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From the bride… When we got engaged in January, we knew we wanted to get married as soon as practicable. We loved Maine as a location, because although we’re currently living in DC, my roots are in New England, and J has spent every summer in Maine as well as having gone to college there. Most venues were already booked for the summer, and, as I spent the summer studying for and taking the bar exam, we figured a fall wedding was probably our only choice if I was going to maintain some semblance of sanity. We fell in love with both of our venues, our caterer and photographer on a couple of whirlwind weekend planning trips and booked them right away. Many of our decisions had this flavor: yes, we wanted everything to be festive and nice, but we didn’t have a specific vision for any particular element going into the planning, and it made it easier to make choices when there wasn’t a predetermined “just so” that we had to find.

But that’s not to say we didn’t feel invested in pouring energy and effort into the wedding, in part because I love to craft and, in part because we knew it would, in some cases, save us good money. J’s mom and grandma are both seasoned scavengers of tag sales and church rummages and did an amazing job collecting all the mugs, vases, votives, doilies and water pitchers used at the wedding. My sister designed the save-the-dates, invitations, and programs, and J’s sister painted the watercolor design that was on our invitations. We used Vistaprint and Zazzle for printing (a pretty affordable option, I might add) and printed the programs on my inkjet a few nights before the wedding. I focused my crafty energy on designing a rubber stamp for our programs, welcome bags, and thank you notes, and on embroidering the table numbers, although number 16 was stitched two nights before the wedding by a dear friend who took one look at my frazzled state as I ran around making playlists and arranging flowers and took pity on me. (The numbers are on their way to becoming a small quilt for our wall — after we finish the thank-you notes, that is.) We had a pipe dream of baking all the desserts ourselves, but I am so very glad that plan was abandoned early.  I love to bake and am surrounded by bakers, but churning out 20 pies two days before the wedding would have been a disaster. Instead, we made one of the passed appetizers ourselves, a turkey curry puff pastry, we baked two kinds of cookies (espresso chocolate shortbread and Viennese jam thumbprints), and my mother-in-law baked two cakes for the non-pie-lovers. So our baking yens were satisfied and we had delicious pie that magically appeared the day of the wedding. We also did our own flowers and DJ’ed our wedding on a laptop, both of which I will admit caused some stress — J had to finish editing the playlist right after we wrote our vows, in bed, the night before the wedding, because I had passed out in exhaustion — but we loved every song on that playlist and the flowers were beautiful! Last on the list of wedding items imbued with blood, sweat, and tears: the dress. No, I didn’t sew it myself! But I purchased it “new without tags” on eBay, and it unfortunately arrived smelling quite strongly of body odor. After two months of worrying, I decided to wash it in my bathtub– no way was I spending as much money dry cleaning a dress as I had buying it in the first place.  I found instructions that another bride had posted on Weddingbee, scrubbed it with cold water, Tide and a toothbrush, and voila! body odor gone. Best $200 (or whatever insane price I would have been charged) I ever saved.

I can’t recommend all our vendors highly enough — particularly our photographer, caterer, bakery, and jeweler. I almost wish we could do it again just to have an excuse to work with them all some more!

Wedding Photography: Becca Wood Photography / Ceremony: First Universalist Church in Yarmouth, Maine / Reception: The Barn on Walnut Hill in North Yarmouth, Maine / Flowers: DIY by The Couple, Their Friends + Wedding Party via Whole Foods / Event Planning: Sarah Crossman / Food: 111Maine / Wedding Dress: A Used Allure Gown via eBay / Seamstress: Angie Cavallaro / Shoes: Nordstrom / Wedding Bands: Custom by Digby & Iona, Friends of the Couple / Earrings: Borrowed from the Groom’s Mother / Felt Hair Flower: Katie Created / Pies: Two Fat Cats / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Various / Bridesmaids’ Bags: Zazzle / Groom’s suit: J.Crew / Hair + Makeup: Fabu Salon (207-775-3228) / Rentals: One Stop Party Shop

