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7 Celestial Wedding Ideas to Leave Your Guests Starry-Eyed

July 10, 2022 | riley

Image by Love to the Core Photo. Keep scrolling to see our favorite celestial wedding ideas

If your love is written in the stars, then boy, do we have a theme for you. Think of a dark, moody color palette, decor that will have you starry-eyed, and otherworldly accessories. If you’re loving the celestial wedding theme but you’re unsure how to pull it off, you’re in luck because you don’t need a telescope to see these ideas. We’ve rounded up our most out-of-this-world celestial wedding ideas to help you bring one of the most popular wedding trends to life. From face glitter to cosmic seating charts, keep scrolling to see how you can pull off the astronomical aesthetic for your special day.

Celestial Wedding Ideas

1. Invitations

Let your star-themed nuptials shine from the very get-go with these space-inspired invitations. You can incorporate your and your future spouse’s zodiac signs and birth charts or go with a more realistic approach and opt for galaxy patterns.

Shop celestial invitations: Bohemian Full Moon Wedding Invite; Under Starry Night Sky Wedding Invitation Suite; Constellation Stars Wedding Invitation; Moon & Stars Wedding Invitation; Till Death Do Us Part Tarot Sun And Moon Wedding Invite

2. Wooden Moons

From ceremony backdrops to seating charts to chair decor, there are multiple different ways you can incorporate wooden moons into your decor. Like more than one? Incorporate them all. It’s your big day, after all.

3. Accessories

Your wedding fashion doesn’t stop at clothing. Once you have your dream attire picked out, it’s important to accessorize. From earrings to hair accessories to customized jackets that will keep you warm on cooler nights, these will have you looking wedding-ready while also being on theme.

Earrings

Shop similar earrings:

Hair Accessories

Image by Rubi Z Photo

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Jackets

Shop celestial bridal jackets: To The Moon & Back Celestial Biker Jacket; Celestial Zodiac Star Constellation Biker Jacket; Aurora Bespoke Bridal Denim Jacket; My Sun, My Moon, And All My Stars Bridal Jacket; Personalized Black Denim Bridal Jacket

Headbands

Shop celestial headbands: Celestial Star Headband; Crystal Star Headband; Starburst Halo Crown; Gold Star Crystal Headpiece; Bridal Goddess Halo Crown; Silver Star Halo Crown Tiara

4. Cake

The best part about hosting a celestial wedding is the freedom that it gives you with your wedding cake. Opt for a black cake to fit in with the space vibes, add constellations with gold paint, or keep it simple and incorporate a celestial-inspired cake topper.

Shop celestial cake toppers: Moon and Stars Cake Topper; I Love You to the Moon and Back Cake Topper; Gold/Silver Leaf Moon Wedding Cake Topper; Written In The Stars Cake Topper; Moon of My Life, My Sun, and My Stars Cake Topper

5. Makeup

For those who aren’t afraid to stand out and break the traditional mold one might expect to find at a wedding, consider tying the theme in with your makeup. Think of a lot of silver or gold glitter and stars.

Shop face glitter:

6. Hanging Decor

There’s something about hanging stars above a reception dinner that makes you feel as if you’ve been transported into another world. Not to mention the fact that the lanterns double as beautiful decor and lighting. Bonus: you can repurpose the glass lanterns in your own home or backyard once the wedding is over.

Shop hanging decor: Handmade Glass Moroccan Glass Star Lantern; Solid White Stars Cut-Out Paper Star Chinese Lantern; Moravian Star Folding Paper Lantern; Nine Point Origami Lantern

7. Signage

There is so much signage that goes into a wedding–welcome signs, bar menus, programs, seating charts, and more. Because this is pretty much everywhere you look, it’s by far the easiest way to incorporate the celestial theme into your special day.

Welcome Sign

Image by Gretchen Gause

Shop celestial welcome signs: Minimal Celestial Welcome Sign; Watercolor Zodiac Constellation Welcome Sign; Tarot Celestial Welcome Sign; Starry Night Wedding Welcome Sign

Seating Charts

Shop celestial seating charts: Moon and Stars Wedding Table Plan; Minimal Celestial Seating Chart; Celestial Zodiac Seating Plan; Modern Arched Celestial Seating Plan; Celeste Arched Boho Seating Chart

Table Numbers

Shop celestial table numbers: Navy & Gold Celestial Table Numbers; Art Deco Foiled Astrology Table Numbers; Starry Night Table Numbers; Moon and Stars Table Numbers

Place cards

Shop celestial place cards: Acrylic Moon Place Card; Moon Shaped Gold Foil Place Card; Starry Night Celestial Place Card; Minimalist Celestial Place Card; Gold/Silver Leaf Moon and Star Wedding Place Cards

If you’re having a hard time envisioning how you can tie these celestial wedding ideas into your special day, check out these five steps for making a wedding mood board. Creating a visual guide can help you visually explain what you’re hoping for so your talented vendor team can bring the vision to life!

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Boho Hotel Luna Mystica Elopement

July 1, 2022 | riley

After falling in love with the panoramic mountain views, unique retro campers, and starlit campgrounds of Hotel Luna Mystica, Jimilyn and Kelly decided to return a year later to elope. They took it as a sign to tie the knot at their favorite spot when their Junebug member Maggie Grace Photography was available to document their special day. Sharing a love for travel and adventure, they set out to make their dream elopement a reality in just a week!

