Does the idea of lots of planning + deciding on the perfect details kind of make you want to elope? Well, this wedding might inspire you to keep planning a wedding, but by having it at a restaurant with great food + design, there isn’t really much else you’ll need to worry about! We hope it will inspire those of you big on minimal design + great food.
Yvonne, the bride, is a talented photographer + graphic designer, so her style was clearly seen in every aspect of the wedding. But when it came to decide between an intimate celebration and a larger affair, she + Young (her groom) had different opinions about what felt right. She says, I honestly envisioned that I would get married in a courthouse with just our families as witnesses. I dread being in front of large crowds. Young, on the other hand, is a little more outgoing and has always wanted to have a larger wedding. So we compromised, and kept it kind of small (91 in total).
Less is always more in my book, so no wedding party and going the restaurant route was a great decision for us. The Optimist itself is beautiful so no need for much décor, the food is great, and the staff was so helpful we didn’t need to do any set up. My vision was to keep things minimal, the day isn’t about how grand the centerpieces are or what dress I was wearing. It’s about the union of Young and I and capturing that moment and our emotions.
Big thanks to the photographer behind today’s Atlanta wedding, Kaitie Bryant, for sending this one our way!
Major love for Yvonne’s bouquet by Legendary Events filled with dahlias, roses, ranunculus, anemones, trumpet vine + more.
The ceremony. I was so nervous; my flowers were completely trembling in my hands. I cried of course, but wasn’t a complete wreck and on the floor as I imagined. We went back and forth searching for an officiant for our wedding, but we are so happy that we ended up asking Young’s brothers to officiate. They gave a wonderful speech that only someone as close as family would be able to tell and were cute and quirky, which made it fit perfectly in our wedding.
So, not only do I think less is more, I’m pretty practical, and I like coffee. I’m also a fan of mini things. So of course mini coffee bags were the perfect wedding favors. If I was already going to design and print my own coffee labels, I should just make the label include each guest’s name, lunch choice, and table number. Two in one. Perfect. We bought coffee at Costco and our two friends helped us fill the bags.Â
Processional: A Thousand Years – The Piano Guys
Recessional: Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
First Dance: The Book of Love – Peter Gabriel
Don’t stress about the small stuff, the details are important but it’s not what the day is all about. Get a great photographer. You’ll be grateful 30 years from now that you did.
photography: Kaitie Bryant Photography // venue name: The Optimist // florals: Legendary Events // wedding dress: J.Crew // hairpiece: Mignonne Handmade // hair stylist: Fashion Taipei Studio // groom attire: J.Crew -- Ludlow Suit // paper goods: Bride -- Yvonne Lin // catering: The Optimist // officiant: Lee Chang and Jay Chang, Groom's brothers // pr manager: Ashlyn Stallings -- [email protected] // event coordination: Kaylen Isabella at The Optimist // onsite event coordination: Abbey Pietrobon and Theodora Kastritsou // bride's shoes: Halogen Kayla d'Orsay Flat from Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Audrey Brooke from DSW // printing: Letterpress by Two Paper Dolls, Save the Dates, menu + envelope liners from Zoo Printing, guestbook word search poster by Mingo Press // cupcakes: The Optimist
Amazing wedding images. Love the theme and the mood which the wedding photographer captured. So candid and “speaking” photographs.
Like a wedding photographer myself, I would adore to have such happy and energetic couple. They seem like a lots of fun. The venue, decorations, details and celebration is beautifully captured.
And yeah: the restaurant name cannot be more relevant for a couple about to start their journey together. Well done. Thank you for sharing it with us and giving us good wedding ceremony and reception ideas.
I love everything about this.
I love the simplicity of this wedding! It works!!! And just LOVE the kiss!!! Nicely captured!
Just stunning, really stunning. Beautiful colours and tones and they seem like a great couple to photograph.
Getting married at The Optimist, that is an amazing name and location. It helped set the tone for this incredible wedding. I love her striped shoes and how they match the invites!
Absolutely beautiful! I love every little detail, especially the dress. Does anyone know what colour she chose? It photographs differently in every picture :)
Thank you Amanda! The dress is in the color champagne :)
What can I say? The bride is really beautiful that I barely notice that the wedding production design was really simple. Maybe because, I’m just used to grand weddings prepared by luxury wedding planners in Hong Kong that I crave for something different and unique with this wedding.
Incredible. This wedding is outside of the box and so perfect for this couple. I love all the tiny little details that add up to make such a perfect day! And personalized wedding favors that aren’t too cliche are one of my very favorite things. So much simplicity and elegance, beautifully done! *sigh* I love weddings!
This is amazing! I really like the minimalistic style and approach Kaitie took. Everything from the candid moments to details were captured beautifully. Love it!
All of those minimal details tho! Everything fits so perfectly in this amazing venue. Seriously this wedding is so lovely.