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Post tags: 111Maine, Allure, Angie Cavallaro, Becca Wood Photography, Digby & Iona, Ebay, Fabu Salon, First Universalist Church, J. Crew, Katie Created, Maine, Nordstrom, North Yarmouth, One Stop Party Shop, Pink, Purple, Sarah Crossman, The Barn on Walnut Hill, Two Fat Cats, Whole Foods, Yarmouth, Yellow, Zazzle
Post categories: Destination Weddings, Vintage Chic

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From Nate of Nate Henderson Photography… Allison and Rob were married in Savannah’s first hotel, The Marshall House, which is located in the heart of the historic district. Their intimate ceremony took place in the early spring and was held in the open air atrium. They incorporated succulents along with simple white vases and flowers throughout giving a slight modern feeling among all of the history Savannah offers. We wandered the streets and squares of the city for portraits, and it paid off well! Savannah in springtime is absolutely beautiful, and this is exactly why Allison and Rob chose Savannah for their destination wedding.

From the bride… We were on an $8,000 budget, so our wedding cake was from Walmart. I shopped around all of the grocery stores/big box stores in the area in advance for prices. The morning of the wedding, my maid of honor, Abby, and I went to Walmart, bought a large cake, a small cake and cupcakes. We stacked the small cake on top of the large cake and our florist, A to Zinnias, decorated the top with flowers. My entire cake set up cost $40. We got several compliments on how good the red velvet was.

Wedding Photography: Nate Henderson Photography / Flowers: A to Zinnias / Wedding Venue: The Marshall House / Wedding Gown: Galina for David’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Report (in Pewter) / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Programs + Table Cards: Vicki Busby (Bride’s Step-Mother) of Studio 629 / Wedding Cake: Walmart / Maid of Honor’s Dress: Anthropologie / Men’s Custom Linen Suits: Studio Suits / Makeup: Glow Med Spa & Beauty Boutique / Hair: Salon Eden

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Post tags: A to Zinnias, Anthropologie, Blue, Galina for David's Bridal, Georgia, Glow Med Spa & Beauty Boutique, Green, Marshall House, Nate Henderson Photography, Report, Salon Eden, Savannah, Studio 629, Studio Suits, Vicki Busby, Walmart, Wedding Paper Divas, White, Yellow
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Georgia Weddings, Savannah Weddings

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From the bride… The beginning of our wedding planning journey started with the search for the perfect location. After all, the location would set the tone for the stationery, the wedding attire, the details and pretty much everything else! There was no question about us joining in holy matrimony on the date of October 7th, the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, which holds a special religious significance to us. For fun, we decided to start our search looking for churches that were named after Our Lady of the Rosary in cities and towns where we wouldn’t mind traveling. Our search took us to the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui to a quaint little historic church established in the late 1800s called Maria Lanakila Catholic Church. Maria Lanakila, meaning “Our Lady of Victory” in Hawaiian, is another name for “Our Lady of the Rosary” with the same feast day, so we thought it was providence and decided that this cute, historic church would be it! The interiors of the church were clean and white as well — an added bonus!

We actually found our reception site by chance. On a scouting trip to Maui last summer, we walked by Pacific’O restaurant after a surfing lesson one afternoon and absolutely fell in love with it!  We loved that it had views directly to the ocean and to the neighboring islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i. And what’s more, the outdoor patio of the restaurant was only a few feet from a small sandy beach! The design inspiration for our wedding started with the color gray. We LOVE the color and wanted to tie it in with yellow for a modern feel with laid-back touches. Since I do some graphic design on the side, I designed everything from the wedding stationery and ceremony programs to the reception décor and welcome bags with simple fonts and twine. Maui has a lot of country-like scenery, so we wanted to tie in natural materials like yellow twine and gray linen table runners, while also creating clean lines with white sake bottles and white frames for table décor. While tropical flowers are abundant on the island, we opted for billy buttons and white ranunculus as our accent flowers instead.  All the little details — striped straws and tablecloths, fun cocktail stirrers, and escort buttons (color-coded yellow for bride’s guests and gray for groom’s guests) — just came together after that!