With a fresh blanket of snow covering the landscape, the pair kicked off their big day with a fun snowy first dance in their matching sleep shirts. After changing into their effortlessly stylish wedding attire, the couple walked hand-in-hand down the aisle leading to the ceremony circle and stone pillars framing the mountains. They exchanged beautiful heartfelt vows just as the sun was setting behind them.

Because of the spontaneity, the couple pretty much DIY’d every aspect of their celebration—from the dried floral bouquet and boutonniere to the boho-themed tablescape for two at their camper reception. And it reflected their laid-back and carefree style perfectly. An elopement is the most romantic way to make it just about the two of you and every detail of Jimilyn and Kelly’s big day is proof of that. Scroll through these gorgeous photos captured by Junebug member Maggie Grace Photography. This Luna Mystica elopement will have you wanting to adventure to the nearest vintage trailer campground.

The Couple:

Jimilyn & Kelly

The Wedding:

Hotel Luna Mystica, Taos, New Mexico

Why A Hotel Luna Mystica Elopement

Hotel Luna Mystica is a quaint little vintage RV park surrounded by the mountains of Taos. Each camper has its own unique personality and name. We stumbled upon this location when planning our first New Mexico trip in 2021 and absolutely fell in love with the homey, welcoming atmosphere and gorgeous mountain views right off our front porch. There is even a ceremony circle, including two large pillar stones and a circle of string lights. When we first saw this spot last year, we both looked at each other and knew we had to get married there.

Shop similar sleep shirts: Cotton Bridesmaid Pajamas + Lingerie Shirt Dress

Recommended Reading: Should I Have A First Look?

Eloping Allowed Them To Share Intimate And Personal Vows Freely

The most memorable part of our whole elopement experience was how intimate our ceremony was. We chose to tell only close friends prior and to have no guests outside of our wedding day team. This allowed us to make our day perfect–exactly how we wanted it to be–without any pressure from others. We were able to read each other our own vows and make our unique promises to each other. It also allowed us to be more present in the moment by being able to leave everything from home behind.

Wedding Planning Advice: Create A Day That Truly Represents You And Your Partner

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, but don’t let yourselves lose sight of the most important aspect—celebrating your and your partner’s love for one another. There are no rules. This day is all about you. We are so proud that we eloped and planned every detail of our wedding, including 18 hours of travel in a week! There were a few mishaps, but all of our late nights of planning, crafting, and shopping honestly turned out so unbelievably perfect, and we could not have imagined it all happening any other way.

Junebug Member Maggie Grace Photography Was Their Dream Photographer

We had our dream photographer picked out for a while. Maggie made us feel so comfortable from the moment we met her. She also stayed in a camper on the grounds, close to us. The night Maggie arrived, she made sure to come to our camper for a drink and discuss wedding day plans. During our photography session, she genuinely made everything feel so natural. Some of the most intimate photos she captured were of us simply being ourselves in her presence, and she captured those moments beautifully. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person to document our special day and definitely feel like we made a friend for a lifetime.

Recommended Reading: Warm Up Your Wedding Look With These Bridal Jackets

Handmade Details That Made The Elopement Experience Even More Special

Due to our spontaneity, just about every aspect of our wedding was DIY‘d. Before leaving for our trip, many late nights and early mornings consisted of crafting and creating. First, we went to a boutique plant shop with a pick-your-own dried floral bar. We brought home enough florals to make Kelly’s bouquet, my boutonniere, and the accent piece on my hat. We also designed and printed signs and a banner that perfectly fit our aesthetic to decorate our camper. One thing we were excited about was our intimate post-ceremony dinner. We thrifted the perfect dishes and created our place settings, including matching “bride and bride” place cards. It made for many special date nights being able to plan out and put our own decorations together.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Maggie Grace
Venue – Hotel Luna Mystica
Floral Design – Baton Rouge Succulent Company
Makeup Artist – Angie Evans

 

Congratulations to Jimilyn and Kelly on their boho Hotel Luna Mystica elopement. And big thanks to Junebug member Maggie Grace Photography for beautifully capturing the energy and love of their day. To get inspired by more love stories like this one, check out her profile in our directory of photographers from around the world. 

From an epic snowy location to an unconventional timeline, Jimilyn and Kelly’s elopement shows us what an intentional wedding can look like. The beautiful thing about eloping is that you can truly create a day that truly reflects you and your partner without having to sacrifice a single intimate moment. If you think that an elopement is right for you, check out our elopement planning guide packed with tips and ideas for inspiration.

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Intimate and Luxe Palace Garden Wedding Inspiration

May 25, 2022 | riley

Flourishing wildflowers and crawling greenery combined with regal romantic details—this palace wedding inspiration shows how understated elegance can beautifully blend with opulence to create a modern wedding fairytale. Beth Beresford Photography and a team of talented vendors played off the grand architecture and ornate interiors of the Shrubland Palace. By using creative displays of blooms by The Fleur Girl, the team showcased a nature-meets-luxe vibe. 

