Ariel and Jeremy brought a sense of yin and yang to their Ebell Long Beach wedding! Because of the groom’s outgoing personality, they chose vibrant pink florals from Poppyhill Flowers, which they used in one of the most stunning bougainvillea ceremony arches we’ve seen. As a nod to the bride’s laid-back personality, the wedding party attire and table details were beautiful neutral shades with pops of gold. Against the Spanish-Revival architecture and design of the historic Long Beach venue, their color palette could not have been more beautiful! Pop The Champagne Events brought a cool, modern California style to the decor, as well, with a geometric cake stand, tall pampas grass reception table centerpieces, and minimal place settings. And, for an ethereal twist, the bride wore an effortless Sarah Seven dress and twisted half-up hairstyle with a long veil. We can’t get enough of the images Abigail R Collins Photography captured of this truly incredible and eye-catching wedding!
We wanted to capture our love for humor, lightheartedness, and adoration for each-other while being surrounded by the ones we love. We wanted the guests to truly enjoy themselves and we wanted to be fully present throughout our day.
You know when people say, “When you find your soulmate/love you just know.” Well, that’s how we felt about Ebell Long Beach. We saw pictures online and immediately we just knew. Seeing the venue in person just sealed the deal and set the tone for the rest of our wedding.
Vibrant pink and neutrals were our wedding colors. Jeremy is a very vibrant person who is full of energy and always greets you with a big smile and a warm embrace, whereas I have a calm and more subdued energy. Both colors reflected our personality perfectly as we are definitely a “yin-yang” couple.
We had a scripted Jewish ceremony so our personal touches came through with our music choice and impromptu giggles, kisses, and waves during the ceremony.
After our ceremony, we scampered upstairs to our private suite that was filled with refreshments and delicious appetizers. As the guests were mingling below, we got a moment to be with each other, talk about the ceremony and anything else that was on our mind. It was such a moment of stillness and relaxation in a very scheduled day.
Planning a wedding can be challenging so we wanted to make sure the process was as simple and as enjoyable as possible. It may not be “sexy” to talk about, but we discussed in length our budget, must-haves, and parts we were flexible on before researching vendors. No wedding is worth going into debt for so have the talk, do your research, and don’t be shy in asking vendors if they’d be open to negotiating.
We DIY-ed our guests’ name cards with gold ink. My mother is a graphic designer, so she created the save the date cards, invitations, website graphics, welcome sign, reserved seating signs, and table numbers. It pays to have artsy-fartsy family members!
Jeremy‘s little cousin started to break-dance on the ground during our reception and so, naturally, being a former professional ballerina I wanted to join in. Since I was in my wedding dress, when I went to spin on my back I heard a huge ripping sound as I finished the spin and was posing on my side. Whoops there it was, a huge hole and my strap fell off! I wasn’t expecting to break-dance at my wedding nor was I expecting to have our day of coordinator sew me up!
Inspired by the free-spirited vibes of Teitiare Estates, Brittany and Julio created a beautiful destination wedding that was equal parts laid-back and elegant. Their planner at Sayulita Dream Weddings helped bring their dream wedding to life in the town where they got engaged, using only white decor and greenery accents to allow the sand, the sea, and the stars to take center stage, and to pop against the colorful architecture of the venue. Brittany added a touch of bohemian elegance with a strapless lace gown from Rue De Seine, while her bridesmaids donned custom maxi dresses from Winston White, which Brittany and her mother own together. From the sweet getting ready moments to the late-night dance party on the beach, Alexandra Celia Photography didn’t miss a beat of this dreamy beach wedding!
Julio proposed to me when we were on a trip to Sayulita, so from the very start, one of the most important things to us was to recreate the love we felt on that trip. It was important for us to choose places in Sayulita for our events that were meaningful to us. Our welcome dinner was on the rooftop where Julio proposed to me, and the guys serving our drinks were the same guys popping champagne on the night of our engagement. We wanted everything to be intimate and personal.
From the very start, Julio and I did some soul searching and took the time to discuss what was most important to us. We wanted to get married under the sun, stars, and by the ocean… and that was non-negotiable. From there, we planned everything with that in mind and added personal touches to everything we chose. We were worried about having a destination wedding and wondered who would come, but a friend told us “whoever should be there, will be there” and that really stuck with us. We looked at our wedding as an adventure, and we really wanted to take our friends and family out of their daily lives and wanted to shower them with a unique vacation that they would never forget.
We gave out Tapatio bottles with our faces on it instead of the Tapatio guy on the front! We wrote “hot seats” at a small table and people found their bottle with their name and table number on it. Also, we had a local cigar maker come and roll cigars that said “Julio and Brittany” on them. The guys loved that touch and were hoarding them to take home!
Our best friend Chris married us, and he wrote the sweetest words about each of us. Also, since we are both Filipino, we wanted to add in the traditional Lasso ceremony where a rope is placed around the bride and groom to represent infinity and an everlasting union. We personalized it by having our florist make the lasso out of white flowers.
My Mom and I own a clothing line, Winston White, and we travel to Sayulita a lot to design there. We are always extremely inspired by the colors, and the bohemian, free-spirited vibes. I looked at Sayulita’s dreamy landscape to design the wedding. I wanted to choose a venue that was naturally beautiful so I could let the ocean and the stars be center stage. I wanted everything to be beachy and sun-kissed, but classic and clean at the same time. We wanted the reception to have a laid-back feel, as well, so we had big beach beds for people to lay in, a hookah bar by the dance floor, and a big bonfire.
