Here at Junebug, we love good food and fashion. So, when we saw that Tawny and Julian’s wedding had a welcome dinner complete with an In N Out food truck and three–yes, you read that correctly–different bridal looks, we were head over heels in love. With the help of expert planner CCL Weddings and Events, the couple’s nuptials at Hummingbird Nest Ranch were the perfect combination of creative, modern, and fashion-forward.
The pink flower arrangements put together by Of The Flowers added the perfect pop of color against the black and white decor and the fairy lights added a romantic feeling to an otherwise modern set-up. We’re thrilled that May Iosotaluno was there to capture every well-thought-out detail. From the tender moments of the ceremony to the futuristic LED light installation, this wedding is easily one of the most unique that we have ever seen.
The day before our wedding, we hosted a welcome event for all our guests to attend at Casita Hollywood! We had Guerilla Tacos, an In-N-Out truck, and cocktails! We also passed out personalized tote welcome bags for our guests, which included: a garden in a bag, Rx bars, Compartes chocolate, Sour Patch Kids, and a polaroid camera.
The Creative & Modern Wedding Vibes at Hummingbird Nest Ranch
We didn’t want the wedding to be too serious–as we are very laidback. We wanted our guests to have fun and relax with us. The wedding was influenced heavily by our love for food, so the menu was very important to us–from the snacks served at the welcome party to the after-party food. In terms of style and design, I wanted a more rustic vibe with touches of refined elegance. With wild florals placed inside a contained plexiglass box, you will see the perfect juxtaposition of neat and messy.
Multiple Wedding Day Surprises
We had so many surprises for our guests throughout the night! Julian and I choreographed our dance for our first dance to show our guests just how thankful we were to have every one of them. Julian’s mother and father also “Love me Tender” by Elvis Presley. This was by far the sweetest gift we received as a couple. Fashion is extremely important to me, so I had a total of 3 outfit changes! We also had a fashion-forward LED light installation designed and built by CCL Weddings, where our guests could take photos. We knew this would make our wedding stand out!
Congratulations again to Tawny and Julian on their creative and modern wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch! Thank you so much to May Iosotaluno for capturing every magical minute of it. If you’re interested in throwing a one-of-a-kind wedding personalized to who you are as a couple, check out our guide on how to plan a unique wedding!
If you’re in the mood for all the beachy goodness that Tulum has to offer, look no further than Ashley and Dave’s wedding at Papaya Playa Project! The couple and all their nearest and dearest celebrated a weekend of love on the iconic Mexican beaches, and we have to admit we’re feeling a little bit of FOMO. ViaDestination helped the couple bring the very best of Tulum into the decor, including tropical greenery, wicker details, and even custom coconuts from Kocoo Mexico. No detail was left unattended but everything felt totally effortless and natural. What we love most, though, is that photographer Beatatum managed to capture the purest emotions from beginning to end!
The most important things to us were that everyone was included in all the weekend activities. All guests traveled at least five hours on a plane and then two hours by car. They made the effort to be there to celebrate, so we wanted everyone to be included in everything. We had a welcome party rather than a rehearsal dinner. We had a hangover brunch that turned into an all-day pool party and dinner. When we first started planning we each had one thing that we had as a non-negotiable Dave’s was craft cocktails and personalized liquor lists. Mine was I wanted family-style meal service.
There were a few things ha that stand out. The first look was so special. We opted for the tradition of staying separate the night before. We have been together for ten years. It was so much leading up to him turning around. I had butterflies just like our first date! Another thing was when everyone jumped in the pool halfway through the reception. It was so hot and humid, that everyone including our parents, jumped in fully clothed. We moved the bar closer and the music changed to a special playlist. We had a hunch that it would happen.
Stay calm and don’t stress. When we started planning we knew something wasn’t going to go as planned. We said we weren’t going to let any of that get to us. We wanted to keep the planning fun. Every email call or text you get from vendors, guests or the venue are efforts to make your day exactly as you dreamed of it. I also used Instagram over Pinterest for everything. With Pinterest, there is so much to sift through. With Instagram, you can save everything to boards and have real weddings with real photos and actual contact with them. I had a board for flowers, cake, decor everything. I found every vendor on Instagram. It felt much more personalized.
Dave and I knew we wanted a destination wedding. Dave wanted a beach, I wanted to wear high heels. This would be the only real compromise we would have to make during the wedding planning. We chose the Papaya Playa Project because we could get married in a chapel on the beach. The venue also had a great place for cocktail hour and the palapa was the perfect reception area. Every time we’ve been to PPP, we’ve had helpful staff, delicious food, and great accommodations. It’s not your traditional hotel but has so much character and all the amenities.
