The threat of rain is a worry for any couple choosing to wed in an outdoor venue but when a rainstorm hit Sarah and Adam’s Planet Bluegrass wedding, family and friends donned parkas and umbrellas to embrace the downpour. Set deep in the Colorado Mountains on the banks of St. Vrain River against a beautiful backdrop of Redstone cliffs and wildflower gardens, this venue was perfect for an intimate and secluded gathering and plenty of historic ranch buildings to take shelter in. The bride’s stunning bohemian Daughters of Simone wedding gown featured flowy lace and off the shoulder silhouette for a bridal look as lush as the scenery. Photographer Levi Tijerina embraced the sudden storm and captured truly magical shots of the rainy ceremony and a dramatic post-wedding trek of surrounding mountains.
We really wanted to keep our wedding day as true to who we were as possible. From our vendors, to the setting, to what we wore and the flow of the day; all of it was really important for us to look back years from now and say that was truly us. And having wonderful vendors too! We wanted people that we could become friends with, could fit right in with our guests and celebrate the day with us.
In true Colorado fashion a short rain storm hit right as our ceremony began. Instead of stressing out because of the weather, we embraced it. Our guests actually loved it and it totally bonded our friends and family. Right as we finished our vows the sun came out and the rain tapered off to a light haze. The photos from our photographer, Levi, were more stunning than we could’ve ever imagined.
We knew we wanted to be a bit more relaxed with a touch of boho-flow. Since our wedding was set in the Colorado mountains, we wanted to make sure we could trek around for photos and fit right in with the mountain views. The wedding dress was Daughters of Simone from Bride KC and the dress had some really unique features with it’s fabric and off the shoulder cut that I fell in love with. The bridesmaids chose their own dresses and we kept the guys pretty relaxed with suit vests and pants to match Adam.
Levi Tijerina is hands down an incredible artist with a heart of gold. His vision starts way before the wedding day, basically from the first day we met him when he invited us over for coffee and wanted to get to know us. His work speaks for itself; not to mention his ability to capture true emotion in any setting is pretty incredible. We were never just another wedding couple to him. He took time to build a friendship with us and reflect our love and wedding day exactly as it was.
Congratulations to Sarah and Adam for embracing the rain that made their ceremony so special and special thanks to Levi Tijerina for capturing such a beautiful and stunning occasion. For more rainy day wedding inspiration, check out this rainy mountain wedding in Quarry Lake Park.
You know those weddings that are so classic, elegant, and effortlessly flawless that you can’t help but fall in love with them? That’s exactly what we felt like when we saw Alistair and Michael’s wedding day at Hawksmoor House! This chic couple brought in the immensely talented planner Megan Kenney at Wedding Concepts to style every inch of their wedding to the nines while keeping it casual and approachable. Both grooms grew up in South Africa, so it was the perfect fit for them to return to their hometown to start the new phase of their life together! From the cozy farmhouse ceremony where they exchanged vows in front of an elegant fireplace to the al fresco reception that featured vibrant florals, vintage place settings, and a canopy of café lights, this wedding is full of dreamy summer wedding inspiration. Photographer Wesley Vorster did an incredible job capturing not only the beautiful details but the laid-back vibe of the entire day!
We had a very particular feeling that we were going for and it was important to us that we create that. We wanted something casually beautiful, elegant without being stuffy, so that the two of us and our friends and family could enjoy a relaxed but happy and magical day.
We live in New York but both grew up in and love South Africa and we wanted to celebrate that – so it was important to us to have al fresco dining, the character of an old Cape farmhouse in the Winelands, and South African wildflowers (fynbos) all around us in the bouquets and on the tables. All the other details flowed from that.
Our processional song was “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers and our recessional song was “Better Together” by Jack Johnson. Both of these struck the right chords for us because they’re romantic and upbeat and a little different.
Since there was no bride, our bridesmaids got to wear white! Our color scheme was a classic palette of navy and white. Each of our bridesmaids wore a different, white, knee-length dress of her choice (relative choice: they were given our shortlist!), and the groomsmen wore navy pants, crisp white, open-collar shirts, and brown leather suspenders.
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However much of a control freak you are, let the small things go on the day! So much thought and planning goes into the wedding that it can be difficult to transition into just enjoying the day, but that is the most important thing you can do. Also, get help! We were planning our wedding from a long way away and it would have been impossible without our amazing wedding planner, Megan from Wedding Concepts to help with ideas, logistics, suppliers, and just generally making the process stress-free and enjoyable!
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We decided to give our speeches during cocktail hour between the service and dinner. It was an informal setting and really helped with our nerves! I could relax and really listen to what Michael was saying, and in my toast to him I could focus only on him. For all the joy of having our loved ones around us, when we toasted each other it was like we were the only two people in the world. I will never forget that feeling.
