Photographer Carly had this to say…

“Aaron and Tom were married at the super funky, colorful, comfortable space of Urban Light Studios in downtown Seattle. Their celebration was put together on the backs and love of family and friends. While the bridesmaids designed the invitations and baked delicious cake pops, another friend with a talent for barbecue cooked a feast for all their guests. Tom’s mother designed the florals, including the bouquets and boutonnieres, while Aaron created the gorgeous altar hanging for their ceremony.”

Carly also added, “The amount of love for Aaron and Tom was so evident at their wedding – it almost overwhelmed. Top it off with their fun-loving, joyful spirits, and you end up with one unforgettable wedding day.”

Congratulations Aaron and Tom and thank you for sharing your wickedly gorgeous wedding pictures.

Aaron and Tom’s Style Guide

Photographer: Carly Bish Photography / Videographer: Kyle Bish / Hair Stylist: Pacific Artistry / Caterer: RainCity BBQ / Flowers: Handmade by Mother of the Groom / Cakes & Desserts: Diy’ed by Family & Friends /Reception Venue: Urban Light Studios / Invitations: Butler Paper & Print / Dress: Champagne Taste / DJ: Darin Hanson / Makeup: Diy’ed by the Bride / Other: Watertown Hotel / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

That’s definitely the vibe we’re feeling from Katherine and Douglas’s Fort Worth, Texas wedding, which was photographed by Dorothy Gautreaux Photography. Dorothy had this to say…

“The Bride was on a low budget and used her creativity, vintage taste and DIY details to stay within $10K. She married on her aunt’s beautifully landscaped property aiming for a whimsical backyard wedding vibe.”

We asked Katherine what was her favourite moment? “When I saw my groom and husband-to-be during our ‘first site’. It was such a special moment we shared.”

What was the colour combination for the wedding? “Ivory, navy and fuchsia.”

What made your wedding unique? “My wedding was in a backyard so that was a very unique factor. Our ceremony music was also unique – my bridesmaids and I walked down the aisle to Priscilla ahn’s ‘dream’.”

What was your biggest challenge? “Picking out a bridesmaid dress for my girls was a challenge. It was so hard to find a dress that fit my theme, style, personality and budget!”

Did you DIY and details? “My Dad cut a log for me to make the stumps for my centerpieces. I also went to an antique store to buy my vintage bottles for my centerpieces.”

What’s your advice? “Try not to get too overwhelmed by DIY details. [Also] love your photographer and their style – I wanted my photos to be vintage inspired to reflect the theme of our wedding.”

Congratulations Katherine and Douglas and thank you for sharing your lush wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Katherine + Douglas’s Style Guide

Photographer: Dorothy Gautreaux Photography / Florist: Artistic Florist of Fort Worth / Reception Venue: Private Residence / Dress Store: Bliss Bridal Salon / Wedding Dress: Blue by Enzoani / Other: Taylor Linens & Rentals / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

“There were so many things I loved about Hilary and Alex’s sweet and simple Palm Springs wedding. I love that they got ready together, the mood was relaxed and they were both so happy. I love that they got married in a park, no frills, just a beautiful setting and a few close family and friends. Hilary’s sister Megan was a rock-star and did Hilary’s makeup made her bouquet and walked her down the aisle! Alex’s face when he saw Hilary walking towards him was so sweet and I couldn’t help but tear up when I heard the vows they wrote for each other. I am so happy I was able to be a part of such a beautiful day!”

It’s clear that this wedding isn’t all about the details, but more about declaring ones love and sharing it with supportive family and friends. The result is wedding pictures that are seriously touching and oh so chic and wonderfully relaxed…

Congratulations to the happy couple.

Hilary + Alex’s Style Guide

Photographer: Fondly Forever Photography / Venue: Wolfson Park / Thanks: Two Bright Lights

“Lots of great things about this Tulum, Mexico wedding: trash the dress session in a cenote; bride planned her whole wedding herself; beach ceremony at sunrise; evening salsa dancing lessons during the reception. Great couple and super fun event.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Such a fun and gorgeous wedding, right? Congratulations Malissa and Todd and thank you for sharing your wedding pictures with One Stylish Bride.

Malissa and Todd’s Style Guide

Photographer: Dreamtime Images

Event Planner: Destination Scout

Floral Designer: Julieta

Reception Venue: Milamores

Other: Hidden Worlds Cenotes

Dance Instructor: Leon Rommel

Officiant: Charlie’s Pueblo – Officiant

With Thanks to Two Bright Lights

Emma and Aiden wed at Hinterland Baptist Church, followed by their reception at The Mudgeeraba Show Society Hall, Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast.

The bride wore a custom made wedding dress made by her best friend Erin. “I had an idea of my dream dress in my head and happened to find a picture in a bridal magazine. My best friend, Erin Davis, is a designer, so we tweaked it a bit and she made my dress for me. I have no idea how she did it from a picture, but she has been making dresses for me for years and it only seemed right that she make my wedding dress. I found the material in Cabramatta, Sydney and I knew it was perfect as soon as I saw it!” says Emma.