When it comes to wedding reception activities, photo booths are still as popular as ever and DIY photo booths, in particular, are perfect for couples looking to save a little money. You don’t need fancy equipment or a lot of extra stuff to make the perfect photo booth for your wedding. With these tips, we’ll show you how to create a seriously fun DIY photo booth that will encourage your guests to strike a pose and fit in seamlessly with your design aesthetic — all without busting your budget!
1. Get creative with the backdrop
The backdrop is the focal point of your photo booth, so you want to make sure it’s eye-catching without being too distracting. Think ribbons, curtains, banners, balloons, or chalkboard walls with cute phrases. You can keep it as simple or get as fancy as you’d like; you just need to give guests a designated area that will look cute in photos — and on its own when guests aren’t using it!
When you’re putting together the lighting plan for your wedding reception, don’t forget to include lighting in and around the photo booth. This can be anything from clever neon signs to curtains lined with twinkle lights. If you’re hanging lights in the background, make sure to also place lights in front of the camera — pointed toward the booth, placed at average nose level — so that your guests’ faces are completely visible in the photos. A selfie light would be the perfect choice to add direct, high-quality lighting! For all our tips on choosing the correct wedding lighting and a handy checklist, check out our ultimate guide to wedding lighting.
SIMILAR FIND: Etsy has all the photo booth lighting you’re looking for!
3. Provide plenty of props
The best parts of any photo booth are the props, so make sure to provide as much variety as possible. Etsy is full of shops that provide signs, cutouts, and masks that would be perfect for your DIY photo booth (see our favorites linked below). But, keep in mind, you can also find hats, wigs, glasses, jewelry, and other accessories at thrift stores, second-hand stores, costume shops, or even your own closet. The sillier and more outrageous the better!
The whole point of a photo booth is to capture all of your guests in a totally informal, seriously fun way, so you’ll want to make sure all your guests can see it no matter where they are at the reception. If possible, don’t shove your photo booth in a corner or set up in a separate room. There will be so many other things happening at your reception and, if guests don’t see it, they’ll simply forget about it. Think of this as another focal point for your design and set it up in an area that everyone can see but still gives people plenty of space to take individual, small group, or large group photos. Also, don’t forget to set up a directional sign pointing guests straight to the booth!
If you’re looking for a low-tech and easy way to get printouts of your guests’ photo booth snaps, Polaroid cameras are the way to go! The best part? All of your guests, no matter how young or old, will know how to use it. Encourage everyone to take a couple of snaps so they can keep one and they can leave one for you in either an album, on a frame, or in a simple box. Just be sure to stock up on extra film to last all night.
To keep your DIY photo booth even more simple, let your guests use their own phones to snap selfies. Guests are going to be taking selfies all night as it is, so they might as well do it with fun props in front of a fab backdrop! We highly recommend providing at least one selfie stick to help capture large group shots. You could even take it one step further with a selfie stick stand to give guests a little more room to play and pose!
Whether you decide to provide Polaroid cameras or ask guests to use their phones to snap photos, you’re going to want to collect these precious memories to look at after your wedding day! So, be sure to include a sign with clear instructions on how you want guests to share their photos. For a Polaroid photo booth, provide an album, glue sticks, and pens so guests can paste a photo with a personal message or set up a frame and clothespins for guests to hang their photos on. For a selfie station, ask guests to use your wedding hashtag or upload to a shared photostream. Don’t be afraid to be thorough with your instructions so you get exactly what you want!
Jessie and Adrian’s wedding at Wayfarer’s Chapel is classically beautiful in every detail. Each detail was done with such intention, and Kindred Wedding + Events put it all together in a picture-perfect way for photographer Haley Rynn Ringo and videographer Parfait Productions to capture. These two lovebirds customized everything in their wedding from welcome bags for their guests by Be Collective to an engagement ring painting done by the bride herself, Jessie Kuruc! With such talent and an eye for design, it’s no surprise Jessie and Adrian’s wedding turned out gorgeously!
Our wedding advice is to shop small! It’s so easy to get wrapped up into the convenience of buying wedding items at a craft store or getting your ring at a big box store, but when you shop from small businesses, you’re not only getting more unique things, you’re lucky enough to contribute to somebody’s life’s work. Plus, the service is SO much more personal! We entered married life with some incredible new friends because we grew close to some of our vendors and didn’t want the relationships to stop after we said our vows. I think that personalized, genuine level of communication from a vendor is much more valuable than having a big corporation crank out your wedding and I truly think your guests can tell the difference. It’s almost like buying a store-bought cake or having one made by your grandmother–you just know which one is made with love!
Something Borrowed Blooms are another friend that I’ve made through the industry and were so generous to send me these flowers for my wedding day, but I truly was already planning on using them! The concept of their business is amazing, but the women who run it are so passionate and it shows. The flowers were literally the last thing on my mind the entire day, and if we had done real flowers I think I would have been stressing all weekend, so I can’t say enough good things about them.
SHOP THIS LOOK
We actually chose Wayfarer’s Chapel when we were really new in our relationship. The first time we ever visited California together, I wanted to visit the chapel because it was designed by the son of Frank Lloyd Wright. We walked in and were just awestruck by how beautiful and unique it was. It was WAY too early for us to be talking about marriage, but in our heads, we both thought “okay, if I marry this person, it has to be here!” We ended up moving to the area a few years later and after almost five years of dating, we ended up getting married at that very chapel!
SHOP THIS LOOK
Our photographer, Haley, is absolutely incredible. Not only is she talented, but she has this firey heart and spirit. She makes every person feel like they’re her best friend. We could not be more thrilled with our photos and I recommend her to everyone I know (and don’t know!)
