The handmade details, the vintage-meets-bohemian vibe, and the cozy ceremony location of Keziah and Kaleb’s family farm wedding are giving us all the warm fuzzies! With the help of family and friends, this couple was able to make every detail of their wedding personal and unique. But, we must give a shoutout to the groom who went above and beyond in not only making the wooden ceremony arbor and all the tables for the reception but in excavating and building up the ceremony spot! The couple used antique furniture, vintage family place settings and table decor, and tons of eucalyptus to create a laid-back affair had an air of elegance and romance. Lucky for us, trinjensen photography was on hand to capture every magical moment of this handmade, at-home wedding!
The Couple:
Keziah and Kaleb
The Wedding:
Private Farm, Bainbridge, Pennsylvania
We got married in an old sand quarry on my parents’ property with a long path that led back to it. We loved walking on that path through the woods together as a newly married couple and being greeted by our bridal party and guests.
Fall is such a beautiful time of year. We could not choose just one of the fall colors, so we chose all of them. As well as florals and lots of eucalypti to match the boho vibe.
We did a lot of DIY for our wedding, which made it more personable and really made us appreciate the help from friends and family. It truly was God’s blessing that we were able to pull off all of the DIY projects. Kaleb rented a mini excavator and built a rock wall with steps in the quarry for the ceremony. He planted grass and built steps that came down in from the top of the quarry. He also made the arbor by cutting branches and tying them together to make a tiny house.
There are few things we love more than brilliantly crafted and meticulously curated DIY weddings! Junebug couples continue to find new, creative, and seriously impressive ways to personalize their big days, which is why we decided to do a round-up of some of our all-time favorite DIY weddings. Below you’ll find collages of the details the couple (or their friends and family) made, as well as explanations of what they did and/or how they did it. If you’re feeling particularly inspired or just want to learn a new crafty skill, we also included video tutorials to help you recreate some of the projects.
ANGELA & COLIN
Angela and Colin’s DIY wedding was a bohemian-inspired dream come true! The bride created macrame and tapestry hangings, freeform bouquets and centerpieces, hand-painted signs, a gift teepee, and a copper “taco bout a party” board to display their llama keychain favors. As if that wasn’t enough, she even learned the shibori fabric dying technique to create custom indigo napkins for each guest! If you’re interested in the shibori dying technique, check out the video below. Then, don’t forget to check out the rest of Angela and Colin’s wedding right here!
Shibori was something I was wanted to explore with for some time, I wanted our vibe to be simple, but also bohemian. Shibori was a staple look that I could work with whether I wanted to make it classy or rustic, once I knew I could play around with look in whatever circumstance I was sure this was the best choice. Each guest received a napkin hand dyed shibori, I bought muslin fabric to really get that deep blue indigo look. I made all my own macrame and tapestry hangings, some were made out of the macrame cord, my biggest one I made, was made out of piping cord, a thicker cotton rope. I mainly just searched basics on Pinterest and made my own designs based on what I learned.
I did all my florals for my wedding day including installations, centerpieces, but of course, I had a few helping hands, but I created all the bridesmaids’ bouquets, along with my own. I studied bouquets and color themes and then created what bouquets I liked. Most of my signage was handmade as well, I bought plexiglass and collected mirrors around my room, and did calligraphy on all of them. This was just something I learned through friends, Pinterest, practice. Our guests take home gifts were tiny llama keychains, that were a little representation of my husband and I. I built a hanging board for them, just painted it metallic copper, and nailed in some push pins, and wrote in calligraphy. Lastly, I made the gift teepee, I had lace fabric, and four poles of wood that I propped up with rope, there were plenty of tutorials to build an intricate teepee, I settled for a simpler set up.
The cozy and industrial vibes in Meghan and Kash’s downtown Seattle wedding were taken to a whole new level with all the DIY projects they completed! To keep the integrity of the iconic red brick venue, the couple kept their palette clean with whites/creams, greys, greens, and subtle pops of mixed metallics and relied on candlelight to set a romantic mood. They DIY-ed nearly every detail, from the centerpieces to the signage to the Irish Blessing guestbook, and the overall look was as charming as could be. If you’re interested in learning how to make floral centerpieces like the ones Meghan and Kash created, we found an expert to teach you how below. And, if you can’t get enough of their beautiful wedding, you can see the rest of their special day here!
Around 90% of our wedding was DIY. The mother of the bride created a portion of the floral displays using fake flowers for different decorative arrangements. The signage, programs, favors, blessing stones (guest book), and dessert bar were all DIY.
