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5 DIY Wedding Decor Trends Perfect For Any Skill Level

October 6, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

Whether you’ve got a wedding designer planning every inch of your event or you’re doing it yourself, these DIY wedding décor trends personalize your day while adding a one-of-a-kind flair. From a details as small as name cards and napkin rings to elements as major as your ceremony backdrop and beverage bar, you can take your wedding décor into your own hands — literally — with these stylish DIY ideas. If you don’t consider yourself to be a crafty bride or groom, don’t worry, there’s something here for every skill level!

1. Agate Slices

One of our favorite accents in a modern wedding is the agate slice. On the easy side of things, you can use a gold paint pen to write your table numbers, guests’ names, and more. For intermediate crafters, use Gorilla Glue to attach slices to napkin rings. If you’re really loving the agate slice look and have mad DIY skills, build a ceremony backdrop by drilling small holes into the agate and stringing them together from a sturdy arch.

clockwise: photo by Jamie & Sarah Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Cassie Loree Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Sun + Life Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Leighanne Herr, see more from this wedding here; photo by Sean Carr Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Leighanne Herr, see more from this wedding here; photo by Sun + Life Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Cassie Loree Photography, see more from this wedding here

2. Dip Dye

Of these five trends, dip dying might be the easiest to achieve and the hardest to get wrong. The craft-averse can easily dip paper place cards into various dyes for an ethereal look or to folded coffee filters to create a dessert display backdrop. Casual crafters would enjoy adding dip dye accents to milk glass vases or fabric napkins. Brides with previous dip dying experience can create a wearable piece for their bridal (or even bridesmaids!) look, like the soft pink-dyed shawl below! Remember, the beauty of dip dye is in each piece looking different!

clockwise: photo by Jason Hales Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Jennifer Moher Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Studio Uma, see more from this wedding here; photo by Brett & Jessica, see more from this wedding here; photo by Katch Silva, see more from this wedding here; photo by Jessica Love Photography, see more from this wedding here

3. Wood Palettes

Is there anything that can’t be made from wooden palettes? Those who aren’t as comfortable with cutting wood can use an existing palette as a temporary wall by nailing art, bunting, and signage to it. Love hand lettering? Paint your wedding schedule or dinner menu on a wood palette and lean it against a nearby tree. Happen to be advanced in woodworking? Palette bars are an incredible statement that show off your skills. We can guarantee your guests will be wowed by this one!

clockwise: photo by Jen Menard Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Hannah Blackmore Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by The Colagrossis, see more from this wedding here; photo by Sophie Epton Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Gina & Ryan, see more from this wedding here; photo by Anna Kim Photography, see more from this wedding here

4. Terrariums

Prefer plants to flowers? Add a natural element to your indoor wedding with this unique centerpiece idea! Terrariums can be as simple or involved as you want. Fill a glass globe, bell jar, geometric box with a variety of your favorite plants and foliage. Get creative by building small vignettes inside using books, plastic animal figurines, geodes, and more!

clockwise: photo by Forester Fotógrafos, see more from this wedding here; photo by ein photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Blue Bend Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Xandra Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Paul Santos Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by The Mullers, see more from this wedding here; photo by Char Co., see more from this wedding here; photo by Jojo Pangilinan Photographers, see more from this wedding here

5. Mirrors

We will never tire of the elegant look a mirror adds to wedding design! A hand-lettered menu, seating chart, or welcome sign looks impossibly classy in a gold frame, while also providing utility on your wedding day. Not confident in your hand-lettering abilities? Sticker decals look just as nice with a fraction of the work!

clockwise: photo by APictureLife Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Studio Castillero, see more from this wedding here; photo by Swak Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Erica Rose Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Ryan Flynn Photography, see more from this wedding here; photo by Daniel Johung, see more from this wedding here; photo by Troy Grover Photographers, see more from this wedding here

Have you been bit by the DIY big? Find more DIY wedding décor inspiration in these 22 hanging reception décor ideas!

Cozy DIY North Arm Farm Wedding in Shades of Blue

September 29, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

dark blue light blue

With Mt. Currie in the background, Stephanie and Colin said “I do” at North Arm Farm in gorgeous fashion. The couple love the color blue almost as much as each other, and they filled their days with the loveliest shades of the hue throughout their wedding décor. Their first look is one of the sweetest we’ve seen, with Stephanie having to take a moment to compose herself as she walked up behind Colin for the surprise. You can feel his excitement upon seeing his bride in the images so beautifully captured by BAKEPHOTOGRAPHY. After an intimate ceremony, guests were sat at a farm table that seemed to go on forever with friends and family of the happy newlyweds.

