A Whimsical Woodland Wedding: Trishia + Justin

Today’s wedding is a whimsical woodland wonderland – try saying that 5 times fast! :). So much DIY loveliness in this sweet wedding. Trishia + Justin were married at a summer camp outside of Lexington, Virginia. Trishia had grown up going to this camp and it was the perfect spot for their rustic wedding. They incorporated so many woodland elements, from the flowers to the little forest animals scattered throughout their wedding. They even had a wedding logo that symbolized them – two raccoons, one with glasses, the other with a bow (Trishia + Justin to a tee!). I love that they incorporated the logo everywhere – the perfect way to brand their day all about them. Thanks so much to Jodi + Kurt of Jodi Miller Photography for sharing the gorgeous photos.

our wedding wood sign

From Trishia, “Justin and I both grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia, but have extended families that live far away. Our wedding was the perfect chance to show our families what we love about Virginia.  We had originally planned on having the wedding in Williamsburg but just couldn’t find a venue that had character, charm, and most importantly, fit in our budget.  I was brainstorming one day when it hit me – camp!  I won a scholarship to attend Nature Camp near Lexington, Virginia, in the summer of ’98.  The mountains, creeks, trees, and dappled sunshine had left a permanent imprint on my mind and soul.  I immediately knew that this was the place I wanted to share with my friends and family.  Justin and I had made a list of priorities before the major planning so we already knew what was important to us – a warm, cheerful atmosphere; fresh, local food; and to have our guests leave knowing who we are as individuals and as a couple.  From there, the ideas just poured out of me.”

“I’ve always been a creative person and I really love a good design challenge but it was important to Justin and I that we not have to fight our venue to fit us.  Nature Camp was perfect because it had existing natural beauty, a gorgeous outdoor stone chapel, and a laid-back vibe.  From there, we let the camp and our personalities shape the design elements.  We quickly decided on woodland-inspired decor that was whimsical, warm, and had a vintage vibe.  Almost all of the decor, design elements, and paper goods were designed or crafted by me and Justin, our families, and our friends.”

woodsy wedding invitations

groom with raccoon in tux

Love that their raccoon logo (designed by their friend Josh) was placed everywhere! It was engraved into Justin’s ring and screen-printed on each of the guy’s vests!

bride and groom first look

bride and groom with vest

bride with butterflies in her hair

bride with butterflies in her hair

bright colorful bouquet

groom with raccoon in vest

wedding party in woods

groomsmen in vests and tan pants

bridesmaids in orange and red dresses

red and yellow bouquet

wooden wedding signs

wedding outdoors in the woods

What song did you walk down the aisle to? We used three different songs for the processional.  The grandparents and parents walked down the aisle to David Torn’s “Bowling with Margo” from the Lars and the Real Girl soundtrack. The bridesmaids and groomsmen walked to a song from the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack – DeVotchka and Mychael Danna’s “The Winner Is”.  My Dad and I walked down the aisle to another song from the Lars and the Real Girl soundtrack – David Torn’s “In the Forest”.  The recessional was Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks.”

wedding outdoors in the woods

In lieu of a unity symbol, they opted to do something a little bit different. They instead had a wooden box made and filled it with a bottle of whiskey and two love letters. The box is supposed to symbolize their love when it was at its peak and whenever they go through a rough patch with their marriage, they can open the box, drink the whiskey and read the love letters they wrote to each other and reflect on why they fell in love. The hope is that they never have to open the box, which is why they had their closest family and friends help seal the box during the ceremony.

woodsy wedding outdoors

wedding outdoors in the woods

mason jars for glasses at wedding

Trishia made this curtain of flowers (with some help from family + friends) using recycled soda bottles and spray paint. She was inspired by the Anthropologie window displays. How AMAZING is this?!

flowers made of plastic bottles

wedding menu

Each guest received an embroidered tea towel with their wedding logo designed by Trishia. She purchased the towels at Ikea and had them embroidered by Colonial Sports Custom Screenprinting and Embroidery. Such a sweet detail.

raccoons as wedding decor

I just adore the cute woodland creatures they had to display their table numbers.

woodsy wedding table decor numbers

woodsy wedding table decor numbers

heart made of plastic water bottle flowers

Trishia + Justin served strawberry shortcake for their dessert, but they still wanted a cake topper – who wouldn’t?!  Trishia’s mother made their adorable cake topper!

wedding cake topper strawberry shortcake

black and white wedding photos

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?
At the end of our reception, we exited through a tunnel of our guests to Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes’ “Home”. Seeing everyone who had gathered there for our day was a great moment, and when we got to our car, our closest friends and wedding party were there to see us off.  They surrounded us in a big group hug and helped us into our decorated car.  All of the day’s love, happiness, and joy were palpable.  As we drove slowly away, our friends chased after us, beating on the car and cheering.  Justin and I were both smiling from ear to ear.  It was the first time that we had been alone all day but we were so happy to share that last private moment with our dearest friends.   It was incredibly special and really gave us perspective on how lucky we are to have each other.

Any advice for those planning now?
Be yourself!  There were definitely moments during our planning stages where we would try to explain some detail or some aspect of our wedding to our friends and family and either we couldn’t explain it well enough or they just couldn’t grasp some portion of it. Don’t let this discourage you – just because they don’t have the image in their head doesn’t mean they won’t be just as impressed by the finished product!

Know your talents and limitations! Don’t try and do everything yourself and ask for help if you need it. Trust other people to do what they do best. I made a concerted effort to NOT do anything I didn’t feel like doing and to say NO if I didn’t have the time, energy, or budget. Needless to say, I have a tendency to overextend myself :) My mom and dad, my sister, Jill, and Justin, were a huge, huge help with keeping me in check and not letting me take on too much.

You can see even more from their wedding here on Jodi Miller’s Blog. Thanks so much to Trishia + Justin for sharing their wedding with us + we wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

vendors

photography: Jodi + Kurt of Jodi Miller Photography // venue name: Nature Camp // wedding dress: Oleg Cassini for David's Bridal // bride's shoes: Flora Sandal by Dollhouse via Endless // bridesmaid dresses: Simple Silhouettes via Bella Bridesmaid // hair stylist: Jenny Beckner of The Salon of Lexington // makeup artist: Jenny Beckner of The Salon of Lexington // officiant: Reverend Frances Barnhart of All Faith Ministry // florist: bouquets + ceremony arrangements by Susan Roepke of Flower Fields // butterfly clips: made by Colleen Kurdziolek, mother of the bride // bridesmaid necklaces: designed and made by Emily Schweitzer, bridesmaid // bridesmaid hairpieces: Colleen Kurdziolek, mother of the bride // groom: Erik of Brightwall // groomsmen custom vests: Erik of Brightwall // groom's wedding band: Zoe and Doyle // pinwheel bouts: Blue Lemon Provisions // caterer: Jenny Elmes of Full Circle Catering // shortcake: Jenny Elmes of Full Circle Catering // rentals: Festive Fare // invitation books: book cover by Rifle Paper Co. // ritual box: made by John Leach, brother of groom

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