Stephanie, an art teacher, and her fiancé Alosha really wanted their engagement shots to represent who they are as a couple, and what better idea for this creative pair than to stage a painting party?
Photographer: iDropPHOTO
This awesome inspiration shoot combines the rustic elegance of the Ranch Austin with the perfect modern touch, including chevron, stripes, and plenty of Texas love.
And in case you’re wondering, Ranch Austin can host up to 300 people… definitely worth a look if you’re planning a wedding in the area.
Photographer: Katherine O’Brien Photography / Caterer: Royal Fig Catering / Event Designer: Liv by Design / Floral Designer: Flora Fetish LLC / Invitation Designer: The Creative Parasol / Cake Designer: Michelle’s Patisserie / DJ: Greenbelt DJ Productions / Equipment Rentals: Premiere Party Central / Event Venue: Ranch Austin
Streamer Garland / Horses / Vase / Bouquet / Chandelier / Bride / Table / Bridesmaids / Ties / Door
There is something so classic about a pretty pastel wedding. Add in a few rustic touches and I’m sold. For me, this look comes close to perfect.
This one is really special. I’m not sure if it’s the rustic DIY detail, the impossibly perfect, sweet Tennessee venue… or just that horse (I love that horse). This one takes my breath away.
I had to reach out to the bride to hear more…
How did you choose your venue… did it have any special significance?
We didn’t want the typical wedding venue. Â We wanted something unique and country. Â My husband was from the north so we wanted to show his friends and family a southern good time when they came down, so we wanted the theme to be country chic. We finally found a venue that fit that theme.
What other special details did you incorporate into your day?
We made the last minute decision to walk down the aisle in cowboy boots which was a nice special detail I don’t regret. Â My matron of honor wrote us a poem of our love story that we had displayed at our wedding.
What was your favorite part of the day?
I think my favorite part of the day was taking pictures with Chuck… spending a couple of hours before the wedding just goofing off and being ourselves really calmed our nerves down for the actual ceremony.
Any advice for other brides?
Get a good photographer. The day goes by so fast and all you’ll have left is the pictures so spend the extra research time and money in getting a good photographer
I couldn’t agree more! Thank you so much, Ginger, for taking the time to answer my questions, and to your fabulous photographer for sharing these shots.
Photographer:Â Matt Phoenix Photography / Reception Venue and Ceremony Location: Front Porch Farms
Tucked away high in the mountains at Sylvan Lake Estates in Angwin, California, John and Mary’s gorgeous wedding was packed with tons of personal touches… including homemade jam and pickle favors.
(how much do you love the idea of pickle favors?!)
For the best description of the day, just take a look at this lovely note from the bride:
John and I love having friends over for cozy dinner parties and wine nights, and we really wanted our wedding guests to feel as welcomed and comfortable as they would in our home. I grew up in Napa, and we wanted to share the wine country scenery and hospitality we love so much. As soon as we arrived at the Sylvan Lake Estate, it was love at first sight. The home felt like a hidden garden, and we loved the idea of bringing our guests to a place we knew they had never been before. While grey and yellow was our wedding’s color palette. The white rustic farm tables had a casual elegance and my mom sewed all the table runners herself. Our centerpieces came from the farmers’ market, and my bridesmaids and grandma put them together the day before the wedding. I wanted to do a homemade favor, and jams and pickles were the perfect fit. I wore a necklace with my husband’s initials, as well as my late grandfather’s wedding ring. John’s grandfather and my grandmother, each married more than 60 years, held our rings. My father and stepfather both walked me down the aisle, to a string quartet version of the song “Yellow”. After dinner, my new husband and my dad performed a song that they had written together during our engagement. We spent the rest of the night laughing and dancing with our neon glow sticks. It was a night that truly felt like the best backyard dinner party we’ve ever thrown.
Photographer: 39 East Photography / Event Venue:Â Sylvan Lake Estates
With so many options out there, I know how hard it can sometimes be to come up with the perfect theme. But occasionally, a couple can be so lucky that the theme comes to them.
This was definitely the case for Lindie and Nate, all they needed was the right venue…
From the start, we knew that we didn’t want the typical country club or hotel wedding. One visit to the the Botanical Center was all we needed to decide that it was the unique setting that we had been in search of. Before choosing a venue, we had a really hard time narrowing down a palette, graphics and other design elements for our wedding but the gardens provided direct inspiration for all of that and our wedding theme quickly grew…even the dress was chosen with the venue in mind. With a background in art & design, I was heavily invested in adding handmade personal touches…table runners, basket liners and a ring pillow from linen and silk dupioni, and invitations and programs with custom graphics. A lot of people didn’t understand why I was putting in so much time creating these items but to us it completely finished the look and added something totally special that spoke to who were are. We decided a station style reception worked best for the format of the Botanical Center. Colorful tapas plates were available throughout the gardens and we had a cupcake variety (banana nutella and chocolate peanut butter included – yum!) and strawberry shortcake instead of a typical cake. Our day was absolutely amazing…our families are a wild bunch but it still felt very relaxed; the ceremony went off without a hitch; and we got to share some incredible, intimate moments with the people we are closest with. We wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Photographer: Olivia Gird Photography / Venue: Roger Williams Park Botanical Center / Caterer: Blackstone Caterers / Floral Designer: Deb Romano / DJ: MTB Entertainment / Bakery: Duck and Bunny
Oh be still my heart… I think you already know that nothing gets to me more than a gorgeous ranch wedding… especially when it’s set in the heart of wine country! Martha and Brian were married at Beltane Ranch with a yellow and gray birdhouse theme… yellow to match the venue and gray because it is Martha’s favorite color. Every detail was special to the couple… they even had a close friend officiate, and because Martha and Brian spent three years far apart, depending greatly upon their Apple products to connect, their officiant read from an iPad covered in yellow, and their reader from an iPhone.