The Couple:

Stephanie and Colin

The Wedding:

North Arm Farm, Pemberton, British Columbia

We have so many wonderful memories of our wedding that it’s almost impossible to pick just one. If we had to pick just one, it would be our first look. We arranged with our photographer to have our first look take place at our wedding venue, in an open field with the stunning backdrop of Mt. Currie. This was our first chance to really be alone and share a special moment between us. Colin was standing out in the field waiting for me and as soon as I saw him, all of the emotions of the day hit me. Walking up to him, there were times that I had to stop and gather my composure. The smile on his face as he turned around is something that I will never forget.

We came across our venue quite by accident. Since we were planning a summer wedding, we wanted to find a venue that would allow us to have our entire day take place outside. We had gone on a few different site visits but nothing had ‘wowed’ us yet. It was at this point that a wedding a friend of mine was a guest at popped up on my Facebook feed and I knew we had to make the trip up to see it in person. As soon as I walked through the barn at North Arm Farm, I knew that this was where I was going to be getting married, and thankfully Colin agreed! Big open spaces, beautiful mountains in the background and surrounded by all of the beauty mother nature had to offer. I was instantly inspired and knew that there would be no better venue for us — we had our wedding date booked within the hour.

Besides the practical aspects like staying on budget, the most important thing for us was planning a wedding that stayed true to who we are and what we wanted our wedding to be. We knew that there were certain ‘traditional’ aspects to a wedding that we wanted to be a part of our day but there were also those that we didn’t want to include. We wrote down key words that we wanted our wedding to embody and did our best to make sure we brought those things to life.

Our wedding colours were shades of blue (ranging from the navy of Colin’s suit to the periwinkle of the candles to the serenity blue of the men’s ties), natural greens, white and metallic accents of copper and gold. I knew I wanted Colin to wear a blue suit (and thankfully he agreed!) and then I started building our colour palette around that. What I found incredibly useful was going to our local Rona and pulling paint chips of the shades of blue that I was aiming for and having those on hand when I would meet with vendors.

Simple. Romantic. Relaxed. Vintage. Natural. All of these words were key to planning our wedding vibe. Long table dinner in the field, lawn games to keep our guests entertained, delicious food, vintage furniture, signature cocktails, favourite literary quotes and signage on glass and a homemade dessert bar.

Colin and I are fans of edible wedding favours. In addition to the treat bags that were available for our guests to pack some homemade desserts in, we also had tea and jellybeans in small mason jars. We ordered five different loose leaf teas and varying shades of blue jellybeans and assembled our favours. Once they were in the jars, we placed a square of lace ribbon over the top, put the lid on and then tied a blue ribbon around the lid. The jellybeans were originally meant for the kids but I saw a few adults sneaking off with them!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – BAKEPHOTOGRAPHY
Event Planning – Flock Events
Venue – North Arm Farm
Floral Design – Flowers and Jules
Catering – The Collective Kitchen
Officiant – Tracy Kerr
DJ – Pete Cronin
Invitations – Minted
Hair & Makeup Styling – Denise Elliott Beauty Co.
Wedding Dress – Truvelle
Bridal Accessories – Truvelle
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – RW&Co. and Simons
Groom’s Apparel – The Bay
Groom & Groomsmens Bowties – Beaux
Rings – Minichiello Jewellers
Wedding Party Gifts – Old Joy Gift Boxes

Congrats to Stephanie and Colin on their DIY North Arm Farm wedding! For more British Columbia wedding inspiration from BAKEPHOTOGRAPHY, check out Carlene and Russell’s farmer’s market inspired organic wedding.

This Handmade Wedding in Michigan is DIY Styling At Its Best

September 21, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

coral dark pink dark red lavender light pink

Katie and Todd’s backyard wedding featured gorgeous and feminine jewel tones, two chic bridal styles, and the couple’s favorite food trucks! After deciding to have their wedding at Katie’s parents’ house, the very handy couple DIYed their wedding stationery, constructed the floral hoops that hung in their reception tent, and built the 30 stunning farm tables their guests dined on. Between the bridesmaids’ gowns, Katie’s bouquet from GVL Floral, and the super fun tablescape décor, we love the varying shades of pink that were all over Katie and Todd’s wedding! Jamie & Sarah Photography captured every detail of this handmade wedding beautifully, including an emotional first look and ceremony.