Small details went a long way. The best part about small details is they can be very inexpensive. So, our advice is to pay attention to the little things. Alone they may seem insignificant, but added up they truly contribute to the whole atmosphere. Since our wedding was in January, we wanted a cozy, intimate vibe. We accomplished that by pairing candles and whites/creams with the raw brick. The flowers, lace, and calligraphy added a romantic feel. It was simple and worked really well together.
When the bride and groom own a home goods store and are committed to making every detail of their wedding, you know it’s going to be magical! Emily and Alex’s Kansas City wedding took place at an upscale bistro, which matched the couple’s modern aesthetic perfectly. They created wood planters, gold geometric table accents, wood signs, and upcycled candle holders. To round out their DIY decor, they also tasked two of their business-owning friends to create the floral arrangements and the most stunning fabric banner we’ve ever seen! Trust us, you’ll want to pin every detail of this crafty wedding, and maybe even learn to make a fabric banner of your own with the tutorial below!
We DIY-ed everything. We run a small business making home goods (complete with fully-stocked woodshop and studio) and are blessed to have a talented group of amazing friends. We couldn’t justify buying anything we could make! We crafted all the centerpieces and favors and tapped friends to do the flowers and reception decor.
Nearly every detail of Jessie and Zac’s lovely camp-inspired wedding was either handmade by the creative duo (professionally known as The Sturgeons) or by their equally talented family and friends. Their woodsy camp venue offered the perfect rustic backdrop for their relaxed design and allowed the handmade macrame hangings, the flower arrangements, the hand-sewn pillows, the hand-lettered signage, and the homemade desserts to take center stage. No detail was left untouched, which is why you should check out Jessie and Zac’s full wedding feature here! If you’re curious how to recreate their green and white floral table garlands, see the tutorial below.
If we didn’t make something ourselves, someone else close to us did! The entire day was crafted by us or our loved ones. It was amazing how many helping hands and creative people we are so lucky to be surrounded by. Everyone poured their talents into our wedding. Jessie‘s sister made the bouquets, Jessie‘s mom made a handmade book for us to keep memories from the wedding in, and Jessie‘s dad made the ceremony arch to hang the macrame Jessie made on. Zac‘s grandma sewed pillows and cushions for our benches.
Zac‘s mom baked pies for those with dietary restrictions. Zac hand-lettered all the invitations and name cards and both of us made and printed our own save the dates and invitations. Zac‘s best friend, Spencer, illustrated our portraits and other pieces for our invitations, and a classmate from school screen printed our gifts to our guests. There was a lot of love poured into our wedding, and we are eternally grateful!
We have a huge soft spot for couples that DIY their entire wedding, and this Zona Colonial wedding in the Dominican Republic is proof positive why! Gina, who owns the Los Plebeyos design studio, made literally every detail of this wedding with her work partner and Fernando, the groom. While Fernando took care of all the woodwork details, Gina painted signs, designed floral arrangements, crafted paper goods, personalized two leather jackets, and turned the Spanish-style patio venue into a tropical haven. She even embellished her ’70s-inspired gown with pink flowers to match the color palette. This DIY wedding, which you can see here, was goals from beginning to end! We were even inspired to learn how some hand-lettering techniques like the ones shown below so we can create some gorgeous signage, as well!
We had 9 months of planning and DIY workshops so we could make it just as we imagined and the result was even better! We are very proud that we made everything ourselves because that’s what made it so special for us. We enjoyed every single day until the day we saw everything set. For my bridal look, I wanted something that reflected my personality, so I added some pink embroidered flowers to my dress. A friend also made a custom hairpiece with crystals and a gold chain.
My design studio did all the graphics and illustration of the invitations, painted the back panels and reception signs, and illustrated two leather jackets. We even designed the neon sign and painted the fireworks box. The groom made everything related to wood, including the bar sign, wood figures, and boxes. We even made the pennants, confetti cones, and the “ cheesy stuff” cheese bar sign.
The pristine shores of Tulum, Mexico were made for DIY weddings, and wedding designer Adriana of The Creative’s Loft and her fiancé Gabe took full advantage! The secluded beach offered the perfect haven for their intimate ceremony and featured a stunning macrame backdrop the couple has since repurposed into home decor and DIY wands with bells for the dance-party style exit to the cocktail hour. Adriana styled every inch of the reception, channeling a beautiful beachy vibe with the bohemian decor, rustic signage and food/drink bars, and vintage photo displays. Check out all of the quintessentially beachy details right here, and get ready to make all your macrame dreams come true with the DIY tutorial below!