For our first dance we chose “Ngawe Mama” by Bongiziwe Mabandla. Bongiziwe is an up and coming South African musician who sings in Xhosa, so it was an unusual choice but we both absolutely love his music, the lyrics are beautiful, and this song was playing on the day we got engaged. We had to go for dance lessons in New York in the weeks before the wedding, and everyone in the dance studio ended up falling in love with his music, too!
Congratulations to Alistair and Michael, and an extra special thanks to Junebug member Wedding Concepts for sharing this delightful wedding with us! Want to see more wedding planning magic from this talented team? Check out this modern elegant wedding at Lourensford Wine Estate!
Megan and Garrett’s Arizona wedding was a beautiful blend of boho vibes, a muted color palette, and so many cool desert details! The couple had gotten engaged about 100 yards away from The Paseo, located in a stunning spot that backs up to the Superstition Mountains, so they decided to continue their tradition with the area and tie the knot there. Event planners Sage & Stem and florist Florals By Sadie kept in mind the couple’s design focus of minimalist, earthy, timeless, and desert vibes by designing a gorgeous space full of gauzy fabrics, eucalyptus garlands, and edgy details like geometric shapes and metallic textures. Megan and Garrett are long-time friends of Jonnie + Garrett Wedding Photographers, and you can really feel the love in the resulting photos that the photography team captured of their day!
I just remember reading my letter from him, which I could hardly read through all of my tears (Um hello babe, didn’t I tell you that I had to spend so much money on my makeup, basically cried off even before the ceremony! haha!) He titled it “I CAN’T WAIT” and listed every single thing that he couldn’t wait to do/experience together on our wedding day and for our future together that as husband and wife. I remember my heart feeling so warm and loved. As I folded up my letter I remember Jonnie saying, “Now, are you ready to go see your man!?”
I remember I was so anxious and nervous for the whole morning but right when I saw Garrett I felt calm and peaceful. I remember walking up to him with his back turned with tears still running down my face thinking this is MY sweet husband. The person that I am going to love forever and ever and ever. As he turned around I will never forget his face and the hug he gave me. I know people say its bad luck to see your groom before the ceremony, but man was the the most special experience we had together on our big day.
From the groom: It happened so fast I just remember turning around and being speechless at how beautiful she looked in her dress and all done up. As soon as we were done with our first look, the bridal party came in and we did some group shots. I don’t even remember anything else that was going on, I just remember not being able to take my eyes off my beautiful new bride.
The bridesmaids wore long taupe colored gowns. I didn’t pick a specific style because hello we are not all one shape. I just wanted them to feel comfortable. I love the idea of same color, same length, and different styles. It keeps it cohesive while giving each of them the freedom to their own style. And dang, they looked amazing! They wore simple rose gold earrings and neutral colored shoes.
The groomsmen all wore light gray fitted suits with brown shoes, their bowties were actually custom made with the exact color of the girls bridesmaids dresses. Crazy story: two of the groomsmen showed up with dark charcoal gray suits the MORNING of the wedding instead of light gray. So instead of the boys going shooting as previously planned, they all piled into a suburban and went to the mall to hunt down light gray fitted suits. One of Garrett‘s groomsmen (Austin) is 6’6″ so the mall didn’t have his size ANYWHERE. Another one of his groomsmen (Zach) has an uncle who is Arizona State Senator who is of similar size to Austin. So when the mall failed, Zach called his uncle in desperation and after some convincing the whole groomsmen party piled back in the car and went and raided this state senator’s closet until they found a similarly colored suit for Austin to wear. Crisis averted! Oh ya, Austin ripped the Senator’s pants while getting down on the dance floor. This is a story we will never let him live down.
All of my style inspiration came from staying cohesive with the rest of our wedding design. Neutral, boho, and simplicity. Beauty in the details. I love, love, loved my dress. I wore Rue de Seine‘s (talk about an amazing designer!!) Arrow gown purchased from Lovely Bride in Scottsdale. (The CUTEST bridal salon ever, would so recommend every AZ bride to go here). I feel like my dress was the thing completed our “desert boho” vision. It totally matched the vibe of our venue/decor. As soon as I tried it on I knew it was the one. Every dress following it I compared to “my dress”. I did decide to alter the straps to a simple over the shoulder strap for more support/comfort during dancing. The dress honestly spoke for itself and didn’t need any added belts. My train detail was to die for! I loved the unique lace pattern it had so much dimension and detail.
Keeping it all in perspective was the most important part of planning. Keep it simple and easy breezy. Wedding planning can be stressful and you can want to have every detail be absolutely perfect but at the end of the day its all about you and your partner joining lives together as one with all of your loved ones beside you.