The Couple:

Katie and Todd

The Wedding:

Private Residence, Michigan

Being a wedding photographer and seeing so many weddings, I knew I wanted the wedding to really be about us and the things we like. We were so happy we choose our favorite band and food trucks.

We choose to have the wedding and reception at my parent’s house were I was raised. I have the best memories there and thought it would be a perfect setting.

The ceremony was by far our favorite part of the day. Todd‘s brother was the officiant and made it really special. We wanted to honor God for bringing us together and being faithful in our relationship.

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.

Our advice: Try to remember you don’t have to do what everyone else does at their wedding, make it your own. Your friends and family love you and are there to support your marriage – only you’ll notice the things that didn’t go as planned!

I loved having a reception dress to change into. It was comfortable and exactly my style.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Jamie & Sarah Photography
Venue – Private Residence
Floral Design – GVL Floral
Catering – Donkey Taqueria
Dessert – D’Arts Donuts
Officiant – John Gilfillan
Live Music – Brena
Videography – In His Image
Makeup Artist – Erick Gerson
Wedding Dresses – Robert Bullock, BHLDN
Bridal Accessories – BHLDN
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – ASOS, Lulu’s
Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Apparel – Jos. A. Bank
Rings – Fryling Diamond
Rentals – A1 Rentall

Congratulations to Katie and Todd, and a huge thanks to Jamie & Sarah Photography for sharing their wedding with us. Love this wedding’s bright color palette and sophisticated style? Then you’ve got to see this stylish and colorful Cali wedding at the San Diego Botanic Gardens!

It Doesn’t Get Sweeter Than The Dessert Display at This DIY German Wedding

August 24, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

lavender light blue light pink yellow

Annika and David’s DIY German wedding is full of spring-inspired florals and super sweet handmade details! Between Annika’s ethereal Kite & Butterfly gown and David’s botanical bowtie and cufflinks, their attire perfectly reflected the relaxed and intimate wedding day they shared with their closest family and friends. The couple DIYed a wooden pallet escort card chart, playful garlands and bunting, and even their birch ceremony arch, but we think the real star of their décor was their hand-painted dessert display! From the prettiest getting-ready photos to images of their gorgeous reception, photographer Kreativ Wedding captured Annika and David’s day perfectly.

The Couple:

Annika and David

The Wedding:

Helmkehof, Hannover, Germany

The most important aspect in our wedding planning was to stay true to ourselves and to plan an individual wedding that doesn’t meet any expectations but our personal taste. In the beginning we spent a lot of time with getting inspiration on several wedding blogs and on Pinterest (ok, actually Annika did, and presented the things she liked most to David!) We wanted our big day to be very personal and relaxed – therefore it was important for us to only invite our closest family and friends.

I absolutely loved my Kite & Butterfly gown. I wanted a dress that is as comfortable and soft like a beach dress. I wanted to suit the occasion, but still reflect who I am. Therefore, I chose to wear flat sandals, loose curly hair and my absolute favorite piece of jewelry: A flower crown. My bridesmaids wore mint green dresses each in a different cut that fits their personality and style.

There were so many amazing moments during the day. Walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time was very special and emotional. To see David waiting for me and looking so handsome in his suit was a moment where I completely forgot all other people standing around us and just felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Processional: Bruno Mars – Marry You
Ceremonial: Jonathan Jeremiah – Gold Dust
Recessional: Of Monsters and Men – Love Love Love
First Dance: Ed Sheeran – Kiss Me

Anne and Riccardo from Kreativ Wedding were the perfect match for us. They create their pictures and videos in the reporting style and during some parts of the day we didn’t even recognize they were filming or making pictures. Also during the shooting after the reception they gave us a great feeling without squeezing us into poses. This lead us to enjoy the shooting as a time for ourselves where we could talk and be close to each other which just was fantastic during this exciting day. Furthermore they are such likeable people and integrated so well into our wedding party that it was hard to let them leave.

Our wedding planning advice: Don’t let anybody else tell you what to do. This is your special day and you should make it exactly the way both of you love it.