I think the biggest of the DIY projects was collecting all of our decor. I spent an entire year gathering lanterns and candles and random trinkets from the clearance department of my church (TJMaxx) and my temple (Homegoods.) It was a lot of slightly damaged goods, a lot of gold paint, and a lot of space being taken up in our apartment. My favorite of the projects was actually our place cards, though! I had a vision for these California-shaped place cards but could not find anything similar, so I reached out to Etsy sellers who made acrylic ornaments and found someone who could do a custom shape for me. I had him cut 90 acrylic Californias so I could do calligraphy on each one, making it a place card cute enough for a guest to want to take home.
The most important thing when planning was the DETAILS! We’re both extremely detail-oriented, so knowing that every detail was carefully chosen made us feel like we really put our heart and soul into our wedding day. Everything down to the cocktail napkins was picked for a reason! The entire day was also very guest-centered, which was our number one priority. We’ve been to a lot of ‘could have been great’ weddings and we knew that we didn’t want to our day to be remembered as the wedding where there wasn’t enough food, or nobody really danced, or worse, it isn’t remembered at all. We wanted every guest to feel spoiled and considered!
One really memorable personalization of our day was the daddy-daughter dance. My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer the day of Adrian and I’s first date in May of 2013. Though we were supposed to have a few years left, he passed away a month and a half later and in a way it always felt like it was all timed in a divine way–where Adrian stepped in right as my dad stepped out. I had my dad’s best friend walk me down the aisle, but nobody was the right fit for the daddy-daughter dance except my husband. We did our first dance as husband and wife and were then introduced to do my daddy-daughter dance together, in his honor, to one of my dad and I’s favorite Beatles songs. It was so emotional for everyone because my dad was my best friend and every guest knew that, but it made our wedding day extra special.
The most memorable part of our day was surprisingly the dancing at the reception. We had an open craft cocktail bar that our friends and family flocked to like it was their last day on earth, so by the time dancing rolled around everyone was well hydrated and had a total blast. The best part was being able to see my sorority sisters from college, his childhood best friends, my old neighbors, our jewelers, and everyone in between all out on the dance floor at once. It’s almost surreal to see all the people you love from all areas of your lives in one space, sharing finger food and cocktails, and celebrating your relationship. We wanted everyone to feel welcome, even though a lot of the guests didn’t know each other, and seeing them all dancing TOGETHER (not just near each other) was absolutely incredible!
Allison and Eric’s wedding at York Manor proved that you don’t need a lot of frills to have a truly memorable wedding! If this wedding is any indication, all you really need is great food (pizza and donuts, anyone?), killer bride and groom style, and a tarot card reading during cocktail hour to have the best day ever! With a party vibe in mind, Allison, Eric, and their planner from Palm and Pine Events kept the details simple, chose a classic black and white color palette, and let their personalities shine in all the right places. They even combined escort cards and favors into one by ordered personalized cookies from The Cookie Munsters for each guest! Nothing about this wedding was over-the-top but the overall effect was as cool as it was romantic. Photographers Joe + Kathrina knocked it out of the park in capturing every moment of this effortless Los Angeles wedding!
As excited as we were to get married, we fully realized that the day of, more than anything else, was just really a big, fancy party. The most important thing to us was that our guests have a great time, that the food and booze were delicious and quality, and that our wedding was a reflection of us.
We were lucky enough to randomly find the most incredible photographers via Instagram. They are talented photographers and just fantastic people; the kind of people you are dying to be friends with but you’re also ever-so-slightly intimidated by because they’re so damn cool! Joe and Kathrina were one of the absolute best decisions we made about our wedding, without a doubt. Our pictures are even better than we could have imagined they would be.
The money you pay for a planner is the absolute best money you’ll spend. Whether it’s a day-of planner or a full-service planning package, whatever you can do to not stress out and enjoy the day will be one hundred percent worth it. Our planner, Shauna Wise of Palm and Pine Events, was an absolute godsend! Everything went off without a hitch, and we were able to breathe and enjoy every second.
My boss officiated the ceremony because I’ve known him since I started my career (and far longer than she’s known the groom). We kept it short and sweet and, as big fans of equality and justice, added a reading from the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which is a beautiful sentiment about both individuality and marriage: “Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society. For those who choose to marry… marriage provides an abundance of legal, financial, and social benefits. In return, it imposes weighty legal, financial, and social obligations. Without question, civil marriage enhances the ‘welfare of the community.’ It is a ‘social institution of the highest importance.’
Marriage also bestows enormous private and social advantages on those who choose to marry. Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family. Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.”
Rather than gifting people with something that they would forget to take home, lose, or end up in a donation pile, we figured we would combine the escort card with a little treat — hence, personalized escort card cookies! We got a text the next day saying they’d saved it and had it with lunch and it was delicious.
Our favorite moments of the day were the toasts. They were entertaining and lovely and funny and wonderful. At the beginning of dinner, both our dads got up and welcomed everyone. Allison‘s dad was sappy and sweet and talked about kissing frogs and welcomed Eric into the family. Eric‘s dad told funny stories about Eric as a kid and cracked everyone up. After dinner, the best man and the maid of honor gave their toasts. Eric‘s brother, the best man, told the guests that 10 times out of 10, he’d pick the bride to be on his dodgeball team over the groom. The maid of honor talked about how she and Allison have been through thick and thin together. The toasts have always been the most personal, beautiful moment of a wedding for us, and our friends and family absolutely did not disappoint!
