Let’s talk about DIY for a minute. It’s a great way to save a little money when it comes to your wedding, so you can allocate those funds to something you can’t do yourself. But it’s also an amazing display of love. This bride made just about everything for her wedding. So on the big day, not only were she and her betrothed displaying their love to everyone, but she showed her friends and family ones just how much they meant to her by providing a decor so personal and heartfelt. Every pretty little detail, along with all the love, was captured by Jeff Frandsen of Brooke Courtney Photography, and we’ve put it all right here for your viewing pleasure!
From the gorgeous bride … It’s safe to say our wedding day was a long time coming. Luke & I have been together for almost four years- he’s in the U.S Army and the majority of that time has been spent apart. A month after we got engaged in November of 2011, Luke was deployed to Afghanistan for 12 months. During that time, I poured my heart and soul into planning our wedding. It was the best day or our lives!
Before Luke left, we were able to choose the venue together and decided on Landis Valley Farm Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We took a risk for an early March wedding; they usually do summer weddings due to inclement weather. But as soon as we saw their gorgeous property, we knew it was the place for us. We chose to have the ceremony in their small firehouse, and the reception in their gorgeous 100 year old yellow barn. I fell in love with the old wooden beams, brick floors, and twined white lights.
I found my dress at David’s Bridal, and decided to add the lace pearl buttons down the back. I had an amazing seamstress who made the dress fit my body like a glove- and made it look exactly how I imagined. I wore my mom’s veil- which matched perfectly with the lace on my dress. Luke’s & the groomsmen’s suits where custom made through a company that Luke’s cousin owns. The color of the girls dresses contrasted beautifully with the creams, purples, and minty colors of their bouquets. I loved the succulents that were incorporated!
So much about our wedding was DIY, which I loved. I took it on myself to design our invitations, programs, and menus. It saved us so much money, and although it was tedious at times- it was so much fun! We chose to use small airmail envelopes as our table seating cards, and we wrote a personal letter to each guest. We wanted a personal touch to our reception, and wanted each guest to know that we appreciated them and their role in our lives. I also found my old stamp collection from when I was a kid and we were able to add vintage stamps to the envelopes.
Early on in our wedding planning I saw a picture of mix and match china, and knew I had to do it! I spent so much time at thrift stores collecting dinner and salad plates. It was a huge feat, but I had so much fun with it! It came out beautifully and added so much to our table settings.
My mom and I spent countless hours making burlap roses for our centerpieces. I also collected vintage books, teacups, lace doilies, and mason jars. A friend of mine let me borrow table numbers her father had cut out from an old metal barrel that hung from the mason jar vases. One of my bridesmaids made burlap and lace table runners and a good friend of our family dried hydrangeas to set on the tables. They were a perfect touch of color, and the dried flowers were great for a winter wedding. We also did a dessert table with homemade desserts from friends and family! The fact that so many people were involved in helping and collecting things made our wedding feel even more like a culmination of love & community.
One of the my favorite pieces at our wedding was our guestbook table- I rented an old sewing table, and found a vintage typewriter at a local thrift store. The guestbook was ordered off Etsy and was handmade with our colors and favorite quotes. It looked like an old scrapbook, and guests could grab any piece of paper to sign. Guests loved it and it looked stunning!
I also loved our lace wedding cake, and we decided to hang an American Flag (that belonged to one of Luke’s great grandfather’s) behind the cake table, which made for awesome pictures. We also decided to cut the cake with a military saber. Even though we didn’t have a formal military wedding, we wanted this part of our lives reflected throughout the night.
Our wedding day was truly amazing. From the ceremony, to dancing the night away before exiting through a path of glowsticks! We were in awe of how blessed we are, to be surrounded by so many people we love- and the feeling of their support was overwhelming. We’ve never been happier!
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Photographer: Jeff Frandsen of Brooke Courtney Photography | Venue: Landis Valley Museum | Cake: Bella Manse | Caterer: Hess’s Barbecue | Bouquets: Petals with Style | Dress: David’s Bridal, alterations by Mia’s Alterations | Shoes: Etsy | Earrings: Anthropologie | Jacket: Forever 21 | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Donna Morgan | Hair Clips: Anthropologie | Suits: Aspetto | Wool ties: The Tie Bar