Enjoy every moment. Every single moment, interaction, hug, conversation. Soak it ALL up. Our day went fast, I look back on our wedding photos and I am so grateful our photographers captured the details so wonderfully, the day happens so fast and its hard to take in every single tiny detail that we had spent months agonizing over. Remember that at the end of the day you are marrying your honey and that is something to be celebrated and enjoyed! Every detail is so special but not the main point of the day!
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Our venue backed up to the Superstition Mountains. Garrett had proposed to me about 100 yards east of our wedding venue (we had no idea at the time that it was so close!) it only seemed fitting to continue the celebration of us joining together at a venue near where he proposed! Now the Superstition Mountains are a place we will cherish and can go visit and relive some of our most special memories.
Prior to our wedding, we had met with a pastor of our church do pre-marital counseling with the both of us. This was a great way to get to know him and for him to get to know us. As well as allowed him to speak wisdom into our marriage. From our conversations there, he made a custom ceremony fit specifically to us and intertwined parts of our discussions into our ceremony.
We believe marriage cannot be all that it is designed to be without a solid foundation in Christ. We wanted to show a visual representation of this importance during the unity portion of our ceremony. Though unity candles are great and meaningful, we wanted a visual display that we could hang in our home for years and year. We ordered a custom board off Etsy from Gracefully Made Art. The board referenced the verse Ecclesiastes 4:12– “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Our board said, “a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” To us, this was a perfect visual of what marriage should be. Attached to our board were three rope strands that we braided during our ceremony symbolizing the interlacing of husband and wife, God, and community into a cord of three that together, cannot easily be broken. Without the support of God and the church community husbands and wives can fail. The strength and stability come from the interlacing of each of these elements.
We wanted our wedding to have a timeless feel. Wedding photos are images that we will want to display in our home for forever, neutrals and the desert will never ever ever go out of style. They will never clash. We know that our wedding photos will always be a nice addition to our future home!
Jonnie + Garrett are long time friends of ours. We were actually the first couple they ever shot when they first started! With that history, we knew that we wanted to have them shoot our wedding. We knew they were gonna be great to work with but holy cow, they even exceeded all expectations. They were extremely organized leading up to the wedding as well as day of. They captured each moment genuinely. Nothing is worse than a photographer saying, “Okay now stand there and smile”, Uh no, Jonnie + Garrett are wizards at capturing the raw emotion in each tear, smile, touch, and embrace. They never missed a beat and were completely in control of the larger group shots.
We wanted our wedding to be timeless and let the beauty of our venue speak for itself. When planning, the words we had in mind were a “desert boho” vibe. Keeping with neutrals, bringing in metal accents, and a TON of greenery. Our keywords for inspiration were: minimalist, timeless, classic, desert vibes, earthy. To us there is nothing more distracting to the eye that a neon colored bowtie and accents. We wanted the beauty of the Arizona desert and our love to shine through our photos. Having a muted palette let Jonnie and Garrett capture images that we will never look back on and think, “ahhh what were we thinking!?”.
Garrett and I are both 100% fueled by coffee. It was wayyy too hot to have a coffee bar at our wedding so we thought a cool way to incorporate it into our wedding would be to give it to our guests as a “thanks for coming” treat. We ordered custom bags off Etsy from Poppy & Erie that each held a few ounces of coffee. The bags said “The Perfect Blend, Garret & Megan, and our wedding date.”
Laura and Jamie’s New Zealand wedding was the epitome of effortlessly chic! The couple had a gorgeous waterfront ceremony at Black Jack Scenic Reserve, and chose Kuaotunu Hall as their reception venue for its informal beachy vibes. Laura’s ultimate style icon is Jane Birkin, so she wore a fabulous crocheted Daughters of Simone gown that was inspired by the fashion icon’s own famous wedding dress! Wanting to channel their own home’s relaxed boho décor, Laura and Jamie decorated their wedding with tons of pastel hydrangea-inspired florals, DIY hand-lettering projects, and rustic and vintage touches that created a warm space for their guests to bask in. LaTo Photography captured every moment of the couple’s day beautifully, including their lively wedding party photos in the sand!
The Couple:
Laura and Jamie
The Wedding:
Black Jack Scenic Reserve & Kuaotunu Hall, Kuaotunu, New Zealand
For Jamie and I, we wanted a day that reflected who we were as individuals & a couple, it was important to keep the day intimate with our closest friends and family, amazing food, wine and music were top of the list for the day.
My style icon is Jane Birkin, I love everything about her, and her wedding dress and look was perfect. I had quite a dramatic dress so I kept everything else very low key. I didn’t even paint my nails until I was told to by a bridesmaid!
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We fell in love with the reception hall as soon as we saw it, it was right near the beach, had character and easily could be dressed to suit our relaxed, boho style we had in mind. I dressed the hall exactly how I would decorate my home, we wanted people to walk in and feel our energy in the space and have a homely feel. The overall vibe we wanted people to just feel completely relaxed and informal. I made the table names which were wine corks with name tags inserted by a slit in the cork and a paper flower pinned to the top. Cute!
