Amanda + Dan couldn’t wait to start planning their perfect wedding – a day with all their loved ones in one place, under extra-special circumstances, for an unforgettable celebration. Lots of ideas started flowing + they began to find images for inspiration and gathered materials to transform their dream into reality. From multi-colored buttons + tablecloths to retired doors + dusty pallets, they hot-glued and hammered their way deeper and further into this dream of theirs. :)
From the lovely couple, It was really a ton of fun! Amanda and I utilized our separate talents to add qualities to the wedding that would make it obviously ours: She had everything thought over in lists and scrapbooks, keeping me on point with deadlines while scouring for milk glass vases and the perfect fabrics. I was designing the ceremony space, cleaning doors and windows, fabricating signs, or tasting my latest beer or wine to see if it would be the perfect recipe to serve at the wedding. We worked separately and together to make the dream come to life, setting the weekly rhythm with ballroom dance lessons.
Such a super fun wedding to start the week off! Thanks so much to Love is a Big Deal for the gorgeous photos and to Jessica Sloane for the gorgeous design + event planning!
Our Music
We wanted to work locally as much as possible and stumbled upon father/son duo musicians John and Derek Pell. Their classical guitar and violin fit right into our theme and provided the delicate simplicity we were aiming for. For our First Dance, we actually mashed together Luis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cheek to Cheek” followed by “The Stroll” by The Diamonds for the track, we fox trotted to the former and swing danced to the latter. Thanks to our weekly dance lessons the movement felt natural and at ease!
Dan: I hope to never forget any moment of that day, but if I had to choose one to have forever it would be seeing my wife-to-be for the very last time before the ceremony, all dressed up for our "first look" photos with our photographers. There were few moments that burned so sweetly with finality, and made me so happy to flip a page into the next chapter.
Amanda: Of course mine would be seeing my husband-to-be for the first time. However, another memorable moment was when the song “In the air tonight” by Phil Collins came on during the reception. (Yes, we requested that this song be played). Suddenly, Dan was floating in the air, held up by our friends. Next thing I know, I’m also in the air (tonight) twirling and dancing in a dramatic fashion. I looked down at all of our friends dancing, throwing their hands up, singing, and air drumming. In that moment I felt like the luckiest person, to be surrounded by all of our friends from around the country, celebrating and singing to Phil Collins. You can’t get anymore memorable than that!
Take your time. Have fun! Try not to rush a second of the pre-wedding process. There are nuances to DIYing a wedding that can get lost if you get overwhelmed and stressed with how much there is to get done. Make smart decisions to keep your sanity like hiring a good wedding planner, especially if the wedding is somewhere you don’t live. We planned our Nashville wedding from Chicago, and the value of a dependable “in-state” organizer really helped to bridge the gap. Ensure this person isn’t just organized, but awesome too! Keep reminding yourselves that you decided to make things rather than buy things because it's YOUR WEDDING!! Don't try to copy things store bought. Use any scraps and resources to piece together something special. Don't fret crooked lines or imperfections; they are what make it unique. Don't judge your own handwriting, it's yours after all. Embrace problems that arise that you hadn't thought of and roll with the punches. Trust each other and say "I love you" whenever you can. While putting together something as important as your wedding you both will fall into certain roles, let the planner be the planner and the builder be the builder. You will be doing both anyway, but respect the authority of the one who wears the badge and support their efforts with aid and encouragement, rather than pointing fingers if something hasn't been done yet. There are always a million things to do and a million things will get accomplished, but when the day comes and everything is set, the personality you've taken the time to build into your wedding day is for everyone else to enjoy. We found we had much more important things to focus on.
Big congrats to Amanda + Dan for throwing a super-fun, totally unique to them wedding!
photography: Love is a Big Deal // venue name: Hachland Hill Vineyard, in Tennessee // event design: Jessica Sloane // planning: Jessica Sloane // wedding dress: Jess Audey // bride's shoes: Indigo by Clark's // bridesmaid dresses: Louise Hedley Sohomode // hair stylist: Elan Salon // makeup artist: Heather McAlister (Bride's sister) // groom attire: Various vintage pieces // paper goods: This Oktipus Printing Company // catering: Phila Hach at Hachland Hill // cake: Laura McAlister (Bride's stepmother) // music: John and Derek Pell (ceremony), Brian Pheneger (DJ) // floral bouquets: Jasmin Trenary // bride's hairpiece: handmade // bridesmaids hairpieces: Dusty Luck Vintage // cinematography: Derek Robinson // invitations: This Oktipus Printing Company // dance lessons: Ballroom Dance Chicago
Such a fun wedding! The bride’s gorgeous dress, the colorful bridesmaid dresses, the stunning flowers, the vintage decor…everything is absolutely perfect!
jen, thank you for featuring this super fun wedding! it was a blast to work with amanda and dan on making their wedding special and personal!
OMG! This wedding is adorable! I simply loves every part of it. THe styling, the photographer and the couple is a match made in HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE!!!!!!
What a fun, bright wedding! I love the personality! Lovely!
AMAZING!! My favorite wedding I have ever seen. The colors and patterns are incredible!
Wow! This couple looks so happy !! Laughing all time !
Congrats!!
What a fun wedding!
everything about this wedding is so ridiculously fun! love it!
So love this vintage wedding!!! So happy too that there is tons of color in each table. Thanks for sharing it with us!!!
jaw-dropping! the entire wardrobe for this wedding is UNBELIEVABLE! i love LOVE that she chose such a perfect, atypical bridal gown with such a fun pop of colour, and the coordinated menswear and maids’ dresses were inspirational!
Love how fun and original this wedding is! Gorgeous styling from Jessica! Well done everyone involved!
Oh my god – sometimes you see photos of a wedding and you just have that “I want to be there!” feeling. They are so emotive and quirky and look so fun. Never mind the wedding, I’d party with them anytime. Love this.
Wow! What an amazing and fun vintage themed wedding! And I absolutely loved the location, the dark green trees made for a beautiful backdrop to the fun colors brought in by the bride and groom. Congratulations!
Natalie, Soiréebliss! Events
i love it
Wow!!! There were so many amazing ideas there that were manifested similarly to how I’m imagining my own wedding. What a treat to see your pictures and read your story, thank you! I am inspired!!
loved the location!!! that stream is awesome!
This is too cute for words! How much fun this couple must be? As a professional wedding photographer I always get very excited to work with clients that have their own vision. The ones that think outside of the box and make their day truly their own are my favorites. Great job to all involved!
So stylish! Absolutely everything had so much thought and detail- from the button decor to the grooms attire- EVERYTHING was put together perfectly. Spectacular looking at these pics!
Wow. Forwarding this link to brides for ideas!!!
Brought joy to my heard and smiles to my face. Loved the emotion on the groom’s face during the ceremony. How fun!!! great job to Amanda, Dan, Jessica & Love Is A Big Deal!! WOW!
What a cute party! It’s kind of a definition of the best vintage, whimsical wedding… What’s a pity people (usually) get married once, there are sooo many inspirations! :)
What a gorgeous happy couple! Congrats