Washington Wedding by Michele M. Waite
We spotted this next beauty over on Michele M. Waite’s blog, one of our favorite photographers EVER. And it’s the kind of wedding that makes you want to move right in. To set up shop in the fields, to dine on perfect pies and to dance the night away under the gorgeous stars. Knowing that so much of this wedding was DIY and that so many family members pitched in to help, makes it even more special, even more beautiful. Oh and did I mention that the bride is also an amazing floral designer, a business inspired by the fun she had in designing her own wedding. I know, I’m a little jealous too.
Our wedding really was what I always dreamed of—an elegant, laid back affair on a summer day with our close friends and family enjoying great food, dancing and lots of handmade touches. The year of planning was too much fun. James was totally supportive and let me become absorbed in a world of paper, fabric, flowers, and blogs—it was a complete DIY wedding. (Thank you, SMP, for sticking by my side all year long!)
My husband and I grew up in the county surrounded by fields of berries, and since many of my summers were spent picking and baking, we thought it would be fun to carry a blackberry theme throughout the wedding. And so they popped up in the flowers, food, favors, and invitations. Our guests were greeted with fresh lemonade and pound cake—all set up on the tailgate of my step-dad’s little antique truck. We wanted to set the tone immediately that this would be a fun, relaxing wedding and give guests time to mingle before the ceremony.
As I hid back in the trees with my dad and bridal party, my step-dad on guitar and his two friends on bass and violin treated our guests to a medley of French jazz and Bassa Nova pieces. Many people have told us that the magical moment of the day occurred when my dad and I first appeared from the trees and walked across the field to my waiting husband, while our very own trio (step dad and gang) played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” I don’t think I shed a tear (at least not until our vows). I just beamed a huge smile. I was overjoyed.
Our favors were, of course, jars of jam made by aunts, moms, and grandmas from blackberries picked from the field. Since neither of us are huge cake lovers, we opted for a variety of pies which were also made by our wonderful aunts. Friends hung the clusters of little red berries from the tent, while James and I frantically worked away creating all the arrangements for the tables. I took on a lot of the work myself, and when push came to shove, I needed his help to get it all done in time! 10+ hours creating floral arrangements must equal true love.
Flowers were purchased in bulk online and combined with poppy pods, blackberries, and roses from my dad’s garden. We clipped Vinca Vine and threw that in last minute which created just enough of the wild, unfussy look we wanted. (I must also mention the hours James’s dad and brothers spent in road-side ditches, collecting buckets of Queen Anne’s Lace for the bundles of flowers lining the aisle.) See how lucky I am? The large ceremony arrangements were made by my amazing and talented mother all from flowers and greenery picked from family gardens. She also ripped / frayed all the table runners and sewed the vase covers. Underneath that beautiful chocolate brown material are plain ol’ tomato cans.
My degree is Graphic Design, but I wanted invitations that looked a little less graphic and little more handmade. So I used watercolors to paint the different elements (berries, leaves, flowers) and scanned them into the computer to give myself more control over the color, layout, and positioning. I was pleased as punch with the outcome.
Bridesmaid dresses were spotted at Anthropologie months before and carefully watched until they went on sale, at which point I snagged all possible sizes and purchased them on the spot. Coordinating flower girl dresses were found at Gap and went perfectly with the natural, summery theme. I sewed the two hairpieces for my adorable cousins (which coordinated with the top of the blackberry favors) and the hairpiece for myself as well.
My uncle married us in the middle of a field that belonged to dear family friends (who were so kind to let us completely take over their property for 4 days). Our photographers did an amazing job of capturing the day. Our makeup artist made us all beautiful. Our caterers nailed the food… The rain held off; the food was fresh off the grill; the birds flew overhead, and I got to dance the night away with my new handsome husband. What a day it was…
Thank you, Michele and McKenzie for sharing this beautiful day with us!! And thank you to Michele’s second (and fabulous) shooter Sharlene Chase.