One of our favorite parts of wedding planning was all the DIY projects we got to do! We designed the following items: wedding wands with bells and “Happy Tears” kits for the ceremony; sparkler DIY kits for the first dance; menus and place cards; table chargers using various Mexican tile patterns; mini bottles of spicy Mexican sauce; mini cans of tea; dance floor props; and customized tattoos with our wedding hashtag (#contigoalquintopino).
As a wedding planner and a bride, my strongest and most personal advice for other couples is to customize your wedding according to your values and what you like the most! This is crucial to ensure you enjoy the whole process of designing your wedding! In addition, make it personal!!! Create some time to design DIY ideas and details for the day…this makes everything! Is how your wedding stands out from the typical wedding. In addition, analyze in advance where do you envision getting married (in your city, a destination wedding…a private property, secluded beach). This decision makes the difference!
We must admit, our 12-year-old hearts are so in love with the nostalgic summer camp vibes in Misty and Johnny’s camp wedding! This sweet couple traded in a traditional, buttoned-up wedding for a fun and free-spirited weekend celebrating love and life with their friends and family in the woods. Their reception was a DIY dream come true, complete with screen-printed flags, personalized pins, hand-painted signs, and fabulous greenery arranged in the bride’s personal collection of vintage thermoses. Misty even asked one of her oh-so-talented friends to arrange the greenery bouquets for her and the bridesmaids, and the result was simply stunning! Our favorite details were the screen-printed flags, which can easily be done at home with the tutorial below. Check out the couple’s full wedding feature and let us know what your favorite detail was!
A friend arranged our beautiful greenery bouquets and arrangements and did an outstanding job. My career is in graphic design, so I couldn’t wait to have fun with every single detail! I designed our entire collection of wedding collateral, from the save the dates with buttons and our invites to the screen printed pennants we used for centerpieces, hand painting the signs, and using my own curated collection of vintage thermoses for decor. I poured my heart into every detail! My friends were also amazing the weekend-of, helping to make all those DIY ideas come to life. Couldn’t have done it without them!
Josh and Ryan’s eclectic DIY Knoxville wedding proves that #southernbeausdoitbetter! With the support of Josh’s mom and aunts, who all own a vintage rental and wedding staging company, the couple was able to fill the industrial venue with handmade, one-of-a-kind details that added a vintage twist to their eclectic style. The completely blank canvas allowed them to add everything from Eddison string lights to a fireplace, and everything in between. For their favors, they potted succulents in hand-picked jars, which is one of the cutest and easiest DIY wedding favor ideas we’ve seen! (If you’re like us and do not have a green thumb, we found some beginner tips to help you get started below.) Seriously, you won’t want to miss a single moment of this eclectic, vintage wedding!
Our whole wedding was DIY! We did everything with the support of Sisters’ Vintage Rentals. We even built 16 8’ farmhouse tables for the reception, as we wanted a family feel. We stained telephone wire spools that housed all the food. The Wednesday before the wedding we loaded at 20’ U-Haul truck along with a trailer and carloads full of supplies included 13 antique doors, window frames, a ladder with Edison light bulbs, two couches, 6 large chairs, pews, a fireplace, coffee tables, 28 centerpieces, greenery, and a bar. We had a blank canvas with our venue and it was like we were moving into our home. Ryan even made the bouquets and boutonnieres for our nephews and nieces in the wedding!
Our wedding favors were succulents that our guests could take with them so they could remember to let love grow. We collected little containers from all over Kentucky and Tennessee for over a year so that each succulent was planted in its own unique container. We displayed them on a cart with crates, ladders, books, and an antique door to create a focal point to draw our guests into the ceremony space. We chose succulents because they fit our style and overall look of our greenery, as we did not want to use any flowers. Succulents are also something you can find in our NYC apartment, which helped add to our theme of creating a welcoming and homey feel for our wedding.
Floral hoops, agate slice table numbers, and watercolor prints are just a few of the spectacular details Katie and Todd made for their backyard wedding at the bride’s family home! Oh, and we can’t forget the 30 farmhouse tables that the couple built themselves! Katie and Todd even got their family involved by having Katie’s dad build the ceremony backdrop. This outdoor wedding was bursting with color and inspiration for crafty couples who are looking for DIY ideas to fill out an open space, such as a backyard. We love that they used floral hoops, which are easy and inexpensive to make following the tutorial below, to fill the vertical space of their tent. If you want a closer look at every gorgeous detail, check out Katie and Todd’s full wedding here!
