Not Your Typical Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

Bohemian, edgy, and a little bit…sinister? Perhaps not a very traditional wedding description but for Debra + Bill, traditional was never in the cards. These two managed to pull off an effortless, 70s California vibe for their East Coast ceremony at Bartram’s Garden with details like macrame, lush floral installations, and gold highlights.

Debra filled us on on the totally unique inspiration behind their day: Bill and I live in San Francisco, but we decided to have the wedding in Philadelphia where my family lives to make it easier for older relatives to attend. We were inspired by 1970’s California, specifically the The Source Family (the image on our save the dates is a photo of Father Yod, leader of the commune) and Jodorowsky’s bizarre and colorful 1973 film, Holy Mountain. We were going for a 70s bohemian vibe with some edge – we wanted burning sage, crystals, and plenty of touches of humor/weirdness to reflect our personalities. Neither one of us really connect to traditional bridal or wedding aesthetic, so the details were everything for us. We loved the way the day turned out and we are happy that most of our decorations are things we can keep and use in our home for years to come instead of just one day.

Shannon Wellington Weddings caught the vision and helped Debra + Bill plan the weird, wonderful wedding of their dreams, while Pat Furey Photography was there to document the whole thing:

custom 70s invitation

Rachel Rogers Design brought to life the custom invitations and signage, and how cute are those cookies featuring D+B’s cats?!

gold booties

Unbridaled by Dan Jones Dress

protea bouquet

Debra carried a stunning protea bouquet by Fresh Designs Florist.

Unbridaled by Dan Jones Dress

And that dress! It’s Unbridaled by Dan Jones, found at LOHO Bride.

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

Love the blue suit and speckled tie! The perfect mix of unique textures and sophistication.

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

blue suit groom

gold choker

Oooooh swoon!! We’re huge fans of the jacket earrings for spring and summer!


1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

Debra’s long pony and makeup were created the magical makings of Jessica Saint Bridal.

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

These majestic bridesmaids dresses were designed by Etsy artist, Onor, all the way from Tel Aviv.

macrame decor

boho alter

70s blankets

Knitted afghans were sourced by Groom’s mother from thrift stores in Santa Cruz, CA. The guests used them to keep warm and happily took them home afterwards!

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Thank You by Led Zeppelin

Recessional: Moonage Daydream by David Bowie

First Dance: Forever by The Beach Boys

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

garland entrance

escort cards

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

peacock chairs

Those chairs! Loving the combo of vintage, soft florals, and custom lettering on the tables.

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

cocktail menu

geodes

macrame backdrop

Beautiful cake set up! How good is that cake stand? Nutmeg Cake Designs created the succulent-covered centerpiece.

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

rings

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Find a planner you trust! Hands down, it is the best money we spent. There is no way we could have planned a wedding from across the country without our planner, Shannon. But even if you are planning a local wedding I would recommend working with a planner from the start. Planners pay for themselves in the amount of time they save you and the pain they spare you by having relationships with other vendors. Our planner knew the right people and in most cases, gave us a handful of recommendations to choose from. We were able to exercise choice without having to start from zero or risk a disaster. She helped us find the best people to work with to make our day what we wanted and ensured that everything ran smoothly on the day of. We didn't have to worry about a thing, and got to really be present and enjoy our day.

Oh, and make sure you love your photographer! At the end of the most expensive day of your life, the photos are the only thing (besides your relationship, we hope) that will last. As soon as we got engaged, we knew we wanted to work with Pat Furey. He was the first of our team on board, and we are so grateful we got to work with him!

1970's California Cult Themed Garden Wedding

Congrats to D+B from all of us at GWS!

photography: Pat Furey Photography // venue name: Bartram's Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA // planning: Shannon Wellington Weddings // florals: Fresh Designs Florist // wedding dress: Unbridaled by Dan Jones // wedding dress boutique: LOHO Bride // hairpiece: Moon and Arrow // bride's shoes: Marsell // bridesmaid dresses: Onor // hair stylist: Jessica Saint Bridal // makeup artist: Jessica Saint Bridal // groom attire: Al's Atire // paper goods: Rachel Rogers Design (designed by bride and groom) // catering: Diverse Catering // cake: Nutmeg Cake Designs // tabletop rentals: Barnes Handcrafted Farmhouse Tables // furniture rentals: Maggpie Rentals // music: No Macarena // officiant: Journeys of The Heart

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