We DIY’d the largest part of the decoration for our wedding. We painted the seating plan and wedding schedule on pallets, handicrafted the garlands, the pinata and the tablenumbers, sprayed the vases in copper, made the signpost and the birch arch as a background for the ceremony, painted the wooden ladder and the boards for our candy bar and a lot more. It took us in total one year and we don’t know what we would have done without the assistance of our parents.

We were unbelievably lucky with our wedding team who helped us to make our wedding just perfect for us. We chose all our professionals by gut instinct and that paid off.

The Wedding Team:

Photography & Videography – Kreativ Wedding
Venue – Helmkehof
Floral Design – Indigo Blumenladen
Cake – Mundus
Officiant – free-Eve
DJ – My-Event-DJ
Makeup & Hair Artist – Ria Saage
Wedding Dress – Kite & Butterfly, Victoria Rüesche
Groom’s Apparel – The Bloke
Groom’s Accessories – Der Feine Herr

Congratulations to Annika and David, and a huge thanks to Kreativ Wedding for sharing this gorgeous wedding with us! Love this wedding’s playful florals? Then you’ve got to see this intimate pop-up elopement in Palm Springs, California!

Find Your Rustic DIY Inspiration in This Kelowna Mountain Wedding

August 12, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

gray light pink sage green white

We can’t help but be totally charmed by this DIY-forward Canadian wedding! From building their reception yard game set-ups to creating their invitations’ seed paper from scratch, Chelsey and Keenan’s created nearly every impressive detail of their Kelowna Mountain wedding by hand. Guests were treated to the couple’s totally sweet ceremony that included family touches and a unity tree planting with soil from both of their hometowns. Dallas Kolotylo Photography captured every gorgeous detail of this British Columbia wedding, including a unique daredevil couple portrait session!

The Couple:

Chelsey and Keenan

The Wedding:

Kelowna Mountain, British Columbia, Canada

The most important part of planning for our wedding was making it personalized to our style and making sure our guests were able to relax and have fun as most of our guests were from out of town so we didn’t want them worrying or being stressed about logistics for the wedding weekend.

The most memorable part of the day was all of it! The ceremony of course stands out as we did not see each other on our wedding day until Chelsey was walking down the aisle, definitely maximized the emotions.

We personalized our ceremony in lots of ways. We did it by the lake we live close to. We had Keenan‘s uncle officiate for us. We had one of Chelsey‘s cousins and one of Keenan‘s groomsman sing/play guitar for Chelsey‘s entrance song. We just tried to included as many friends and family into all the roles needed for the ceremony. The ceremony was at a private residence which we liked because it made for a unique ceremony site.

For our unity ceremony we planted a tree with the dirt from our home in the Okanagan and then we added dirt from each of our home towns to “unite us”. So Keenan added dirt from his home town and I added dirt from my home town to the dirt from where we currently live.

Our advice: Delegate as much as possible and speak up if there is something you want. The biggest thing we wish we would have done was to delegate more and not just go along when people who were “industry specialists” told us to do something, and we trusted them thinking they knew best. More often then not, their way was not as great as they made it seem, and we were left wishing we had done it the way we wanted. We know ourselves and our style so just listen to your gut. That being said, Keenan is very handy and Chelsey is quite crafty and as mentioned we did do A LOT of DIY which we were able to sell after and that saved us a ton of money.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Dallas Kolotylo Photography
Event Styling & Floral Design – Kaitlyn Ellis Events
Ceremony Venue – Private Residence
Reception Venue – Kelowna Mountain
Catering – R.U. Hungry Catering
DJ – Airwaves Music
Videography – Matt Vautour Videography
Makeup Artist – Jenny McKinney
Hair Styling – Antidote Hair
Wedding Dress – Kleinfeld’s New York
Groom’s Apparel – Torino
Transportation – A1 Buses

Congratulations to Chelsey and Keenan, and a very special thanks to Dallas Kolotylo Photography for sharing this gorgeous wedding with us! Want more rustic wedding inspiration? Take a look at this rainy rustic Catskills wedding at Handsome Hollow!