In the months leading up to the wedding, Todd and I made all 30 of our beautiful farm tables that our guests dined on. My dad built our ceremony arch and the barn that we used for our bar. We designed our invites, menus and made the hoops that hung from the tent, vases for the centerpieces and the rest of the decorations. It was a lot of work but thankfully we had a lot of help from our awesome friends and family.
Now that you’ve been inspired by these real DIY weddings, it’s time to get started planning your own! Just make sure to bookmark our best wedding planning tools for a stress-free engagement so that you’ll know exactly what to do at every step!
Teri and Keith combined bohemian and rustic vibes with sentimental details in their entirely DIY wedding in Ontatio, Canada. Their lakefront ceremony took place on family property, in front of the original green cabin that Keith’s father bought in 1971, and their reception was held at the new property, just across the lake. Every element of this wedding was handmade by the couple and their creative families, from the wooden pews to the candle holders, which made an already sentimental wedding even more magical to see through the lens of Katia Taylor Photography. To match the woodland wonderland feel, the bride wore a bohemian-inspired Junko Yoshioka gown and bold flower crown that matched her burgundy suede boots and the bridesmaids’ pink and burgundy autumn-inspired looks. We can’t get over how this creative couple was able to transform these cabins in the woods into a cozy ceremony space and a reception space that were equal parts rustic and elegant without losing any of the natural charm.
The Couple:
Teri and Keith
The Wedding:
Private Residence, Cressy Lake, Ontario, Canada
Honing in on the vision was for me, the most important part of planning the wedding. We were planning a celebration in a space that on its own is incredibly charming, so we were looking to honor and keep to our roots. However, we were also looking to pull from the space some sort of northern Canadian natural magic.
Canoe Entrance – “Way Over Yonder” by Billy Bragg & Wilco
Processional – “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim
Recessional – “Simple Life” by The Dandy Warhols
Keith’s father, Gordon, purchased a small green cabin in the ’70s on “Little Eddie” Lake in Haliburton County. He scraped together all of his savings to purchase this piece of land and eventually, over the years, built an entirely new unit from the ground up. His new cottage was a larger, all-season cottage on that same piece of land but kept the original cabin as symbol and reminder of the early days. We decided to marry in front of that sacred green cabin to build on that legacy. We held the reception across the lake at our new cottage and the site of the proposal. There was no question that we would marry on such sacred space in the north Canadian wilderness. The moment he proposed we knew we were to execute the party of our dreams on the newly named “Cressy Lake” at the cottage. We had “Legacy” in mind, and it was important to the both of us to be building on that family story.
Together and with the help of our friends and family, we created every single wedding detail, from the wooden pew benches in the ceremony, to the copper arch, to the individual candle holders on the dining room tables. We sourced and procured everything independently – the aisle runner, the ceiling swagged fabrics, the copper “disco” balls, the hay bales and their accent fabrics and the amber bottles for the flower arrangements.
People arrived in a school bus at 6 PM for what we called “Snacks + Sips + Sunset” and were greeted with 5 rounds of seasonal canapés. There was an active oyster station and a charcuterie bar. The bar was open and was serving house bubbles (champagne) and a variety of canned beer from the “beer canoe.” The idea was to feed people instantly (as they arrived off the bus), to get some booze and food and their bellies before the ceremony at 7:45 – 8:00 PM.
After the ceremony, guests followed the bridal party down the gravel road and to the reception site across the lake. We arrived at the reception and shortly thereafter food was placed buffet style inside the converted 3 bay garage on a large table. The bar was open and we featured a variety of taps from a Toronto brewer.
Our dear friend, Chef Kevin Rickey of Food Benders, crafted a delicious hot sauce on our behalf to use as our wedding favor. I came up with the drawing of the deer with antlers (my pet name for my husband is “deer”) as a small gift to Keith who is always requesting that I draw him something. It was a surprise. So I went ahead with a basic drawing, developed the concept and had the help of an illustrator/graphic design friend who put it together for me. The hot sauce was super delicious and the design was flawless! Chef Kevin prepared 110 bottles, and I labeled each one with my friend and bridesmaid, Shannon.