Julia and Robert’s Reykjavik wedding is nothing short of classic vibes with a modern twist. These two exchanged vows at Iðnó Theatre surrounded by candles and string lights for the ultimate intimate and romantic feel. Not only did Pink Iceland help plan and coordinate the perfect day for Julia and Robert, but they assisted in planning a full weekend worth of activities and events for their guests. There was nothing more magical about this wedding, besides the creative forces of Magic Wedding Photographer who documented the day in such a unique and special way.
The best piece of advice I can give is to try and “let go”. Being a perfectionist when there are so many little details and elements to planning a wedding can be overwhelming. Prioritize and focus your time on the things that are the most important to you and your partner. Be clear with your wedding vision and let the team that you hired take on the rest. They are the professionals after all!
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Our wedding planner Eva presented us with several options, and right away, we knew Iðnó Theatre was “the one”. The venue itself has many charms, as it was the oldest playhouse in Iceland, built in 1896. We liked that it had character, history, and multiple rooms and floors to accommodate all our needs. Our ceremony was held in the theatre/main room, and cocktail hour was hosted on the second floor while they revamped the main room for the reception. The size was also perfect for the number of guests we had. It did not feel too big or too small. The location was centrally located in downtown Reykjavik by the city pond, offering our guests great views and plenty of photo ops.
The most memorable part of the day was when we exchanged vows. Although our guests were in the room, there was a feeling of intimacy and vulnerability as we made a lifetime commitment to each other.
The most important thing in planning the wedding was ensuring our guests had a great time. They were flying all the way to Iceland so we wanted to create an experience they would never forget. Our wedding weekend kicked off with a private sightseeing trip and welcome party at the Blue Lagoon. It was a great way for our guests to mingle and get to know each other before the big day. On the actual wedding day, the food, drinks, and music were the priority. The added touch of a disco ball was a sure fire way to get the dance party started.
The look and feel I was going for on my wedding day can be best described as “ethereal elegance.” The dress had the perfect amount of femininity, bohemian touches, and intricate bead and lace detailing for my frame. I knew that I wanted long sleeves since we would be getting married in Iceland and would want more coverage. For my bridesmaids, I liked how dreamy the tulle dresses looked from Monique Lhuillier and chose a blue and grey color palette that complemented the rest of my wedding color palette. I kept the hair, makeup, and accessories simple since there was a lot going on in the dress already.
My favorite photo is the one Magic took of us near the geothermal power plant with the steam rising from the ground. It looked like we were on Mars.
Thank you so much to Junebug member Magic Wedding Photographer for sharing this elegant Icelandic wedding with us! If you loved Magic’s creative shooting and documentary style, then take a look at this stress-free Cliffs of Moher wedding that he also photographed!
Katie and Rayce’s moody romantic wedding at SoDo Park in downtown Seattle was urban wedding goals from beginning to end! Kaleb Norman James Design helped bring the couple’s vision to life with rich-toned floral arrangements, vintage details, moody lighting, and dinner party-style dining that created the most romantic feel inside the industrial-meets-rustic space. The couple treated their guests to a feast of Seattle’s best seafood created by Herban Feast Catering and sent each guest home with a variety of custom cookies baked by Morfey’s Cake to represent every important location throughout their relationship. Katie’s chic Gretchen Dawley dress and natural makeup and hairstyle were made even better with the custom leather jacket Rayce gifted her, and his two-tone, velvet-accented look was equally exceptional. Jenna Bechtholt Photography had so much to capture, from the intricate decor to the pure joy the bride and groom were exuding all day, and she totally nailed it!
We were going for romantic, moody vibes. We wanted the evening to feel intimate and have our guests feel like they were attending a rad dinner party. We wanted everything to reflect a downtown wedding and really show off the city. To create this feel we went for long tables, lots of mood lighting, rich-toned floral and velvet everywhere. A major theme of the wedding was figs. We loved the color and the idea of incorporating them into the wedding. So figs made appearances everywhere! They were on the wedding invites, on the tables, on the cake etc. It was a cool element that created our color palette. The other major theme was velvet. We had velvet lounge furniture, velvet runners for the table, velvet vow books, and velvet shoes!
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We both wore velvet shoes, which were awesome! We really went for the velvet theme! Rayce even had a velvet bow tie. He pieced together every aspect of his outfit with a custom tailor to create one clean unique look and I had my dress custom made for me. Creating the dress with the designer was one of the coolest experiences. I flew back and forth from LA a few times leading up to the wedding. At each appointment we would make adjustments, cut fabric, pick out lace, you name it, we did it live. It was so cool and the final product is an amazing dress made just for me!
Rayce got me a custom jacket that said Mrs. Kopach on it. I loved it and it really made me feel like myself on the wedding day. I wore it in a hand full of photos and they turned out to be some of my favorites. I had a book made for Rayce and wrote what I love about him in it for 100 days each day leading up to the wedding.