With a color palette of sage green, blush, and white—massive wildflower pillars complemented the intricate detailing and bespoke panels for the ceremony at the library. The same towering pillars were used to frame the exquisite three-tier cake by Kerry Ann Cake Designs for the reception at the greenhouse. From the whimsical tablescape with gauzy and antique gilded accents down to the loose and airy florals—there’s an undeniable sense of magic in bringing the wild floral garden setting indoors.

A dreamy and grand venue like this calls for sophisticated attire, and it’s all about timeless style. If you can’t get enough of this ethereal wedding theme, scroll through these gorgeous photos captured by Beth Beresford Photography. This styled shoot has so much palace wedding inspiration that you can use for an unforgettable celebration.

Photographer’s Insights On This Palace Wedding Inspiration

This was a concept I wanted to do for a long time. Shrubland Palace is a 16th-century private residence of a previous royal and was newly opened as a wedding venue on the outskirts of Ipswich. As an Italian palazzo-style residence, you almost forget you’re in England with its incredibly unique interior.  The greenhouse hasn’t been styled for a wedding before, and it’s the most beautiful inspiration for intimate luxury. We wanted it to represent wild love with a secret garden vibe and the emerging trends we’re starting to see for spring. We kept the style clean, elegant, and simple so it wouldn’t take away from the incredible location.  

The Talented Team:

Photography – Beth Beresford
Venue – Shrubland Palace
Floral Design – The Fleur Girl
Catering – Suffolk Grazing Co
Cake – Kerry Ann Cake Designs
Officiant – B Celebrant
Videography – Konjo Photography & Videography
Invitation Design – Petal and Paper Co
Makeup Artist – Emily Chantal
Hair Styling – Glow Occasion Hair
Wedding Dress – The Wedding Shop
Rentals – Anthology Vintage Hire
Place Cards + Signage – Bewilderly

 

Thank you to Beth Beresford Photography for capturing and sharing this intimate and luxe palace wedding inspiration with us!

From florals to attire, your venue will guide the aesthetic for your big day. Choosing a venue will be the first big choice you need to make at the beginning of your wedding journey. But before you and your partner book the venue of your dreams, check out our planning and budget guides to help you navigate this important decision.

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Warm and Intimate Garden Wedding

March 4, 2022 | riley

When you combine a charming garden, rustic DIY details, two stunning bridal styles, and heartwarming moments you get a unique and memorable experience. With the help of their planner Jade O’Donovan, Leigh and Chloe’s intimate garden wedding was just that. 

Set at a family home and garden, the couple chose to tie the knot in the lush green corner of their backyard. Keeping their wedding dresses a surprise from each other, the brides did a big reveal with a twist so they could both have their moments. And it was well worth the wait—Chloe looked radiant in her off-the-shoulder dress with flutter sleeves and Leigh’s intricately hand-embroidered floral veil was just as beautiful. 

They had one goal in mind for their reception and it was for everybody to have fun. The couple kicked things up a notch by turning their garden shed into a rustic bar complete with a prosecco wall and lots of signature drink choices. Because of all of the drink options and Leigh is a nurse, a hangover kit was a thoughtful (albeit cheeky) preemptive wedding favor given to guests. It had all the essentials—water, paracetamol, and even all the fixings to make the ultimate Irish party snack, the Tayto sandwich!

From the hand-painted place cards and signs to the creative decor and finishing touches, the couple dedicated a lot of time and effort to create a dreamy scene and cozy atmosphere for their loved ones. And their hard work definitely paid off. To see their wedding journey and every romantic hand-crafted detail, scroll through their beautifully captured memories from Susie Kelly.

The Couple:

Leigh and Chloe

The Wedding:

Private Home, Wicklow, Ireland

It Was The Intimate Garden Wedding They Were Dreaming Of

We are really proud of the vision we had and being able to put it into action on the day. We spent hundreds of hours in lockdown making personalized things for the day and for our guests. Everyone told us it was such a unique wedding and the best they had been to. So our hard work paid off!

They Put Their Own Spin On The Big Bridal Reveal

We decided as two brides we both should have that “wow” top-of-the-aisle moment while keeping it traditional. So, we did a reveal. Leigh walked up the aisle first and then a white silk sheet was held in front of her. Then Chloe walked up the aisle and when she got to the top, the sheet was dropped. It was a really emotional moment for both of us as we kept our dresses a secret from each other until that moment.

A Unique Ceremony That Will Give You The Feels

We asked really close family and friends to say a reading, prayer, poem, quote, or anything they wanted. We told them to leave it as a surprise for us on the day. However, we asked everyone to start with “I’m here because” and share how they knew us. It made the ceremony so personal, intimate, and emotional for everyone. We also asked a close family friend to officiate the wedding and she kept what she was going to say a surprise from us. So we chose people individually to take part in our ceremony but the whole thing was a surprise for us both.

 

Thoughtful and Fun Wedding Favors

Our main wedding favor was a bottle of water and two paracetamol, which in Ireland is used as a hangover cure. We wanted to put in this element as a fun nod to Leigh being a nurse. For the end of the night we put together a “make your Tayto crisp sandwich” bag. In Ireland, a Tayto crisp sandwich is a traditional drunk snack. We also put in a box of matches titled “The perfect match, Leigh & Chlo.”

