DIY Ojai Wedding: Emily + Ian

I have absolutely fallen in love with this sweet wedding sent over from Braedon Photography. You might recognize this couple since I shared their engagement photos here last year. Their wedding was totally DIY. They made just about everything with help from family + friends. Emily collected the different china and glassware from various thrift stores, the boys put together the dance floor, and Emily’s brother, Seth did the ceremony for them which was so special.

From Emily, “We choose Ojai as our venue because it was close enough for people to come for the day but far enough away to create a sense of adventure. Ojai has a small farm town feel and The Dent House (where the wedding was located) is located on this windy road which made it feel even more remote and exclusive.”

pink peony wedding

fendi wedding dress


My dress was a Spring 11 runway Fendi dress, my shoes from Barneys, my headpiece was given to me from a dear friend/ vintage collector Valarie. It was a very old vintage wax floral headpiece from the former Czechoslovakia and was my most favorite.

wedding vintage gold crown


Our inspiration came from the surroundings, we wanted the wedding to feel a part of nature. Using natural elements like wood, river rocks, wild flowers, and dim lighting helped achieve that. We also wanted to use family heirlooms, which gave a vintage feel to the wedding. We collected china, crocheted & lace table clothes, old lanterns, and blankets from friends and family. What we didn’t have we bought from flea markets and thrift stores.

outdoor wedding ojai

peony wedding bouquet


And finally the wedding ceremony itself! The weather was questionable up until 30 mintes before the ceremony, but then the clouds parted and a breeze picked upped. It was magical. Seeing all our friends and family gathered together and then walking down the aisle with my dad is something I will never forget. It was so special to have my brother Seth marry us. His words were perfect, the music our friends played, and support of our “special people” was simply divine.

outdoor wedding ceremony

peacock wedding

black and white wedding photography

blush wedding dress

peony bouquet bridesmaids


I love the fashion of the bridal party! And you know they will all wear their outfits again. :) And the peony bouquet – so perfect with her blush dress.

groomsmen

hip groomsmen

flower centerpieces

hip wedding party

non matching bridesmaids dresses

champagne wedding dress

wedding photos in ojai

peony bouquet


I owe a lot to my mom, she did most of the collecting and organizing. We bought the flowers at the LA Flower Mart and did them ourselves, with the help of my dear friends Rachel and her mom Wendy. I really wanted peonies for my bouquet and they were no where to be found that time of year. When we went to the mart the Thursday before the wedding, one vendor had some. They were a fortune but we got a few and that was my bouquet, seriously I tied a rope around a few of them 20 mins before the ceremony, they opened beautifully!

groomsmen

black and white wedding photography


I love that Braedon also took lots of black + white photos. I think the photos are so stunning!

wedding film ojai

wood number centerpieces

vintage plates wedding

ojai wedding

wedding flowers

dancing under twinkling lights


We also owe a lot to our friends and family, they were incredible and worked so hard to help cast our vision, we did everything, hulled it all up in my dads truck and spent 2 days putting it all together. Our DJ was Rod Rosales, a friend from work and our caterer was Tammy, a local chef and restaurant owner of OSTERIA Monte Grappa. She was amazing and I would highly recommend her. The food was amazing and affordable, she uses all local ingredients, and truly cooks from the heart.

Looking back on the moments of the wedding I would definitely say some of my favorite moments were the days leading up to the wedding. There were some natural hot springs on the road up the the Dent House and my girls and I woke up early the morning of the wedding and headed down there. That was amazing!! I’m kind of a hot springs guru :).

Also the rehearsal dinner was a huge highlight. It was beautiful, we were all crammed in this craftsman house with beautiful wood tables, antique china, and crystal champagne saucers, our friends and family all shared and toasted to our future with only the finest champagne compliments of my Father.

Venue: The Dent House, Ojai CA
Photographer: Braedon Photography

Thanks so much Braedon for letting me share this super sweet wedding with everyone today. I hope it inspires you that a gorgeous wedding doesn’t need to be super expensive and having family + friends help really goes a long way. Oh, and hiring an amazing photographer gives you gorgeous photos to remember forever. :)

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