Purple Weddings - DIY Bride

Jessie + Ruben’s Glittery Purple Wedding Extravaganza

On this lovely Friday, we’re featuring a sparkly wedding that will sure warm your heart. Captured by Carrie Wildes Photography, the bride Jessie DIY and personalized many aspects of her and Ruben’s wedding with lots of purple rhinestones… simply because, well, she loves everything purple and sparkly! The couple’s affections for purple, sparkly things, Mets (Ruben’s!), and their kids are apparent on their wedding day.

“When Ruben proposed, one of the things he gave Jessie was a little heart with a tiny ring and their names on it. She added that to the stem on her bouquet. Jessie actually made her shoes by covering them in purple rhinestones!! She also made her favors (S’mores!), the glasses for the candles and her friend made her wedding cake”

What an amazing wedding cake! So regal and grand. I love all the little special moments, especially ones of Ruben and Jessie’s two sons. Family love is the theme here, and it is what makes this wedding oh-so-heartwarming. My favorite DIY for the wedding has got to be Jessie’s shoes. I cannot imagine the time and the meticulousness of it all for her to place individual rhinestones all over her heels!

Congratulations to Jessie + Ruben and wishing you both and your new family lots of love and happiness!

Photographer: Carrie Wildes Photography//Wedding Date:11.22.2013//Floral Designer: Flowers By Design//Hair Stylist: Lilis Weddings Makeup and Hair Styling Group//Caterer: palmetto club and puff n stuff catering//Caterer: Puff N Stuff//Dress Store: The White Closet Co.//Reception Venue: TPepin’s Hospitality Centre//Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Paige + Jordan’s 20s-Themed Wedding

Paige + Jordan chose the historic home, The Historic Obici House, as the venue for their 20s-themed wedding. Great thing there was a back-up plan of hosting the ceremony indoors as it rained on their day (originally planned for an outdoor ceremony). Brought to us by Caitlin Gerres Photography, this wedding is filled with many handmade crafty elements (think unique bouquets and center pieces).

From the photographer:

“With the help of her mom and bridesmaids, Paige crafted many of the wedding day elements, starting with the bouquets. She covered each bouquet with brooches she had collected. She created peacock feather hairpieces for the bridesmaids and feathered headbands to get her guests in the 20s mood.
She also designed and printed her own paper goods, from the invitations to the photo scavenger hunt list she created to amuse the guests throughout the evening. On the back of the program, she designed a crossword puzzle that included personal details from the groom’s favorite video game to their puppy’s name.

On the morning of the wedding, Paige and her bridesmaids put together each of the reception centerpieces from a collection of blue glass vases, bird cages, fresh flowers, and vintage finds.
The maid of honor helped execute the bride’s vision and even baked the wedding cake, a mix of funfetti and red velvet, the couple’s favorite flavors.”

I love that Paige and her bridesmaids wore mustache rings as a fun accessory. I love crossword puzzles and mad libs and all, but what a great, fun idea to do a photo scavenger hunt to keep the guests entertained for the entire wedding! This 20s-themed wedding is definitely not short on unique details and fun factor.

Congratulations to Paige + Jordan!!

Photographer: Caitlin Gerres Photography//Wedding Date:06.22.2013//Makeup Artist: Behind the Veil Studio//Photo Booth Equipment: Boardwalk Photo Booth Company//Event Venue: The Historic Obici House//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Laura + Keith’s DIY Country Barn Wedding

For this beautiful Friday, we’re showcasing a DIY barn wedding from Gray Photography. Laura + Keith collected all the mismatched tables and chairs for their reception from Craigslist for a year. And with major help from the family, they were able to completely re-finished and decorate the barn, including growing their own moss, flowers, and gourds used for the wedding!

Something neat to share: amidst all the tables Laura + Keith had collected, one in particular was super special to the family. And that’s because one grandfather of theirs was born on that special kitchen table!

Great job on the awesome barn decor and much congratulations to Laura + Keith!

Photographer: Gray Photography//Wedding Date:10.05.2013//Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Kyle + Nick’s Sweet Pink Country Chic Wedding

This sweet, romantic, and country chic wedding featuring Kyle + Nick is a must see today. With beautiful photography by BrittRene Photo, this gorgeous wedding has lots of amazing DIYs, which took Kyle over a year and half to put together! But it was the community of family and friends who came to help Kyle + Nick with setting all the details together to pull off the wedding of their dreams.