DIY Wedding Details

We did a lot of DIY for the wedding. We both made and painted individual name cards for everyone. Also named each table somewhere special to us. We made the centerpieces out of old wine bottles collected during our planning. The garden shed was transformed into a rustic bar for the night using fairy lights, pictures, and hanging flowers. We placed buckets with blankets in them around the garden, titled “to have and to hold, in case you are cold.” There was also a family and friend slideshow to project on the wall in the garden for everyone to enjoy. There was so much more we designed and planned but the list is very long!

Wedding Planning Advice From The Newlyweds

As stressful as it is planning a wedding, you do have to try to put time aside to organize things. We recommend a wedding planner if it’s in the budget. We had a fabulous planner, Jade O’Donovan, who eased so much stress. But the most important thing is that on the day you have to let go of what was or wasn’t done because it can’t be changed on the day. So just enjoy it. Plan and designate time just the two of you together, too.  It’s your wedding and you have to have time to celebrate as a couple, even just for 20 minutes.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Susie Kelly Photography
Event Planning – Jade O’Donovan
Floral Design – Floral Affairs Arklow
Catering – The Jailers Rest + Eoin Whelan
Makeup Artist + Hair Styling – Keira Smyth
Rings – T.J Gelletlie Jewellers

 

Congratulations to Leigh and Chloe on their warm and intimate garden wedding. And big thanks to Susie Kelly Photography for capturing the love, the laughs, and everything else in between.

Garden weddings just like this one, can turn out to be quite extraordinary and touching. If you’re looking to put a spin on your own garden wedding that best fits you as a couple, check out our ultimate guide to planning an LGBTQ+ wedding!

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Beautifully Boho Astrology Inspired Wedding

February 16, 2022 | riley

 

When Victoria and Michael thought about their wedding and what they wanted it to look like, they knew that astrology would play a big part. With that in mind, they set their sights on all of the details that would make up the astrology-inspired wedding of their dreams. 

With the help of Junebug planner Brehant Creations, that’s exactly what they had. From the crystal seating chart and the moon ukulele guestbook to the perfectly terracotta color palette for it all, these are gorgeously boho nuptials you won’t want to miss. And thanks to the gorgeous photos captured by Abigail Renee Photography, you won’t. So keep scrolling and get your Pinterest boards ready for lots of star sign inspiration.

The Couple:

Victoria and Michael

The Wedding:

The Lace Factory, Deep River, Connecticut, United States

Recommended Reading: Denim Jackets For Any Wedding Style

Astrology Inspired Wedding Vision

We spent a lot of time thinking about the smallest details to make our day special and really curate an entire vibe. We were so lucky that our vendors were so on board with this vision and just as excited about it as we were. My vision from day one was to have a seating chart using crystals for each guest. This was brought to life by our planner and calligrapher, who made the signs. I sourced all the crystals from Etsy and local shops. I specifically chose crystals within our color scheme. This display came out so cool, and the crystals were a really unique favor for guests. 

Special Zodiac Sign Details

With the help of Chrissy Marie Designs, we were also able to get zodiac sign necklaces and boutonniere charms for the whole bridal party. This was probably one of my favorite details. I also DIY’d the place cards, which included guest names and zodiac signs. This was such a fun detail for our guests, and it was fun for us to learn everyone’s signs.

Choosing The Lace Factory As Their Venue

We pretty much settled on The Lace Factory before we were even engaged. We went there one day for brunch and then rode the Essex Steam Train. It was a blast. The Lace Factory had the vibe we wanted and it was so cool that our guests could take the steam train to our wedding. We didn’t get to ride the train with our guests. But the train did come back after our ceremony to take some photos on it with our wedding party. Those ended up being some of our favorite photos so we’re so glad they were able to come back.

 

The Most Memorable Parts of the Day

There were so many memorable moments, but two definitely stick out for us. The first was the actual wedding ceremony. It was incredible to finally be there with all the people we love together in the same place. Our ceremony was officiated by a close family friend who took so much time to write a beautiful and personal ceremony. We had live music from our friends Rad and Kell, which also made the ceremony incredibly special. I walked down the aisle to “Crystal” by Fleetwood Mac, and our recessional song was “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. The other most memorable moment was seeing our reception space. After months of working on all the decor and design, it was awesome to see it all come to life. It was so breathtakingly beautiful and even more magical than we ever could have imagined.

Shop Similar Bridesmaid Gowns:

Their Wedding Planning Advice

If it’s within your budget, get a wedding planner! We hired our planner, Sarah Brehant of Brehant Creations, very early in the planning process. We had a very specific design vision that we knew we could not bring to life alone. Having Sarah kept us sane and on track with the wedding planning process. Wedding planners are especially helpful in those last few weeks leading up to the wedding when your head is spinning with all the final details. Also, having her and her team the day of the wedding allowed us to sit back and relax, knowing everything would go off without a hitch.