Jason has a thing for singing — he started a singing group in high school and loves to belt out 90s love songs and seasonal Christmas tunes. So he decided that, as part of our first dance, he would gather up his old high school singing group and sing our song, “Bigger than Us,” by Andy Davis, which I found on MySpace years ago when we first started dating. Before the performance, the group started to have “technical difficulties” and “needed someone’s help, maybe someone with a guitar.”  Out of the bushes emerged Andy Davis himself, guitar in hand — I was absolutely floored!  As Jason and Andy took turns singing the verses with the group singing back up, I just sat in awe with a puddle of happy tears. That moment was so surreal and caught me off guard for the surprise I had for Jason later on in the reception! Back in high school, I used to dance hula and hip hop in talent shows and weddings. Jason will occasionally ask me to dance a number for him, and I typically refuse out of embarrassment. Friends and family were encouraging me to dance a hula number for Jason, but I refused, citing a busy schedule in between a full-time job, wedding planning, and stationery design. Two weeks before the wedding, I decided to surprise him with a hula dance to “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. He was absolutely in shock! And for weeks before the big day, our poor wedding squad had to sneak around the both of us and our surprises for each other!

Photography: Encarnacion Photography / Ceremony: Maria Lanakila Catholic Church / Reception: Pacific’O Restaurant / Cinematography: ARIA Studios / Flowers: Bella Bloom Floral Boutique / Event Design: The Bride / Day-Of Planning: Malate Events (jennifermalate@sbcglobal.net) / Wedding Stationery, Programs + Welcome Bags: The Bride / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal / Shoes: Seychelles / Hair: Bridal Hair on Maui

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Post tags: Allure Bridal, Aria Studios, Bella Bloom Floral Boutique, Bridal Hair on Maui, Encarnacion Photography, Gray, Hawaii, Lahaina, Malate Events, Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, Maui, Pacific'O Restaurant, Seychelles, Yellow
Post categories: Destination, The Blog

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From Bre of Joyful Weddings and Events… The modern, rustic, wine county wedding was truly a unique and personal event because of the numerous details and symbols dispersed throughout. From the beginning, the bride had a vision of using their love story in Bali as the main theme of the wedding. Hints of kites (reminding them of childhood) and bright pops of colors were found throughout the ceremony to the reception. Combining the palette of coral, soft turquoise and turmeric with the rustic, natural feel of the vineyard, the couple was able to relive their beginnings. Ryan and Kathryn’s wedding was truly one of beauty, serenity, and unity. This beautiful wedding took place at Still Water Vineyard which perfectly set the event, as it is private and nestled in the hills of Paso Robles. From the walk down the aisle into into the intimate ring of succulents to the long, family-style tables with perfectly-paired table tops by April Flowers and Forever Vintage Rentals, nothing could be improved! The day had such a lovely spirit. The vows and commitments made were spoken so clearly and directly, giving everyone a sense of lifelong friendship with the couple.

Wedding Photography: Chloe Murdoch Photography / Wedding Venue: Still Waters Vineyards in Paso Robles, California / Event Design + Planning: Joyful Weddings and Events / Wedding Cinematography: A Friend of the Bride / Flowers: April Flowers / Rentals + Handmade Tables: Forever Vintage Rentals / Catering: Two Cooks Caterers / Wedding Invitations: Ryan Lea-Bou (The Groom, a Graphic Designer) / Dress: Sue Wong

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Post tags: April Flowers, California, Chloe Murdoch Photography, Coral, Forever Vintage Rentals, Joyful Weddings and Events, Paso Robles, Ryan Lea-Bou, Still Waters Vineyards, Sue Wong, Turquoise, Two Cooks Caterers, Yellow
Post categories: California Weddings, Whimsical

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From the Bride… Spencer and I truly had a wonderful wedding in Chicago. It was amazing to be surrounded by our friends and family as we became husband and wife. Planning our wedding was an incredible amount of work, but so worth it! To see everything come together on our big day was simply amazing.