The DIY details from Kyle:

“All the projects were DIY. And it most defiantly took a year and a half to get all those projects done. The long planning, execution and frustration of it all, paid off in the end. From the flowers which were beautifully arranged by a very talented family friend, to the desserts which were lovingly made by several women in the family. Every detail meant something and had a personal touch. Our planner Monica Currier, and her awesome assistant Chaili Trentham, knocked it out of the park. Our friends worked tirelessly to place candles in the creek bed, put up lanterns, and lovingly help make our dream day a reality. The thing that blew us away the most was the community of people that came to help. We would not have had this perfect, I mean really perfect, day without our friends and family. That is why our wedding meant so much, it was hand-made with love.”
Strung lights with paper lanterns all across the outdoor reception area really romanticize the wedding. The bridal party looked incredibly gorgeous, and the pale pink bridesmaid dresses also worked really well with the overall romantic look of the wedding. My favorite part of the wedding, which added a whimsical and offbeat side to the ceremony is that their “flower girl/boy/man” is one of their friends. According to the bride, Kyle + Nick were introduced by their friend Landon. They had promised him that if they ever get married, he will be their “flower man”. And boy did he rock it!

Congratulations to Kyle + Nick for throwing such an awesome DIY wedding, and much thanks to BrittRene Photo for sharing it with us!

Photographer: BrittRene Photo//Wedding Date:06.22.2013//Event Venue: Hidden Oaks//DJ:higher level sound//Bridesmaid Dresses: Modcloth//Caterer:my urban eats//Dress Designer:Private Label by G//Makeup: Joelle Seaton//Florist: Miss Patti Bergeron//Desserts: (cupcakes) Malia Rusniaczek , (macaroons) Matt Krause , (cookies) Roselyn Estep, (cookies) Karla DallaTorre, (biscotti’s) Toni Hartman//Hair: Kaity Morrissey//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Summer + Gabe’s Lovely Country Backyard Wedding

Summer + Gabe decided to get married at Gabe’s childhood neighborhood, courtesy of a friend’s backyard. This super relaxed and homey affair is nothing short of gorgeousness. With every detail well-thought out by Summer and with photography by Courtney Bowlden Photography, I got quite a few awe-inspiring photos to show you (think hanging paper lantern on apple trees)!

Summer took it upon herself to do all the decorations and flower arrangements for the wedding. What’s interesting and money-saving(!) was that she didn’t have any particular flowers in mind; rather, she picked up the flowers at a flower stand on the side of the road and just ran with what she had. A very nice touch they had at the wedding was that rather than just hanging up photos of the two of them and/or family, they honor all the friends and family who came by incorporating a lot of photos of them around the yard. For their guestbook, Summer found vintage post cards at antique stores and decided to leave them out for guests to write on, which she’ll then use them to make into a book. And Gabe’s contribution? He did an awesome job DIYing by hand-carving the ring box and center pieces
According to the photographer Courtney Bowlden, Summer and Gabe included an old tradition of jumping over lavender after the wedding, which she has not seen before. Something cute she also shared with us is that after the ceremony, Summer took Gabe’s niece, who was their flower girl, around to look for little baby frogs. The result? Summer caught one and Courtney Bowlden took some awesome photos with it.

Congratulations to Summer + Gabe for a beautiful laid-back wedding!!

Photographer: Courtney Bowlden Photography//Wedding Date:08.17.2013//Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Winter Wonderland Style Shoot in Sonora, CA

Our feature styled shoot this weekend comes from Midview Studios and a few of the awesome vendors from Sonora, California. The photographers wanted to do a snow-filled shoot, and their vision came to life by teaming up with the talented team from Save the Date Events & Planning. With the snowy backdrop, their bride and groom models had no problem steaming up the shoot for the camera, donning dark hues of red and purple.

From the bride model’s makeup to the gorgeous bouquet by Mountain Laurel Florist, this snowy styled shoot is elegant, sexy and romantic, and gives me a bit of mysterious flair to it. Perhaps it’s the awesome decor, or simply the way Midview Studios shoot the pictures, we can all agree this style shoot is fabulous and dreamy (love the chandelier!). Lastly, CornerSpace Cake and Cafe, can I have one of your super delicious looking cupcakes??

Great job to all the vendors who worked on this styled shoot!!

Photographer: Midview Studios//Date: 12.15.2012//Flower: Mountain Laurel Florist//Bakery: CornerSpace Cake and Cafe//Makeup Artist: FLAWLESS Hair and Makeup Design//Event Designer: Save the Date Events & Planning//Female Model: Ursula Bahamondes// Male Model: Jake Wacker//Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Kelly + Matt’s Violet and Burlap Wedding at the Mansion

Kelly + Matt’s purple affair at the Mount Airy Mansion is nothing short of amazing. Captured by Eastport Photography, this Fall mansion wedding features rich hues of violet and gold, with burlap used in many different ways. It is both sweet and vibrant!

For their gorgeous ceremonial backdrop, Kelly used old rustic doors that she found and decorated with a gold frame and initial “L”. I love all the burlap signs, such as “Love is Sweet” and the initials flags hung over the mansion balcony. And goodness, that candy bar featuring gold and violet cake pops is truly decadent!

I’m in love with how Kelly married her colors together and how the colors and burlap are used in a refreshing way. I also adore their adorable flower girl, and something sweet and sentimental to share here- the flower girl dress is actually one of Kelly’s dress made for her by her grandmother when she was young.