Jamie’s speech was most memorable for me, he was quite nervous leading up to it and stood up on the day with nothing prepared and straight from his heart, probably the best speech I have heard from a Groom. Also walking into our reception after the photo to “Got To Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye, we were on a absolute high!
Our photographers Laura & Tommy, what can I say. It was like having our good friends photograph the wedding, we just clicked with them and were so incredibly lovely to deal with from the beginning to end. My only regret is not having a drink with them on the day.
Don’t stress when something you have planned or organised falls through, it just means there is something else far better waiting in the wings, believe me! I only choose my dress 3 days before the wedding and had 2 photographers cancel, plus a 100 year storm pass through on the week of the wedding.
Jayne and Nate’s Modesto wedding is about to make all of your burgundy-inspired dreams come true! The bride loves everything floral, so the couple’s wedding was decked out in gorgeous burgundy flowers, tons of greenery, and a touch of pine foliage to reflect their wedding’s winter vibes. From Jayne’s flower crown and lace Calla Blanche gown to Nate’s custom burgundy Indochino suit, we can’t get enough of this couple’s eclectic take on burgundy boho attire. The talented Greg Petersen photographed every moment of Jayne and Nate’s wedding beautifully, including their breathtakingly sweet first look!
I’m a person that loves flowers, plants, and foliage. You could say I take the saying “stop and smell the roses” a little too literally. Flowers and plants make me happy! So that being said I really wanted A LOT of them in my wedding, all over in fact. So while planning I made it a priority to make sure flowers were going to be everywhere in my venue. My flowers were my favorite part about the decorations of my wedding.
I didn’t really wear any accessories other than my wedding ring and a flower crown. I wanted a simple yet elegant look and really wanted my dress to speak for itself. My dress was unique, vintage, and elegant. I loved the open back and that it had lace everywhere, I felt like a fairy the whole day! I wore my hair down with light wavy curls and a fishtail braid. My makeup was done by the amazing Jocelyn McKay, she incorporate our accent color (cranberry) into my eyeshadow, made my eyes pop and look very bold.
My fiancé, Nate, wore a cranberry colored suite. He was able to tailor it and make it however he wanted to on the site Indochino. It stood out and pulled all of our colors and style together.
My husband and I can both agree that our favorite part about our wedding was our first look. Weddings are nerve wracking and when you aren’t able to see you fiancé at all during the day it can be even more nerve wracking. Once we had our first look though, my nerves were definitely calmed. We were able to get excited together that we were finally going to get married in just a few hours!
About a month after I got engaged I was walking in my hometown with my mom, grandma, aunts, and cousin. We were planning and dreaming of what my wedding should look like. We passed by The Century in downtown Modesto and decided to pop in to see what it looked like. As soon as I walked in I knew that was where I was going to get married. It sounds strange but I knew right then. It was beautiful and everything I wanted in my dream wedding. It had open brick everywhere, had fantastic light fixtures, and they handled every little detail that needed to be done in a wedding.
I gave my bridesmaids a different color each and then let them choose their dresses. I wanted their uniqueness and style shine through in the dresses that they chose. (Funny thing is I didn’t even see all of the dresses together until the day before my wedding, but they all looked great together!)
The groomsmen wore grey pants, a mandoin collard white button down, a pair of cranberry colored suspenders, and brown shoes. They didn’t wear any ties or socks, it was a funny thing that my husband really wanted to incorporate into their style!
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My colors were very light light pink, ivory, champagne, and the accent color was cranberry. Our wedding was right after Christmas so we took advantage of that and used a lot of green pine as the foliage. It smelt just like Christmas in our venue.
I think the only advice I would give is to don’t stress! There is so much to plan for a wedding and if something doesn’t go exactly right it could be very stressful. But just remember in the end its not all about the tiny little details its all about you and your best friend getting married!
Nate and I both loved working with our photographers and videographers. We are both somewhat awkward and shy in front of a camera but they made us feel completely comfortable. They were all so nice and we really enjoyed taking pictures and videos. I still love looking at our wedding video and pictures because of how amazing they all turned out! I would recommend Greg Petersen and White Raven Productions to anyone and everyone!!
Congratulations to Jayne and Nate, and a special thanks to Junebug member Greg Petersen for sharing their special day with us. Love this wedding’s natural burgundy décor? Then you’ve got to see this intimate Carmel Valley wedding at Folktale Winery, also shot by Greg Petersen!
Jordyn and Patrick’s wedding at La Playa Beach and Golf Resort combined beach vibes with bohemian decor to create a dreamy and relaxed feel! The couple wanted to give their out-of-town guests a true Florida experience, so they opted for a venue that was right on the beach and chose a neutral and airy color palette of white and ivory with sage green accents. They also kept the details casual and fun with simple florals, DIY decor, and a special hang-out area just for the children. The bride looked stunning in her Grace Loves Lace wedding dress and barefoot sandals, and the groom was equally stylish in an off-white linen suit and sandals. We love how Trenholm Photo captured every beautiful detail and moment of this wedding, especially the couple’s sunset portraits near the water!