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We loved our ceremony and are so happy we wrote our own vows. Reading my vows and hearing his was the highlight of the entire evening and something we now reflect on. That feeling was priceless and the words were so meaningful!
I have never laughed so much in my life than I did with Jenna Bechtholt Photography. We did our engagement shoot with her, which really helped us get to know each other. By the wedding day, we were completely comfortable with her! Not only is she really easy going but she is super fun to hang out with. She fit right in on the wedding day, which I think is important. It was a great experience and she is beyond talented. She did a great job capturing some of the sweetest candid moments. They are priceless!
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We gave our guests personalized wedding cookies that were designed based off of places that are meaningful to us. For example, we both went to school at the University of Arizona, so some of the cookies were shaped like a cactus or the AZ state shape with a heart in Tucson. Other examples were a Starbucks-shaped cookie for Seattle (where I grew up), a sailboat-shaped cookie for San Diego (where Rayce grew up), a pizza-shaped cookie for Chicago (where Rayce was born), and a sombrero-shaped cookie for Mexico (where we met).
We have a few pieces of advice for engaged couples: 1.) Have a welcome party where everyone is invited. We said all our “hellos” there and didn’t worry about making the rounds on the wedding day. This way we had no worries or a “to do” list during the wedding and got to enjoy every moment. 2.) Include something that makes you feel like “you” on your wedding day. Rayce got me that leather jacket, and I instantly felt like myself. I loved that thing! 3.) Don’t leave anything to do on your wedding morning. Trust me, it won’t get done! 4.) Get the entire wedding party together before the wedding day. Rayce and I hosted a night at an Airbnb and cooked everyone all dinner as a thank you. It was the perfect way for everyone to get to know each other, drink some wine, and feel completely comfortable with each other on the wedding day!
Our first dance song was “When You’re Around” by Cris Cab, which was our song from college. We used to play it while cooking in the kitchen and driving in the car on road trips. The only twist is that it is a reggae song, so we took it to our band and they made a jazzy remix for our first dance. They totally made it their own and rocked it! It’s definitely our new favorite version!
Annie and Wilson’s wedding at Soho South Cafe will have you saying one big “YEP” at every image. With the help of Ivory & Beau, Annie and Wilson’s wedding is the perfect balance of modern and industrial. The geometric ceremony backdrop doubled into the perfect background for Annie and Wilson’s sweetheart table, topped with lush greenery and white blooms by Gardenias Event Floral. The mismatched chairs added a whimsical touch with subtle pops of color throughout the space. And can we take a moment for the perfection that is their wedding cake by Flirt with Dessert – hello gold foil and mini pineapples! Mackensey Alexander Photography captured all of the stunning and fun details of Annie and Wilson’s wedding day.
We wanted our wedding to be a great party, and bring together our family and friends for a memorable event! We thought Savannah was the perfect location to help us set that tone right out of the gate. We also wanted it to be more of a weekend experience, so we planned a welcome party for everyone in town the Friday night before the wedding, and my amazingly generous cousins and aunt hosted both a bridal luncheon on Friday and a brunch on Sunday, so we were able to spend as much time as possible with the guests that traveled to see us. From there we just tried to provide as much amazing food and drink as possible, and worked with our DJ to curate a playlist that would keep everyone on the dance floor all night!
It’s really hard to pick just one moment, it was all so amazing! Our first look was really special, we read each other cards we had written in place of more personal vows during the ceremony. It helped both of us to calm down, enjoy the full day and take it all in together.
My cousin, Terry, was our florist, and I couldn’t have imagined a more wonderful person to make our floral wedding ideas a reality. He took our inspiration and went above and beyond to make the wedding flowers of our dreams, and then some! Terry created the most beautiful arrangements that fit so perfectly with the vision we had in my mind. Including incorporating so many cute mini pineapples in unexpected places, such as our cake topper! He also surprised me with a really special detail on my bouquet, using a piece of my mom’s wedding dress wrapped around the stems. The tears started flowing after I saw that! We could not have imagined having this wedding without his beautiful creations.
We knew that we wanted to get married in Savannah, and Soho South Cafe was our first choice for the venue. We got their full availability for the next year and picked their soonest available date that worked for us, which turned out to be six months away. Once we had that date and location in place, we were able to reach out to all of the other vendors we were excited to work with, and managed to lock most everything down within a matter of weeks. I can be indecisive when there are a lot of options available, so having a short timeline helped me to make choices more quickly from what was available. We really lucked out with every single one of our vendors, it was like the stars aligned to help us fast-track our wedding planning process!
Our officiant, Ken Meeks, is so special to us. He’s a Butler Family tradition, as he was a classmate of my dad’s at the Citadel, and married both my parents and my brother and sister-in-law. So it was wonderful to have him officiate our wedding as well, bringing the tradition full circle.