Emily and Alex own the Gaston Made home goods business so, naturally, they made nearly every detail of their wedding at Californos — spoiler alert: it’s all magical! Although they live in Dallas, they traveled back to their hometown of Kansas City to have their wedding in the neighborhood where they first confessed their love to each other. The upscale bistro offered a cozy outdoor ceremony space and an industrial vibe for the reception, which worked perfectly for their modern design. To round out their DIY work, they brought in their talented friends Erin Walsh to design the florals and The Color Condition to create the most stunning streamer installation for their reception. Needless to say, you’re going to want to pin every adorable wood planter, every geometric accent, and every upcycled candle holder that Lindsey Baker Photography captured because the artistry and creativity in this wedding are out of control!
We live in Dallas but decided to have our wedding back home in Kansas City, so we needed an all-inclusive venue to keep the long-distance planning simple. Californos provided the ceremony and reception space, the bar, the food, and an onsite planner. It also happened to be in the neighborhood where we first told each other we loved each other, so literally, every box was checked.
From the groom: The most memorable moment for me was, hands down, seeing Emily for the first time. We had been apart all day and it wasn’t until we were together that everything felt real. All my worries went away because I knew I was doing this with her, and there was no one else I’d rather be with for the rest of my life.
From the bride: Walking down the aisle with my Dad was the time-stopping moment for me. It was like the whole world turned down to a slow spin as the day unfolded before me. I saw every single person we loved and shared our lives with looking back at me. I saw all of the little things come together, and I saw Alex and Artie (our pup) standing at the altar. I just kept thinking, this is magic, this is pure life and love and magic and I will never ever forget this moment.
Advice from the groom: Decision fatigue is a real thing. Sometimes you just have to close your eyes, point, and let fate decide.
Advice from the bride: Keep a healthy perspective. Talk with your partner and promise to support each other in this one fundamental principle before you start planning. It’s so easy to get swept away in all the decisions, believing each one is the most important one you’ll ever make. Putting that kind of pressure on yourself is crazy! It’s vital to remember that it’s just one day, and ultimately it’s what happens after the wedding that you should be most excited about.
We DIY-ed everything. We run a small business making home goods (complete with a fully stocked woodshop and studio) and are blessed to have a talented group of friends. We couldn’t justify buying anything we could make ourselves! We crafted all the centerpieces and favors and tapped friends to do the flowers and reception decor.
Picture this: a rustic wooden cabin, a garden of eucalyptus, and a crystal clear lake in the background of an intimate ceremony. That’s what Robert Michael Films and photographer Marissa Siebert of Hazel Eyes are gracing us with today in this Green Lakes State Park wedding! Danielle was the ultimate DIY bride and created everything from the invitations, signs, and menus to the table garlands. Her and her stepdad even created a sweet wooden swing for the porch and a eucalyptus installation for the center of the reception hall. Needless to say, the greenery and the personal touches were the stars of the decor, but Danielle’s chic strapless gown from Allure Bridals and Jason’s classic Alton Lane tuxedo were the stars of the entire day. Their wedding was the epitome of timeless elegance and rustic charm executed to perfection!
After seeing all the DIY projects Mahealani pulled together for her Vista Hills Vineyard wedding, we’re convinced there’s nothing this crafty bride can’t do! She and Mitchell chose a tropical vibe that was as relaxed as it was elegant. Mahealani used monstera leaves to anchor the centerpieces, floral hoops, and the bridal party’s bouquets then added gorgeous white orchids to the arrangements and the boutonnieres. She even made the bridesmaids’ delicate pearl necklaces and the marble fondant on the wedding cake. We love that the couple chose a classic black, white, and grey color scheme for the wedding party to add a hint of elegance to the overall look and to pop against all the natural greenery of the vineyard. These photos captured by Andie Avery Photography do beautifully showcase all the dreamy DIY details of this Oregon wedding!
The most important thing to me during the course of planning our wedding was that it was really something that embodied us. It was really important to me that Mitchell felt like this wedding was about him too, because it was! It was also super important that our closest family and friends were there. My uncle played music for our processional and recessional, and for our exit song – which meant the absolute world to me. Our friends from China got all dressed up and Facetimed my bridesmaid’s boyfriend so they could “attend,” and our families flew from all over the world to celebrate with us. We really just wanted to have a massive party to celebrate marrying each other, and that’s exactly what it was!
Walking down the aisle to Mitchell was something I had dreamt about for years, literally. Having my dad to walk me down the aisle, seeing my mom in the front row, and Mitchell at the alter is something I’ll never forget. I also asked our officiant to take a moment and remind Mitchell and I to turn and acknowledge everyone who had come to witness our big day, because it’s a rare occasion that all your family and friends are in one place at one time, and it was such a special experience for us.