There are few things we love more than brilliantly crafted and meticulously curated DIY weddings! Junebug couples continue to find new, creative, and seriously impressive ways to personalize their big days, which is why we decided to do a round-up of some of our all-time favorite DIY weddings. Below you’ll find collages of the details the couple (or their friends and family) made, as well as explanations of what they did and/or how they did it. If you’re feeling particularly inspired or just want to learn a new crafty skill, we also included video tutorials to help you recreate some of the projects.
ANGELA & COLIN
Angela and Colin’s DIY wedding was a bohemian-inspired dream come true! The bride created macrame and tapestry hangings, freeform bouquets and centerpieces, hand-painted signs, a gift teepee, and a copper “taco bout a party” board to display their llama keychain favors. As if that wasn’t enough, she even learned the shibori fabric dying technique to create custom indigo napkins for each guest! If you’re interested in the shibori dying technique, check out the video below. Then, don’t forget to check out the rest of Angela and Colin’s wedding right here!
Shibori was something I was wanted to explore with for some time, I wanted our vibe to be simple, but also bohemian. Shibori was a staple look that I could work with whether I wanted to make it classy or rustic, once I knew I could play around with look in whatever circumstance I was sure this was the best choice. Each guest received a napkin hand dyed shibori, I bought muslin fabric to really get that deep blue indigo look. I made all my own macrame and tapestry hangings, some were made out of the macrame cord, my biggest one I made, was made out of piping cord, a thicker cotton rope. I mainly just searched basics on Pinterest and made my own designs based on what I learned.
I did all my florals for my wedding day including installations, centerpieces, but of course, I had a few helping hands, but I created all the bridesmaids’ bouquets, along with my own. I studied bouquets and color themes and then created what bouquets I liked. Most of my signage was handmade as well, I bought plexiglass and collected mirrors around my room, and did calligraphy on all of them. This was just something I learned through friends, Pinterest, practice. Our guests take home gifts were tiny llama keychains, that were a little representation of my husband and I. I built a hanging board for them, just painted it metallic copper, and nailed in some push pins, and wrote in calligraphy. Lastly, I made the gift teepee, I had lace fabric, and four poles of wood that I propped up with rope, there were plenty of tutorials to build an intricate teepee, I settled for a simpler set up.
The cozy and industrial vibes in Meghan and Kash’s downtown Seattle wedding were taken to a whole new level with all the DIY projects they completed! To keep the integrity of the iconic red brick venue, the couple kept their palette clean with whites/creams, greys, greens, and subtle pops of mixed metallics and relied on candlelight to set a romantic mood. They DIY-ed nearly every detail, from the centerpieces to the signage to the Irish Blessing guestbook, and the overall look was as charming as could be. If you’re interested in learning how to make floral centerpieces like the ones Meghan and Kash created, we found an expert to teach you how below. And, if you can’t get enough of their beautiful wedding, you can see the rest of their special day here!
Around 90% of our wedding was DIY. The mother of the bride created a portion of the floral displays using fake flowers for different decorative arrangements. The signage, programs, favors, blessing stones (guest book), and dessert bar were all DIY.
Small details went a long way. The best part about small details is they can be very inexpensive. So, our advice is to pay attention to the little things. Alone they may seem insignificant, but added up they truly contribute to the whole atmosphere. Since our wedding was in January, we wanted a cozy, intimate vibe. We accomplished that by pairing candles and whites/creams with the raw brick. The flowers, lace, and calligraphy added a romantic feel. It was simple and worked really well together.
When the bride and groom own a home goods store and are committed to making every detail of their wedding, you know it’s going to be magical! Emily and Alex’s Kansas City wedding took place at an upscale bistro, which matched the couple’s modern aesthetic perfectly. They created wood planters, gold geometric table accents, wood signs, and upcycled candle holders. To round out their DIY decor, they also tasked two of their business-owning friends to create the floral arrangements and the most stunning fabric banner we’ve ever seen! Trust us, you’ll want to pin every detail of this crafty wedding, and maybe even learn to make a fabric banner of your own with the tutorial below!
We DIY-ed everything. We run a small business making home goods (complete with fully-stocked woodshop and studio) and are blessed to have a talented group of amazing friends. We couldn’t justify buying anything we could make! We crafted all the centerpieces and favors and tapped friends to do the flowers and reception decor.
Nearly every detail of Jessie and Zac’s lovely camp-inspired wedding was either handmade by the creative duo (professionally known as The Sturgeons) or by their equally talented family and friends. Their woodsy camp venue offered the perfect rustic backdrop for their relaxed design and allowed the handmade macrame hangings, the flower arrangements, the hand-sewn pillows, the hand-lettered signage, and the homemade desserts to take center stage. No detail was left untouched, which is why you should check out Jessie and Zac’s full wedding feature here! If you’re curious how to recreate their green and white floral table garlands, see the tutorial below.
If we didn’t make something ourselves, someone else close to us did! The entire day was crafted by us or our loved ones. It was amazing how many helping hands and creative people we are so lucky to be surrounded by. Everyone poured their talents into our wedding. Jessie‘s sister made the bouquets, Jessie‘s mom made a handmade book for us to keep memories from the wedding in, and Jessie‘s dad made the ceremony arch to hang the macrame Jessie made on. Zac‘s grandma sewed pillows and cushions for our benches.
Zac‘s mom baked pies for those with dietary restrictions. Zac hand-lettered all the invitations and name cards and both of us made and printed our own save the dates and invitations. Zac‘s best friend, Spencer, illustrated our portraits and other pieces for our invitations, and a classmate from school screen printed our gifts to our guests. There was a lot of love poured into our wedding, and we are eternally grateful!