Before we started planning anything, I pulled together a bunch of photos to create a mood board that reflected elements of both of us and tried to distill those elements into all of the choices we made for the wedding. We wanted a stylish, happy, relaxed vibe that didn’t feel overly formal, with elements and textures of greenery, wood, gold, and marble. In the end, the industrial elements of our venue really helped to amp up and tie together the overall look and feel we were aiming for.
I love to DIY but knew that I wanted to limit my projects to things that would make an impact on the day of without overloading myself (or my loved ones). Before I started, I chose a font to work with that spoke to our overall wedding vibe and used that on all of my DIY elements to tie everything together. I designed all of the signage, such as a welcome sign, favor tags, guestbook, hashtag and drink menu signs, and then hand-lettered everything on acrylic with gold paint pens. I also used hexagon marble tiles as escort cards, writing the names, table numbers, and entrees in gold paint pens. I designed menus and programs as well, that I had laser die cut into shapes to match the other gem/geometric elements we incorporated throughout the day.
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I am also incredibly lucky to have a very talented woodworking dad and an amazing mom that can help me translate my ideas into reality. My dad made the wood gems that we used to hold the table numbers and created the diamond structure we used for our ceremony backdrop. He also created the easels to hold the marble escort tiles, as well as the doughnut sticks that held the Krispy Kreme doughnuts, one of the best parts of our dessert table. We had such a great time putting everything together and gave ourselves enough time to complete it all so that we weren’t scrambling the day before.
Chateau de La Noue Le Coq was the perfect all-inclusive place for Biggy and Nicky’s dreamy and intimate wedding in the French countryside. The gorgeous castle is located in-between Germany and the Netherlands, so that guests from either side would travel an equal distance. The comprehensive venue allowed their guests to eat, sleep, and party at the same spot without worrying about accommodation or driving. Starting with a sunset welcome party the night before the wedding, this fun celebration was full of character and offered plenty of opportunity for games, swimming, and merrymaking, all within walking distance. In the extremely personalized lakefront ceremony, the couple was married by the bride’s father, and asked the groom’s grandparents hand over the wedding rings instead of a ring bearer. We love how the bride spent the year before the wedding collecting vintage décor: mismatched crystal champagne glasses, gold candleholders, and even dinner knives. SUEGRAPHY captured all of the special moments with perfectly authentic couple’s photos on the castle grounds.
We found an old castle in beautiful France right between Germany and the Netherlands. It was a dreamy and big location where we could do everything on the same spot starting with a welcome sunset party and games, dinner, church service, sleeping accommodations, swimming pool, and the party…No one had to drive long distances and our guests could easily enjoy a few more wines and beers as they had their beds on a walking distance!
It was important to us our wedding reflected our own personalities and style and not a copy of different Pinterest boards. This days should reflect us from beginning to end. Planning a wedding is also a lot work but we always made sure it stays fun.
We wrote about personal memories we shared with them, funny stories, about our friendship, what we appreciate about them, how much they mean to us, how excited we are and how thankful we are they are celebrating with us! Many told us that it kept surprising them to receive those messages and that the postcards made it very personal.
I started to collect many decoration items already the year before our wedding. It was a fun project I shared with my friends where we made fun trips to different thrift stores through the whole country collection our wedding decoration. This included crystal wine and champagne glasses, candle holders and even the knives for the dinner.
We both decided to walk down the aisle together with our fathers. The ceremony was in front of a lake at the foot of a little hill. When walking downwards, we saw ALL our loved ones looking at us with happy face and honet smiles! Although we couldn’t share this moment together, because we both walked separately with our dads, this was the moment we both experienced as magical.
Biggy‘s dad is a preacher and it was a big honour that he was marrying us. It made the whole ceremony very personal. Every single guest was a close family member or friend of us andwe could totally be ourselves. Instead of having ring girls we decided to ask Nicky‘s grand parents handing us over our wedding rings (which are btw the original wedding rings from both of our grand-grand-parents!).
Make sure you plan enough time with your guests. We decided to have a whole weekend instead of only a day so we wouldn’t have the feeling to rush from one agenda point to the next. Between the ceremony and the dinner was enough time to chill at the pool (and to throw your mates into the water ;-)).
Our photographers Erwin & Suzanne from SUEGRAPHY felt like “air” on our wedding day. On the one hand we didn’t notice them because they work so professional and on the other hand we totally couldn’t have lived without them! They somehow managed to be present to capture all special moments without anyone noticing it (which made ALL our pictures so real and authentic!) and in the meantime they were part of our friends andwedding guests because there’s no way you can not love them! We felt so relaxed around them and they are the reason we will be able to have our memories not only captured in our hearts but also on prints forever. We love you guys big time!