This Couple DIYed the Heck Out of Their Dream Wedding at Mounds State Park

July 16, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

bright red coral dark pink light pink

We can’t believe how naturally beautiful Caitlin and Eric’s DIY wedding is! This very talented bride and her family handcrafted DIY projects for the whole year leading up to the wedding including ring boxes, whimsical tablescapes, all of the signs, and the entire wedding’s floral design. If that’s not enough to totally impress you, Caitlin even baked her own wedding cake! It may have rained on the day of Caitlin and Eric’s Mounds State Park wedding, but The Colagrossis‘ photography team captured this happy couple perfectly, including an amazingly emotional first look.

The Couple:

Caitlin and Eric

The Wedding:

Mounds State Park, Anderson, Indiana

I wanted to have a dress that wasn’t typical, could represent my style, and I felt like myself in. I just wanted to feel natural and effortless so I left my hair down. I wanted to go boho chic. I loved the sleeves on my dress, the shear backless top with strategic beading, the light flowing skirt, and minimal accessories. I did have wine colored wedges that I adored which were awesome with the rain.

We wanted the day to be memorable and enjoyable for all of our guests and didn’t want to have a cookie cutter wedding! It was Impossible to find the style we wanted for sale, so Caitlin spent the year hand making everything! It was all in the details. Then having the perfect photographers that we knew could capture it!

We wanted to have it outdoors because there is nothing more beautiful than nature and because it’s easier to bring a wedding outdoors than it is to bring nature indoors. Caitlin is a bit of a hippie so she wanted a bohemian pop of color with the bright flowers as well as her Celtic roots with pops of gold and green!

Caitlin and her parents hand built and made our wedding arbor down to each cord that hung from it! she then found hand made mismatched rag rugs to bring a pop of color and a unique isle runner. Eric‘s mother helped to make some beautiful flower cones out of music paper, in place of a rice toss. And we had Eric‘s godfather marry us!

After the rain stopped we tried for a third set of pictures, one of the last ones we took was just of the two of us, under a tree, laughing… it was perfect. It completely captured the joy and love we feel for each other everyday.

We wanted the whole day to be outside, and of course in Indiana when it says it will be a sunny day, It didn’t just rain, it monsoon-ed! But my photographers took the extra time to run out and buy the most adorable umbrellas for us to use! No one seemed to mind the rain and said that it added so much romance to the day. After dinner, the rain cleared up and we were able to move the festivities outside as planned with a bonfire, s’mores and all!

Don’t settle for the easy solutions if it means sacrificing your ideal look, and that includes opening the check book to solve it. Take the time to research the lower cost alternatives, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for already for sale, remember that you can make it for a fraction of the cost.

If you’re a DIY bride without a wedding planner like us, remember that it is still your day. If you want to stay and set up till the last minute, don’t let anyone stop you! You put a year of planning and hand craft into it, it’s ok if you want to make sure all of the details are perfect. Good food and an open bar fixes anything!

Processional Song: The Piano Guys – Jurassic Park Theme (Cover)
Bridal Processional Song: The Piano Guys – Rockelbel’s Canon (Pachelbel’s Canon in D)
First Dance Song: Dan + Shay – From The Ground Up

The Wedding Team:

Photography – The Colagrossis
Venue – Mounds State Park
Catering – MCL Catering
Officiant – Doug Adamson
DJ – Midwest Sound
Invitations – Shutterfly
Makeup Artist – Sara Hopkins
Hair Styling – Liz Alderman
Wedding Dress – Hayley Paige
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Bella Bridesmaids
Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Apparel – Men’s Warehouse
Rings – Moyer Fine Jewelers

Congratulations to Caitlin and Eric, and a huge thanks to The Colagrossis for sharing this amazing wedding with Junebug! Love this wedding’s DIY style? Then you’ve got to see this DIY whimsical bohemian wedding in California!

Epic and Eclectic DIY Backyard Wedding in Texas

July 12, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

coral dark pink dark red light pink purple

Amanda and Rhino’s eclectic DIY backyard wedding in Texas is total eye candy for crafty brides! Having the wedding in their very own backyard allowed Amanda and Rhino to show off their DIY skills and eliminated a lot of the work that comes with finding a venue. A cross-stitch pegboard sign, dozens of vibrant flower garlands, and a literal family tree (a tree decorated with family photos!) are just a few of the countless projects the couple took on in the months leading up to their wedding. We love how Nine Photography took Amanda and Rhino’s portraits throughout the evening in order to capture the variety of lighting that the sunset offered.