We have a huge soft spot for couples that DIY their entire wedding, and this Zona Colonial wedding in the Dominican Republic is proof positive why! Gina, who owns the Los Plebeyos design studio, made literally every detail of this wedding with her work partner and Fernando, the groom. While Fernando took care of all the woodwork details, Gina painted signs, designed floral arrangements, crafted paper goods, personalized two leather jackets, and turned the Spanish-style patio venue into a tropical haven. She even embellished her ’70s-inspired gown with pink flowers to match the color palette. This DIY wedding, which you can see here, was goals from beginning to end! We were even inspired to learn how some hand-lettering techniques like the ones shown below so we can create some gorgeous signage, as well!
We had 9 months of planning and DIY workshops so we could make it just as we imagined and the result was even better! We are very proud that we made everything ourselves because that’s what made it so special for us. We enjoyed every single day until the day we saw everything set. For my bridal look, I wanted something that reflected my personality, so I added some pink embroidered flowers to my dress. A friend also made a custom hairpiece with crystals and a gold chain.
My design studio did all the graphics and illustration of the invitations, painted the back panels and reception signs, and illustrated two leather jackets. We even designed the neon sign and painted the fireworks box. The groom made everything related to wood, including the bar sign, wood figures, and boxes. We even made the pennants, confetti cones, and the “ cheesy stuff” cheese bar sign.
The pristine shores of Tulum, Mexico were made for DIY weddings, and wedding designer Adriana of The Creative’s Loft and her fiancé Gabe took full advantage! The secluded beach offered the perfect haven for their intimate ceremony and featured a stunning macrame backdrop the couple has since repurposed into home decor and DIY wands with bells for the dance-party style exit to the cocktail hour. Adriana styled every inch of the reception, channeling a beautiful beachy vibe with the bohemian decor, rustic signage and food/drink bars, and vintage photo displays. Check out all of the quintessentially beachy details right here, and get ready to make all your macrame dreams come true with the DIY tutorial below!
One of our favorite parts of wedding planning was all the DIY projects we got to do! We designed the following items: wedding wands with bells and “Happy Tears” kits for the ceremony; sparkler DIY kits for the first dance; menus and place cards; table chargers using various Mexican tile patterns; mini bottles of spicy Mexican sauce; mini cans of tea; dance floor props; and customized tattoos with our wedding hashtag (#contigoalquintopino).
As a wedding planner and a bride, my strongest and most personal advice for other couples is to customize your wedding according to your values and what you like the most! This is crucial to ensure you enjoy the whole process of designing your wedding! In addition, make it personal!!! Create some time to design DIY ideas and details for the day…this makes everything! Is how your wedding stands out from the typical wedding. In addition, analyze in advance where do you envision getting married (in your city, a destination wedding…a private property, secluded beach). This decision makes the difference!
We must admit, our 12-year-old hearts are so in love with the nostalgic summer camp vibes in Misty and Johnny’s camp wedding! This sweet couple traded in a traditional, buttoned-up wedding for a fun and free-spirited weekend celebrating love and life with their friends and family in the woods. Their reception was a DIY dream come true, complete with screen-printed flags, personalized pins, hand-painted signs, and fabulous greenery arranged in the bride’s personal collection of vintage thermoses. Misty even asked one of her oh-so-talented friends to arrange the greenery bouquets for her and the bridesmaids, and the result was simply stunning! Our favorite details were the screen-printed flags, which can easily be done at home with the tutorial below. Check out the couple’s full wedding feature and let us know what your favorite detail was!
A friend arranged our beautiful greenery bouquets and arrangements and did an outstanding job. My career is in graphic design, so I couldn’t wait to have fun with every single detail! I designed our entire collection of wedding collateral, from the save the dates with buttons and our invites to the screen printed pennants we used for centerpieces, hand painting the signs, and using my own curated collection of vintage thermoses for decor. I poured my heart into every detail! My friends were also amazing the weekend-of, helping to make all those DIY ideas come to life. Couldn’t have done it without them!
Josh and Ryan’s eclectic DIY Knoxville wedding proves that #southernbeausdoitbetter! With the support of Josh’s mom and aunts, who all own a vintage rental and wedding staging company, the couple was able to fill the industrial venue with handmade, one-of-a-kind details that added a vintage twist to their eclectic style. The completely blank canvas allowed them to add everything from Eddison string lights to a fireplace, and everything in between. For their favors, they potted succulents in hand-picked jars, which is one of the cutest and easiest DIY wedding favor ideas we’ve seen! (If you’re like us and do not have a green thumb, we found some beginner tips to help you get started below.) Seriously, you won’t want to miss a single moment of this eclectic, vintage wedding!
Our whole wedding was DIY! We did everything with the support of Sisters’ Vintage Rentals. We even built 16 8’ farmhouse tables for the reception, as we wanted a family feel. We stained telephone wire spools that housed all the food. The Wednesday before the wedding we loaded at 20’ U-Haul truck along with a trailer and carloads full of supplies included 13 antique doors, window frames, a ladder with Edison light bulbs, two couches, 6 large chairs, pews, a fireplace, coffee tables, 28 centerpieces, greenery, and a bar. We had a blank canvas with our venue and it was like we were moving into our home. Ryan even made the bouquets and boutonnieres for our nephews and nieces in the wedding!
Our wedding favors were succulents that our guests could take with them so they could remember to let love grow. We collected little containers from all over Kentucky and Tennessee for over a year so that each succulent was planted in its own unique container. We displayed them on a cart with crates, ladders, books, and an antique door to create a focal point to draw our guests into the ceremony space. We chose succulents because they fit our style and overall look of our greenery, as we did not want to use any flowers. Succulents are also something you can find in our NYC apartment, which helped add to our theme of creating a welcoming and homey feel for our wedding.
