I love DIY projects just as much as the next girl. But today I was introduced to a new, even more appealing abbreviation: DIT. Do it together. Let’s face it, when a bride is cramming and creating DIY projects for her wedding, many of them become DIT projects with her bridesmaids or her beau. Sometimes it even becomes a fun family affair. Thus was the case for today’s DIY-packed Santa Barbara wedding shot by the very lovely Marianne Wilson. With the help of friends and family, Melissa and Jonathan’s outdoor wedding is personalized to perfection. We’re talking orange wedding inspiration coming out of the wood works. Two thumbs up from this DIY lover! Orange ya glad there are more photos for this wedding here? (Groan!) xoxo Chantale from La Belle Bride
Check out the rest of this delicious day in the gallery
Melissa’s take on her DIT day…
Our wedding day was amazing. We really wanted a wedding that had a different feel than any other. When we first visited Elings Park in Santa Barbara, we knew we found our spot. The park has incredible views of both the city and the ocean. Once we chose our spot, we were able to focus on a theme. We really wanted something casual, simple, fun and beautiful.
Planning our wedding was fun. We both worked hard on the details of our day. Many of our details were DIT (Do It Together). Together we scoured dollar stores for candle holders and picture frames. Jon painted all 300 of our candle holders, along with the table number frames and more. I made our invitations and all the paper goods. We worked on our programs together and with the help of family and friends we created paper flowers as our napkin holders. We were engaged a year and a half so we had a lot of time to think about and work on the details. We also decided we wouldn’t take on any DIT projects that we didn’t enjoy working on. We were both able to stay sane and calm during the planning process.
It sounds so cliché, but our wedding day was amazing and one of the best days of my life. We were surrounded by friends and family who were so happy to be celebrating this moment with us. It’s an unforgettable feeling. It even rained for a few minutes during our reception (Rain? In July? In California? We were totally unprepared.) It turned out to be one of my favorite moments of the day. Our friends and family huddled under umbrellas meant for the sun and heat. No one left. They all waited the rain out. As soon as it stopped, our friends grabbed towels, dried off the dance floor and the party continued.
I don’t know if our wedding was perfect to anyone else. But it didn’t matter. It was perfect to us. We had an incredible time. And at the end of the day, we were married and we felt loved. That’s what truly matters.
Vendor Credits: Photography: Marianne Wilson Photography / Flowers: Gelson’s / Event Planning: Christina Molina (info@tinamolinaevents.com) / Ceremony and Reception Location: Godric Grove Elings Park