I sit here in complete and utter awe of this Bride – stunned speechless of her flawless DIY wedding to celebrate the obvious love she and her dapper Groom share. This, my friends, is one talented little lady! Every little detail that you will most definitely gush over was dreamt up and created by the lovely lady, and thankfully Valo Photography was there to capture all the DIY perfection. There are too many darling DIY details to list, so be sure to skip on over to the full gallery of images for even more!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Jake of Valo Photography… The day began in gray skies, and the hope for snow was high. After all it was December 30th in Wisconsin — if something was going to fall from the sky it would be snow, right? To the dismay of the bride, the only thing that started to fall from the sky was rain. Wait, rain? At the end of December in Wisconsin!? Rain, one of the only things not planned for. Hope was not lost, and we all thought very snowy thoughts…

As we left her parents house to make some portraits before the ceremony, the temperature started to drop. The rain was starting to mix with snow. As we drove, the mix of rain and snow kept moving more towards the snow than rain, and by the time we got to the covered bridge we were shooting at the snow was falling thick and fast from the skies. It was a gift from God that lasted just long enough for the photographs we needed.

The wedding was a DIY winter wedding dream, now complete with snow! It was perfect. The bride wore a splendid flowing dress, reminiscent of the falling snow, by San Patrick. The girls wore dresses identical only in color — The styles fit each woman’s personality and were dresses that they could wear again. The men were no less stylish in J.Crew suits. The details, hand-made by the bride and her family, right down to the amazing floral work, centerpieces and baked goods by the bride’s mother. All the printed materials — place cards, signage, custom logo and even an awesome handmade calendar for the guests to take with them — were made by the bride herself. Nothing was an afterthought — even the gold circles were added to the tea bags to tie into the overall theme. Candy canes, Christmas trees, cookies, hot chocolate, wreaths, pine cones, hearty meal, gold stars and just the feeling in the air made the wedding experience feel like the most elegant Christmas party I have ever attended.

Wedding Photography: Valo Photography / Flowers: Mother of the Bride / Event Design: The Bride / Ceremony: Alliance Bible Church in Mequon, Wisconsin / Reception: The Old Courthouse Museum in West Bend, Wisconsin / Wedding Invitations + Printed Materials: DIY by the Bride / Catering: Saz’s Catering / Wedding Cake + Cookies: Bride’s Family / Hair + Makeup: Studio 890 + The Bride / Wedding Dress: San Patrick “Calais” / Bride’s Shoes: Madden Girl / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew, Dorothy Perkins, H&M, Express + Other Various Designers / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Music: DIY with an iPod

J.Crew is a member of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.