Floral hoops, agate slice table numbers, and watercolor prints are just a few of the spectacular details Katie and Todd made for their backyard wedding at the bride’s family home! Oh, and we can’t forget the 30 farmhouse tables that the couple built themselves! Katie and Todd even got their family involved by having Katie’s dad build the ceremony backdrop. This outdoor wedding was bursting with color and inspiration for crafty couples who are looking for DIY ideas to fill out an open space, such as a backyard. We love that they used floral hoops, which are easy and inexpensive to make following the tutorial below, to fill the vertical space of their tent. If you want a closer look at every gorgeous detail, check out Katie and Todd’s full wedding here!
In the months leading up to the wedding, Todd and I made all 30 of our beautiful farm tables that our guests dined on. My dad built our ceremony arch and the barn that we used for our bar. We designed our invites, menus and made the hoops that hung from the tent, vases for the centerpieces and the rest of the decorations. It was a lot of work but thankfully we had a lot of help from our awesome friends and family.
Now that you’ve been inspired by these real DIY weddings, it’s time to get started planning your own! Just make sure to bookmark our best wedding planning tools for a stress-free engagement so that you’ll know exactly what to do at every step!
It’s no easy feat to create an intimate wedding with a guest list larger than 50 people, but Hannah and Mitchell pulled it off in their Castaway Portland wedding that included 200 of their closest friends and family! With the help of Kelsey and her team at Vanity Affair Event, the couple created a timeless elegance with a rustic twist in the warehouse venue. Vanessa Schmidt Co. created stunning floral arrangements and displays, including an asymmetrical floating floral installation for the ceremony, that added a touch of whimsy and a lot of dimension to their decor. Their reception featured a mix of elegant, linen-covered tables and rustic, farmhouse tables and included Spanish-style comfort foods from Crown Paella. Hannah, Mitchell, and their dream team of vendors did a remarkable job keeping this large wedding feeling cozy and intimate, and Karra Leigh Photography nailed it in capturing every moment.
One of the most important parts of our wedding to us was our guests. We opted for a larger wedding of about 200 guests. We feel we are a direct reflection of the amazing community we surround ourselves with, and we wanted our people an intimate part of our wedding. Ensuring our guests were welcomed, comfortable, and had a unique, fun wedding experience was so important to us. We would not be us without them and throwing a party was a way to thank our support system for their unwavering love throughout our lives and kick off this new chapter.
Our first look was in a greenhouse onsite — just us and our photographer. Time stood still during our first look. We embraced knowing this moment was the beginning of forever and, in a few short hours, we’d be married. He cried. I cried. It was pretty freakin’ awesome! Neither of us can remember the words we exchanged; we held each other, and on the craziest day of our lives, the world felt still for a moment. It was so emotional and powerful, and a beautiful precursor for our ceremony to come.
Wedding planning will be the exact experience you think it’s going to be. If you think it’s going to be stressful, it will likely be an exhausting process; if you think it could be fun, I promise it will be an absolute blast. Set time aside in your schedule to work on wedding planning so it doesn’t consume all your time. Find a team of extraordinary creatives to help you bring your vision to life. But most importantly, stay true to you and your partner. Make sure your details are reflective of what embodies you as a couple.
Our ceremony was a dream, and a water show. There were lots and lots of happy tears! We were married by my godfather who had also married previously my sister. We exchanged personal, honest, funny vows that laid the foundation to the marriage we aspire to have. We concluded our ceremony with a unique Celtic knot tying ceremony and a super epic first kiss. One of our guests told us it was the kiss of a lifetime, and it definitely was.
Working with our photographer was like hanging with a friend all afternoon. Karra is hands-down one of the sweetest people we met through our wedding planning process. She created such a fun, professional environment for us to relax and be ourselves. She captured us so perfectly in our photos — they are a perfect reflection of how truly moving that day was. We feel blessed to have had Karra a part of our wedding team and now we call her a forever-friend.
We tasked my parents with selecting our favors for our wedding. They had over 200 oversized ceramic camping mugs with our custom wedding monogram made for our guests to take home. We had no idea what my parents had planned until the day of. It was so sweet and our guests absolutely loved them! We get pictures all the time of guests using them and remembering our day.
Sarah and Ben combined classic elegance with urban chic vibes in their wedding at The Pearl SF. With the help of Ashley Smith Events, they used a black, white, and gold color palette that added a sophisticated moodiness to the venue and then added tons of candlelight to create a cozy warmth that was perfect for winter. Rito Ito‘s floral design fit in flawlessly with the classic look, adding subtle texture and color in both the indoor reception tablescapes and the rooftop ceremony decor. Sarah looked effortlessly chic in a lace gown from Anna Bé Bridal Boutique, and her girls were classic and classy in mismatched black dresses. Photographers Jonnie + Garrett killed in capturing every moment of this San Francisco wedding, especially the couple’s romantic photos through the downtown streets!
From the bride: My favorite part of the day was hands-down taking pictures with Ben before the ceremony. It was surreal seeing my groom and feeling the weight of the day in the best way possible. That time was really sweet and was the only part of the day that didn’t flash by as fast as the rest. We got to talk and laugh and just be our true selves with each other before we took our vows. I wasn’t thinking at all about how the night would play out, or any of the details of the day; to me, that time was spent with my best friend, goofing off in fancy attire on a day in December (with some paparazzi).