I knew what I wanted right away. I have always liked “different”. I found my dress very early on from Grace Loves Lace. The boho beach vibe was what I had been dreaming of since I was a little girl. Once I found the dress, the rest just fell into place!
We always knew we wanted to have a destination wedding. Naples is a very sentimental spot for both of us. Pat grew up going there as a child and has had a condo their his whole life. My family and I frequently visited when I was a child, as well. It’s hard not to fall in love with Naples!
My bridesmaids wore off-white Show Me Your Mumu dresses, which I love because they were able to personalize them. We all wore barefoot sandals and flower crowns. I was also in love with the flower girls dresses! They looked like boho princesses in their off-the-shoulder linen dresses, no shoes, and flower crowns.
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The boys had custom suits made. The boys were able to customize their linings and add their initials in the coat pockets. We wanted them to look nice but still a more causal vibe, so they didn’t wear ties. They left their shirts causally unbuttoned, and they all wore their own belt and sandals of choice. Most of them didn’t wear shoes for the majority of the night, and they roll up the bottom of the pants to look more casual and beachy. They looked so good! All the white tones were gorgeous standing side by side.
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There were so many amazing memorable experiences throughout the day. The most memorable was that my grandpa was able to travel down to Naples to be our officiant. Hearing his voice in our wedding video is a gift I will cherish forever!
Our photographer, Austin of Trenholm Photo, was incredible!!! He has an eye for detail and candidate moments. He gave direction when needed but really captured the feel and vibe of the day, start to finish. He was extremely encouraging and comfortable to work with. His constant encouragement and compliments kept us feeling our best every step of the way. I never felt nervous or uncomfortable. He kept me at ease the whole time.
Kaleidoscope Floral really helped to bring the vision to life. Their choice in flowers sealed the deal! The white flowers with green accents and the pampas grass could not have been more perfect. They really seemed to understand the vision from the beginning, so I let them go with it! The vases and candles running the table were so simple and elegant – it was a boho beach dream!
There were so many DIY projects, the list goes on forever, but some of my favorites were the dream catchers! My mom and aunt made 17 different sized dream catchers for decoration. We had them hanging everywhere! For months before the wedding, we went to second-hand stores looking for different materials or laces to use. They turned out to be gorgeous!! All our of guest were asking were to buy them.
Another favorite DIY was the “kids table.” We bought pillows and rugs so they could have their own hang-out section. They loved it!
To honor both their childhood homes in South Florida and their current home in Brooklyn, Jessica and Séamus combined a relaxed tropical vibe with chic vintage details in their wedding at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture! The florists at Aurora Bontanica created arrangements using lush greenery and pink flowers, which looked gorgeous set against the vintage aesthetic of the historic mansion. With the help of her friends, the bride became a DIY machine, making glitter candles, painting champagne flutes, and even creating silk flower garlands for the reception. The couple also added whimsical touches, such as pink lawn flamingos and a neon sign with the words “Seeing You Blush,” to show off their fun, laid-back personalities. We love how Wild Souls Studio‘s documentary style photography captured the heart and soul of this beautiful wedding!
For my bridal look, I was going for a slinky dress that matched the vintage garden vibe, and wanted all lace. I loved the open back and lace details; it felt romantic but flattered my body. I wore delicate crystal earrings from BHLDN and one of my mom’s crystal bracelets. My shoes were also a favorite: pink sparkly Betsy Johnson pumps!
SHOP SIMILAR
The proximity of the venue was unbeatable — it was just a 10 minute walk from our apartment! We searched all over the city for a venue, but the homeyness of Park Slope captured our vibe. We loved that it was across from Prospect Park to take pictures, and the venue itself was breathtaking. Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture is a Jabobean mansion from the early 1900s with original woodwork, ornate Tiffany glass windows, and intricate molding, which complemented our vintage theme. It had a sprawling garden space and lots of room to roam around, but it still felt intimate. It and almost felt like someone’s home — we felt very comfortable there.
We tried to incorporate people close to us in every way. Something that meant so much to us was being able to incorporate our loved ones in our wedding. Séamus was in a band with his childhood friend Lindsey, who sang at our ceremony. My childhood friend Dani (who is also really close with my husband) married us. That was so special. It felt so much more intimate having a close friend officiate for us. (She was also our day-of coordinator and planner!)
I’ve never been a fan of identical bridesmaid dresses. My friends have different tastes and feel confident in different colors, so I told them the scheme I was thinking of and asked them all to choose a color they liked the most. The palette was light pinks to fuchsia and then light blues to teal. The light to bold scheme worked so well together!