Personalizing This Astrological Ceremony

We had a close friend officiate our wedding, and she took the job very seriously. She sent us questions about things like our love story, our favorite things about each other, and where we see ourselves in the future. She also interviewed our family members and even contacted an astrologer that read our birth charts and the astrology of our wedding date to provide insight. Throughout her process, she met with us several times to go over the things we wanted to include, and she wrote rough drafts with different wording for us to choose from. We wanted the ceremony to be spiritual, meaningful, uplifting, and include a hand-fasting ceremony. She worked in everything for us. Before the ceremony, she even came early to cleanse the space with incense. Everything she did really made it such a beautiful sacred space and ceremony for us to share our vows. 

DIY Details For The Astrology Inspired Wedding

I’m an avid DIY-er, but for my own sanity, the number of DIY projects I took on for my own wedding was small. Knowing that I would have enough on my plate as the bride, I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with DIY projects. To keep it at a minimum I only did a few projects like DIY’ing the place cards using acrylic arches I got from Etsy. To do it I painted the backs, used my Cricut to add guest names and zodiac signs, and then fastened a tassel to each one. I also DIY’d the crystal cards for each guest. I made these on Adobe Illustrator and then printed and cut them with my Cricut. Then I sewed the handfasting cord we used during the ceremony using extra fabric from my wedding dress. For the card box, I bought a clear acrylic card box online, painted the inside, and then put our names on it using my Cricut. The last few things I DIY’d were our wedding weekend timeline and wedding welcome bags for the hotel guests. The majority of our guests were from out of town, so it was very important to us to have thoughtful welcome bags for them.

 

The Wedding Day Menu

Cloud 9 Catering served the most delicious meal. While we didn’t do anything special for the menu, the way it was served was very special. When we first toured The Lace Factory, we found out they did family-style meals as a catering option which we loved the idea of. However, once COVID hit, they stopped doing family-style meals. It wasn’t until our final walkthrough where we happened to ask that they told us that family-style dinners were back. We were so excited to have that option for our guests to try both entrees!

 

Especially Special Wedding Favors

We did give out wedding favors, but they were very non-traditional. We had an awesome crystal seating chart where each table was themed with a different crystal. There was a crystal with a card that said the crystal name and its properties at each place setting. This was a way for our guests to take a little magic home with them from our wedding. As an added bonus, they served as beautiful table decor and brought in good vibes.

Congratulations to Victoria and Michael on their beautiful boho astrology inspired wedding. Special thanks to Junebug planner Brehant Creations for sharing it with us. To see more of their incredible work, check out their portfolio in our directory of vendors from around the world.

If you’re feeling inspired to plan your own creative wedding, get started with our unique wedding planning guide! 

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Abigail Renee Photography
Event Planning – Brehant Creations
Venue – The Lace Factory
Floral Design – Earth Blossoms Floral & Event Design
Catering – Cloud 9 Catering
Cake – For Goodness Cakes Desserts
Officiant – Teresa Regan
DJ – Signature Sounds DJ & Uplighting
Live Music – Rad and Kell
Videography – Earth + Sun Co.
Invitation Design – Summit & Sage Design Co.
Makeup Artist – Transcendent Makeup
Hair Styling – All Dolled Up
Wedding Dress – Everthine Bridal Boutique
Rings – Lauren B Jewelry
Rentals – Wylde Rose Events
Transportation – Essex Steam Train
Flower Girl Dresses & Place Cards – Sew Knotty Crafts Co.
Bride Jewelry + Hair charms, Bridesmaids Jewelry, + Groomsmen Boutonniere Charms – Chrissy Marie Designs
Mod installations – EMU Studio
Tabletop Rentals – Petals & Plates
Linen – BBJ Linen
Acrylic Signage – Kate’s Calligraphy
Guestbook & Vow Books – Luna Paper Company
Bridesmaids Velvet Robes – Hayden Harlow PR
Cheesecloth Table Runners – Snassy Crafter
Bride Heels – Forever Soles
Bride Hat – Lack of Color
Pocket Squares – ETON

 

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Utterly Charming Chateau Sonoma Farm Wedding

January 25, 2022 | kailey

From the touching LGBTQ ceremony readings to the pronoun badges distributed during the reception—Erin and Grey’s utterly charming Chateau Sonoma farm wedding was truly heartwarming. Their wedding vision was a celebration that not only incorporated their personalities and unique love story into all the details. They also wanted their big day to be an opportunity to turn their values into meaningful action by supporting women entrepreneurs and hiring an all-female wedding team.

So it was only fitting that they chose the female-run Chateau Sonoma for their celebration—with its stunning scenery, sprawling grounds, gorgeous barn, vintage French charm, laid-back vibe, and great wine. To complete the rustic chic look, vibrant wildflowers were used by florist Wren of Sprout and Stem in bouquets and arrangements. The couple also made stunning individual style statements—with Erin in a timeless wedding gown and Grey in a beige suit and floral tie. 

From the heartwarming first look and the fun first dance, to the messy cake smash and the epic pool jump—scroll down to see all of these beautiful moments captured by photographer Apollo Fotographie!

The Couple:

Erin and Grey

The Wedding:

Sonoma, California, United States 

An All-Female Wedding Team

I am most proud of the incredible local female vendors we used for the wedding! Wren from Sprout and Stem, Liv from Apollo Fotografie, Perla from Two Mamacitas, and Sarah from Chateau Sonoma were all so supportive, loving, and brought their unique and beautiful personalities to our day. A wedding is a great opportunity to support your local economy and put your money where your heart is! 