Our best advice is to DIY things! If you’re creative this is a perfect time to really make your wedding yours. And don’t freak out! Even when things aren’t going exactly the way you planned, it will still turn out perfect; just focus on each other and the rest will fall perfectly into place.
I DIY’d a lot of our wedding! I DIY’d the hoops over the head table and the grandparent’s photo hoops, the bouquets, boutonnieres, bridesmaid’s necklaces, the marble fondant on the cake, my make-up, my hair comb (my bridesmaid Karri did my hair), and the seating chart mirror! My mama helped. I also hand-picked and styled the centerpiece hardware, as well as Mitchell and his groomsmen’s attire (accessories included) and my bridesmaids’ attire and footwear.
The biggest surprise was that it rained, which for some people might be a total bummer, but for us (and in Hawaii) it’s considered a true blessing! It started as a light mist just before the ceremony and it settled in the vines below the Vista Hills Treehouse and was absolutely gorgeous and almost supernatural looking. It also forced us to move everything inside, which made our dinner so much more intimate and fun.
Processional – “Say” by John Mayer (ukulele cover)
Recessional – “In My Life” by Jake Shimabukuro
First Dance – “Mango Tree” by Zac Brown Band
Kristen and Keith’s DIY SmogShoppe wedding is full of whimsical and quirky charm. Their green and gold color scheme made for a fun reception space full of succulents from The Succulent Source, candles, and a few DIY projects – like a custom built sweetheart table completed by Keith! Embracing some Wes Anderson vibes, these two opted for an untraditional cake topper of foxes on their Butter Cake Shoppe wedding cake. The fun and carefree reception went on without a hitch thanks to Falon B Weddings coordinating and Premiere Events Group DJing the evening. John David Weddings photographed the many special and unique details and big love between Kristen and Keith.
We DIY pretty much EVERYTHING at our wedding. Kristen designed and printed all the invitations, the RSVP cards, the menus, the bar menu, the “well wishes” cards, and the programs – all herself.
The part we both remember more clearly than anything else is the first look. I (Kristen) just remember being so nervous for everything up until that point, but right when I saw Keith my nerves just melted away and everything felt right. It was such a personal moment and we’ll never forget it.
Kristen is obsessed with BHLDN. Everything she wore (with the exception of the necklace Keith gave her during the first look) was from there. I (Kristen) had the idea of a boho fairy princess. Weird, I know, but I wanted to incorporate the wedding colors without it looking gaudy. The Reagan dress from BHLDN is so beautiful, I didn’t want to add much sparkle to it.
Trust yourself. Keith and I paid for the wedding almost entirely ourselves, so we had the final say in everything. What matters most is what YOU want your wedding to be. Other people can chime in with their advice, but remember it’s YOUR day – so ultimately, you should have the final decision.
I cannot say enough about how kind and inspiring JD Swiger is. He is SUCH a pro. I found him through a friend and hired him to do my sister’s wedding in Dallas back in 2015. I knew when I got married I had to have him at my wedding – so we flew him to Los Angeles from Austin, and I’m so glad we did. He’s fast and BRILLIANT. He also couldn’t be sweeter and more polite. His candids and portraits are some of my favorite pictures from our wedding. And he worked overtime, too, just out of the goodness of his heart. We love him to death.
Keith‘s friend of 15 years, CJ Pomerantz, was our officiant. Keith‘s background is Jewish, so we “broke the glass” in an Etsy bag Kristen ordered that said “Keith and Kristen just smashed it!” We also wrote our own vows – which makes a ceremony much more personal than you could ever imagine.
It’s funny, I (Kristen) am from Michigan but I’ve lived in L.A. for the past eleven years. My husband (Keith) is from L.A. So Los Angeles is a huge part of who we are. We connect to it. We wanted the wedding to just feel like us – a little quirky, a little whimsical, and a whole lot of fun. If nothing else, we wanted people to walk away from our wedding and say, “That was so Keith and Kristen.” And I think we accomplished that.
We’re not really formal people, and we wanted to incorporate our love of Los Angeles into the venue. We’re also not religious so a church was out of the question. The SmogShoppe had everything we wanted: an L.A. vibe and a whimsical and romantic feel. It was perfect for our wedding day. It ended up fitting our colors (sage green and gold) perfectly, too!
Keith literally built from scratch the sweetheart table and the easels that held our “guest book” poster and escort table (carpentry is a hobby of his).