Congratulations to Kelly + Matt!

Photographer: Eastport Photography//Wedding Date: 10/05/2013//DJ: Bialek’s Music//Cake Designer: Cakes by Rachael//Event Venue: Mount Airy Mansion//Invitation Designer: Paper in the Park//Caterer: Pineapple Alley Catering//Hair Stylist:Up Do’s for I Do’s//Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Erin + Randy’s Antique in the Fall Wedding

Erin + Randy’s Vermont wedding isn’t exactly the type of DIY wedding where everything was done by themselves or family and friends. But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t do a whole lot of personalization and created a celebration that was truly theirs. Photographed by Orchard Cove Photography, this wedding features rich hues of the Fall colors- spiced wine, burnt orange, antique gold and lots of ivory.

During Erin + Randy’s 1.5 years of engagement, they spent many weekends driving all over Vermont antique shopping- mismatched whiskey barrels to mark the aisle, hobnob milk votives, old mason jars to line the perimeter of our venue to create a magical ambiance, antique bronze vases for single buds.

From Erin:

“We repurposed a wooden flower box as our card collector, used Vermont barn board for our ‘Erin & Randy’ sign for the side of the road, found reclaimed apple crates to bring height to our ceremony flowers, created cake stands from vintage cups and platters and opted for a $5 window display with handwritten details instead of typical wedding programs. We made a series of signs to pay tribute to our guests who travelled from all over the country to be with us, noting the distance they travelled to be part of our special day. Instead of paying for calligraphy for our escort cards, we hand-wrote them and stood them up with corks (that our bridal party had a fun time procuring!). We used twine and clothespins to display old photos from our childhood, our parents’ weddings and photos of our guests from years past.

Erin + Randy did such a great job pulling together personal details to pull off this DIY wedding. I love the tribute sign post they made indicating the distance their guests travelled to see them tied the knot. However, my absolute favorite is Erin and her father’s daughter & father dance. How adorable were they!

Congratulations Erin + Randy!!
Photographer: Orchard Cove Photography//Wedding Date: 10/05/2013//Dress Designer: Allure Bridals//Bakery: Caketopia Cakes//Floral Designer:Erin Ostreicher//Dress Store: J. Crew//Invitation Designer:Minted.com//Hair Stylist:Scherdiva Salon//Band: The Grift//Event Venue: Tourterelle Restaurant & Inn//Equipment Rentals: Vermont Tent Company//Officiant:Wendy Bratt//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Bekah + John’s Delightfully Rustic Wedding

For our bride Bekah, the amazing designer behind Laurel & Fife (a custom dress company based in Tennessee and has worked on custom gowns for The Not Wedding), it is a no-brainer that she would design and handmade her own wedding dress. Other than the photography by Val and Sarah, everything else was designed and created by our couple and their family and friends. With a pretty mix of yellow and purple, this rustic wedding is traditional, romantic, and delightfully fun for all involved (and for us to see!).

It was without a doubt that Bekah would also custom create dresses for each of her bridesmaids. Other DIY details I love were the handmade buntings hung all over the reception area (a close friend of the family’s barn), the stars backdrop, as well as the pretty yellow wedding cake baked and decorated with lavenders by a friend.

In case you’re wondering, Bekah + John got married at their church. What’s so cool about it is that it was built to look like a log cabin, so the venue perfectly tied in with their rustic theme! And to keep it eco-friendly, the couple opted to do their exit with a shower of lavender.. Got to be one of my favorite moments from the wedding!

Congratulations Bekah + John!!!

Photographer: Val and Sarah //Wedding Date: 09/28/2013//Dress Designer:Laurel & Fife//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Grace + Nick’s Offbeat Rustic Wedding

In continuing our unintentional theme of “offbeat” weddings, I’m ending our features today with a very picturesque wedding. Our gorgeous bride Grace opted to wear a stunning vintage purple dress for her day, and the couple chose to wear color stones instead of “traditional” diamonds for their rings. This beautiful wedding photographed by Joshua Aaron Photography set a great example that it is completely okay to be yourself and to be different. After all, your wedding day is all about you as a couple!

From the photographer:

“To showcase their love for nature, Grace and Nick had packets of seed for guests, a picnic reception with games, and beer made by the couple themselves.” They also DIY all the flowers themselves as well.
This inspiring wedding at the Vista House is truly spectacular. Our stunning couple not only showcase what’s important to them as a couple, but their fun and unique personalities as well. I love that the talented Joshua Aaron was able to captured the romantic flair of Grace’s vintage dress, Nick’s emotional moment as he sees his bride walking down the aisle, and the breathtaking moments from the paper lantern send-offs. Congratulations to Grace + Nick!

Photographer: Joshua Aaron Photography//Wedding Date: May 18, 2013// Flowers: Kelly Singer // Event Venue:Vista House//Submitted via Two Bright Lights