Hosting A Covid-Friendly Chateau Sonoma Farm Wedding

What was most important was planning a COVID-proof wedding. We didn’t want the stress of having to cancel and reschedule or risk getting anyone sick to celebrate our wedding. To do this, we kept our list small, held the entire event outdoors, and communicated safety measures to our guests for before, during, and after the wedding!

Wedding Planning Advice From The Newlyweds

Stay true to yourselves, keep it authentic and real. During the planning process, we received a lot of messages about the “right” way to do a wedding and it didn’t always fit with our personalities or for a queer wedding. Instead of getting caught up in what is expected of our wedding, we focused on what reflected our love and ourselves—including picking the term Broom for Grey. It was a lot less stressful once we focused on why we were getting married!

An Authentic Wedding Ceremony

It was important for us to acknowledge those who paved the way for us to legally wed as a queer couple in our ceremony. We asked our family friend Shelagh to officiate our wedding and collaborated with her to incorporate quotes from the same-sex marriage supreme court ruling and LGBTQ+ writers and advocates including Glennon Doyle and Maya Angelou. She kept most of the ceremony a secret from us, and we were blown away by how beautifully she captured and validated our love as a queer couple.

Sustainable Wedding Favors

Our wedding favors were mini potted succulents that doubled as place cards for dinner. Erin and Grey made wooden name tags and the florist Wren provided the potted succulents. We wanted a favor that was personal, memorable, and sustainable!

DIY Details With The Help Of Family

Yes, we DIY’d quite a bit with a lot of help from our creative sisters! Erin’s sister Candace designed the name cards, invitations, and signs and Erin and Grey engraved them on a Glowforge. Erin and Grey are civil engineers, and so Grey drafted a map complete with engineering scale on AutoCad for the event. Grey’s sister Emily made a funfetti wedding cake and decorated it with flowers provided by the florist. Erin’s sister Allison did Erin’s hair.

Epic Way To End The Wedding Day

The most memorable part of the day was jumping into the pool! The perfect end to a hot wedding day, plus it made for the perfect photo op.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Apollo Fotographie
Event Planning –
Ceremony Venue – Chateau Sonoma
Reception Venue –
Floral Design – Sprout and Stem
Catering – Two Mamacitas
Cake – Emily Melgard
Invitation Design – Candace Shankel Miller

Congratulations to Erin and Grey on their utterly charming Chateau Sonoma Farm wedding. We are grateful that Apollo Fotographie was there to capture the heartwarming moments of their beautiful day. 

Every wedding planning process begins with a vision and it should be unique in all the ways your love story is. But, figuring out which ideas truly fit your vision can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to create a wedding mood board to help streamline the process, keep you focused, and make the experience a lot less stressful! And it’s a great visual tool you can use to communicate your vision to your wedding team. Your wedding mood board, along with our planning guide tailored for LGBTQ couples, will help ensure that you and your wedding team will stick to your vision and create a wedding that is memorable in all the ways that is authentic to you and your partner.

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Glamorous Four Day Wedding in Italy

November 22, 2021 | riley

Brenda and James’ four day wedding is just jaw-droppingly gorgeous in its own right. It started with a fun and traditional pizza and pasta party to welcome friends and family, followed by a fabulous trip to Capri Island on a beautiful boat the next day. 

The ceremony and reception at the panoramic terrace of the Villa Oliviero, overlooking the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by lush cascading foliage and white flowers, was nothing short of magical. They wrapped up the celebration with a relaxing day at the beach club on the spectacular Amalfi Coast. The couple pulled out all of the stops when it came to their glamorous four day wedding in Italy. 

The well-traveled couple had never been to the striking and enchanting town of Positano. But with the help of their planner and Junebug member Erin Lindeman, all the planning and coordinating was an amazing and seamless experience. Florist Giuseppe transformed their luxury cliff top villa with the most beautiful floral installations, making every corner divine, romantic, and picturesque. Scroll down and be inspired to plan your dream destination wedding with these stunning photos by Rachel Black.

The Couple:

Brenda + James

The Wedding:
Positano, Italy

 

An Exciting First Look

I had been waiting so long to show my dress to him during our first look. Finally it came and we took a little buggy into town, down the mountain, and it was so magical. I had never been happier to take photos and just have a moment with just the two of us. 

 

 

A Personalized Ceremony

We wrote our own vows and had my sister and my husband’s best friend say a verse from the Bible. We also had our children pour sand with us into a jar to blend our family as one, uniting us all together. It was really special.

Creative Wedding Favors

We gave cigars and personalized matches for the guys, as well as hand-calligraphed agate place cards personalized for each guest. They were beautiful, simple, and easy to travel back home with. 

DIY Wedding Scrapbook

My Maid of Honor made a scrapbook and had it set up for each person to sign with Polaroid cameras on the table to take a photo and paste it into the book. I look at it all the time!