With plenty of vintage and eclectic decor, Josh and Ryan’s Knoxville wedding is as charming as ever. Between coordinating to providing vintage rentals and sage greenery, Sisters’ Vintage Rentals pulled out all the stops. We are loving the vintage twist put on The Standard‘s industrial space for Josh and Ryan’s one-of-a-kind vibe. T&K Photography did an outstanding job photographing this special day with how they take a photojournalistic approach to shooting. It is so obvious that Josh and Ryan made this wedding uniquely their own and we couldn’t agree more with their wedding hashtag #southernbeausdoitbetter.
T&K were fantastic photographers! They really made us feel comfortable and at ease the whole day.
Our whole wedding was DIY! We did everything with the support of Sisters’ Vintage Rentals. We even built 16 8’ farmhouse tables for the reception, as we wanted a family feel. We stained telephone wire spools that housed all the food. The Wednesday before the wedding we loaded at 20’ U-Haul truck along with a trailer and carloads full of supplies included 13 antique doors, window frames, a ladder with Edison light bulbs, two couches, 6 large chairs, pews, a fireplace, coffee tables, 28 center pieces, greenery, and a bar. We had a blank canvas with our venue and it was like we were moving into our home. Ryan even made the bouquets and boutonnieres for our nephews and nieces in the wedding!
For us, the most memorable part of the day was being able to exchange our vows and weave our lives together as a legally married couple in the city of Knoxville, where Josh grew up. Growing up as closeted gay kids in Tennessee and Kentucky, we did not think this day would be possible. We had often wondered what the future held and are thrilled to live in a time of progress for the LGBTQ community. There is still work to be done, but we wanted our wedding day to be one of celebration, laughter, dancing, drinking, food, and most importantly, love.
It’s your day! You should be able to set the stage for what you imagine your perfect day to be. There will be bumps along the way, but you just have to roll with them and laugh through them. Remember it is not just a wedding, but you are creating a marriage and lifetime together. Try to relax and enjoy every moment! You will be surrounded by those who love and support you, enjoy it.
Our wedding favors were succulents that our guests could take with them so they could remember to let love grow. We collected little containers from all over Kentucky and Tennessee for over a year so that each succulent was planted in its own unique container. We displayed them on a cart with crates, ladders, books, and an antique door to create a focal point to draw our guests into the ceremony space. We chose succulents because they fit our style and overall look of our greenery, as we did not want to use any flowers. Succulents are also something you can find in our NYC apartment, which helped add to our theme of creating a welcoming and homey feel for our wedding.
We wanted our friends and family to feel like they were coming to our New York City apartment to hang out with us. We tried to create an intimate feeling that was uniquely our style. Luckily, Josh’s mom and Aunts started Sisters’ Vintage Rentals a few years ago so we were able to create everything from the centerpieces to the tables to the backdrop and arrangements. At the end of the day we wanted our family and friends that attended to be entering into a space of love and warmth. We only wanted folks there that were going to support us fully and that included all the companies and vendors we worked with as well.
We invited folks to our wedding because they impacted our lives and we wanted them to celebrate with us. As we were looking out into the crowd during our first dance, it was so emotional because we had family and friends from New York City, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, California, Washington, Ohio, and North Carolina all in one space there to celebrate us. It was a bit overwhelming, but we sure felt the love.
Danielle and Mark’s DIY wedding at Riverside Farm is full of rustic charm. Having most of the decor elements and details completed from DIY projects, it was a team effort from family and friends helping Danielle and Mark create their dream wedding. With the help of their day-of coordinator Veronica Joy Events and the venue’s on-site coordinator Kim, the happy couple was able to relax and enjoy their wedding day to its fullest. Vermont Farms Catering and The Whole Food Lady created a delicious 100% gluten free menu for Danielle and Mark and their guests! All of the personable details and sweet love between Danielle and Mark were photographed by Eden Strader.
We started early on replacing the word “stress” with the word “excitement”. It helped keep things light and in perspective :)
We met at The New York Times and both love travel so thought it would be fitting that our welcome letter came in the form of a 36 Hours article. Written and assembled by us, guests found a copy of the article customized by lodging location in their rooms. We wrote a note to each guest letting them know how excited we were to be celebrating with them and thanking them for making the trip to Vermont! They also found 2 water bottles and one package of trail mix and one package of gummy bears hand filled by us. The water bottles had a custom logo with “Happy Trails” and the trail mix bag had a matching logo with “The Perfect Mix”.