As if DIY flowers put together by the bride weren’t pretty enough on their own, they looked even more amazing when teamed up with a lovely pastel colour palette. “I didn’t want to stick to just a few colours but I didn’t want it to be colour overload either. So I solved the problem by having my bridesmaids in pastel colours and the reception fairly neutral with all different coloured flowers. I think everything ended up looking better than what I had thought!”

Emma explains what made the wedding unique for her, “I think the whole day was a perfect representation of Aiden and I. I wanted Aiden to share his ideas with me and have the day 50% me and 50% him. I think we did really well! It was such a group effort with all our family and friends ready to help. From my dress being made by my best friend, to Aiden’s sisters making the cake, girlfriends helping me make decorations and well… what did the boys do? Oh, organise the beer and the band!” {Emma giggles}

The reception was sprinkled with pretty handmade details. Emma remarks “I did get a lot of ideas from wedding blogs (such as yourselves!) and we ended up having a craftanoon as part of my Hens. We made the (very) messy string balls, little flags made from ribbon to hand out to guests at the ceremony, lolly bags stamped with A & E, and also the personalised tags that were hung around the vases on the tables at the reception… I made the stamps myself! I was so impressed how easy it was and how great they looked.”

More From The Bride:

What was your biggest challenge?

“The biggest challenge was keeping to our budget… it was very hard and we had to be crafty about what we spent our money on. At the end of the day we just had to decide what was a necessity and what wasn’t.”

What was your favourite moment?

“Wow… that is hard! The whole day was beyond incredible. But I would have to say, exiting the church! It was such a high, we couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. Absolute bliss.”

What’s your advice?

“My advice to other brides-to-be is stick to your ideas. Try not to get caught up in thinking you have to do the same thing as other couples have done before you. It’s your day, your way! I had many a strange look and questions when I shared my ideas, but I stuck to what I wanted and I could not have been happier.”

A big fat congratulations Emma and Aiden and thank you for sharing your fabulous wedding pictures and wedding story.

Emma and Aiden’s Style Guide

Photographer: Justin Ealand of Bush Turkey Studio

Wedding Dress: Erin Davis

Caterer: Golden Roast

Hair: Bianca of Wild About Hair

Makeup: Kate McKenna

Venue: The Mudgeeraba Show Society Hall

Photobooth: In The Booth

Photography was by CALIMA Portraits, which did a fabulous job of capturing all the love and sweet moments.

The groom wore a cheeky “I love Hookers” badge for Mr and Mrs Hooker.

Congratulations Tiffany and Kevin, your wedding photos ooze love and affection.

Nancy and Erik’s Style Guide

Photographer: CALIMA Portraits

Hair Stylist: Gene Juarez Salon

Floral Designer: Valley Nursery

Reception Venue: City of Bremerton Parks & Recreation

Dress Store: Benita’s

Shoes: Seychelle’s

Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom

With Thanks to Two Bright Lights

Molly and Nick wed in the middle of the town park in Avoca, Nebraska, United States. Molly got the idea for a country wedding when she visited her fiancé’s hometown of Avoca, which has a population of 250. “I knew instantly when I visited my husband’s hometown for the first time, that’s where we would end up getting married. I had a little push back from my family at first, since we were doing a non-traditional wedding and it wasn’t in my hometown. [But] once my family saw my visions they were totally on board.”

With the help of family and friends, the couple were able to create an incredible backyard wedding. The wedding was full of DIY details like wine bottles with lace trim, a clothesline adorned with photos from throughout the years, mason jars with lemonade, chocolate covered pretzels and candied pecans, carpenters lights strung above picnic tables, a buffet of comfort food and pretty wedding banners. “We had an arts and crafts day at my mother’s house 3 months before the wedding. My bridesmaids and sister-in-law, were all there to help tackle some of the big projects and the daunting ones” says Molly.

“My favorite element from the wedding was using and incorporating items from our families. My great grandmother’s handkerchief was tied around my bouquet. The pearl necklace was given to me by my Grandpa and Grandma and I also used their suitcase that they took on their honeymoon to hold all the photo props. The buttons we used on the banners, silverware and cake ribbon are from my great grandmother and my husband’s grandma. We also had a display of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day” says Molly.

Molly and Nick chose a pretty grey and yellow colour combination. Molly explained, “Sunflowers are my favorite type of flower. I knew right from the start that yellow would be the main colour. Grey is such a striking colour when paired with yellow, so it wasn’t a hard decision.”

From the bride:

Wedding dress designer and where it was purchased?

“I purchased my dress from Weddings 826 Boutique in Chicago. It’s an ‘off the rack’ store, so I was able to take my dress home with me that day. I was really torn between a short number that I found & the traditional wedding dress I ended up with. I had my dress altered in the front, which showed the lower part of my legs and my yellow shoe clips I made. With the front bustled I was able to dance comfortably and not having to worry about anyone stepping on my dress. It was the best of both worlds!”

Tell us about the DIY details?

“I made my veil, hairpieces and shoe clips. My mother sewed the ring bearer pillows, the burlap table runners, the curtains behind the head table and all of the burlap banners that we hung.

