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This California Couple Tied the Knot Among the Trees at Deer Park Villa

December 4, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Whitney and John’s Deer Park Villa wedding is the perfect blend of casual and romantic. When choosing where to get married, there was no doubt that these two lovebirds would get married surrounded by trees. Keeping things relaxed, they chose to let the outdoors and Redwood beauty play a significant part in their decor. With DIY floral arrangements on the tables and no assigned seating, Whitney and John enjoyed some comfort food provided by Nitro BBQ and Catering with their closest family and friends coming together. Anni Graham Photography and Stories Told By Film came together to perfectly capture the sweetness that was so evident throughout Whitney and John’s wedding day.

The Couple:

Whitney and John

The Wedding:

Deer Park Villa, Fairfax, California

I really had no plan other than I wanted a more natural look for makeup and my hair pinned up. At the last minute we decided to add a eucalyptus crown which really was the finishing touch. I LOVED my wedding dress. Contrary to what I had originally thought, I went for a long sleeved dress which really made the gown much more elegant. The lower portion of my dress was a very flexible material which was a must for the dance floor.

We chose to get married in a redwood tree grove. We both hail from woodland areas and it seemed to be exact kind of venue where we would be most at home. Plus, getting married amongst 100 year old trees makes for an absolutely stunning background where you really don’t need to add much more decor than the nature already all around.

We chose to write personalize vows as well as exchange traditional vows. Our thought was we wanted an opportunity to explicitly express why we chose to love one another, which is what the personal vows allowed us to do. We also wanted to exchange and clear commitment to one another in the presence of our loved ones which is what the traditional vows provided.

Our photographer, Anni, is the absolute best! She didn’t just capture memories but she really captured people’s emotions which, every time I look through our photos, makes me relive those moments all over again. She was incredibly flexible and perfectly balanced her artistic creativity with the specific shots that we really wanted as well.

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I had my bouquet professionally arranged, but all the centerpieces and bridesmaid bouquets we did ourselves. We able to do this thanks to our very talented friends and by the wonderful of Pinterest.

The most memorable moment was when the two of us (bride and groom) took our seats at our dinner table and we look out and see all of our guests seated together. It was really beautiful to see our families become one family and to have best friends meet childhood friends meet coworkers meet distant relatives. So many different backgrounds and personality types all in one space together enjoying their time together.

It was important to create an environment where our friends and family felt at home, relaxed and loved. We intentionally choose a venue and made arrangements where we could really promote two sides becoming one community. There we no assigned seats or sides, we had dancing for as long as the night permitted and we made sure to greet every single guest in attendance.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Anni Graham Photography
Venue – Deer Park Villa
Floral Design – Sweet Peas Floral Design
Catering – Nitro BBQ and Catering
Cake – SusieCakes
DJ – Total DJ
Videography – Stories Told By Film
Hair and Makeup Artist – Anna Gonzalez of Hairpins and Scissors
Wedding Dress – LanieeMeg Bridal

 

Thank you to Junebug member Anni Graham Photography for sharing Whitney and John’s wedding day with us! To see more of the magic Anni makes, take a look at how this bride transformed her childhood home into an epic California backyard wedding venue.

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Nostalgic Berkshires Fall Wedding at Camp Lenox

December 3, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Leah and Erik’s intimate Camp Lenox wedding featured an entire weekend of summer camp fun. The laid-back setting offered plenty of opportunities for typical outdoorsy activities and guests to mingle: a welcome BBQ, bonfires with s’mores, kayaking, fishing, and sports galore. The couple spent over a year visiting thrift stores and flea markets hunting down vintage-bohemian reception décor like brass candlesticks, gold frames, and cozy falsa blankets. Floral design by Propagate Studio created the colorful oversized arrangements present throughout the day, from the bride’s explosively bright bouquet to the extravagant ceremony arch bursting with blues, coral, orange, and tons of rustic greenery. Kaihla Tonai captured these kindred spirits fully enjoying their time with family and friends at their incredibly inspiring weekend wedding.

The Couple:

Leah and Erik

The Wedding:

Camp Lenox, The Berkshires, Massachusetts

Erik and I agreed from the beginning – it was definitely most important that our wedding genuinely reflected us as a couple and involved our loved ones as much as possible! This unfolded in an entire weekend of summer camp fun – almost every guest stayed at camp in a rustic cabin and joined us for a welcome BBQ with live music and s’mores by the bonfire. Followed by a day full of summer camp activities – kayaking, water trampoline, fishing, lawn games, sports galore – and ending with a WEDDING plus LOTS of dancing (possibly a bit of rapping, too!).

The camp itself was intimate, allowing guests to mingle throughout the day – how fun to watch our families and friends get to know each other in such a laid-back setting! By utilizing many of our closest friends as “friendors” (florist, officiant, DJ, graphic design & hand lettering) we were really able to give our wedding the personal touches that made it uniquely our own.

It’s too easy to spend money when it comes to weddings – things add up quickly and there are almost always unexpected costs. If you’ve got a budget (and value your sanity) – don’t try to do it all! Choose what matters most to you and do your best to make it happen. Thrifting for decor and DIY projects could help save some pennies. If you have friends in the field that might strike you a deal, take advantage of their talents! I would personally encourage everyone to invest in a photographer that they love – someone who makes you feel like you are in the moment when you look through their photos. At the end of the day, it’s really the only visuals you’re left with to help you remember the encompassing emotion and special details of the best day of your life. A good photographer can make City Hall look like the most romantic venue in the world!

