Backyard Wedding with a Blush Wedding Dress!

bride and groom

Happy Monday, loves! We’re starting the week off right with a pretty + playful backyard wedding, captured by the super lovely Katie Pritchard. Katie is not only a talented photographer, but our amazing editorial assistant + a vital part of the GWS team! But, ok, enough of the gushing, let’s hear more about this gorge wedding you’re about to see! :)

Ann-Marie + John decided to pick an overall vibe for their day, before they even began to think about the details. Such a smart idea! Inspired by the organic wood tones + textures that come to mind when you think of the term “rustic” and the bright happy colors of a party, they coined their own descriptive motto for the day, and let the crafting begin from there. Here’s a bit more about it all from Ann-Marie:

Once we had our “Rustic Party” theme determined, it was fairly simple to choose our color palette and begin the search for elements that would fit the theme. John is a graphic designer and  I am a crafter/designer, so we had no excuse not to DIY everything that we possibly could! We spent months thrifting for glassware and other decor elements. We hand-wrote our own vows on clipboards we made ourselves. We broke as many traditions as we possibly could, including foregoing a white dress for blush pink and taking the bulk of our photos before the ceremony. We spent countless hours creating DIY details, both big and small. With the help of so many amazing friends and family members, we transformed a simple backyard into the rustic party of our dreams!

felt feather wedding invitation

blush wedding dress

mint bridesmaids

This bouquet is pretty outrageous, no? It (along with all of the florals!) was skillfully designed by LA based floral guru, Veronica of Willow + Jade.

whimsical pink peony bouquet

mint bridesmaids

blush wedding dress

groomsmen

comic book boutonniere

Such fun bouts for the guys!

action figure boutonniere

simi valley first look

simi valley first look

wedding party

wedding party

bride and groom

bride and groom

Ann-Marie’s dress was a $40 BHLDN clearance find! Combined, her dress and shoes came to less than $100. Total proof that you don’t have to spend a fortune to pull together a beautiful outfit.

bride and groom

blush wedding dress

bride and groom

tissue tassel garland

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Stuck on You (Instrumental Version) – Lionel Richie

Recessional: Wouldn't It Be Nice – The Beach Boys

First Dance: Still in Love with You – Al Green

backyard ceremony

backyard ceremony

mint bridesmaids

backyard ceremony

backyard ceremony

backyard ceremony

clipboard vows

escort cards

hashtag wedding

escort cards

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Ann-Marie: I remember dancing to one of my favorite songs surrounded by all of my favorite people and noticing that everyone was smiling and laughing in this beautiful environment we worked so hard to create. Our guests were having a great time, my husband and I were having a great time, and in that instant, all the months of wedding planning stress and anxiety paid off.

John: My favorite moment was when we first sat down for dinner and I really got to a chance to see the amount of friends and family that had come out to support us on our special day.

backyard wedding

head table reception

airplant decor

table numbers

Major love for the gorgeous reception, which was beautifully designed by Ann-Marie + Design Hunter LA. From the floral garlands, to the creative place cards, to the mismatched, colorful tableware, it all looked so vibrant + fun!

laser cut name tags

colorful fiesta wedding

colorful fiesta wedding

vintage plates

colorful fiesta wedding

laser cut name tags

fringe name letters

bride and groom with tassel

fiesta dessert bar

laser cut mr and mrs signs

fringe name letters

everybody dance now

And you definitely won’t want to miss the super sweet video by Ellay Films!

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Don't worry about figuring everything out immediately. Take time to let things percolate until you feel that you are ready to proceed. We are the poster children for changing our minds at the last minute (we switched venues with less than two months to spare!), yet it could not have worked out better if we had planned it far in advance. Remember to enjoy all of the events leading up the actual wedding: the engagement party, the bridal shower, the bachelor / bachelorette parties, the rehearsal dinner, etc. There's so much more to getting married than just the big day alone. Oh, and be sure to create an Instagram hashtag! We had the best time going through all of the fun photos that our guests contributed to our #ammlovesjohn feed!

photography: Katie Pritchard // venue name: Private Residence in Simi Valley, California // florals: Willow + Jade // wedding dress: BHLDN // bride's shoes: Seychelles // hair stylist: Jamie Jubran // makeup artist: Jamie Jubran // videography: Ellay Films // paper goods: Ann-Marie Loves // catering: DiVine Catering // cake: Heather Mason // music: EJMAR SOUNDS // event design: Ann-Marie Loves and Design Hunter LA // bridesmaid dresses: Modcloth, Sosie, Forever 21 // rentals: Party Pleasers // second shooter: Bethany Gilbertson

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