The Couple:

Amanda and Rhino

The Wedding:

Private Residence, Richardson, Texas

There were other venues we considered in the early planning stages, but using our own backyard made the most sense. Backyard weddings can be laid back and easy and that appealed to us, as well as the freedom to work on our own timetable and move forward with plans without running it by someone first. Practicality aside, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have an intimate ceremony under our own pecan tree in the place that we live and love.

I couldn’t help but think of Loretta Lynn when I first tried my dress on. The long, poofy sleeves and gold detailing are vintage Grand Ole Opry.

We were honored to have Rhino‘s grandfather marry us. He is a vet, retired librarian, and husband for 50+ years. We also twisted the arms of our close friends Jodie and Tommy to sing at our wedding.

With the help of friends and family, we worked right up to the day of stringing fishing line through flowers to hang from our trees, constructing tables and bars from cinder blocks and particle board, and erecting custom curtains along the perimeter of the yard for privacy. For several weeks after the wedding it felt strange not to have a project to work on.

We DIY’d the heck out of our wedding, working for weeks on every detail. My favorite project was the cross-stitch pegboard sign I made to conceal our breaker box and to use as a photo backdrop. It hangs in our dining room now.

The most memorable part of the day was the first dance. We danced to “You and Me” while Rhino‘s drunken aunt Lisa Mae cried and took pictures. We happen to be fantastic dancers and we showed our skills on the back porch with family and friends looking on, laughing with us as we tried to sing along.

Processional: The Shining – Badly Drawn Boy
Recessional: Jungle Drum – Emiliana Torrini
First Dance: You and Me – Penny and the Quarters

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Nine Photography
Catering – Chipotle
Cake – Nothing Bundt Cakes
Videography – Ian McKenyon
Wedding Dress – Chic Cherie Boutique

Congratulations to Amanda and Rhino, and a big thanks to Nine Photography for submitting these amazing photos to Junebug! Want more DIY backyard wedding inspiration? Take a look at this colorful handmade backyard Surrey wedding!

Gorgeous DIY Tennessee Wedding at The Cool Springs House

June 11, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

light pink sage green white

Leah and David’s DIY wedding at The Cool Springs House in Brentwood is nothing short of magnificent! The couple chose the southern farm house venue based on its long and rich 19th century background, and honored its history with timeless, classic florals and decor. DIY elements like a homemade wooden pallet bar, handmade signs, and perfectly styled vignettes add Leah and David’s personal touch to the gorgeous Victorian grounds. Megan Saul Photography captured the couple’s endlessly romantic moments with flair, and surprised the newlyweds with smoke bombs for a fun, impromptu reception shoot!

The Couple:

Leah and David

The Wedding:

The Cool Springs House, Brentwood, Tennessee

I highly recommend first looks! It was awesome being able to spend some time with each other prior to the ceremony, taking some photos and really soaking in that feeling of “Oh my gosh, we’re getting married in a few hours!”

We did so many DIY projects for our wedding! Our favorite project was the bar we created out of wooden pallets. We used the pallets as the framework and then nailed some recycled wood on the outside to give the bar a more finished look. We then distressed the wood with a hammer, stained it and added and stencil to the front side of the bar that said “David & Leah”. It turned out better than we had expected and cost next to nothing!

Our favorite photos taken are the smoke bomb photos! Our photographers Megan and Josh approached us during the reception and said, “Hey guys, we picked up some smoke bombs on the way over here…do you want to take some photos with them and see what we get?” Immediately David and I said, YES! The photos they took during our smoke bomb photoshoot are so fun and playful and yet stunning. They depict so much love and happiness and those are the best photos to have.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Megan Saul Photography
Venue – The Cool Springs House
Floral Design – Whole Foods Market
Catering – Local Taco
Cake – Jenny Elliott
Officiant – Mark Elliott
DJ – Troy Akers
Makeup and Hair Artist – Harper and Olive
Wedding Dress – Catherine Deane
Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Apparel – ASOS
Rentals – Southern Events

Congratulations to Leah and David, and a big thanks to Megan Saul Photography for capturing this stunning wedding! For more historic Tennessee wedding inspiration, check out this Southern Chic Nashville Wedding in Historic Cedarwood!