From the groom: Our wedding day was everything that we could have hoped for! My favorite part of our day was getting to see Sarah for the first time. I was waiting for her around the corner of an alley and can’t describe how absolutely beautiful she looked. I feel like that’s what every man says about their spouse on that day..but wow it completely dawned on me in that moment (and still does) how much I married up! We got to spend the next couple hours taking pictures just the two of us. Getting goof off without feeling like we needed to entertain people was unexpected and so welcomed.
We wanted to make sure that our wedding matched our personalities – playful, fun, but still meaningful and true. And also that our faith was portrayed clearly. We both decided it was important to us early on that people would really walk away feeling like they just witnessed the true love that can come only from God. It was amazing for us to see that play out and see the faithfulness of God in that.
Ben and I had decided we wanted to write our own vows from the very beginning, but it was a last minute decision to write them together. I loved doing this because we got to decide on the foundations of our marriage as one. We wrote them two days before the wedding at my dad’s house. We came prepared with a list of things we found important for loving and supporting one another forever. It was really sweet to bind all of these things together. Saying them out loud in front of our guests was extra special since we knew the love that was at the bottom of each vow.
We also took communion together during our ceremony. It was a really special moment for us to come before God and truly recognize his presence there with us and his sacrifice for us. We loved being brought back to the truth of the Gospel during such an important moment.
We had two of our very best friends read passages out of the Bible during our ceremony. They also happened to be the couple that introduced Ben and I. It was so much fun seeing how our lives had intersected and come full circle since we initially met at their wedding a year and a half before.
We originally would not have chosen to have a winter wedding because I thrive in the summer sun (Ben thrives at all times of the year because he’s amazing). Our wedding timing only permitted winter though (military life) so we really wanted to play off of the urban vibes from The Pearl and also use winter to our advantage, which is how we decided on a moody feel. We really didn’t want the moodiness to overtake our love for warmth and brightness so we opted for a ton of candlelight to soften the dark tones. Ashley was amazing at bringing the design and vibe together cohesively and had the perfect eye to bring in touches of soft to the moodiness.
Since Ben and I met at a wedding, and we both love to dance, one of our biggest priorities was to have an amazing dance party. We really wanted to make sure our DJ understood what types of music we like, and we then just trusted Erica from Heart of Gold DJs with the rest. She absolutely killed it and the dance floor was packed all night. Ben and I even forgot to get off of the dance floor from our first dance until the last song. If people wanted to chat, they knew where to find us. We danced so hard and got incredibly sweaty, so by the end of the night we were toast.
When Natasha and Jamey went looking for an industrial space they could transform into their dream wedding venue, they found The Pipe Shop on the Vancouver waterfront and immediately fell in love. One of the couple’s main goals for their wedding was to create a home-like feel, which Petite Pearl Events accomplished by setting up cozy lounge areas, designing modern tablescape set on farmhouse tables, and finishing off every area with lush greenery and white accent flowers arranged by Celsia Floral to give the feeling of a laid-back dinner party. Elizabeth Stanley Design also created a for the ceremony using copper pipes and a backdrop for the guestbook portrait area using a wall of grass and a laser-cut monogram created by Blushtype Modern Calligraphy & Design. All of the natural and modern design elements brought the industrial space to life, and Daring Wanderer captured every unique facet of this wedding beautifully.
Initially, we thought of having a smaller and more intimate wedding. However, once we realized how many friends and relatives were willing to travel from far and wide to attend our wedding, we decided to show them the best time and throw a really fun party. We tried to focus on having amazing food and good music in a beautiful space.
While we absolutely loved the whole wedding, the most special part for Jamey and I was the first look when we got to spend a few moments alone. That’s when it felt like it was all really happening. At the very end of the night having our very closest family and friends all crowded in a hotel room, singing and dancing until 3 AM was also surreal.
I couldn’t have created this magical day without my amazing wedding planner, Margot from Petite Pearl Events. I would have loved to DIY a lot more if our wedding was local, but since that was not logistically possible, finding someone who could execute our vision from long-distance made the whole process so much more enjoyable. It felt like we really planned it and got the day we wanted, but really we hardly had to do any work!
To personalize our wedding, I stamped little toss bags filled with eucalyptus to represent the fact we met in Australia. I also painted the artwork that was used in our invites and our monogram. Jamey, of course, entertained our guests with members of his old band at the reception! We also made welcome gift boxes for guests staying at the hotel, which included some of our favorite snacks, tourist info, and Advil for the morning after.
For our ceremony, we wrote our own vows, which were special, and worked with our officiant, Paula, to create a truly meaningful and personal wedding ceremony. We had all our siblings walk down the aisle with our parents in addition to our bridal party.
We wanted the place to feel like we were inviting people into our home balanced with having a modern stylish party. We love vintage wood and mixed metals. We have lots of antique-inspired elements in our home and wanted our wedding to reflect our personal style. So, we made sure to have comfy seating areas with couches and coffee tables with our favorite music playing in the background. Overall, our decorator and wedding planner did a phenomenal job translating our thoughts into the end product. Good food and a good party with ambiance were what we were going for and that’s exactly what we got!
For our favors, we stamped little muslin bags with our initials and filled them with homemade Sri Lankan Love Cake, which paid homage to my heritage. It’s also just a delicious treat Jamey and I both love!
We had an amazing menu prepared for us by Forage Catering. Some highlights were our passed appetizers that included a risotto station with mushroom risotto finished in a parmesan wheel, which was really entertaining for our guests and tasted delicious. We had an amazing cocktail called “The Garden” as our featured drink, which had elderflower liquor, gin, and white grape juice. For dessert, we had lots of different treats and some amazing Neufchatel cheese puffs with gin-soaked berries.
