I know I’ve said it a million times before, but I learn a little something new every.single.day here at SMP. I like to call it Weddings 101, because I am constantly taking note of some amazing new venue, stunning dress or a gorgeous color combo that I didn’t even know existed. And today’s darling lesson? When you mix some crazy cool DIY projects with a whole lot of pink, the result is nothing short of amazing. Especially when those DIY projects happen to include fab paper goods, peony bouquets and stunning baby’s breath centerpieces. See it all captured by Brad Rankin Studio in the full gallery.
From the Bride… When planning our wedding we knew location had to be special and mean something to us. That’s why we decided to have our ceremony and reception where we had our second date, at Blue Sky Vineyard. We envisioned more of an intimate wedding with a mixture of classic and contemporary style. So we chose the color scheme; black, grey, ivory and different shades of pink. My husband is a Graphic Designer by trade so we knew buying invitations was out of the question. Instead he designed our wedding invitations and stationery. He even included an illustration of my engagement ring and other personal details that represent our personalities on the invites.
For the wedding party attire, the maids all wore different styled short black Angelina Faccenda dresses and carried peony bouquets. The guys wore grey suits with different patterned black ties along with matching argyle socks. I didn’t want the guys to wear a traditional long stem boutonniere. Instead I had my mother make a more modern style boutonniere with just a flower head and guinea feathers. When it came to looking for my dress it was such a process. I always envisioned my wedding dress very simple and classic. After looking in three different states, I finally found the ONE. It was a simple ivory Mori Lee gown that had a small embellished flower at the waist with covered buttons down the back and on the train. I didn’t want a traditional veil, so I found a beautiful feathered flower to use in my hair and I added some Russian veil netting that I ordered from England.
For the ceremony we kept the decor very simple. The aisle was draped with white organza and pink flower balls on shepherd hooks. Over 12,000 light pink rose petals were scattered down the aisle and at the gazebo. I also had the decorators add just a couple flower arrangements on the gazebo. It was just enough decor without taking away from the beautiful vineyard setting.
The reception decor was a mixture of mercury glass, silver tapered candles, hydrangea flower balls and bunches of baby’s breath on the guest tables. I wanted lots of candles to create a soft glow for the reception. Since we were married in the middle of July, I opted to use wax LED candles everywhere instead of real candles to avoid excess heat in the room. I didn’t want a traditional wedding cake, so we opted for a cupcakes and a ruffle inspired cutting cake for the top tier. Marks Bakery did a wonderful job and executed our vision perfectly. During the reception my husband surprised me with a slideshow. He worked with both our parents to gather up old home videos and photos of us growing up. I had no idea that he was staying up late weeks before our wedding to work on this surprise for me. It was a moment I will never forget.
Our photographer, Brad Rankin, was amazing. His attention to detail and his overall aesthetic is what drew us to him in the first place. He captured all our emotions we felt on our special day. Just looking back at our photos now, it’s like I’m reliving my wedding day all over again. Because of our wonderful vendors, family, and friends, our wedding day was perfect. We were able to enjoy every moment and spend time with the ones we love the most on our big day.
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Photography: Brad Rankin Studio | Venue: Blue Sky Vineyards, Makanda, IL | Wedding Invitations + Stationary: DIY by the Groom | Flowers: DIY by Mother of the Bride | Cake: Mark’s Bakery | Decorating: Crystals Catering and More | Centerpieces: DIY by the Bride + Mother of the Bride | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Brides Shoes: Nina | Brides Makeup: M.A.C. | Bride’s Jewelry: The Diamond Shop + Jim Ball | Bridesmaid Dresses: Angelina Faccenda Bridesmaids