This Insanely Chic DIY Wedding Will Have You Running to the Craft Store

June 8, 2016 | Junebug Weddings

black gray sage green white

Who needs a veil when you can have an amazingly chic feather crown? Inspired by the couple’s personal affinity for black and white patterns, this wedding is full of the most stunning textures! Alida and Arturs were devoted to including handmade elements in every facet of this chic DIY wedding, such as the perfectly styled vignettes and the 1,000 origami paper cranes Alida folded. To the delight of their closest friends and family, the stylish newlyweds rode away from their Persian rug-lined ceremony in a retro Mini Cooper. Liene Petersone Photography captured every romantic second of this wedding, from the moment the bride secured her feather crown to the emotional balloon release at the end of the reception.

The Couple:

Alida and Arturs

The Wedding:

Anna’s Garden, Riga, Latvia

The most memorable part of the day was when we exchanged our promise letters with each other.

The most important detail to us was to have a party with friends and our closest relatives. We really wanted just to drink ’til the suns goes up and spend time with our friends.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Liene Petersone Photography
Event Planning and Floral Design – Inbloom
Venue – Anna’s Garden
Event Designer – Baiba Prindule
Makeup Artist – Jevgenija Kalacova
Hair Styling – Kristaps Lacis
Wedding Dress – Katya Katya Shehurina
Bridal Accessories – Evita Vilde
Groom’s Apparel – Hugo Boss

Congratulations to Alida and Arturs, and a big thanks to Liene Petersone Photography for providing us with an amazing set of photos! For more DIY wedding inspiration, check out this adorable DIY Brazilian Wedding.

DIY Downtown Chicago Wedding at City View Loft

May 29, 2016 | editorial team

dark red ivory sage green

When Bridget and Dan said “I do” at City View Loft in downtown Chicago, the most important thing to them was to make sure that their loved ones felt welcomed and ready to laugh. They wanted to truly celebrate the community of friends and family they felt so blessed to have, so they included as many people as possible in the ceremony planning as well as the decorating of the loft. During the ceremony, both Bridget and Dan said there was so much positive energy, and the whole room erupted into cheers when they were pronounced husband and wife. Megan Saul Photography got in on all the fun, and she captured every sweet moment from Bridget and Dan’s big day – starting with their first look and ending with a big group dance to Beyoncé during the final song of the night.

The Couple:

Bridget and Dan

The Wedding:

City View Loft, Chicago, Illinois

We tried to plan the day so our loved ones felt welcomed and ready to laugh. Our dear friend officiated the ceremony, two friends performed a reading, friends sang us down the aisle, our invitations, table numbers, welcome sign and hanging menu for the reception were all made with love by friends and family.

We wrote our ceremony with our dear friend, Chris who officiated the wedding. We took inspiration from readings we loved, advice on the internet, and always trying to keep a sense of humor. Two of our friends read an excerpt from the children’s book “I Like You” by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. We had a ring warming during the ceremony where we passed our rings through the rows of our guests so they can take a moment to send us some good vibes or prayers for our marriage. It was a time for us to step back and see all the people who helped get us to this place in our relationship.

Processional – Gold by Interference
Recessional – La Da Da by Basia Bulat
First Dance – Stand By Me by Ben E. King

From the Groom: Right before Chris announced us as married, everyone erupted into cheers and started using the noisemakers we placed on their seats. They were intended for after the kiss, but everyone just went for it. Plus, I got to marry B, that was pretty memorable.

Almost all of the decor was DIY made by myself or made by talented friends and family. My favorite piece was what held the rings during the ring warming ceremony. It was made from a cigar box, fabric scraps, and ribbon. The cigar box was my father’s who passed away unexpectedly a few months before we were engaged.

The ceremony was filled with so much energy. I’ve never experienced all that love in one room before. Everyone was so happy! Also, during the last dance we ending up being engulfed in a big group hug by everyone on the dance floor while we sang along to Beyonce. It was perfect!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Megan Saul Photography
Event Planning – Naturally Yours Events
Venue – City View Loft
Floral Design – The Bread & Butterfly
Catering – LM Catering
Cake – Firecakes Donuts
DJ – Gold Noise DJs
Invitations – Melanie Jeanne Plank
Makeup Artist – Jeannie Giannone
Hair Styling – Xotchilt M. Alcantar
Wedding Dress – Lillian West
Rings – Simply Wood Rings

Our deepest congratulations to Bridget and Dan on their wedding! Love the City View Loft? Take a look at more urban Chicago wedding inspiration like this blush and metallic Chicago wedding at Stan Mansion.

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