We started off the day getting ready with our wedding parties at Hotel Sax. It was such a great morning. My maid of honor, Erin, went above and beyond thinking of so many fun pre-wedding details. She made fun girly wedding CDs, had our champagne labeled with our picture and wedding date and even made sure I had a “Mrs. Brydon” hanger. After we were all ready, Spencer and I shared our first look. David and Nancy selected the ultra-modern fourth floor at Hotel Sax; it made for a perfect backdrop. I loved seeing our wedding party all ready — they looked fantastic! Our color palette was vintage blue and gray with yellow accents. The yellow was a beautiful pop of color for our July wedding. The flowers we selected were a nice blend of playful, whimsical, while still being truly classic. All the details looked gorgeous against the backdrop of The Chicago History Museum where we held our ceremony and reception. My absolute favorite part of our big day was our wedding ceremony and WOW, the emotions were flowing. Spencer and I wanted our ceremony to be about our commitment to each other. After much thought, we asked our great friend Derek to marry us. We went through the process (easy!) of getting him ordained. Spencer and I worked together, picking out what we liked from different ceremonies to create something that fit exactly what we were looking for. Derek has known us throughout our relationship and truly was able to speak about us as a couple and the commitment we were making. We chose to include a wine ceremony blending the bitter and the sweet in life. Spencer’s sister read, we wrote our own vows, and our pups, Biscuit and Bailey, stared as ring bearer and flower girl.

We enjoyed pulling together a few DIY projects with the help of our friends and family. Rocks with “A&S” and “07.16.11” stamped on them held down the programs. Erin made an amazing card box that had unbelievable detail and was so well done. We made our table numbers, incorporating our engagement pictures and parts of our invitations. We also surprised all of our Miami University friends with our band selection, The Paul Otten Band. This was the band we all sang along with until the wee hours of the morning at our favorite college bar. The Piano Man helped make the night exceptional! All the details came together to create the wedding we loved!
We are so thankful to all the vendors who put so much time and thought into our wedding day. We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family that helped make everything possible. Thank you all — we love you so much! Cheers to a great party kicking off a wonderful life together!

Wedding Photography: David Wittig Photography / Wedding Venue: Chicago History Museum / Wedding Flowers: The Flower Firm / Catering: Berghoff Catering / Bakery: Swirlz Cupcakes / Ceremony + Cocktail Music: Parkwest Strings / Reception Music: The Paul Otten Band / Wedding Dress: Wedding Belles / Hair: Kara Widhalm + Melissa Burgess of The Cutting Edge  / Makeup: Vanessa Morales of Nightingale Beauty / Groom’s Suit: Harleys for Men / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Groomsmen’s Suits: JoS. A. Bank / Rings: Tiffany & Co. / Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: Erin Gallagher Jewelry / Wedding Menus + Programs: Wedding Paper Divas / Transportation: Chicago Trolley Co. / Hotel: Hotel Sax Chicago / Ceremony Puppy Logistics: Urban Out Sitters / Stamped Rocks: DIY / Card Box: DIY by the Maid of Honor

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Post tags: Berghoff Catering, Blue, Chicago, Chicago Trolley Co., David Wittig Photography, Erin Gallagher Jewelry, Gray, Harleys for Men, Hotel Sax Chicago, Illinois, J. Crew, Jos A Bank, Kara Widham, Melissa Burgess, Nightingale Beauty, Parkwest Strings, Swirlz Cupcakes, The Chicago History Museum, The Cutting Edge, The Flower Firm, The Paul Otten Band, Tiffany & Co., Urban Out Sitters, Vanessa Morales, Wedding Belles, Wedding Paper Divas, Yellow
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Illinois Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the bride… Alex and I met in July 2009 while I was on a study abroad trip in Costa Rica. I was there with a group from my art school and spoke very little Spanish. He spoke very little English. But like a cheesy romantic movie, we fell for each other within 2 short weeks! After I returned home, we kept in touch via telephone and Internet as I frantically studied Spanish and planned a 6-month return to Costa Rica. Following my second trip, where I was able to learn more about Alex, his family and culture, he decided to come to the US to do the same! And after a few trips back and forth, Alex was here to stay and we were planning our wedding.