Mellie and Hamish’s Norwegian/Australian wedding at Lageret Studio, a converted paper factory full of raw industrial beauty, was a roller coaster of emotion and celebration. The bride started her wedding day in the hospital but didn’t let illness hold her back, discharging herself, getting ready as quickly as possible and surprising her groom at their beautiful ceremony on the forest’s edge overlooking a lake outside of Oslo. Huge windows, bright white, and open spaces decorated with a cozy bohemian ambiance by wedding planner Trine Thorsen created a carefree fusion of the forest ceremony and urban reception. The bride’s Grace Loves Lace wedding gown echoed the relaxed ethereal atmosphere with flutter sleeves, a romantic open back, and delicate French lace. The warm color palette of Burgundies, reds, dark pinks, and brass accents was created by floral designer Krista Elvheim, who created a cohesive look inspired by the bridesmaids dresses found across the globe. The Shannons Photography captured so many truly beautiful and emotional moments of this stunning couple and their guests looking happy and healthy.
It was a very personal day, where who we are as a couple shined through in all the decisions made. Having grown up surrounded by spectacular Norwegian nature, it was important to have that incorporated into the day, and so we had the ceremony at a secluded spot by the lake in the forest. It felt so intimate and grounded.
It was incredibly important to us to have great photos to look back on, and we felt so safe with The Shannons behind the lense. They have such a good eye for finding the real and beautiful moments throughout the day, filled with so much emotion. We are in awe of their work, and knew we had to have them onboard! Luckily for us, they didn’t mind flying in from London for our big day. They made us feel so at ease in every setting and are literally the nicest couple you’ll ever meet. As The Shannons take documentary style photos, we hardly noticed they were there – they just blended in like the artistically talented ninjas that they are.
It was very important it was a happy and laid-back day with laughter in the air, and the relaxed ambience of our venue accented just that. The incredible raw industrial location softened with a Moroccan colour palette, lounge areas, and brass accessories helped create the atmosphere we craved. The wedding was not typical Australian (Hamish) or Norwegian, but a blend of us as a couple.
The weekend before our wedding, I got severe food poisoning during my hens in London, and was very ill the week leading up to the wedding. The night before I was so ill in fact I was hospitalised. I persuaded the doctors to let me go the next day in the nick of time! I took a taxi from the hospital to the apartment where my bridesmaids had been waiting for four hours, we all cried happy tears, and they all got me ready in a hurry. Poor Hamishand our guests were waiting in the forest, had no signals andno way of knowing if I would make it.
We rocked up hour and a half late, and as a nervous Hamish locked eyes with me walking down the forest path it sank in that I had made it. We were overcome with emotion. When I saw everyone who had flown in from across the world to be there with us, there is no words. It was such a heartfelt ceremony filled with laughter and tears. I had left my vows in the car andhad to improvise, and Hame couldn’t get the wedding band on my finger as I had had so many litres of IV drip at the hospital! And that’s how the day continued – laughter and tears all day long. We’re a lively bunch, so there was never a quiet moment.
We chose the venue due to the incredible open floor space, with a raw industrial setting. The windows were incredible, letting in so much light, making it into an incredible location- a photographers dream venue for sure. After meeting with the owner andwedding planner Trine Thorsen, we knew she understood the atmosphere we wanted to create in the space, and she delivered a bohemian-industrial fusion above and beyond all expectations.
We had a very organics flow to the day, with everything from the forest ceremony to the raw industrial reception venue decorated in warm Moroccan colours and fabrics. The Verdelle dress from Grace Loves Lace complimented all of those features with the flowy arms and open back giving off an ethereal, bohemian look. I didn’t wear any accessories as I thought the intricate French lace and design of the dress was holding its own. The bridesmaids wore different dresses in burgundy tones, as they flew in from all different sides of the world making dress shopping a bit tricky, and I wanted them to have a dress they felt good in.
Tulum is quickly emerging as one of the coolest places to get hitched in Mexico, so it’s no wonder Cass and Brendan chose to have their incredible destination wedding there! Cass and Brendan’s wedding began with a welcome party featuring an open bar and endless tacos, then was followed by their ceremony that bucked tradition by forgoing a bridal party and featuring songs that spoke to them. From Cass’s Marchesa gown to herChristian Louboutin wedge sandals, her bridal look was a true show-stopper. Button Up Photography captured every elegant moment of Cass and Brendan’s Tulum beach wedding perfectly, including their breathtaking reception tent in the sand!
The Couple:
Cass and Brendan
The Wedding:
Tulum, Mexico
My dress found me really. My wedding dress was a Marchesa sample that I purchased at a boutique in downtown Manhattan completely by chance. Mostly, I loved the color, and the mixed blush tones underneath the tulle that really looked amazing as the sun set. The slight shimmer was also perfect for the copious amount of candlelight. Because of the sand, I had to have a wedge, and so I went with an easy Christian Louboutin from an previous season.