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Our photographers, Christine and Van, were quiet geniuses and knew exactly what angles and moments to shoot. We were super comfortable with them, and all of our wedding guests felt connected to them. We recommend them to everyone getting married!
Séamus and I are both from South Florida, so we were going for a vintage tropical Florida vibe. We incorporated tropical greenery (monsteras and palm leaves) and florals, lawn flamingos, vintage Florida postcards, and key lime tarts to make our many Florida guests feel at home and celebrate where we come from, and the state where we met. We decided to get married in Brooklyn to celebrate our other home, too.
We saw that there was a vintage postcard expo happening in the city one weekend, and found vintage Florida postcards there. So we decided to use them as favors for guests! Some of them were from the 1940s with the sweetest notes from travelers — a real piece of history. We also ordered banana leaf print matches as extra favors for guests that reflected our tropical vibe.
We did a ton of DIY projects! I glitterized pillar candles and taper candles; we bought silk flowers in the flower district to make garlands for oversized balloons; we also spray-painted plastic champagne flutes gold to make them look snazzy. I basically dedicated the few weekends before the wedding to DIY-ing. My friends would come over and we’d make it like a little party! I also became an antique hoarder for a year, collecting fun things like a vintage beer cooler, wooden boxes, and glass bottles.
Processional – “Sea of Love” by
Recessional – “Pants” by Lemuria
First Dance – “At Last” by Etta James
My dad played his saxophone during dancing and I thought it was dorky at first, but I knew it meant a lot to him. While he was playing, I thought about how beautiful it was that he chose to show his love for Séamus and I through music. He played a Frank Sinatra song and it was just adorable.
As a part of DIY-ing, we brought in pieces that were important to us. Séamus‘ childhood friend Tommy is a sculptor and lent us one of his pink neon signs that says, “Seeing You Blush,” which we displayed above one of the venue’s fireplaces. It became the centerpiece and hashtag of our wedding — and kind of this tongue-in-cheek theme that set the tone for the night.
A huge congratulations to Jessica and Séamus, and a special thanks to Junebug member Wild Souls Studio for sharing these gorgeous wedding photos with us! If tropical vibes make your heart skip a beat, check out this classy tropical Colorado wedding at Blanc Denver!
Jordan and Michael’s wedding at Daily Dose Cafe is like a master class in artistry and style. Using vintage details, tons of ambient candle light, and jewel-tone floral arrangements by Shindig Chic, they created a romantic and eclectic vibe that fit perfectly with the Euro-chic venue. Even the surprise rain storm added to the old-world, European feel. The bride put her artistic director skills to good use by designing all of the printed materials and choosing an art deco-inspired Hayley Paige wedding dress. There’s no doubt that photographer Allison Harp was the perfect choice to capture all of unique and expertly designed details of this beautiful wedding!
For my wedding dress, I wanted something that would be timeless and classic. When my mom and I first went looking for “the dress,” I was generally grabbing more form fitting silhouettes, lace, something with a little bit of a vintage feel. They were gorgeous gowns that I really loved– until I saw the one. It was the complete opposite of what I always imagined and was looking for, but I couldn’t stop dancing and twirling once I had it on. It couldn’t fit my personality and style any better! I genuinely love everything about it.
The unique beading on the back made it challenging to find the right accessories, especially one’s that wouldn’t become too busy, distracting, or take away from other details. I knew I wanted something minimal for necklaces and went with a simple lariat from Catbird with another simple, light blue gemstone. I looked at dozens of earrings before deciding, but I think these were the perfect statement earring without taking away. I also wore a vintage diamond bracelet that Michael gave me for our first anniversary dating, something I’ll always cherish but don’t pull out often enough– it was a nice surprise for him, too.
Michael also has stellar style and isn’t one to dress typical in any way. His suit was full of little details that really helped to make it unique and made him stand out. From slightly cropped suit pants with a tuxedo stripe down the sides, maroon socks with a geometric pattern, navy shoelaces, a very subtle tone on tone stripe in his white shirt, and his SUPER unique vintage crossover tie. My man. Always setting the trend.
Seeing each other for the first time at either end of the aisle. Holy cow, I’ll never forget the look on Michael‘s face – I’ve never felt more beautiful or loved than in that moment!
Our advice: You. Do. You. It’s your day and there is nothing more boring than going to a wedding that doesn’t suit the couple and feel like “them.”
We knew something more traditional wouldn’t feel natural for us and it would take more work and decor to make it feel like something that represented us and our style. I feel like we looked at every possible venue in the LA area, as well as Airbnb houses looking for something that naturally had the vibe we wanted. Daily Dose Cafe totally had the whole euro-chic + grunge, eclectic look that just felt right. We immediately fell in love with the vine covered brick wall and graffiti in the alley.
