DIY Bohemian Picnic Wedding: Mary Grace + Drew

bride with floral hair piece

Mary Grace + Drew both wanted the feel of a relaxed outdoor picnic with their closest family and friends for their wedding day. They are both drawn to old fashioned/antique design styles rather than modern, so they tried to get everything second hand or homemade. They love how most of the items they used have a past and a unique story to them. Their wedding just screams fun + easy which I absolutely love. Thanks to Sarah Shreves for the lovely photos and congrats to Mary Grace + Drew!

cactus

bride getting ready

From Mary Grace, “I did my own hair and makeup that day. I didn’t trust anyone else to be able to capture my personality with hair and make-up, so I went to Bobbi Brown and got a make-up lesson and then purchased all the make-up that the artist used. For my hairpiece, I made a floral wreath from a bouquet my fiance had given me and gave that to a florist (Growers Direct) to copy for the big day. My bridesmaids wore dresses from Anthropologie and Shopbop.

bridesmaids

groomsmen

bride in lace dress, groom

i do sign

outdoor ceremony

Tell us a bit about your music!
We hired a string trio to play jazz/folk standards during the ceremony and cocktail hour.
Processional: ain’t misbehavin’
Bridal march: here comes the sun
First Dance: You And Me by Penny and the Quarters
I absolutely loved how Here Comes The Sun sounded being played on all strings. I will always remember the feeling of walking down the aisle when I hear that song.

outdoor ceremony

outdoor ceremony

bridal party

bride and groom in desert

bride in flower halo

bride and groom

bride and groom

bride and groom

outdoor reception

picnic tablescape

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?
A special moment for us was when we finally sat down to eat own dinner at the reception. My aunt had surprised us with the most wonderful little details at our sweetheart table (including an engraved drink bucket) and it was so nice to look out at all of our most special people gathered together.

picnic tablescape

I bought big flower bushes from Home Depot the day before the wedding and cut and arranged the flowers in assorted crystal vases that I’d been collecting from thrift stores for months. I couldn’t have finished this task without the help of my lovely ladies. I also bought some filler flowers from Growers Direct in Tustin.

chalk mason jars

outdoor reception

bride and groom dancing

Any advice for those planning now?
I left a lot of the smaller details until crunch time, and it kind of drove me crazy in the end. I would suggest having a checklist of the smaller DIY projects and trying to accomplish one of them per week along with the bigger projects. Also remember, on the big day, it is IMPOSSIBLE for everything little thing to go as planned. Just relax and know at the end of the day, you will be married to your best friend.

vendors:

photography: Sarah Shreves // venue name: Parker Ranch, Trabuco Canyon, CA (for more info, contact Barbara Parker 949-278-6876) // wedding dress: Dolce and Gabbana skirt and blouse (both are Spring/Summer runway 2011) // bride's shoes: Report Signature purchased from Shop Bop // groom attire: J Crew // paper goods: my brother and I designed them together and I did the calligraphy myself // catering: my aunt, Brenda Carroll, is an amazing chef and I was lucky enough to have her cater my wedding. The food was so good! // cake: Sweet and Saucy Shop // desserts: Sweet and Saucy Shop // invitations: my brother and I designed them together and I did the calligraphy myself

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