Planning A Four Day Wedding with Erin Lindeman

I am someone who usually loves to do the planning myself but the best decision I made was hiring Erin, our wedding planner. She was everything and more. Don’t always feel like you need to do it all yourself, especially for this huge event. Find the right people for everything, be patient, and everything else will fall into place.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Rowanberry Lavender
Event Planning – Lindeman Weddings and Events
Venue – Villa Oliviero
Floral Design – Floragarden
Officiant – Iole Celebrant
Live Music – Marco Cantarella
Invitation Design – Momental Designs
Makeup Artist – Nicole Story
Wedding Outfits – Rue de Seine
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – BHLDN

 

Congratulations to Brenda and James and their two adorable children! And thank you to Rachel Black for capturing every awesome detail and moment in this four day wedding.

A destination wedding is a once in a lifetime and unforgettable experience you can share with your loved ones. Let yourself dream big and make your destination wedding dream come true with our planning guide.

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Fun, Heartfelt, and Intentional Warehouse Wedding

November 12, 2021 | kailey

A photo booth, a disco ball lit dance floor, and a whole lot of love—these are the ingredients to a truly unique celebration. Liam and Arnel wanted a day filled with their favorite people in their favorite city and that’s exactly what they got. With a historic venue, cozy color palette, and DIY decor, this Chicago warehouse wedding is serving up inspo you’ll want to share with your wedding vendor team. 

Salvage One—complete with exposed brick walls and vintage furniture pieces—proved to be the perfect wedding location for this nontraditional couple. To infuse the space with personality they put their graphic design skills to work, custom making all the wedding signage. Pop-of-color florals by Flowers for Dreams were also incorporated to add extra character to the venue. 

Laetitia Donaghy Photography captured every detail that made this warehouse wedding one for the books. Get your Pinterest boards ready and keep scrolling for an unlike-any-other nuptial.

Photographer’s Thoughts On This Warehouse Wedding 

Liam and Arnel are the absolute loveliest couple. The entire day was filled with tears and laughter. This stylish couple oversaw every single design detail of their day. The fun Jenga advice game, the throwback photo booth, the hotdog station, the rainbow cake—all of it taking place in the historic Salvage One. Arnel made their own signage and invitations. Liam, a flight attendant, had some of his flight attendant friends include plane props in their speeches—it was an absolute hit! We still keep in touch because they are amazing souls. These two have become friends for life and I am so thankful I got to be their wedding photographer.

The Couple:

Liam and Arnel

The Wedding:

Chicago, Illinois

A Wedding Turned Party 

We’re so proud  of having thrown the best and last party our entire guest list attended before going into lockdown the rest of 2020. Also, being able to show our younger nieces and nephews that love between any two people is beautiful and worth throwing a party for.

Memorable Guest Entrances 

The most memorable part of the day was watching guests trickle out of the trolley and into the venue from our little hideaway upstairs. I’ll never forget seeing the smiling, familiar faces all glowing in the sun on a particularly warm February day.

 

Incorporating Loved Ones In Your Wedding

We asked a dear friend to officiate our wedding and she helped make the ceremony so incredibly personal. After sharing our hand-written vows, we also partook in a planting unity ceremony in which we took soil from the places we have grown up in and mixed them together in a pot for a small plant. 

Top Wedding Planning Advice

Every couple should create a new email address solely for the wedding. Please don’t forget the guest experience when planning your day, either. It’s also important to not sweat the small stuff. 

DIY Wedding Day Favors

We laser cut custom place cards with everyone’s names on them. These doubled as meal identifiers for the catering team as each attached tassel color corresponded to a meal choice.  At the end of the night we also gave out Morning Recovery bottles. We had a Sunday wedding and wanted our guests to enjoy themselves without fear of feeling it too much the day after.

Venue Was Love At First Sight 

The venue was one of the first things we signed on and really set the tone for the wedding. Salvage One is a converted warehouse with multiple floors full of antique goods and furniture by day and event space by night. We loved the idea of our guests being able to walk around among the trinkets and decor. The reception floor was also fully customizable depending on the size of the wedding and we were able to pull from the store’s unique collection of chairs, tables, couches, lounges, etc. Oh! And of course there’s the disco ball and massive dance floor. It was truly the perfect place.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Laetitia Donaghy Photography
Ceremony + Reception Venue – Salvage One
Floral Design – Flowers for Dreams
Catering – Maison Cuisine
Cake – Maison Cuisine
DJ – Okyne Medialab
Videography – Whole Heart Video
Invitation Design – Arnel Sancianco
Hair Styling – Kaila Kwon
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply

 

Congratulations to Liam and Arnel on their fun-filled warehouse wedding. And big thanks to photographer Laetitia Donaghy Photography for preserving these precious wedding day moments packed with inspiration.  

From the venue to the decor, Liam and Arnel infused their wedding with details that authentically represented their love story. If you’re dreaming of a celebration unlike-any-other, kickstart your wedding planning process by checking out these unique ways to personalize your wedding.

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Completely Unique And Colorful Backyard Wedding

September 17, 2021 | kailey

Nothing is too much when it comes to infusing your big day with personality. If you’re still not sure, the proof is in Katie and John’s colorful backyard wedding. With planner Pop Parties by their side, this unconventional couple was able to bring to life a nuptial that cohesively incorporated all of their favorite things. Sprinkling them throughout their traditional ceremony at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church and their fully personalized backyard reception—the same backyard where their love blossomed. 