Photographer: Michèle M. Waite /Makeup: Michael Bride / Hair: Argyle Salon / Flowers & Design: McKenzie Powell Designs / Caterer: Fools Onion Catering / Rentals: Stellar Event Rentals & ABC Special Event Rentals / Dress: Belltown Bride (The dress was Tara Keely) / Dress Alterations: Trish Jens / Suits: Macy’ / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Flowergirl Dresses: Gap
50 Comments about “Washington Wedding by Michele M. Waite”
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April 13, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Simply gorgeous! Love the close ups of the kids!
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April 13, 2010 at 2:25 pm
oh-my. Love this. Really special beautiful wedding. Gorgeous work Michele Waite!
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April 13, 2010 at 2:39 pm
This is gorgeous. Michele's work is stunning. I love the shot of that baby. Her crocheted cap is just priceless.
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April 13, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Such a gorgeous, laid-back wedding! I love all the personal touches. I would love to know which online flower vendor you purchased your bulk flowers from. I'm considering doing my flowers myself, too, but I'm a little nervous about trying a retailer I'm not familiar with. Any info would be much appreciated!
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April 13, 2010 at 2:50 pm
i love the pound cake on the truck bed! fun. beautiful, beautiful wedding. pam
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April 13, 2010 at 3:02 pm
berries :) i can totally see myself just watching for those anthro dresses to go on sale just like she did haha
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April 13, 2010 at 3:09 pm
This was one of my favorite weddings of all time. McKenzie, you are so talented! And thanks to sharlanechase.com for the fabulous second shooting!
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April 13, 2010 at 3:13 pm
stunningggg. love misha's work. ;)
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April 13, 2010 at 3:57 pm
That is incredibly gorgeous and I absolutely love all of the DIY touches!
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April 13, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I LOVE how happy the couple is, especially in the photo of them coming down the aisle right as the ceremony ended. LOVE the joy on their faces!
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April 13, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Love, LOVE the details from this wedding. So pretty but so clearly a family affair, just like it should be. It comes across as thoughtful and not staged. Excellent!
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April 13, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Wow! What incredible talent you must have McKenzie to do all of those amazing details! Beautiful flower arrangements and LOVE the blackberry theme.
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April 13, 2010 at 7:07 pm
This is so perfect! I'm so happy for the bride ~ that she carried out her vision and had the wedding she wanted. It is inspiring and encouraging that we, too, can pull this DIY thing off!
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April 13, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Everything is sooo beautiful!! I'd love to know where the handsome groom got his suit!
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April 13, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Thank you all for the kind words. It really was a wonderful day. The flowers were purchased from fiftyflowers.com. I used them a few times before starting my business, and they always came looking quite healthy. The colors, however, were not always a perfect match to what you see online, so maybe stick to whites or something pretty safe.
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April 13, 2010 at 8:29 pm
The handsome groom got his suit from Macy's. It's a Perry Ellis suit, and actually I recently saw some dashing summery suits on the Perry Ellis website. :)
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April 13, 2010 at 8:47 pm
This may sound silly, but where did you get the twine that you used on the napkins. We are using twine on our invitations and I can't seem to find that rich dark color. It adds the perfect touch of whimsy to your place setting.
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April 13, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Hi Rachel- I love sharing this sneaky trick. The twine is actually burlap material (found at any Jo-Ann Fabric store) that you just pull apart into individual threads. And it's cheap! Good luck!
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April 13, 2010 at 9:48 pm
I love the dress of the bride, it so beautiful and she looks stunning with that dress.
The black berry theme was also awesome. -
April 13, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Love this wedding. So simple but so pretty! In love with the bm dresses!!
kim
LLE -
April 13, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Wow! What an absolutely gorgeous wedding! I was wondering what type of fabric you used for the runners. Is that a linen?
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April 13, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Quaint and lovely.
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April 13, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Liz- The fabric is cotton muslin. It usually comes in a light brown (which I used) or a cream color.
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April 13, 2010 at 11:49 pm
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
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April 14, 2010 at 2:01 am
this couple is way cute.
