Bohemian-Antique Ranch Wedding: Brittany + Federico

boho antique wedding

When Brittany began brainstorming wedding design ideas, she did what so many of us would likely do if put in her shoes. She scoured her stockpile of catalogs from her favorite stores, Free People and Anthropologie, and let a romantic, dreamy bohemian theme grow from there. She and Federico kept the color palette for the day to neutral, off-white tones + hues, as to not compete with the beauty of their Texas ranch surroundings. And they handmade lots of the little details themselves, which gave the day a personal spin. Here’s a bit more about what inspired their gorgeous celebration, directly from the bride herself:

When envisioning our wedding day, I pulled inspiration from our laid-back day-to-day lifestyle, our mutual love for traveling, and my passion for casual backyard picnics. Neither of us grew up in the countryside, yet the vast abyss of nature was surrounding us as we stood in the exact spot we’d later marry. Looking out upon the seemingly infinite nature sprawling behind what would become our ceremony site, we immediately knew that this was our venue – it somehow felt like home in a far away land. We were getting married in a barn, but I didn’t want to go the traditional route of burlap, lace, and wagon wheels.

Thanks so much to Love, The Nelsons for the stunning photos and big congrats to Brittany + Federico on a beautiful day! Oh, and be sure to read their super romantic love story of how they met at the end of the feature – we love love!! :)

antique wedding invitation

moroccan chair

wedding rings band

bride getting ready

lace sleeve bridesmaids

lace sleeve bridesmaids

Loving the ladies in their crochet Dreamers & Lovers dresses! Brittany initially played around with the idea of having her bridesmaids wear different dresses to match the mismatched feel of the rest of the wedding, but as soon as she found these beauties, she knew they’d be just right and we totally agree!

lace sleeve bridesmaids

bridal head piece

white and green bouquet

chain backed dress

From Brittany, My dress was a custom gown created by my friend, Kyle Svedson, a clothing designer based out of Los Angeles. Wedding gowns aren’t his traditional line of work, but I was so excited when he agreed to make my dress. I wanted something very specific that wasn’t a traditional cut, didn’t have rhinestones, and wasn’t made of lace, so I knew that anything at a local store wouldn’t fit the bill. I explained my vision to Kyle and we worked together to create a bohemian piece with heavy brass beading and an open-back concept with beaded accents.

arm bangles

antique truck and groomsmen

ring bearer in suspenders

rolled pant groomsmen

wedding party

Seriously, what a gorge wedding party!

wedding party

dreamcatchers

ceremony

babies breath arch

I knew that the most important part of the day was to embrace our love for one another, and not to overthink the smallest details. I wanted a wedding that didn’t feel perfectly orchestrated, but rather, was reminiscent of an intimate backyard dinner party. I envisioned Indonesian blankets and Indian kanthas spread out in the grass, a tee-pee, peacock chairs, a casual “photo booth” where people snapped shots on an instant camera, whimsical dreamcatchers, and string lights. It was important to me that we incorporate antiquated family heirlooms such as my great-grandmother’s Depression glass into our special day, along with many of my personal pieces that I’ve collected since childhood; I’ve always been drawn to anything with a story, as I grew up scouring flea markets, antique malls and thrift stores for unique and distinctive pieces.

teepee

antique building

ceremony

ceremony

ceremony

ceremony

ceremony

bride and groom

bride and groom

bride and groom

chain back wedding dress

bride and groom

bride and groom

antique reception

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Sitting down at our sweetheart table and looking out upon our loves ones as we ate our first meal as a married couple was pure bliss. We had twenty guests fly in all the way from Italy to celebrate our love, and it was incredibly beautiful to take it all in with Fede over a candlelit dinner. Watching our families and friends from completely separate worlds all integrate into one was truly a memory that I will always remember and cherish. We both knew that it was likely the only time our lives before meeting one another would come together, as we recently moved to Austin but our families are in California and Milan. Sharing our new city and our new life together with our guests was by far the most memorable aspect of our day.

sweetheart table

vintage plates

vintage plates

vintage bottles

dreamcatcher favor

wood slice name card

pink colored glassware

branch table decor

table numbers

dreamcatcher favor

cake table

We love Brittany + Fede’s super romantic love story, so we thought we’d share a snippet of it with you!

I had never seen a love as beautiful as my good friend and her Italian fiancé’s, nor did I ever truly believe that I would find that one person who completed me. Hopeless romantic? Not the words I would use to describe myself; I honestly thought I would never get married. One day though, my friend showed me a photo of this gorgeous guy named Federico who lived in Milan and was blonde-haired (I’ve never been attracted to dark-haired men, so she had her work cut out for her in finding me an Italian suitor), and told me to add him on Facebook. I did add him, but I never thought much about him until that same friend mentioned that we would be meeting at their upcoming wedding.

Fede and I wrote each other a few messages, but I knew that we couldn’t possibly have a future together; he lived in Italy, and I was 6,000 miles away in Los Angeles. Low and behold, we met at the wedding and have been inseparable ever since. Within 48 hours of meeting one another, Fede informed his family that he would be moving to the US to be with me. He resigned from his position at work, and we had to wait until his contract expired about 6 months later. We battled with a very long distance between us and a slight language barrier at times, but we both knew that what we were doing felt right to us. I never thought fairytale romances like this existed, but we’re living proof that love can defy all odds!

teepee wedding

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

People tend to have preconceived notions about what a wedding day should entail, but tradition was never my focus. If it's not yours either, I say follow your instincts and make your day a true reflection of yourself rather than trying to please others on your special day. My friends kept telling me not to incorporate gnomes into my wedding because they thought it would be tacky, but anyone who knows me is well aware of my weird gnome obsession. I hid small gnomes in the moss on each table and used them as cake toppers. No regrets! Also, remember that spending money doesn't always bring beauty to your day. I thought my wedding was beautiful because I incorporated so much of myself into the smaller elements; our hearts and souls were truly present in each step of the process, and I think that outweighs a large budget and cookie-cutter wedding any day of the week.

photography: Love, The Nelsons // venue: Vista West Ranch (also featured in our Top 26 Coolest Places to Get Married) Dripping Springs, Texas // event design + rentals: Myself, via Birch & Brass Vintage Rentals // event coordinator: Ellen Westcott // florals: Margot Blair Florals // dress: Kyle Svedsen // headpiece: Gypsy Junkies // hand piece: custom designed by a Nashville-based gal named Erika Ness of Elektric Alice // shoes: Free People // bridesmaids dresses: Dreamers & Lovers // hair + makeup: Angela of Lucie Marie // groom’s suit: J.Crew // invitations: Shabby Scrap // catering: Primizie // cake: Sweet Treets // music: Complete Music Austin

 

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