… how cute is that?!
And Martha was sweet enough to answer some questions for me!
How did you choose your venue… did it have any special significance?
We both live in PA but many of our family members live in Northern CA and the bay area, so we chose the Napa/Sonoma area because first of location. I really was the one who found Beltane Ranch through online research. I always envisioned getting married outdoors, in a farm/country setting with many colors, flowers (rustic style if you would say). I found Beltane Ranch through a wedding blog (!) and then continued searching through other blogs with Beltane Ranch as the venue, and I LOVED all the pictures that came out. I sent the pictures to Brian (who at that time still living in WA) and his response was: I have always thought of getting married in a place like this (getting this kind of response from him was a huge, huge green light!!).
Anyway, we visited the place during the Thanksgiving weekend. We absolutely loved it. There was a sense of warmth when you are at this place, like being in a place familiar to you or being at home. I like the fact that the venue was authentic, old/vintage (it is not sparkling new or fancy). I love the lights, the openness, the colors of the flowers.
What kind of music did you play?
We had a solo guitarist (playing the Spanish guitar). He played “Somewhere in Time” (as a little girl I loved this love story – did you ever watch the movie?). For my entrance, I asked the musician to sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” — Brudda Iz’ version. I knew that if I played anything else, I would have just cried, and I did not want to cry for the ceremony (LOL!) so I wanted light, happy music and he played it so beautifully!!
After the ceremony, when we and the bridal party left the “altar” he sang “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.
For the cocktail and dinner reception, we had pop Latin music.
What was your favorite part of the day?
Walking down the aisle with both my parents who both had big smiles on their face. Watching Brian smile as I walked down the aisle. And also, during dancing, our band re-sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow” so that we could have our last dance of that night.
Any advice for other brides?
I did a lot of research on wedding blogs to get inspiration. I think I also listened to what I wanted and just followed my heart. Some decisions may have turned out to be not what I expected and it was just okay, but most of the things were super special, and those are what I remember the most now.
For example, music choice (hiring the Latin band) was really a risky choice, because I was afraid that most guests could not relate to these music, but my whole life I had loved the Gypsy Kings and wanted a Latin touch to the wedding. It was the BEST decision I made! Everyone danced, even our parents and grandparents!!!!
Photographer: 39 East Photography / Venue: Beltane Ranch / Event Coordinator: Mary Ellen Murphy/Off the Beaten Path Weddings / Music: Rolando Morales / Flowers: Valley Flora / Make-up: Veronica Passalacqua / Hair:Â Lauren Kelsay / Bride’s Dress and Accessories:Â Bridal Sophisticate
Oh my gosh I am so excited to share today’s gorgeous wedding with you all. There are so many adorable elements in this Osoyoos, BC affair, submitted via Two Bright Lights.
Old logs, feathers, candy… pie!! (you know my serious love of pie)
And I just love all the things the couple did themselves. Just wait until your see the unbelievable job Erin did DIYing her own bouquets! Such an inspiration. The couple’s love of all things natural, vintage, and so so pretty is showcased so well by the amazing work of their photographer, Element Photography.
From the photographer:
Erin + Graham tied the knot on undoubtedly the hottest day of the summer! Their beautiful day started at Erin’s parents home where the girls gathered to dress and put on the final touches. Her parents’ home is charming and decorated with vintage treasures in every nook and cranny! Erin looked smashing in her ruffled gown and was oh so excited to get started with the day. But not as excited as Graham who showed up 30 min early for the first look… ooops! Erin walked down the driveway to meet her man and could hardly hold in the giggles as she snuck up on him. Sweet! Both of them smiling from ear to ear and exchanging compliments we snapped away as they enjoyed a very emotional moment together before their big day! Their wedding day was everything they could have asked for. The setting for the wedding ceremony was the Chobotar ranch in Osoyoos, BC. The warm, warm summer sun shone down on Erin + Graham as they exchanged vows and everyone cheered them on as they walked down the aisle as husband and wife. Erin is a creative, a planner and a tad bit OCD (she claims!). Her venue decorating was meticulous and she nailed every last detail. Most importantly the concept of the design reflected the couple, their relationship and their favorite things. Working with a tight budget Erin was resourceful and drew on their love of the outdoors and its natural beauty to decorate. Moss, old logs, stones, pinecones, feathers, wooden flowers – she even hand crafted the bouquets and boutonnieres herself! Right down to the antlers on the table – which doubled as noise makers to get the newlyweds to kiss – a shout out to their love of hunting. All the vintage finds were from her home decor or her mom’s, perfect!
Venue: Chobotar Ranch / Photographer: Element Photography / Caterer: Parties and Pies / Event Planner: Peace of Mind “day of” Wedding Coordinator / Makeup Artist: Christine Fritz / Bridesmaid Gifts: Oatmeal Lace Design
A Thousand Threads 