A hand-crafted dream catcher wall, painted dance floor, and bold David Kimmel Design florals were just a few meaningful details—captured by Sarah Kate Photography—that made this backyard space Katie and John’s dream reception venue. If you’re searching for ways to transform a cherished space into a dreamy wedding location, your prayers have been answered. Don’t believe us? Keep scrolling. 

Be Inspired PR’s Thoughts On This Colorful Backyard Wedding

People always tell you to incorporate your personality into your wedding day, but how much is too much? The answer is that there’s no limit! Katie and John proved that adding  thoughtful, custom, personal details into your wedding day is always a good idea. 

They included things like multiple colorful wedding cakes, Harry Potter quotes on their place cards, vibrant and various florals scattered throughout the reception, a handmade dreamcatcher escort display, a painted floral dance floor, and more. Oh, did we mention there was a unicorn at the reception? This wedding is like nothing you’ve seen before.

The Couple:

Katie and John

The Wedding:

Plano, Texas

The Importance Of Your Guest List 

We were so grateful that we were able to have everyone we hold most dear there with us. We didn’t have a lot of trouble finalizing the guest list. And I’m proud that our wedding was drama-free.

 

DIY Wedding Details That Add Personality 

I love to craft, paint, and make jewelry. Since the theme for our wedding weekend was centered around dreaming and magic, we crafted over 200 dream catchers to serve as escort cards to help our guests find their seats. They were really fun to make for everyone and I’m glad I could include a personal detail from my love for arts and crafts.

A Reception Venue Filled With New And Old Memories 

We chose to get married at my husband’s parents’ home. They have a beautiful backyard and we’ve shared so many memories together there. It felt really comfortable to have our wedding there.

Goodbye First Dance, Hello Private Dance 

Our private last dance was the most memorable moment of the day. John and I, alone in the twinkling garden tent, dancing to our favorite song made for the most incredible end to the day.

 

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Sarah Kate Photography
Event Planning – Pop Parties
Ceremony Venue – Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
Floral Design – David Kimmel Design
Catering – Wolfgang Puck Catering
Cake – Fancy Cakes by Lauren
Live Music – Absolute Entertainment – The Project Band
Videography – Robert Cawthorne Wedding Films
Invitation Design – Momental
Makeup Artist – Stephanie Nelson Makeup & Hair
Rentals – Posh Couture Rentals

 

Congratulations to Katie and John on their colorful backyard Texas wedding. And big thanks to Sarah Kate Photography for capturing every element proving there’s no limit when it comes to the addition of custom, personalized details. 

From signage to tablescapes, there are endless decor elements that can be used to fully transform a backyard space into a dream wedding venue. If you’re looking for inspo that’ll take your backyard celebration to the next level, check out our guide to the best Amazon wedding decor for your backyard wedding.

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Two Heartfelt Ceremonies At This Andalusia Estate Wedding

August 18, 2021 | Junebug Weddings

Following wedding traditions can be incredibly special, but it’s even better when you make them unique to your relationship. Emily and Chase wanted to blend their two cultures for their Logan Hotel and Andalusia Estate wedding, so they had two ceremonies—a traditional Western and a traditional Hindu. 

With the help from wedding planner Kyle Michelle Weddings, the Andalusia Estate was transformed from a vision of white, black, gold, and green to hues of pink, red, orange, and gold overnight. And to make this day even more unique, they had a surprise Bali dance and late-night McDonalds. Scroll down to see these unique ceremonies as captured by Hudson Nichols.

The Couple:

Emily and Chase

The Wedding:

Andalusia Estate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Proudly Combining Cultures and Traditions

The uniqueness of both days was one of the proudest parts of our wedding design. But, the most emotionally proud moment was the combination of our cultures, the mixture of traditions, and the families and friends coming together as one for our special days.

Two Days Worth of Memories

At the Hindu Ceremony, everyone wore a Sari and completely entered into another realm of culture. It was special to see everyone be open, accepting, and be part of the special day. For the American Ceremony, the surprise Bali dance from the bridal party and close friends was an amazing surprise.

Choosing an Andalusia Estate Wedding

The Andalusia Estate is very private and only holds a handful of weddings a year to keep their grounds sacred. That was really cool and a special perk for our wedding venue!

A Wedding With McNuggets

We love McDonalds. So we had McDonalds ordered at the end of the night. That way, everyone could grab some McNuggets and fries. That was a unique and fun gift for us to share.

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The Wedding Team:

Photography – Hudson Nichols
Event Planning – Kyle Michelle Weddings
Hindu Ceremony Venue – Logan Hotel
American Ceremony Venue – Andalusia
Floral Design – Susan Davis Fresh Designs Florist
Catering + Cake – CBD Catering
DJ – East Coast Entertainment
Live Music – Philadelphia String Quartet and Simply Irresistible Band
Videography – Cardbox Films
Invitation Design – Chick Invitations
Rentals – White Glove Rentals
Transportation – Eagles

 

Congratulations to Emily and Chase on their truly stunning Andalusia Estate wedding. And thank you to Kyle Michelle Weddings for sharing this day with us. Want to add unique touches to your wedding? Check out our guide to planning a unique wedding and how to personalize it. And for more wedding planning help, head over to our wedding planning tips for everything you need—from budgeting to hiring your dream team! 

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