The most memorable part of the day for us TECHNICALLY occurred the day after… we trekked through the rain and the mud and made it back to our cabin around 5am – our friends and families had us out celebrating way past our bedtime! It was the first moment we had truly been alone since the morning before the wedding and the magnitude of the day that had just transpired in front of us finally started to sink in. Erik and I were in utter amazement that it actually happened, that it was perfect – and in shock that it was now over. We were a bit disheveled from tearing up the dance floor all night and never changed out of our getups before the storm rolled in – the bottom of my dress went from “weathered brown” to a darker shade of “never-coming-out” andErik was soaked from head to toe. The wooden mirror that I had used when getting ready was still propped up on our floor – we stood in front of it, just staring and smiling back at ourselves, relishing in the fact that we were MARRIED.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Kaihla Tonai
Event Planning – Tara Consolati
Venue – Camp Lenox
Floral Design – Propagate Studio
Catering and Cake – Camp Lenox
Live Music – Jason Cardinal
Videography – Kaihla Tonai
Invitations – Type by J
Makeup Artist – S. R. Artistry
Wedding Dress – Hayley Paige
Groom’s Apparel – Men’s Wearhouse
Rentals – Classical Tents and Party Goods
Favors – Berkshire Brewing Company

 

Congratulations to Leah and Erik and special thanks to Kaihla Tonai Photography for capturing such a fun and whimsical wedding! For more camp wedding inspiration, check out this DIY New England summer camp wedding at Wohelo!

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Whimsical Palm Springs Wonderland Wedding at The O’Donnell House

December 3, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Jane and Jon’s Palm Springs wedding at The O’Donnell House featured a magical view, bohemian and relaxed vibes, and a nod to fabulous Spanish hacienda style. The stunning venue required minimal décor, instead decorated with scattered floral garlands, pops of gold and a seriously cool lounge area featuring a millennial pink overstuffed couch. Floral designer Sweet Emilia Jane draped the venue in lush greens and a spectrum of light pinks and corals, from the rustic ceremony arbor to the bride’s wildly elegant hand-tied bouquet. Jane’s beautiful Monique Lhuillier wedding dress reflected the light and airy feel of the desert surroundings with delicate lace and a relaxed full train perfect for a traditional look during the ceremony and a carefree style for the relaxed reception. EPLove Photography captured the couple’s super sweet first look on the terrace and the incredible amount of love and energy present throughout the day.

The Couple:

Jane and Jon

The Wedding:

The O’Donnell House, Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs already exudes a vibe that doesn’t need to be spoken for, so if anything, we just wanted to emphasize the bohemian and relaxed vibes. Also incorporating a nod to The O’Donnell House’s modern Spanish Hacienda style.

It’s so important to dress according to your venue and the style aesthetic. Because it was outside, on top of a mountain, I wanted something light and airy. I was able to incorporate a traditional veil during the ceremony and switch to a flower crown for the reception which I’m so happy because that little accessory change gave a different twist to my dress.

We always knew we wanted to get married in Palm Springs and when we saw The O’Donnell House, it was so magical and the view was everything. The best part that we knew guests would love would be the golf cart ride up the mountain to the venue where you get the best glimpse of the entire city of Palm Springs.

We just wanted to have one big party with our closest friends and family in our happy place andthroughout the planning process, we always went back to that main objective. We wanted amazing live music, delicious food, a beautiful view, and most importantly, a short and simple (yet meaningful) ceremony. We’ve attended so many weddings at this point that we knew what we liked and didn’t like andhow we wanted to optimize the day for our guests, and of course, for ourselves.

Light pinks and lush greenery, with pops of gold andbright pink. We worked with our florist to come up with something that was understated, yet whimsical, as well as modern, yet timeless.

The night before, hours before we were to walk down the aisle, Jon lost a fight to a window, leaving a gash down from his forehead to the tip of his nose. We are forever grateful to my makeup artist who airbrushed his face and of course to the magic of photoshop that helped in this unforeseen circumstance. Instead of worrying about my own face and touchups throughout the night, I ended up being more concerned for my husband’s makeup. Thankfully, we can FINALLY laugh about it.

One of our best friends who know us both individually, as well as together did the honors of officiating our wedding. We knew he would do the perfect job of being entertaining and sentimental.. all within a 10-minute time limit. We also wanted to do our own thing and didn’t feel it was necessary to do the traditional bridal party with people standing up there with us. In our minds, everyone that was there with us that day is special and important enough to have been standing up there with us.

Processional: Blackbird by The Beatles, Skinny Love by Bon Iver 
Recessional: Hold My Hand by Jess Glynne
First Dance: Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole

We’re dancing and holding onto each other with the entire view in the back of us. It’s such a breathtaking photo and encompasses so much of how we felt that day. The photo is overwhelming from the insane view and at the same time, it’s so serene andpeaceful – just us two in the middle of all the beauty.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – EPLove Photography
Event Planning – Events Department
Venue – The O’Donnell House
Floral Design – Sweet Emilia Jane
Catering – Le Vallauris
Cake – Exquisite Desserts
Live Music – The Red Letter Players
Videography – McDuff Productions
Invitations – Anticipate Invitations
Makeup Artist and Hair Styling – Chelsea Nicole Makeup & Hair
Wedding Dress – Monique Lhuillier
Bridal Accessories – Rene Caovilla
Rentals – Adore Folklore

 

Congratulations to Jane and Jon and special thanks to EPLove Photography for sharing this gorgeous wedding with Junebug! For more desert wedding inspiration check out this absolutely glamorous Palm Springs wedding at the Frank Sinatra Estate!

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