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A Backyard Barn Wedding in the Woods: Lauren + Bud

Wednesday, April, 24, 2013 at 9:00 am

Lauren + Bud never viewed their wedding as a wedding – to them it was a big party to celebrate the start of their new life. :) They choose to get married around the corner from Lauren’s parent’s home in Missouri. It was a special location to them and they got to build the venue into their own unique creation. When they first started the barn was filled with scrap metal and the weeds were as tall as they were! The entire ceremony site was a complete reflection of all the hard work put in by their families and was a total transformation. I just love the giant frame they had built that they were married in front of! Such a perfect backdrop for the ceremony, right?!

Thanks so much to Alec Vanderboom for the photos and congrats to Lauren + Bud!

Processional: Wedding Party: Such Great Heights – Iron & Wine; Bride: Canon in D

Recessional: All You Need Is Love – The Beatles

First Dance: Thank You – Led Zeppelin

We had such a hard time deciding our first dance song. We went back and forth between The Beatles and Van Morrison for an entire year. Finally a week before the wedding my husband played “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin and it was a no brainer. That song represented every part of us and that day. “And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles, Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one”

The most memorable moment for both of us was after the ceremony when we joined the cocktail hour. There was so much anticipation because we had not seen the venue since it had been set up. As we walked in a wave of happiness came over us and everything came to life. The flowers, the jazz music, the rustic feel and all of our loved ones surrounding us – It was so surreal.

Can I have another? :) My favorite moment of my husband was when he hopped on the drums with the band and began to improvise “Heard It Through The Grapevine”. Everyone loved it and went wild – they thought he had practiced for months. I love his spontaneity and this made my night!

Bud’s favorite part of the planning was picking out the late night snacks – chicken fingers and queso (a representation of his bachelor days). Since Bud is from the East Coast, I was really excited to introduce local moonshine to all the New Yorkers flying into small town Missouri. We arranged for Copper Run Distillery to come down and serve our favorite moonshine margaritas during the cocktail hour. We also passed out mini bottles of champagne and confetti poppers to pop when we were announced husband and wife. It’s the small stuff!

And their wedding film by Something Blue Cinema

Fun Tip: Don’t be afraid to make a weekend of your wedding! Our guests loved participating in karaoke on Friday night and brunch on Sunday. It keeps them entertained and gives you a way to pay back for their travels. It gave us so much more time to catch up with friends and relatives and meet new ones. We weren’t trying to fit everyone in the night of our wedding and that made it so much more relaxing.

Don’t focus on things you can’t control! The week before my wedding I was stalking the forecast and worrying about all the guests arriving safely. I was getting so upset as the weather changed every single day, would it rain, would the sun come out, would it be too cold? I frantically ordered cute umbrellas and matching rain boots and at the end of the day it didn’t pour down rain until later that night. It made the whole experience so much more memorable and we heard some great stories at brunch the next day.

photography: Alec Vanderboom Photography // venue: private property, Missouri // event design: Jim Faulkner of Encore Gallery, Gabe Jackson, Los Angeles, CA & Swept Away Rentals // event planner: Gabe Jackson, Los Angeles, CA & Gracious Occasions // floral design: The Thicket // wedding dress: Enzoani, Dimitras Bridal // hairpieces: Fascinating Creations // shoes: Glint – Nordstrom, Cowgirl boots – Lucky Brand // bridesmaid dresses: their own selection to reflect their personal style // hair + makeup: makeup by Ty Harshman, hair by Chelsea Gregg, Swank Salon // groom suit: Karl’s Tuxedo // cinematography: Something Blue Cinema // paper goods: Posh Paperie // catering + cocktails: Infused Catering // cake: Beth’s Bake Shoppe // music: The Stanton Strings , The Galaxy Band

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My Wedding Reimagined: Kelli Murray

Tuesday, April, 23, 2013 at 1:30 pm

Last week I introduced a new series here on GWS – what if you got the chance to redo your wedding now (or if not yet married, what does your dream wedding look like) featuring some of my favorite bloggers. We had a great response to our first blogger and now I’m excited to share the next in our series with artist + fashion blogger, Kelli Murray! Kelli also has a great blog where she shares fashion posts, her artwork, and photos of her adorable daughter to name a few things. I just LOVE Kelli’s art – in fact, you’ll spot some in Sienna’s nursery when I share that in a few weeks! :) We also shared Kelli’s wedding a few years back here on GWS so it’s fun to catch up with her. Thanks Kelli for taking the time to dream a bit with us today…

When I think back to my wedding day, I still remember it as one of the best days of my life. It was everything I envisioned wanting at the time. It was intimate, outdoors, largely DIY and very true to us. But if I were to plan a wedding all over again (I’d still marry the same guy) there are a few things I would do differently! Especially if we are talking “dream” wedding here!