Processional – Medley of “Fun Times in Babylon” by Father John Misty, “Mykonos” by Fleet Foxes, and “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, played by Peter Wang on piano
Recessional – “Of Monsters and Men” by Little Talks, played on the piano
First Dance – “Walk the Line” by Ben L’Oncle
If we had to describe Micah and Mackenzie’s Red Barn Farm wedding in just three words, it would be charming, free-spirited, and joyous! The couple, who wanted to be as close to nature as possible on their big day, decided on an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception inside the recently renovated barn, then brought in the creative forces of their families and friends to create nearly every element of decor — even the wine and dessert bar! The team at Glorious Wedding and Event Planning tied together all the DIY elements and the floral pieces created by The London Plane into one cohesive look that had influences of both earthy and rustic charm. For their attire, Micah set the stage with an airy yet elegant BHLDN gown, and her girls followed suit with mismatched floral print and solid neutral dresses from Nordstrom and Free People, which they all paired with greenery crowns, wild DIY bouquets, and turquoise accessories. From the decor to the style, this wedding felt like the perfect backyard summer party that was filled with pure joy and excitement, which photographer Adam Naples captured with ease and creativity.
The most important decision was finding the perfect photographer! You’d think the first thing would be finding the dress, but that was actually the very last thing I did. I wanted our photographer to have a unique style, but also a classic approach. I wanted them to be younger, and feel like a friend. Adam was just that. For Mackenzie, his main focus was the guests. He wanted everything to make the guests feel like they were there to party, to feel included, and that each and everyone there was so important to us.
One of Mackenzie‘s groomsmen went to high school with the owners of The Red Barn Farm! We got a friend hook up and Mackenzie was able to work off most of the venue cost by working with them to renovate the space. He even helped build the refashioned chicken coop that is now the bridal suite! He had an idea to use pieces from the original barn to create a giant mirror that can be closed like barn doors and opened to create a large tri-fold mirror. It’s beautiful!
We both love being outside and hanging out with friends, so we wanted our wedding to feel like a big backyard summer party. I wanted summer dresses, short sleeve button ups, and lots of Sangria! The venue fit this vision perfectly. It had trees, grass, and natural wood, so we just needed to add flowers and people, and we were set! We also wanted to make sure we stayed conscious during this celebration, so we used all compostable cups and bamboo plates and utensils.
Aside from my bouquet, flower crown, and garland over the arbor, we did the flowers ourselves. We ordered in bulk from Safeway‘s floral department, saved a ton of money, and got to hand pick our favorite flowers for each bouquet and centerpiece. My aunt and cousins took care of the bouquets and my mom put together succulent arrangements. I also had a friend from college hand paint our welcome sign, and we used our own plates and glasses for the head table. My dad even took a road trip to a winery in Walla Walla, Washington where he picked his own grapes for our wine blend and got to bottle it! Mackenzie‘s Grandma baked our pies, his mom made our cookies, and my dad made his famous Sangria.
My style inspiration actually came from a wedding that you guys featured on your site! The bride was wearing a flowy BHLDN gown and her bridesmaids were wearing Free People and other BHLDN dresses, too. I had already purchased a gown from a boutique in Seattle and regretted it, but they wouldn’t let me return it. At the same time, I was looking at the BHLDN website every day, and I finally just pulled the trigger, bought the Reagan gown, and hoped that I could get money back for the other dress. After multiple failed attempts to do it on my own, I took my mom to the bridal boutique with me and she was able to get our money back. Moms are the best!
Our wedding reception menu was super special! We went down to the Carniceria (Mexican food store/butcher shop) down the street from our house, where we usually buy our tortillas and meat. We asked the man behind the meat case if we could place an order for a wedding. We didn’t speak the same language, but he said something that sounded like he would order the meat and also bring his son to help prepare it the day of. For 250+ people he quoted us $800, but Mackenzie said, “No way! I’m paying you $1,000.” (I love his reverse negotiating.) W didn’t sign any contracts. We just shook hands and hoped it would all work out — and it did! We also had our talented chef friends, Neil and Zarah Duncanson, prepare our Halibut Ceviche appetizer, and they nailed it.
Mackenzie loves the Mura Masa song, “I’ve Never Felt So Good.” But, when I first heard it, I wasn’t overly excited about it. Mackenzie was bummed but said I could pick something else for our first dance. We made a list of other songs but I could tell he was still sad that we weren’t going with Mura Masa. Funny enough, I started to love the song because of how much he loved it! I sent the email of our song choices to the DJ with Mackenzie CC’d on it, then sent a secret email to our DJ and told him that I wanted to surprise Mackenzie with the song that he wanted! It was so great seeing his face when we started our first dance and it was his favorite song! It was a mix of excitement and panic that they were playing the wrong one.
The most memorable part of the day for me, was when our photographer stole us away from the reception and Mackenzie and I got to hold hands, laugh, and run around in the field in front of the barn while Adam snapped photos of us. It was so nice to have time with Mackenzie that was relaxed and, for some reason, so funny. We couldn’t stop laughing — like throw your head back with a double-chin type of laughing! I had grass in my hair, and it was just perfect.
Our wedding planning advice is simple: Do what feels right for you and your fiancé. Don’t worry too much about pleasing every single person. It can consume you and take you away from the important things, which are: 1.) you’re marrying your best friend, 2.) you have your best ladies and guys standing next to you, and 3.) your friends and family are all together in one place for probably the first and only time. There’s nothing better than that, so enjoy every minute of it!
Our biggest congratulations to Micah and Mackenzie, and our warmest thanks to photographer Adam Naples for sharing this festive and free-spirited Red Barn Farm wedding with Junebug!
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