Concerning the look and feel of the wedding, I was determined to have ours outdoors. I wanted something effortlessly beautiful — to be surrounded by nature without having perfectly manicured floral arrangements. I also wanted artsy little details that made our guests interact with one another and socialize. We had post cards on each table, DIY centerpieces and a corn hole game on the lawn for our guests to play. Trying to save a little money, I looked up DIY ideas that I could incorporate thoughout our big day. For flowers, I contacted a local farm owner who sold small bouquets at our town’s farmer’s market. She actually let me (and my sister and aunties) go pick flowers ourselves! Practically free flowers for a wedding?! We got so lucky. I wanted it to look like we’d just picked them from the garden, so that’s exactly what we did. My bridesmaids and I arranged the centerpieces the night before the wedding. I also had some bridesmaids paint the wedding signs with me. I was happy to have little projects that brought us together more often than usual.  

When it came to the venue, we decided to have our wedding at my parents’ house. We knew it was going to be a lot of work but felt more comfortable investing our money into my parents’ property rather than spending it on a rental fee at a venue. My friend, Brooke Covington of Dolce Bella Events, was able to sort through my thoughts and help plan it all. I wouldn’t have stayed sane if it weren’t for her great ideas! And while I was getting ready before the wedding, she set everything up and executed the day exactly as I’d hoped!

Wedding Photography: Nam Nguyen Photography / Wedding Venue: The Bride’s Family Home in Peachtree City, Georgia / Flowers: DIY / Wedding Coordination: Brooke Covington of Dolce Bella Events / Wedding Dress: Watters / Shoes: ModCloth / Wedding Cake: A Family Friend / Jewelry: Sophie Pie / Groom’s Vest + Tie: JoS. A. Bank / Catering: Sun in My Belly / Hair + Makeup: Ici Paris Day Spa & Salon

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Post tags: Brooke Covington, Dolce Bella Events, Georgia, Ici Paris Spa & Salon, Jos A Bank, ModCloth, Nam Nguyen Photography, Peachtree City, Pink, Purple, Sophie Pie, Sun in My Belly, Turqoise, Watters, Yellow
Post categories: Atlanta Weddings, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Georgia Weddings

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From Lisa of Lisa Rigby Photography… These are some of my favorite photos from Courtney and Adam’s wedding at Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Courtney wore her mother’s wedding dress from 1976, her grandmother’s wedding band, and carried her grandmother’s beaded purse. For their first dance, Adam’s brother played guitar and sang. Courtney’s brother made their cake topper.

Courtney and Adam did something at their wedding that I’m seeing more often. After their public ceremony, they took time just for themselves and, through hand-written letters, exchanged private vows. It was my favorite part of the day.

Wedding Photography: Lisa Rigby Photography / Wedding Venue: Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, Massachusetts / Flowers: Hamilton Gardens / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston, Circa 1976 / Wedding Dress Alterations: Ann Hamilton of Ann Hamilton Bridal / Bride’s Wedding Band + Purse: The Bride’s Grandmother / Bride’s Necklace: Family Heirloom / Bride’s Shoes: Sam Edelman / Bride’s Hair Piece: Lo Boheme / Wedding Cake: Konditor Meister / Cake Topper: The Bride’s Brother / DJ: Ari Rosenfield of Beat Train Productions

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Post tags: Ann Hamilton Bridal, Beat Train Productions, Green, Hamilton Gardens, Konditor Meister, Lisa Rigby Photography, Lo Boheme, Massachusetts, Priscilla of Boston, Sam Edelman, Topsfield, Willowdale Estate, Yellow
Post categories: Massachusetts Weddings, Vintage Chic

From Jeremy of BlueShore Productions… The couple met at a Brazilian bar in Chile and from that moment, the rest was history. They decided on the historical Henry Flagler Museum in beautiful Palm Beach, Florida, to host their special day. They had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at sunset next to the waterway. The reception was held in the ballroom of the museum. It was absolutely stunning.

Wedding Cinematographer: Jeremy Nelson of BlueShore Productions / Photography: Lara Rios / Wedding Venue: Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida / DJ: Liquid DJs

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Post tags: Blueshore Productions, Florida, Green, Henry Morrison Photography, Jeremy Nelson, Lara Rios, Liquid DJs, Palm Beach, Yellow
Post categories: Florida Weddings