If I had my (dream) wedding to do all over again…

Ironically, my husband and I both grew up visiting our grandparents cabins in wisconsin every summer as kids. Him being from Minnesota, and me from California. As fate would have it, we met 15 years later in San Diego and bonded over our mutual love for the northwoods of Wisconsin. For both of us, that place holds so many wonderful memories. I’ve always thought that getting married by the lake amidst all the tall trees that grew up with us over the years would be pretty special. Even re-living some of those childhood memories we share. A simple setting, yet unexpectedly beautiful. So with that, here is a taste of my dream wedding in the woods.

wedding style: romantic, bohemian

color palette: plum, blush, dusty shale, ivory, antique gold

vibe for your wedding + reception: I’d really just want it to be a big party where people feel relaxed and comfortable. I’d want an outdoor ceremony with the reception held in a big barn…overflowing with florals and strung with lights.

location: Wisconsin (in the woods) with an old barn

the dress: Burnished Organza Gown

the invites: The invites below would be pretty perfect – but I would definitely design something original myself.

dream photographer: Jose Villa

current fashion/interior design/art trends you’d incorporate: Floral crowns for all of my bridesmaids who would wear different, but coordinating dresses. Lights and buntings strung along the trees. Rustic farmhouse style tables at the reception with vintage linens and tons of florals and glass jars. Gold flatware. I’d want to include some woodsy elements as well to tie in with the location: antlers, branches, birch wood.

on the menu: food served family style: wine braised beef short ribs, slow roasted wild salmon, heirloom arugula salad, smashed fingerling potatoes, macaroni and cheese…I could keep going but i’ll stop :) 2 signature cocktails – an old fashion and a moscow mule (in copper cups of course) and dessert would be homemade pies and apple crisp! And outside, a bonfire and s’mores.

would you DIY anything? YES! I would DIY as much as I could. I feel like adding a handmade touch is really what’s able to set your wedding apart and adds more of your personality. Here are a few DIY projects I think would be great to incorporate: Ombre Fabric Backdrop, Doily Table Runner, Baby’s Breath Monograms, Oversized Floral Wreath and Banner, Drawer Knob Place Card Holders

any fun activities at the reception? A good DJ and a huge dance floor :) And, you can’t go without a photobooth for the guests. Love the concept of smilebooth.

photo credits: inspiration photo // table image // gold flatware // bouquet // chairs // headpiece // wedding dress // invite

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Pink Ombre Wedding at The Parker Palm Springs: Lindsey + Eddie

Tuesday, April, 23, 2013 at 11:00 am

One of my favorite destination wedding locations is Palm Springs. For couples living in Socal, it’s an easy weekend away and for those out of state it’s a fun location to fly into town for – always perfect weather! For Lindsey + Eddie’s wedding weekend, they chose one of my favorite hotels there, The Parker Palm Springs. They wanted a venue where their guests would have a whimsical, charming setting in which to relax, be pampered, and to let loose before, during, and after all of the wedding festivities. :) With the help of their wedding planners Bash, Please, they created a perfect reflection of the two of them – modern without being cold, vibrant without being frilly, and elegant without being stuffy! A bit more about their wedding weekend from Lindsey:

To set the tone for the weekend, we deviated from the traditional rehearsal dinner, and instead welcomed all of our guests to a fiesta the night before the wedding, giving everyone a chance to get to know each other, reacquaint themselves, and to get their dancing shoes warmed up for the night to follow. The morning following the wedding, we hosted a brunch at the hotel so that everyone could meet one last time to share tales from the night before and to say their goodbyes. An incredible and unforgettable weekend from start to finish – we couldn’t have asked for more.

Because we didn’t want the wedding photography to intrude upon our enjoyment of cocktail hour (the crab beignets! the champagne!), we decided to take most of the formal pictures before the ceremony. That meant we’d be taking another detour from tradition by seeing each other before the momentous walk down the aisle. But what began as a measure of practicality, ended up being the most memorable moment of our wedding day (we both agreed). Leading up to the big reveal, I was starting to feel anxious and overwhelmed under the weight of the day – customary feelings for a bride-to-be, but unsavory nonetheless. That changed when we met in a secluded grove at The Parker. As soon we saw each other, my nerves relented and were replaced with happiness and excitement for what the rest of our day (and lives) would bring. It was an incredibly powerful and intimate moment. I didn’t notice at the time, but Eddie barely said a word. It wasn’t until weeks later that he told me it was because he was absolutely speechless!

As a side note, for you girls grappling with the decision “to see, or not to see” before the wedding, I promise it didn’t take away any of the magic or excitement of the ceremony.

Love that the girls all wore pink ombre necklaces from 31 Bits!

Processional: Can't help Falling in Love – Elvis

Recessional: J’Attendrai – Django Reinhardt

First Dance: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – The Platters

Get help! I enlisted the help of Bash, Please for the event and floral design as well as the coordination, and while it may have been the biggest splurge of my wedding, it was a priceless investment. I like to think I have great taste, and I did have lots of ideas (thanks, wedding blogs), but conceiving of a cohesive vision and designing a perfect wedding just isn’t in my rolodex of skills. On top of that, sometimes the other demands of life (aka work) just don’t allow for the time dedication it takes to pull off the wedding in your head (without losing all of my hair, that is). Long story short, money well spent.

event design + planning: Melissa Pearson of Bash, Please // floral design: Bash, Please // photography: Michael Segal Photo // venue: The Parker Palm Springs Palm Springs, California // wedding dress: Monique Lhuillier // shoes: Jimmy Choo // bridesmaid dresses: Joanna August // hair + makeup: Bride – Symmetry Beauty by Nyrie; Bridesmaids- Jose Neira Salon at The Parker // groom suit: Burberry // paper goods: Invitations by MaeMae Paperie; Day-of paper goods by Bash, Please // catering: The Parker Palm Springs // cake: The Parker Palm Springs // music: DJ – JP McLeod; Ceremony and cocktail hour music – Shoestring Trio