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April 14, 2010 at 4:57 am
Such a beautiful wedding.
The simplicity touched my heart. Plenty of the pictures are standouts that can be framed, even as placemats.
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April 14, 2010 at 6:02 am
Fabulous bridesmaids dresses
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April 14, 2010 at 7:37 am
I love this wedding! Great photography and the florals were amazing. The couple really looked like they enjoyed their day
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April 14, 2010 at 10:59 am
PERFECTION! Loved all of it, and they look so, so happy!
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April 14, 2010 at 12:26 pm
I'm a Washington Bride too! And will be married in my parents yard...and our reception will be held in my parents horse pasture. This wedding has the feel we're going for and made me SO excited to see it. ALSO, I bought my dress from Belltown Bride and Trish Jens is doing my alterations! I have butterflies just thinking about it. Beautiful, homemade, full of love. So so so lovely.
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April 14, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I love love love this wedding!
I am especially a huge fan of the groom's suit: jacket/tie/shirt combo.. Who are those by??
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April 14, 2010 at 2:54 pm
love the twine and rosemary - thats what we are planning to do!
www.just_say_yes.blog.co.uk -
April 14, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Beautiful bride - and she has awesomely sculpted arms! :) She looks fabulous in her dress and the Groom is a cutie too!
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April 14, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I love your wedding pictures! I just bought those same Perry Ellis suits for my July wedding and I love your groom's tie. Where did you find it?
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April 14, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Adore this look! I have a special spot in my heart for blackberries as I remember so many summers walking down the street and eating them off the vine at the dead end. This looks like such a lovely, laid back, perfect summer wedding. Adorable!
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April 14, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Mia, my hubby's tie was from Macy's, and the groomsmen's ties were from a Perry Ellis outlet ($10!).
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April 14, 2010 at 9:05 pm
This is a gorgeous wedding! Love how the bride used wholesale flowers as a base for the beautiful floral arrangements. Ah, the bridesmaid's dresses are sooo beautiful!
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April 14, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Love this wedding! It's so adorable!
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April 14, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Thanks McKenzie! I have been looking at Macys for ties. I will keep my eye out for it. Do you remember the brand?
Perry Ellis outlet is a great idea! I will hit up the outlets near my house and see what they have. -
April 15, 2010 at 4:56 am
Wow! I love every detail of this glorious day - the bridesmaid dresses, the jam, simply beautiful...
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April 15, 2010 at 6:43 am
I agree, I adore these vintage inspired bridesmaid dresses too!
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April 15, 2010 at 2:49 pm
This reminds me of the farm in Skagit Valley, WA where I grew up! Great work Michelle!
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April 16, 2010 at 6:11 pm
So pretty! I love all the soft fabrics. It looks like home dressed up in a field
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April 30, 2010 at 1:53 am
Hi McKenzie,
First, let me just say I love your wedding! I am actually doing jam as well. I have a question though. I found similar jars as yours, but did you do freezer jam or traditional? I would think that you could only do freezer with that type of jar, but I also wanted to make sure they didn't break in the freezer. Any tips would be appreciated!
Thanks!
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May 4, 2010 at 9:37 pm
where is the location of this wedding? It is beautiful.
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May 5, 2010 at 10:34 am
Hi Hilary,
Isn't it!? I just loved it. It's in a family friend's field in Bellingham, WA. I wish it were a venue they rented out since there have been a few requests to do so. Shoot!
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May 17, 2010 at 10:03 am
McKenzie,
Do you remember the brand of your husband's tie? My fiance will be wearing brown, and I'd love to find that same tie for him. Thanks!
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[...] {Washington Wedding – Photo by Michele M. Waite from Style Me Pretty.} [...]
[...] and I feel so lucky to have these photos to remember that wonderful day. Check out the post on Style Me Pretty… Then get a behind the scenes snapshot below. Afterall, this is the event that sealed the [...]
[...] {flowers by McKenzie Powell Designs; photos by Michèle M. Waite via Style Me Pretty} [...]