Our officiant, Rev. Dr. Peter Wells, is a family friend of Mark‘s family. He actually baptized Mark! He was one of the best decisions we made. He led us through the pre-wedding process and helped us explore all facets of our relationship — challenging us and asking questions about what we wanted for our future. We got to pick every word of our ceremony and it made it even more special.
Eden and Nicole, our wedding photographers, are so insanely talented. We were lucky enough to also have our engagement pictures shot by them in the Salt Flats in Utah. From the very beginning, they have been a joy to work with. From our first call, to our engagement shoot, to our wedding day — we couldn’t be happier that they signed on to work with us. They are professional and communicate quickly and clearly. They truly made us feel so comfortable and their work is outstanding.
We love to travel and it has been such a big part of relationship (and our plans for the future!). We folded small paper airplanes as our escort cards. Guests also found a small banner with their name tied around their napkin. When put together, it was a little paper airplane pulling their name on a banner.
Each guest had a small paper bag with “For Richer or Poorer” written on it waiting on their place setting. Each bag had a lucky heads-up penny attached to the front and inside, Win For Life scratch off lottery tickets. Scratch off tickets have been part of all of Danielle‘s family’s celebrations (from holidays, to birthdays, to just Sunday dinners) – a fun activity started by her grandfather and carried on in his memory.
We visited many antique stores finding our cake servers! Since we had a cake for each table, we wanted to find the perfect servers as well.
Instead of having just a single wedding cake, we had a cake for every table! And could anyone really go to Vermont and not eat Ben and Jerry’s? We had single scoops sent directly from Ben and Jerry’s headquarters passed out on the dance floor.
We don’t know what we would have done without Kim at Riverside Farm. She held our hand throughout the entire process, helped us brainstorm ways to bring our vision to life and could not have worked harder during our wedding weekend.
Congratulations to Danielle and Mark, and a big thank you to Eden Strader for sharing their rustic wedding with Junebug! Can’t get enough of the way Eden takes portraits? You’re in luck! Check out this boldly stylish Big Sur elopement at Glen Oaks!
Our 12-year-old hearts are so in love with the nostalgic summer camp vibes in Misty and Johnny’s Camp Wyman wedding! This sweet couple traded in a tradition, buttoned-up wedding for a fun and free-spirited weekend celebrating love and life with their friends and family. Their reception was a DIY dream come true, complete with screen printed flags, personalized pins, hand-painted signs, and fabulous greenery arranged in the bride’s personal collection of vintage thermoses. Our favorite element had to be their unique unity ceremony, during which they made and split a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We adore the way Vein + Vessel Studios and Hoy Creative captured the relaxed vibe of this one-of-a-kind wedding!
Johnnyand I have spent the last 9 years laughing at each other’s stupid jokes and taking nothing seriously. So, when we got engaged, we knew immediately we didn’t want a buttoned up wedding. We just wanted to kick back and party with our best friends and eat good food. We wanted it to truly reflect who we are together, and I think every detail spoke to that.
These days, it’s totally acceptable to venture off the beaten path, and I think your guests appreciate you for it. We ditched so many small wedding traditions because we just didn’t want them. We saw each other the entire morning and, as a result, I feel we were much more relaxed and happy. Think a garter toss is weird and uncomfortable? Skip it. Don’t want to pay a DJ? Make your own playlist. Tacos and donuts? For us, it couldn’t have been a more appropriate meal. It really is your day!
Camp Wyman was the first venue we looked at, and we knew immediately it was the one. The camp vibes were just too good — log cabins, a beautiful ceremony site accessible only by a path leading into the the woods, logs for seating. They also let us personalize our whole event how we saw fit with food trucks and BYOB.
SHOP THIS LOOK
My uncle was our officiant and kept things lighthearted and funny. We wrote our own vows, which was very important to us. And the best thing of all: we made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the unity portion of the ceremony and both took a bite!
SHOP THIS LOOK
Almost everything was DIY! A friend arranged our beautiful greenery bouquets and arrangements and did an outstanding job. My career is in graphic design, so I couldn’t wait to have fun with every single detail! I designed our entire collection of wedding collateral: the save the dates with buttons, invites, screen printed pennants, and hand-painted the signs. We also used my own curated collection of vintage thermoses for decor. I poured my heart into every detail! My friends were also amazing the weekend of, helping to make all those DIY ideas come to life. We couldn’t have done it without them!
We had two of our very favorite taco trucks, Mission Taco and Seoul Taco. We actually got engaged at Mission Taco, so it was fun to have that be part of our wedding day story, too!
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