrying your best friend.

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Ed Peers
Location: Playa de las Catedrales, Spain
Wedding Dress: For Love & Lemons
Bridal Accessories: Make Pie Not War and vintage finds
Floral Crown: La Floristeria
Groom’s Apparel & Accessories: Zara (suit), Calvin Klein (tie), John Varvatos (boots)
Rings: Younger Young

Thank you Melissa and Bill for sharing your beautiful destination elopement with us!

Interested in destination wedding photography? Stay tuned for our Love Around the World – Best of the Best Destination Photography Collection coming soon!

June, 2014 Throwback – Majestic Icelandic Elopement

December 28, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

black gold

Photographer Gabe McClintock got a once in a lifetime opportunity to cross something off of his bucket list when he shot this truly epic Icelandic elopement – you can see his passion for this couple as well as this place in every breathtaking photo. He has definitely made it impossible for us to see this couple’s connection session and their wedding day and not want to add this to our bucket lists as well! This tremendously beautiful place is only enhanced by this tremendously beautiful couple and it really is one of those occasions that are too perfect for words.

The Couple: Sarah and Josh

The Wedding: 6.6.14 – Reykjavík, Iceland

The Goals: Our main priority was our marriage. We wanted something beautiful, timeless, relaxing, and a reflection of us and our relationship.

The Planning: Originally we were planning a wedding on a friend’s property near our home. It was to be small and simple, yet artistic and beautiful all the same. We had our bridal party planned, I had purchased my dress, we had booked our photographer Gabe McClintock to come down to Ohio to be with us, we had a date and a time and a place. But as time went on, it just never felt quite right. Things started falling out of place and becoming much more stressful than we wanted. And so, after much deliberation, we decided to elope. Our marriage was for us, and no one else. Yes, our friends are incredible and have played important parts in our lives…but ultimately the wedding was ours to have and hold in our hearts. We decided that if we were going to be spending money on a wedding, we wanted to spend it on a memory for us. Our families were amazing in the way they reacted to our sudden decision. I’m sure they were disappointed, but they never showed it, and this alone made everything so much easier! The planning was a bit intimidating at first because there wasn’t much information on the subject of eloping, much less in Iceland. The photos were the most important thing to us, and so everything – both budget and location – became centered around that. We chose Iceland because of its remote, majestic, and unfettered beauty, and after that, everything fell into place. There was never stressful for a moment, which is exactly what we needed.

The Vision: Our vision was raw beauty, timeless class, and the quiet expression of our love and commitment to each other. No show, no frills. We wanted a time that we would never look back on and regret for any reason, whether it be what we wore, where we were married, or who our photographer was. We brought it to life by doing everything the way we wanted the first time, by making our decisions carefully together, and by never spending more money than we had in our pockets.

The Moments: Oh goodness, I don’t think I could choose a favorite moment. Getting ready for my own wedding day. Seeing my husband for the first time. Walking towards him across the lava field. Reading the vows I had written that morning, and hearing him read his to me. Laughing together in the car after the ceremony. Walking around Iceland in a suit and a wedding dress with everyone staring, congratulating, and honking at us. The happy tear-filled drive back to our apartment with the most surreal feeling surrounding us. Our entire day was the definition of perfection.

The Advice: 1. Hire your dream photographer first, before anything else. I know that bit of advice is everywhere at the moment, but that’s only because it is so incredibly important. By booking the photographer first, the priorities stay in line.

2. Pay for everything using the money you have, never ever ever pull out a loan. Saving your money carefully can pay for much more than you’d ever believe. Neither of us had full time jobs, both of us were in school, and yet we still managed to pay for everything using the money we saved for ourselves.

3. Seriously…if you want to elope, do it. Out of all the regrets you will have in life, your wedding day should not be one of them. I know it’s hard to think about family and friends not being there, and that they will probably be disappointed in your decision, but your wedding day is YOUR wedding day, not their’s. It’s your memory to hold, not theirs. It’s your marriage, not theirs. I would absolutely recommend an elopement to anyone who is contemplating it even a little bit. You can always have a big casual reception afterwards and celebrate with everyone!

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Gabe McClintock Photography
Wedding Dress: Lillian’s Bridal Boutique
Bridal Accessories: Carol Hannah (jacket), LoBoheme (headpiece), BridesBoutik and Anthropologie (gold belts), White House Black Market (earrings)
Groom’s Apparel & Accessories: J. Hilburn via Sara Priest (suit & shirt), The Tie Bar (bow tie), Aldo (shoes)
Rings: Engagement: Custom from Benchworks Jewelers, Her wedding band: Catbird, His wedding band: Doronmerav

Thank you Sarah and Josh for sharing your incredible adventure with us!

Looking for another excuse to run away together? Check out this picturesque Tuscany elopement with photography by Roberto Panciatici!

May, 2014 Throwback – Boho Chic Wedding Inspiration Photo Shoot

December 27, 2014 | Junebug Weddings

dark blue dark red gold light pink purple

Tones of bronze, berry and blush combine to create the perfect palette of sophisticated romance. Brought to us by Kimberly Chau Photography and Ashley Joseph of Two Be Wed, this boho chic photo shoot is totally spot on!

Here are a few words from Kimberly Chau Photography on the inspiration for the shoot…

Our original inspiration was deep dramatic tones combined with soft romantic elements. We were drawn to different purple and berry tones, but wanted something with a fresh perspective. Bringing in the coral, blush, and metallic tones to contrast with the darker plum and rose tones worked perfectly. Our idea was to create a marriage between feminine and masculine styles, a combination of soft and hard details and thus the more industrial side of our bohemian theme was born. As copper was named a top trend for 2014, we knew it would be the ideal element to bridge these two styles.

The shoot location, Hearsay Gastro Lounge, provided the industrial setting – exposed brick, ironwork, mixed metals and an enormous crystal chandelier. We softened the setting and mixed the two styles within our dreamy tablescape – a soft blush organza linen was the foundation to our handmade copper candelabras, our aluminum metal table runner, and floral arrangement using Amer ican and locally grown Texas flowers and foliage. Within the floral pieces the play between feminine and masculine can be seen as well in the contrast between the delicate textures of the ferns, garden roses, and ranunculus and the more solid textures of the artichokes, tillindsia, and branches of maple seedpods. We incorporated copper and mixed metals throughout the design – stationary, vases, copper cocktail mugs, aluminum dessert labels, copper wired escort cards and chair ties, and a bronzed wedding cake. We topped everything off with specially crafted lattes and cocktails. BHLDN provided the “Rena” gown and headpiece to complete our bride’s bohemian look.