I confess that I fall in love with weddings on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times a day and this job definitely doesn’t help! But this, my friends, is a wedding that could steal my heart for good. It is a slice of bohemian heaven photographed by Kristen Gardner and every inch of it has my heart pitter-pattering with delight. It’s intimate, it’s gorgeous, it’s PERFECT and I am rendered speechless (which is a rarity) so lets just look at some insanely gorgeous pictures, shall we?
{click here for the FULL wedding gallery}
Ali and Jesse’s love story is so unique and full of hope, it is no surprise that it led to beautiful wedding. They met after Jesse was forced to leave Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He moved to Florida and met Ali when she was there visiting family. It is so sweet to hear them both talk about this meeting because (for both of them) the connection was almost immediate. Because of this connection, their wedding had a special feeling of intimacy. The guest list consisted of immediate family only, which gave each guest the opportunity to interact with the bride and groom.
But it was more than the intimacy that made this wedding an aesthetic masterpiece; Ali is also a talented photographer, so her vision of a perfect wedding was rich in detail. Since there were only twenty guests, the seating at dinner was designated by handmade name cards tied to the wine glasses and beautiful sashes tied to each chair. The bride and groom also had unique style: notice the burlap on Jesse’s boutonniere and the amazing crown that Ali wore in lieu of a veil. At the ceremony an oriental rug was used for the aisle, and lanterns and chandeliers hung from the trees. The couple even literally tied the knot, as their wrists were bound together during the ceremony, and each guest was invited to say a few words and tie a ribbon to the knot, thus strengthening it. Such delicate touches are what make a wedding day unique to a couple and memorable for the guests.
Photography: Kristen Gardner / Florist: Holly Chapple / Venue: Barnet Sanders House, Great Falls, VA / Hair and Makeup: Kristin Beaubien / Hair Piece: whichgoose