I’m going to say it before you can even think it.  This bride and groom are awesome.  Like marry in their own backyard, DIY every last detail (with the help of the bride’s amazing sister, Kristen Winters of Beehive Creative Events) and shower their invitations, save-the-dates and programs with photos of their adorable pups awesome.  They are that fabulous.  And their wedding?  Well, it’s as crazy cool as you think it would be with a “Time Stops Here” theme and moment after moment of pure happiness captured by Dana Goodson Photography.  Don’t miss a minute in the full gallery.

 

From Dana Goodson Photography… Ian and Barrett were married in their backyard at the home on the Santa Fe River in Fort White, Florida. The property has beautiful, tall, mossy oaks, to which they attached an eclectic mix of clocks. With the exception of me and the DJ, all other components of the day were designed by the couple and executed by themselves and their closest family and friends. It had a very personal touch. This was a DIY wedding all the way, and I loved the simplicity and raw emotion of the day. 

From the Groom… My wife’s sister, Kristen Winters (her business is Beehive Creative Events), helped the most with the planning process and setting up for our wedding day. She hired the DJ, Justin Nelson of AJ Entertainment, planned the Southern style menu (a family friend made the most amazing ribs and BBQ chicken, and Kristen and Barrett’s mom, Georgia Smith, made all of the sides), arranged the bouquets, managed the day-of setup, and much, much more.

The inspiration for our wedding was time. You only live once, so the time we spend living and loving is precious. The theme was “Time Stops Here.” We wanted to feel like time didn’t exist for this one special day. We hung up old clocks on the trees in our backyard, where we held the service and reception. We also were inspired by our dogs, who continually love us and take the tension out of our day-to-day lives. They have helped our relationship to grow and prosper, so it was only natural they should be in the limelight along with us. Their faces adorned our save-the-dates, invitations and thank-you cards. They were also ushered down the aisle by one of our close friends. Our favorite thing about the wedding was the location. We loved having the wedding at the same place that we met and shared our first summer together, as well as the place we just moved into and will spend the rest of our days in. It was where we got to know and love each other. The day was beautiful, and the majestic trees that surrounded us made us feel exceptionally connected with our surroundings, as well as our friends and family who shared our special day with us.

Wedding Photography: Dana Goodson Photography / Wedding Venue: The Couple’s Home in Fort White, Florida / Wedding Planning: Kristen Winters of Beehive Creative Events / Food: DIY by a Family Friend + The Bride’s Mother / DJ: Justin Nelson of AJ Entertainment / Wedding Dress: St. Pucci

Magical and humbling. Two words that perfectly capture the mystery of weddings and they’re just how this Bride described her ceremony location in beautiful Cellon Oak Park. Magical in every way from the breathtaking bouquets from FiftyFlowers to all of the vintage touches (including hand-sewn bridesmaids’ dresses!) from this DIY-savvy bride. And humbling in that, under Florida’s most magnificent and largest oak tree, two sweethearts were wed surrounded by love and support from family and friends who all pitched in to make this wedding the prettiest of pretties. And you can see so much more from Julie Cate Photography in the gallery right here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… After Scott proposed, I began looking through wedding blogs for inspiration. All I knew immediately is that I didn’t want a typical, run of the mill wedding. I didn’t want anything formal or stuffy, and I wanted everyone to have a good time. I fell in love with the idea of getting married under a giant live oak tree after seeing a picture online. One of the things I love most about Florida is seeing all the gorgeous trees we have here, draped in Spanish moss. Something about standing under these huge oaks with curtains of moss feels magical and humbling. The problem is that most of them are either right beside a road or in someone’s yard. After an extensive search, I finally found the perfect place: the Cellon Oak. It just happens to be the biggest live oak tree in Florida and less than 30 minutes from my house. And since it’s on public land, it was also free! My vision for the rest of the decor really centered around the tree and my vintage, tea-length dress. I pictured using elements of tree bark, wild-looking plants and moss contrasted against more feminine, vintage-inspired elements such as lace and pearls. Scott actually got really involved in the decor at this point. He came up with the idea for the table centerpieces and built them — and eventually put live fish in them! I was skeptical about this, but he knows his stuff when it comes to aquariums, and thankfully they all made it home alive.

Sewing clothing is my biggest passion, so I knew from the beginning that I wanted to incorporate this somehow. I was way too afraid of making my own dress, so I consulted with my bridesmaids and received permission to make theirs. Then, when I couldn’t find the fabric I needed, I decided to dye the fabric as well. I tend to go overboard like that. I liked the look of mismatched dresses that all have something in common. All of the dresses were different shades of coral designed to give a gradient effect when the girls stood together. I actually ran out of time (I was finishing up the second dress one week before my wedding!) and had to buy the last dress. I was disappointed at the time, but it was the best decision I could have made. The dresses wound up looking just like I wanted, and my girls looked lovely in them!

Our wedding was truly a labor of love, with all of our friends and family pitching in make the day special. I discovered just how creative my husband can be, and we learned how to work together effectively as a team. I spent so much time stressing about this day, but it turned out to be so much better than I’d even hoped for. Everyone was laughing and smiling and dancing through the night (even my family!). In the end, all of our hard work was worth it.

Wedding Photography: Julie Cate Photography / Ceremony: Cellon Oak Park near Lacrosse, Florida / Reception: Alachua Woman’s Club in Alachua, Florida / Flowers: FiftyFlowers / Wedding Cake: A Friend / Music: A Friend / Wedding Dress: Vintage / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Two Hand-Made by the Bride + One Purchased / Men’s Suits: Macy’s

Oh, Florida… I seriously love you.  I mean, where else can we bask in the glow of a beachy toes-in-the-sand soiree one day and a rustic barn fête the next?  Right here in the Sunshine State, that’s where. And today’s darling Alachua wedding by Sunglow Photography?  Well, it’s taking all of the Florida goodness I SOO adore and kicking it up a notch with a vibrant yellow and blue color palette and a stunning bride in boots.  Yep, it’s a barn party like we’ve never seen and it’s filling the gallery with a whole lot of pretty.  Join me there for SO MUCH more.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Dustin of Sunglow Photography… I was recently honored to photograph the first wedding on Santa Fe River Ranch — the wedding of the farmer’s daughter. Located just north of Gainesville, Florida, the ranch is an absolutely beautiful location. This event was stacked with some of the top vendors in North Florida. Prange’s Florist created the most amazing arch, as well as all the reception details. The ladies got ready in a lodge on the property and were transported to the ceremony in a vintage horse and carriage. After a ceremony under ancient oak trees, we moved to the newly-built barn for the reception. It was truly an amazing event with great people.

Wedding Photography: Sunglow Photography / Wedding Venue: Santa Fe River Ranch in Alachua, Florida / Floral Design: Prange’s Florist / Event Planning + Design: Amy of ADORE Events, Inc. / Wedding Dress + Veil: Martina Liana / Rentals + Design: The Grand Event / Catering: Chef Brothers Catering / Transportation: Misty Edge / Guest Transportation: A Candie’s Limousine / Musicians: Azalea Strings / Wedding Cake: Dream Day Cakes / DJ + Band: TDC Entertainment / Hair: Salon Eye Candy / Makeup: Kacey Cielo / Officiant: Doug Frazier of Alachua Church of Christ / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Videographer: Kyle Poppel / Restrooms: Royal Restrooms