I’m an art director and I’ve always dreamed of designing my own wedding suite. So we DIYed all of our printed materials – save the dates, invites, programs, escort cards (huge props to my mom for helping put that display together with lots of problem solving), any little signs we needed, and the labels for our favors. It was the most fun I’ve ever had designing something for myself.
We are both extremely eclectic, artistic, love everything vintage, and a little grunge, so we knew from the beginning our wedding would reflect that. So many of the elements inspired and helped influence each other bringing everything together in a way that coordinated and wasn’t too overwhelming or mismatched in an ugly way. We wanted tons and tons of candles for that perfect intimate lighting, lots of flowers and greenery to soften some of the grunge mixed-metal accents and other unique elements to make it feel cozy and personalized.
From the very beginning of our relationship, Michael always always made me the best mixed CDs. They were always themed out a little bit, but he put so much thought into the song selection and overall flow/vibe, and it’s something I would always look forward to and get so excited about! Our wedding favor was the ultimate mixed CD with songs that definitely show how eclectic (even in our music taste), completely goofy, and totally in love we are with a few selections from our wedding playlist.
The rain was a total surprise! We are in the heart of LA during one of the worst droughts and there was zero chance of rain, until it started to rain. Our coordinator, Sweet Emilia Jane, was a true life saving hero and picked up several umbrellas on her way to set up just in case. A million THANK YOUs to her! It brought an instant European feeling and made for some killer photos when we were all seated for dinner.
Processional – “Wedding Song” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Recessional – “I’ll Fight” by Wilco
First Dance – “You and Me” by Penny and the Quarters
Our cake topper was this precious vintage piece with delicate lace that belonged to my Nanny and PawPaw when they got married in 1948 on Valentine’s Day. It was so meaningful to have a part of them there for our day – my PawPaw is one of my heroes and fiercely pursued my Nanny her whole life. A huge example of true love to everyone who knew them.
Congratulations to Jordan and Michael, and thanks to Allison Harp for sharing these beautiful wedding photos with Junebug! Love the artsy, art deco vibe the bride channeled in her style? Check out this art deco wedding at the Nasher Sculpture Center!
Inspired by Morocco’s boho chic vibes and the Mediterranean’s effortless beauty, this couple’s wedding in Southern Italy featured an array of exotic textures and whitewashed accents! Stacey, a lifestyle blogger, and Jeffrey spent seven months researching which country to host their destination wedding in, and their hard work paid off: the landscape of Southern Italy was perfect for their event’s multicultural details. The couple incorporated personalized tambourines, handmade tassels, and out-of-this-world reception décor to reflect their love of bohemian-inspired details! We are blown away with the gorgeousness of Andrew Abajian‘s film and Cinzia Bruschini‘s photographic documentation of the couple’s day.
I literally spent 7 months researching far and wide to figure out which country to host our wedding. I had too many visions of what our wedding would be like. At an African Safari in the middle of the Serengeti or on a campsite in the Moroccan desert. We are avid travelers and wanted to experience a trip of a lifetime with our close friends and family. When we go to local weddings, they happen so fast and we rarely ever get to spend quality time with the couple. If we were going to tie the knot, it was a must to celebrate with them in the most exotic locale! We also didn’t really want to spend a gazillion dollars on a city wedding in San Francisco, so a small intimate wedding abroad was perfect!
After a few discussions with my now husband and his requirement for amazing food, we decided on Italy! I got in touch with amazing coordinators, Eva and Francesca. They suggested I come to visit some venues in person, so I took a week off from work and off I went with my sister on an Italian road trip from Tuscany to the very Southern tip of Italy! After 8 visits to chateaus and vineyards, we we’re tired, cranky and over it. Everything started to look the same. We finally went to our last venue visit, which was incredibly far and the furthest one out from the airport. My sister and I literally got stuck driving through unpaved roads in the middle of dry farmlands in the rain! Once we drove up to the pristine, white building of Masseria Potenti, our jaws dropped and as soon as we walked in through the gates, I almost teared up by how beautiful the venue was. It felt like the gates of heaven.
While touring around Puglia, I fell in love with Southern Italy’s gypsy vibe. The tambourines, the music, the food!! It was all too amazing for words. This was another side of Italy that not too many people know about. I decided to mix in Mediterranean, Moroccan Boho Chic with Southern Italy. It felt fun and carefree!
I had a difficult time finding a wedding dress. I went to many shops all over California. I just couldn’t find anything that was me or different from the classic wedding gown. I found one that I really liked at a local bridal shop, but I never really felt like it was “The One.” Then one day, I was on Pinterest pinning away on wedding decor, and I came across a very gypsy like wedding gown from Australia. It stopped me dead in my tracks and I just had to have it! I called them right away and the price fit my budget, so they shipped it within a month! I tried it on and was IN LOVE! I couldn’t take it off, I just loved it so much. I wanted to have even more statement items and chose giant white fringe earrings from Ranjana Khan, and gold cuff bracelets. I felt like a modern gyspy bride. It was perfect for me because I always wear crop tops in the summer due to my petite frame.