My beauty look was initially inspired by Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2014, but after not finding the perfect head piece, I opted for the statement earrings also by Marchesa which ended up being ideal for me. The makeup wasn’t fussy, and felt like me, which I loved. My hair was not initially going to be parted, but my stylist Daniel did a look for my rehearsal that I ended up loving and the rest is history. I’m still wearing a center part and low bun these days!
It’s such an emotional and truthfully overwhelming day, we both forget a lot and are reminded only by our photos. I do remember meeting Brendan at the altar and reaching out to hug him and in doing so I nearly knocked over the table. It was such a natural reaction, but not what the bride is supposed to do.
We really bucked tradition, which not everyone loved, but felt just right for us. We skipped bridal parties as our wedding was already an intimate group. We chose a non-traditional processional and recession because music was is so central to our relationship, we had to include songs that meant something to us. We also had an amazing Welcome Party at La Eufemia on the beach with an open bar and endless tacos, which was a big hit, especially with our friends.
Our photographer Hideki knew that I was completely overwhelmed and just did his thing, it was really nice for me because I just couldn’t think. I think he’s pretty good at anticipating what type of person you’re going to be on your wedding day and he just adjusts and does an amazing job.
We’re both minimalists and love a good clean design, we knew exactly what we didn’t want, and that was a great start. We ultimately wanted the wedding to feel like an al fresco dinner party with amazing food, drinks, and friends and not necessarily a wedding. Most importantly we didn’t want to spoil the location’s natural beauty with too much additional details. It’s so beautiful there, you could do nothing and it would feel special.
Our advice: Hire a dedicated planner, especially for a destination wedding. Your venue may have someone who helps you along the way, but they work for the venue, not you. Your wedding is one day, and it goes by so fast, you want to be able to completely immerse yourself in the experience and not worry about a thing.
Our menu was true to Tulum and the food that we love there which is pretty healthy. Starters included fresh ceviche, zucchini carpaccio, and guacamole. The main course featured local whole fish, skirt steak, and chicken and plenty of vegetables served family style so that everyone could sample a little of everything. For dessert we skipped the cake and offered a selection of desserts. Later on in the night we served pizzas to our hard-dancing (and drinking) friends and family.
Martha Drake and Kristian brought glamour, elegance, and unexpectedly relaxed vibes to the farmhouse at Old Edwards Inn in their gorgeous autumn wedding! The couple exchanged vows in a lovely garden ceremony then danced the night away under the warm glow of cafe lights and antique chandeliers. The bride put her event planning and watercolor skills to work by planning the entire celebration and creating all of the paper goods, which included save-the-date cards, invitations, custom stamps, a map of NC for the welcome gifts, and the wedding programs. And the DIY artistry didn’t stop there! The bride’s mom, who is a freelance florist, created the dreamiest forest-inspired tablescapes with white and burgundy flowers, gold candlesticks, and moss. Needless to say, we’re seriously impressed with all of the personal details in this wedding, which Cody & Allison Photography captured so beautifully!
We knew we wanted a fun wedding focused on celebrating with family and friends, our beloved French bulldog puppy Remy to be part of the wedding party, great music, and a mix of tradition with our own personal touches. I knew I wanted a comfortable, timeless gown with an easy elegance. Oh, and great shoes. Obviously.
I am a freelance watercolor artist and paper goods designer, so the personalizing began with our save-the-date card. I painted a portrait of us in our favorite clothing – with our pup Remy of course – and then we recreated the portrait during our engagement photos with our photographer Cody! I also customized all the paper goods, with the exception of the formal engraved wedding invitation. My custom printed materials included the rehearsal dinner and welcome party invitation; customized stamps for all mailings; a painted map of Highlands, NC for the welcome boxes with renderings wedding weekend venue; and the wedding program. I loved making each printed material very personal. The most time consuming project I completed was the wedding program: it featured us Kristian and I as a doe and buck on the front, with the interior listing each selection of music with an explanation of its significance, small portraiture of the wedding party, and our little French bulldog pup Remy on the back cover. I found a simple white canvas book and painted the front as our guest book, as well as painted all the signage from framed art to a wooden sign with our names and wedding date.
The bulk of my professional career has been in event planning, so I also took on the role of wedding planner for our wedding without really giving it much thought. For me, what was most important was finding a beautiful venue with catering and set-up vendors included to mark a HUGE check off my planning list.
As a disclaimer, I’ve never been one to have imagined “My Dream Wedding.” I didn’t have a vision of myself in a poufy white dress as a young child. So a few days post-proposal, I examined my SHHHHTOPSECRET Pinterest wedding board. Come on. We all have/had one. Mine was absolutely hilarious. My creatively titled “Wedding Maybe” board looked like a collaboration of at least fifty random people with radically different personalities. I was either having a glamorous, black-tie Gatsby-esque affair in shimmering sequined dress; a frolicking good time in a field in a flowing gown of a gown and a glimpse of bare midriff; or a stark, minimal cocktail party in my imaginary New York penthouse apartment.
