Late Summer Meets Early Autumn in This Dreamy, Ethereal Backyard Wedding

“Amelia + Kenny own a very cool and eclectic shop called Suma Jewelry Co. where they sell their handmade jewelry,” Victoria from Devoted To You Events says of this wedding’s creative bride + groom, “and it was super important for us to make sure their wedding reflected that and them.”

When any couple fantasizes about a planning backyard wedding, we’re pretty sure this is what they’re picturing. Amelia + Kenny tied the knot on the sprawling lawn of a family friend’s home in Pittsburgh, PA — the whole thing had so much warmth and ease and welcome to it but with all the polish of a well-designed + elevated occasion. 

“The inspiration starts with the date: September 13th,” bride Amelia shares. “It was exactly one year after my husband proposed to me in an adorable tree house near Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. It also happens to be my favorite time of year because it feels like the marriage of two seasons: flowers still in bloom lingering from the hot summer days to the weather getting cooler and calling for pumpkins, gourds, and autumnal tones.”

Late summer. Early fall. The colors were both verdant and autumnal. The flowers were both lush and earthy. The aesthetic felt raw + wild but also dreamlike at the same time. Victoria recalls that the goal was to create “the feeling of harvest and abundance while keeping it dreamy and ethereal.” One of our fave mid-September-coded details? The jolt of warm color from Amelia’s orange wedding veil.

Mallet Photography’s photos tell the whole story. A couple joining + changing together like the seasons. With sunflowers and terra cotta and so much love.

“I knew I wanted to feel like an earthy fairy goddess,” Amelia shares, “so when I saw the Venus dress by Marina Eerie that looked like a mix of carved stone and wet clay I knew that it was the one.”

Those wedding nails by Sweet Pea Studios!!! “The bride’s nails had real crystals and stones in them,” Victoria remembers. “She wanted them to look like jewelry.”

“Another special addition was having my friend ice dye my silk wedding veil shades of orange, gold, and brown to really make the look feel like me,” Amelia says of how this earthy + organic orange bridal vibe came to be.

Floral designers at Wild Botanical heard “late summer meets early fall” and absolutely understood the assignment.

These stunning sage bridesmaid dresses anchored the color palette in leafy summer tones so those bursts of gold + orange could really pop.

This unbelievable, asymmetrical pear shaped engagement ring has us completely speechless. A breathtakingly unique engagement rings is what you get when the bride + groom are the minds behind all the brilliant bespoke jewelry at Suma Jewelry Co..

The MOB was a statuesque vision in gold with this Pleated Charmeuse V Neck Cape Gown by Mac Duggal for a mother of the bride dress.

Amelia has an important bridal party PSA: “Give your bridesmaids parameters, but let them pick their bridesmaid dress so they feel their best too!”

Sara Jenkins brought Ameila’s “earthy fairy goddess” dreams to life with this effortless half up half down hairstyle and warm neutral bridal makeup.

“Kenny and several of his groomsmen found their suits at a local shop called Apparel Warehouse downtown,” Amelia shares.

“We’re happy with the way everyone was able to shine in their own color and how they all complemented each other so well.”

The Ceremony

This GORGEOUS Art Nouveau stained glass welcome sign was created using art that was included with the design suite by Olivia Provey that the couple used for their invites.

EF Lighting took care of the reception’s radiant lighting, but they were also in charge of creating the ethereal drapery setup for this ceremony backdrop.

Also, very into the curvy winding aisle configuration that the couple used for this creative ceremony seating.

Yes. Yes, your pup does need a fabulous dog tutu for your big day.

Our Favorite Memory
This one is so hard to choose because the whole day just felt like the most special, love-fueled 8 hours we’ve ever experienced. However, I think something that really helped set the tone of the day was having a friend of ours perform a sound bath ritual prior to the ceremony. It really helped to bring the guests a sense of grounding and being in the present before participating in such an eventful day.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Find Someone Like You" by Snoh Aalegra for family and wedding party, "Stand by Me" by Florence + the Machine for Amelia 
Recessional
"Firework" by Katy Perry
First Dance
"Lottery" by Kali Uchis

The billowy goddess energy of Amelia’s orange veil has us reminiscing about the orange wedding gown in this magical Montana elopement 🧡

The Reception

Lo Bar was on the scene at cocktail hour shaking up the couple’s signature wedding cocktails.

We’re hyperfixating on the way Wild Botanical nailed the Late-Summer-Early-Fall feel with all these petal-less sunflowers 🌻

All of the floor cushions surrounding these low tables from 1978 Event Rentals were brought back from Morocco by a friend of the bride. And all of those gorgeous rugs were curated by the couple.

If the vibrant + nontraditional color that Amelia added to her bridal vibe with that gorg wedding veil has you feeling inspired, you should definitely check out this bold Australian wedding.

Ambassador Tent Rentals brought the indoors outdoors with this palatial, clear-topped tent setup and all of this outdoor-banquet-ready furniture.

Mosaic went full late summer luxury with these green satin table linens.

Guests enjoyed a feast from Jillian’s Restaurant at long + winding reception tables.

Amelia + Kenny’s small single tier wedding cake from The Butterwood Bake Consortium was the definition of wild, playful abundance.

All rise, please, for Amelia’s iconic short, sparkly, black + gold second look from Annie’s Ibiza.

Don’t worry: we’ve got killer roundups of all our fave reception dresses and after party dresses so you can get on Ameila’s late night bridal style level.

Our Advice
The wedding planning journey can be quite a whirlwind of emotions. From juggling the budget, to narrowing down the guest list, wanting to look your best and making 1 million decisions-it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Something that helped me put things into perspective is how lucky we are to be able to have this sort of celebration with loved ones (with the MASSIVE help of our angel of a wedding planner) and to view the day as a wild art project that’s entirely yours to create. One last cheesy antidote-it’s not about how you look, but how you FEEL. Focusing on feeling good and being nice to yourself through the process and it will translate into a day filled with pure magic, love, and joy. 

Congrats, Amelia + Kenny! Your ethereal backyard wedding was earthy, elegant, Mid-September brilliance. GWS wishes you both many seasons of happiness together!