We just want to hug Lisa. She was little Miss Super Woman when it came to coordinating, designing, and DIY’ing basically her entire wedding. She spent a lot of time perusing blogs for inspiration, used Evernote to organize ideas, and when it came to making decisions about how the day would be styled, she kept in mind that she was working with an urban venue and a classic wedding party wardrobe. The result, photographed by Andrey Mikityuk, as she says, “was a slightly amped-up/classier version of our real lives, and wasn’t over the top or unnatural”. That’s the perfect way to put it.
I designed and crafted all of our paper goods. With some help from my in-laws and a bottle of whiskey, I hand stamped, embossed, mounted, and addressed each component of our save-the-dates, invites, thank you’s, and programs.
How adorable is the above photo?
It’s kind of refreshing to see so much green in their bouquets isn’t it? Against those navy dresses, the green just pops.
Lisa’s bouquet recipe: white ranunculus, scabiosa pods, yellow Billy balls, yarrow, veronica, succulents, queens Ann lace, dusty miller, kale, amaranth, anenmies, and buplerum.
So here’s a fun DIY to try out. Those plain glass votive candle holders that you can find at any craft store… Lisa dipped them into paint and let them drip dry.
For Jaron and I, our wedding day was incredibly relaxed and joyful. I had worked very hard in the months and weeks leading up to our wedding to organize and plan every. single. detail. of the weekend. (My family and friends still give me a hard time for the spreadsheets, timelines and lists I distributed). What I hoped would – and what in reality did – come as a result of my hyper-organziation and communication, is that I was able to let go, relax and be present the week of the wedding. I must, of course, give credit to our loving and hard-working families who executed my vision wonderfully on the day of the wedding.
In reflecting upon those days, Jaron and I realize that the beauty, joy and meaning contained in the celebration of our marriage was not a result of our planning and organization – although it was helpful – rather, it was the truly amazing people that surrounded and celebrated us that made our wedding extraordinary. So if I were to offer some wedding planning advice, it would be: secure yourself some good, quality friends and family. You can have the best vendors, spend a small fortune, and look amazing, but if you aren’t surrounded with wonderful people who understand and love you, your wedding day will be meaningless. In my opinion, a wedding isn’t about living out your Cinderella fantasy or trying to get featured on a blog, its about celebrating life in all its beauty and complexity, and honoring commitment, and the friends and family that flow from it.
Congratulations Jaron + Lisa!
For more inspiration check out our Weddings Ideas section + Pinterest boards.
Photographer: Andrey Mikityuk / Ceremony Venue: Swanson Gallery of the Durham Museum / Reception Venue: 1316 Jones / First Look Location: Magnolia Hotel / Invitations, Makeup, Wedding Coordination: Bride / Hair: Thomas Sena at T’eez Salon / Florist: All Season Floral / Cake: Bliss Bakery / Catering: Hap Abraham Catering / Rentals: AAA Rents / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Wedding shoes: Andre Assous / Veil: Sara Gabriel / Earrings: Givenchy / Groom’s Suit: ASOS / Bridesmaid dresses: Shabby Apple / Bridesmaid’s hair pieces: Castle Memories via Etsy / Flower girl dress: Lilla Barn via Etsy / Flower girl head band: My Sweet Bee via Etsy