I think there is something magical about leaving the city where you do the daily grind and escape to celebrate such an important day with your favorite people. With family and friends scattered to the four winds, we knew our wedding was going to be a destination of sorts for most of our guests. My family has a home in Cashiers, North Carolina where Kristian and I took our first trip away together towards the start of our relationship. It became a very special place for us and we decided that the Western Carolina mountains would be the perfect location for our fall wedding weekend.
A family friend commented to me weeks after the wedding that she had never been to a wedding where the bride and groom not only seemed so happy, but also so at ease. As a result, she said she and her husband noticed everyone else there also seemed so happy, relaxed, and just totally enjoying themselves with ease. I thought this the greatest compliment. As a Southerner, I was raised with the traditional values of hospitality and graciousness: an almost ineffable warmth that makes others feel completely comfortable. My grandmother exudes Southern hospitality without realizing it and my mother is the warmest, most giving person I know. So I was pleased as punch to hear that our wedding felt comfortably inviting, with an easy elegance that let everyone relax and have a wonderful time celebrating with us.
When I was an event planner and bridal stylist, I always told my bridal clients: you want to feel like YOURSELF on your wedding day – perhaps your most beautiful, professional-make-up-and-hair-done self – but like yourself. So everything from our attire to décor to menu choices were things we felt absolutely comfortable with and nothing that we wouldn’t ordinarily surround ourselves with in daily life (well, if I lived our daily life wearing a tulle gown with an amazing personal chef, awesome band playing live music, and constant floral décor).
I adore photos that really play with the contrast of light and shadows – not always an easy feat in natural light. And this man knows his light. All the folks in his photos also seemed very at ease and natural – which is a testament to a photographer who can make even the most awkward of couples (i.e., us) feel comfortable in front of the camera. I wanted photos that were journalistic and candid, but still thoughtfully composed. I knew this was my photographer. The day of the wedding, I knew we were in excellent hands. With a crisp, clear day we had beautiful soft light amidst the foliage and hidden forest nooks on the property. Cody is a consummate professional and deeply committed to his aesthetic, which I very much appreciated. He made us feel completely at ease in our giddy excitement, but made it clear to us also that he knew was photographing something very, very special – which he managed to capture all so perfectly.
After we left a secluded wooded area and made our way up a small hill, I could see our bridal party scattered across the clearing above. Our families were smiling; the little flower girls appeared to be floating across the grass as they giggled and ran around in their tutus while their dads chased them; the bridesmaids and groomsmen were chatting and laughing; our French bulldog puppy Remy was looking around earnestly to see where we were. I looked back at my soon-to-be husband, who was carefully clutching my veil behind me so I wouldn’t trip, and we smiled quietly at each other. It was just an absolutely perfect, serene moment: children laughing, our families and best friends gathered together, with a beautiful soft sunset settling on the entire scene – and then our puppy Remy broke loose and ran towards us in his green velvet bowtie. Love.
My mother is a freelance florist, so she and her team of friends and associates did ALL of the flowers: from the bridesmaids’’ bouquets, boutonnieres, my own bouquet, and all ceremony and reception décor. I wanted a very traditional small cluster of lily of the valley to symbolize happiness in a loose, modern interpretation and it was just perfect. I’ve called my mother “The Orchid Whisperer” for years – she has quite the green thumb and an uncanny talent for styling orchids – so the centerpieces for the wedding guests were all luscious, elegant white orchids in raised beautiful cast iron planters. We had open seating for our guests at round tables except for the bridal party: we were seated at a long farm table my mother covered in moss and low centerpieces with rich burgundy and café au lait dahlias with flat-leaf eucalyptus. It looked like a magical little forest with antique brass candlesticks scattered throughout – complete with a little gold doe and buck ensconced in a glass cloche marking Kristian’s and my place setting. She and her friend Ann also created the wedding cake table, surrounded with luxe moss and decorated very simply with olive branches and luscious sugared berries from our fantastic pastry chef. Everything was perfect and felt completely like us – since my mother knows me better than anyone, she knew how to make it just absolutely perfect!
I’m a classically trained Juilliard opera singer and contacted our band the day before the wedding that I *may* want to sing our first dance song with the band to close the evening. So I don’t know if this counts as “DIY,” but I did sing during our reception! I was super nervous (more so than when I performed at Carnegie Hall!) and almost didn’t go through with it, but the band, Java through East Coast Entertainment, was so enthusiastic that I just hopped on stage and sang “Our Love Is Here To Stay” (George + Ira Gershwin) to finish off the evening!