We had an arts and crafts day at my mother’s house 3 months before the wedding. On that weekend we glued the lace ribbon around the wine bottles that I had been collecting since we first got engaged. We tied twine around the plastic silverware and glued a button on each one. We made all of the photo props from templates I found on-line. We made the chandelier that hung from the basketball hoop using wax paper and ribbon courtesy of designsponge.com. 
My mother-in-law made our wedding cake, all the cupcakes and the cookies that we had on our dessert table. My mother made all the snacks for the cocktail hour, which included chocolate covered pretzels and candied pecans. We also arranged the center pieces for the reception the day before the wedding.”

What was your biggest challenge?

“My biggest challenge was planning from a far. It was really difficult at times, because I couldn’t just run over to the park to scope things out. Luckily my mother & father-in-law were a huge help. Plus, staying really organized helped when it came time for setting up the day of the wedding.”

What was your favorite moment?

“I have 2 favorite moments; the first is riding on a horse & carriage to the ceremony. I guess you don’t have to be “Royal” to make a grand entrance. It was the first time that day that I got to take everything all in. I almost lost my composure as my emotions swept over me, but then I saw my husband standing there waiting for me.

My other favorite memory is the poem that my husband read to me during the reception. His poem made me laugh several times, but also brought me to tears. It was such a sweet moment!”

What’s your advice?

“Stick to your guns! It’s so easy to have family and friends persuade you into planning your wedding that works around them.”

Congratulations Molly and Nick and thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding pictures and story.

To view more of these wedding pictures, head over to our real wedding gallery.

Molly + Nick Style Guide

Photographer: Maggie Rife Photography

Caterer: Annette Erhart

Reception Venue: Town Square

Music: The Rumbles

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Chelsea and Mike held their ceremony on the beach just behind their reception venue, The Surfer Hotel. We especially love that for the ceremony, the cute couple chose to have all their siblings take turns officiating. Very cute indeed.

Before the ceremony Chelsea and Mike chose not to see each other, but did want a moment together to hold hands and share a few words.

Cheers to the happy couple and thank you for sharing your wedding pictures.

Chelsea and Mike’s Style Guide

Photographer: heidi-o-photo

Reception Venue: The Surfer Hotel

Cake Designer: Batter Up! Cupcakes

DJ: TNT Mobile DJ

Raylene and Kevin were married in an intimate DIY wedding at Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada.

The pair chose a natural setting, a relaxed ceremony, hearty food and simple low key and homemade décor that reflected them perfectly. “We’re generally very informal, fun and like life kept simple and we wanted the focus to be on our small guest list of 67 and us. We also wanted to keep the cost reasonable and the waste and consumption down. So we had no cake, no seating placecards, no favors, and no programs. But there was plenty of love in the air and everyone had a great time”, Raylene explained.

We love that this charming wedding was full of personal details, which included lots and lots of pretty buttons. Raylene explained, “The buttons were to symbolize family and friends that could not be with us”.

The buttons were used to decorate jars, make the bouquet and the bride’s homemade headpiece. “Buttons from my mother and both grandmothers dresses were used on the birdcage veil. Buttons from Kevin’s grandmother and mother were sewn onto the back of his tie. The buttons for the bouquet were collected for months and each came with a special note from the sender as to why it was special to them and where it came from”.

The couple chose a potluck reception dinner and a pie bar instead of a wedding cake. Guests brought side dishes or pies and a friend played the role of bartender.

Congratulations Raylene and Kevin and thank you for sharing your stunning, simple, charming, and environmentally friendly wedding.

Raylene + Kevin

Photographer: Chad + Anastasia Photography

Hair Stylist: Jinx Hair Design

Caterer: TEAMZoo.BBQ

Event Planner: Kate Mason

Musicians: Alice Newton

Reception Venue: Drumkeeran House

Makeup Artist: Ivy Esthetics

Jessie and Jay were married on the 4th of September 2010 at a friend’s farm 40 min outside of Portland, OR. Jessie wore a gorgeous custom tea-length dress in gorgeous faded pink, with vintage lace and a A-line silhouette. The groom wore suspenders, a vintage cap, and custom pants. The bridesmaids wore fun mix-matched vintage inspired dresses, while the groomsman wore comfy jeans with plaid shirts and cowboy boots.

The decor was dressed up with pretty flowers which were purchased from the farmers market and arranged in mason jars. Fresh hops were also draped from the barn walls, to add to the rustic mood. The wedding {including the lush flowers} were coordinated to perfection by Sharlene from Sharlene Griffith Designs.

The couples best friend officiated the gorgeous ceremony and an aunt catered the event with fresh fruits, breads, and a good old barbecue. What I love most about this wedding is that it was done on a $10 k budget, not that you’d ever guess!

Congratulations Jessie and Jay and thank you NataliyaCole*weddings for sharing these inspiring wedding pictures.

Jessie and Jay Style Guide

Photographer: NataliyaCole*weddings

Event Planner: Sharlene Griffith Designs

Reception Venue: Private Residence