I also wanted my bridesmaids to stand out like a fashion runway. They wore whites, creams and golds all with different styles of dresses, textures and fringe. I also had to have a mod pantsuit in the mix!
Our favors were the coolest part of our wedding! We had personalized tambourines hung from the ceiling with colorful ribbons. It was very Puglian and guests used them for dancing. It was the best!
Our advice: Two things! Breathe and step away from that Pinterest board! Second, during your wedding day, take at least 5 minutes to relax and absorb what’s going on around you. You’ll be surprised by the surrealness of it all.
I felt a sense of relaxation and relief when I was sitting down to relax with my new husband while everyone was dining. The feeling felt so surreal to see all the colorful decor and design come to life. After months of planning and stress, it all came together perfectly. Even when watching our friends and family dine together for a meal and enjoying the beautiful warm Puglian night. I remember telling my husband, “I can’t believe we’re really here.” It really felt like a dream come true.”
Cathy and Zach take romantic minimalism to a whole new level in their dreamy and vibrant wedding at One Eleven East. The couple put their focus on making each special person in their life an active and important participant in their wedding day, from floral design to bartending. So, when it came to décor, they kept things super simple. With little more than a brass ceremony arch, a welcome sign, a vintage couch, and long tables for dining, they allowed the natural beauty and light of the charming venue to really shine through. The best part? It also afforded Geoff Duncan the ability to focus on capturing so many incredibly sweet and lovely couple portraits that had us smiling from beginning to end!
We both wrote letters to one another to read separately before our first look. We had a friend leave them in the bride’s and groom’s suite so we could read them while we got ready. During our dating and engagement season, I (Cathy) kept a journal documenting a lot of special memories including some of our early dates, our first kiss, the moment we both said we love each other, and the day that Zach got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I gave this to Zach along with the letter I wrote him, and a handkerchief with his initials embroidered on it to keep in his pocket on the wedding day.
The most important thing for us in planning our wedding was remembering what it was about — we believe that marriage is a depiction of Christ’s unbreakable love for his church, the bride, and in all that we did we wanted to keep Him at the focus. We wanted it to be one big celebration of the our unbreakable commitment to one another, and we wanted all of our close friends and family to be there with us to witness the promise we made to each other before God.
It was really important to us that our close friends and family be there to celebrate the act with us. We planned our wedding and really wanted people in our lives who walked closely by our side in our dating and engagement season to be not only our bridesmaids and groomsmen, but also be involved in making the celebration happen. Our setup/flip/tear down team, officiant, bartenders, DJ, photographer, florist, and day of coordinator were all really close and special friends (just to name a few of those who were involved).
Now, when we think back to the wedding day, so many faces come to mind — we associate the photos with Geoff, the flowers with my friend Emily, the desserts with my close girl friends, etc. Having specific names and faces matched to all of the details just made everything feel that more special — we knew that the people who we love sacrificed in so many ways for us because they supported our marriage. It was such a blessing to have help from our close community of friends; we truly felt so loved and celebrated, and wouldn’t have wanted it done any other way.
Our first look was a really special moment for us both but, to our surprise, we both agree that if we had to pick one moment it was when our officiant and close friend presented us as Mr. and Mrs. Conley! We held hands, turned around, and saw a sea of all of our close friends and family stand and applaud us. It was so overwhelming to see all of the faces who we love support our marriage. There was just so much joy and love that radiated in that room, and it was definitely a moment we will always treasure.
Here is our advice for the bride and groom: At the end of the day, remember, you’re going to be married. You’ll say “I do” and be in the closest relationship that you’ll ever be with another — the man (or woman) who you love. It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the details and stress about all of the little things. If you keep this in mind when things start to feel a little out of control and overwhelming, you’ll feel a lot more at ease and all of a sudden the small details just won’t seem that big.
We wanted the venue to be relatively close to Austin (where we met and live). When we started looking, we heard about a fairly new venue in the small, cute old town of Hutto, which is about 45 minutes north of Downtown Austin. It didn’t take us long to know that this was the winner. We absolutely loved the space — the wood floors, white walls, beautiful natural lighting. It was gorgeous! We wanted to get married in the afternoon, so the great lighting just affirmed our decision. We also wanted minimal decor and, because the venue was so beautiful, we didn’t have to add too many of our own decorations!
Congratulations to Cathy and Zach, and a special thanks to Junebug member Geoff Duncan for sharing these beautiful wedding photos with us! Love this couple’s minimalist vibe? Check out all the magic Haley and Bill created in their minimalist botanical wedding in a London backyard!
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