Jessica and Lincoln’s waterfront wedding was filled with gorgeous natural elements and punctuated with fun activities to reflect their lively natures! The couple chose Phuket, Thailand’s Sava Villas as their destination wedding venue for its secluded beachy charm and proximity to their home city of Hong Kong. Jessica and Lincoln’s ceremony décor complemented the organic nature of their venue with warm wood tones, soft blush and gold accents, and super romantic twinkly lights lining the property. The couple plays ultimate frisbee together, so they treated their guests to custom frisbee discs printed with their wedding logo on it! Liam Collard Photography captured every moment of Jessica and Lincoln’s wedding perfectly, including their reception’s late-night pool party!
It was important to Lincoln and I to plan a fun and relaxed destination wedding which allowed us to spend quality time with each of our guests and to create opportunities for our guests to meet new friends. Our vision was to have an intimate, nature-inspired, and romantic wedding with rustic touches given our laid back personalities and with the event being held at a beautiful beachside venue. As we were celebrating our wedding in Thailand and have always been in love with the people, the culture, and of course the food, we wanted to incorporate Thai elements into the event.
We had our hearts set on having a destination wedding given our love for travel and vision for an intimate wedding with our nearest and dearest friends and family. Living in Hong Kong, we are so spoiled with options for tropical wedding destinations in Asia. We quickly singled out Phuket as our top pick due to the ease of access from other Asian countries and Phuket’s reputation for high-quality bespoke wedding services. It was also important for us to choose a location easily accessible and financially feasible for our international guests.
I love the look of custom envelopes done in handwritten calligraphy; however, I didn’t find it feasible to hire a calligrapher. Instead, I dropped by a local paper company in Hong Kong and bought gorgeous envelopes at an unbelievable price and printed our guests’ addresses in calligraphy at home. I ended up with a lovely invitation suite without needing to shell out lots of money.
We had guests coming from all over – Hong Kong, Canada, USA, UK, Australia, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, China, Thailand, Czech Republic and Uganda! Phuket has plenty of wedding venue options and on our quest to find the perfect one, we visited both hotel resorts and private villas. We ultimately decided on Sava Villas as it had all the factors important to us – all our guests and family can stay close together and we can dance the night away at our own private venue beside a gorgeous beach.
I loved the idea of having natural, organic elements to pair with the beautiful outdoor setting. We chose timelessly classic white and blush floral against brilliant greens and soft neutral hues paired with warm wood tones and accents of gold. Our al fresco ceremony and seaside reception was held under a canopy of dreamy hanging fairy lights and leafy greenery blowing softly in the wind.
It was so much fun dressing our wedding party since we had such a diverse group! I loved the look of mismatched bridesmaid dresses and decided on soft neutral pastel hues as the color palette – pale blush, light gray, and nude.
Our favorite wedding day moment was the ceremony! From upbeat entrances to moving speeches, there were so many emotions packed in such a short amount of time. All the nerves melted away as we took in the beautiful scenery, surrounded by our closest friends and family. It was an amazing experience.
I met a lovely designer named Katherine Yeung in Hong Kong and decided to go along with creating a custom creation for my wedding gown. Being an outdoor wedding event, comfort was a very important factor for me and Katherine created the perfect dress for a beach wedding. The lace detailing was exquisite and was enhanced by the nude underlining. I loved the look of the dramatic exposed low back, illusion lace along the neckline and how the tulle train looked so effortlessly elegant no matter how it fell. The dress was a perfect combination of glamour and whimsy. My hair was loosely styled back into a chignon and garnished with beautiful white and blush flowers. The look was completed with a pair of gorgeous nude color heels by Steve Madden.
We used an elephant as the main focal point in our wedding logo and held our welcome party at a casual beachside restaurant serving authentic local cuisine. For our dinner reception, Chef Noi from Suay Restaurant selected a menu with Thai inspired flavors and we even had a Thai soup noodle stand as a late night snack!
We wanted to incorporate our personal touches into the wedding to showcase our interests and backgrounds. Lincoln and I both play Ultimate Frisbee competitively and so does a majority of our wedding guests so we thought it would be appropriate to gift custom printed discs as wedding favors. We also subtly incorporated childhood references into the wedding by naming our reception tables according to fictional cartoon locations.
Leave time for yourself to enjoy your big day! A simpler wedding schedule means you aren’t exhausted by mid-day and that you actually have fun! Many couples lose sight of this and over schedule their day which can ultimately result in a wedding event completely not being what they originally envisioned.
It was such a pleasure having Liam and Stam as our photographers! They were fun and easy-going throughout the wedding day and most importantly, made sure Lincoln and I and everyone else were also having a great time. Months ago, when we were searching for photographers we immediately fell in love with Liam and Stam’s photojournalistic style. Looking back now, it was one of the best decisions we made! Their style of work meant that everyone could act more naturally and have fun which really showed in the final photos.
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