An Orchard Wedding with a Pink Wedding Dress: Katie + Ben

bride and groom wooden sign

I love the story Katie + Ben shared about choosing a wedding location – so similar to the story of my hubby and I! Ben + Katie originally wanted a destination wedding in Italy, although when the realized that would keep too many of their loved ones from attending, they began to look at Sonoma, CA – very similar landscape but much closer. However there were still too many that wouldn’t be able to make the trip – especially their grandparents who they couldn’t imagine getting married without. So they decided to get married in their home state of Wisconsin, in the very town that they first met during their freshman year of college at Madison. Once the stumbled across the picturesque Door Creek Orchard with stunning panoramic view of the Wisconsin countryside, they knew they found their perfect location! A beautiful weeping willow to have the ceremony under and dinner later in the orchard surrounded by apple trees, just perfect!

I am also loving Katie’s beautiful pink wedding dress! And speaking of pink – the next 2 days are all about wedding dresses with a hint of color! So pretty + totally unique – love it! Congrats to Katie + Ben and thanks so much to Anda Marie for the lovely photos!

vintage wedding invitations

pink wedding dress

bride and groom in tree grove

bride and groom in tree grove

bride and groom in field

bride and groom feet

From Katie, “With the venue booked, the rest started to slowly fall into place. Luckily, we were engaged for nearly 2 years, which allowed plenty of time to research dresses, shoes, decorations, and all of the other fun stuff. Our photographer, the amazing Anda Marie was the first to be booked and then came the caterer, the Underground Food Collective, whose creative and local approach to food was the perfect fit for our wedding. As things moved along, the wedding design started becoming the perfect fusion of vintage chic meets Italian countryside, with a pinch of Wisconsin culture thrown in.”

weeping willow ceremony

dog ring bearer wearing bowtie

Love that their dog Miller was the ring bearer! :)

weeping willow ceremony

bride and groom ceremony

peach escort cards

My mom and I spent the year leading up to the wedding searching antique markets and websites for vintage finds like the vintage apple crates. Other vintage items, such as a few of the tablecloths and glass jars were my Great Grandma’s, salvaged years ago from her attic by my mother. Several other personalized items were purchased from my all-time favorite site, Etsy. Whenever possible we also tried to incorporate items from the orchard, like the raspberries in the lemonade or the various fruits in the jam favors.

jam wedding favor

tree grove wedding reception

tree grove wedding reception

tree grove wedding reception

bride and groom in a field

Overall, a lot of hard work and time went into all of the DIY items, but I felt it turned out better than I ever could have imagined. Of course, there were some hiccups along the way, as I knew there might be, but most went unnoticed. Usually you as the bride are the only one who notices when something goes wrong, so it’s best to not sweat the small stuff. Just try your best to savor every moment, because in a blink of an eye it will be done – it really goes by so fast.

Such a beautiful day with family + friends! Congrats to Katie + Ben!!

vendors

photography: Anda Marie // venue name: Door Creek Orchard // wedding dress: BCBG Max Azria // bride's shoes: Vera Wang Lavender // hair stylist: Alan Koa Salon // groom attire: J.Crew // groom's shoes: Cole Haan // catering: Underground Food Collective // music: Baba Ghanooj // officiant: Reverend Marcia Boyer // veil: Be Something New // tie: J.Crew // dog bow tie: Silly Buddy // leash: Silly Buddy // ring book: AllieRuth // flowers: Daffodil*Parker // vintage table linens: great grandmother's and Midwest Textiles // day-of coordinator: Sunshine Daydream Events // invitations: Save the Date - sketched by the bride and designed by Orange 81 to design + print, booklet invitation: minted, wood print invites: Letterpunch Design on Zazzle

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