Mariana + Bob

Posted by whitney in Blog, Featured DIY Weddings, Real DIYers

Every so often we get a submission to Real Weddings from the couples themselves, and with Mariana and Bob’s wedding, I really don’t think anyone explains their day better than them. So, in the words of Mariana,

“Bob and I spent a long time talking about why it was important to get married. We knew a long time ago that we were committed to each other; it didn’t seem necessary to have a wedding for us to know that. . . We decided that the wedding was really about community – sharing our relationship and our commitment with our family and friends. This may not be an earth-shattering revelation, but it really changed the way we approached the wedding. The pressure was not on to make the day the most important day in our lives, but, instead, we tried to make it a time to tell the story of us to our loved ones and to give them a really fun time.

We had the wedding at UCLA, where we are both social psychologists and where we first met. For our decorations, we brought in the help of a wonderfully artistic friend who designed all the printables (invitations, placecards, our guestbook tree, the table numbers). We also designed and made our own centerpieces out of paper flowers (made with the help of my grandmother). The photographer was a friend of mine I’ve known since I was 11 years old. It was important to us that there was something of us in every part of the wedding. We didn’t want a beautiful but generic event but something that was deeply personal in every facet.

However, I think the most unique part of our wedding was the ceremony. We had a mutual friend, Greg, act as the emcee. He interviewed us beforehand and wrote a beautiful introduction for us. He first talked about how we first met. Then, I walked into the ceremony with my parents. Greg then talked a little bit about me and my family. Then, Bob walked in with his dad and our dog, Cooper. Greg then talked about Bob and his family. Then we sat down and Greg introduced the question that framed our ceremony: “why get married?” We then had people talk about three perspectives on the question that are personally relevant to us: a psychological perspective (given by a world-renowned and delightfully funny relationship psychologist named Ben Karney), a Jewish perspective (given by our friend and another psychologist), and a Catholic perspective (given by my grandmother and cousin). Once they had given their perspectives, we would give our own perspectives on the question in the form of our vows to each other. However, Greg had a surprise for me – he sang a song entitled, “Marry Me, Mari” in which he tried to convince me to marry him instead of Bob. The song was pre-approved by Bob, and it was wonderful and hilarious.

The wedding was wonderful – it was so much fun, relaxed, casual in a lot of ways, yet so deeply meaningful. We had several people come up to us and say that it was the best, most personal wedding they’d ever been to. That meant a lot – we had achieved our goal.”

DETAILS

Location: Covell Commons at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Catering: Covell Commons at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Photographer: Michael Santini

DJ: Dub Gypsy

Dress: Moni Rose

Cake: A Sweet Design

Cake Toppers: Itty Bitty Wood Shoppe

Jewelry: Limon Bijoux

Angelle + Dwight

Posted by whitney in Blog, Real DIYers

There is something so swoon-worthy about candlelight, which abounds in the wedding of Dwight and Angelle. The warmth highlights the elegance orchestrated by the personal touches of the couple, and the palette of rich wine colors in their Kentucky church ceremony and reception at a nearby restaurant.

DETAILS

Location: Bowling Green, KY

Photographer: Joshua McCoy from Joshua McCoy Photography

Event Planner: Leona Morelock from Lasting Impressions

Venue: Brickyard Cafe

Jeffrey + Jennifer

Posted by whitney in Blog, Featured DIY Weddings, Real DIYers

Jennifer and Jeffrey were married in an all-inclusive venue in Georgia that provided catering and floral in addition to the venue for both ceremony and reception. All the remaining beach-themed details were crafted by the bride herself, including a rather fabulous photo booth, signage for the tables, the candy buffet, and the Mr. and Mrs. signs for their chairs.

DETAILS

Location: Norcross, GA

Photographer: Jenny Evelyn Prater of Jenny Evelyn Photo

Venue: Flint Hill Manor

DJ: Black Tie Events

Kristin + Andrew

Posted by whitney in Blog, Real DIYers

Two words: pinwheels and croquet. This wedding is so whimsical and bright, it makes my little heart go pitter-pat. Kristin and Andrew’s bridesmaids carried pinwheels that were DIY’d, as was the marriage arbor. They also had cornhole and croquet lawn games to play after the ceremony, and turned an old barn into their reception site.

DETAILS

Location: Ohio

Photographer: Jenna Davis of Jenna Davis Photography

Venue: Private Residence

Caterer: Vonderhaar’s Catering

Makeup: Penny Curtis of BRIDEface

Hair: Benzie Salon

Floral Designer: Katie Elfers of Inspired Floral Design

Event Coordinator: Jen Pritchard of Your Wedding by Jen

Rachel + Jeremy

Posted by whitney in Blog, Real DIYers

We’re going to keep this Friday of fabulous weddings rolling with the nuptials of Jeremy and Rachel. They were married in the gardens of Avon, Indiana and their wedding is so full of DIY details – the boutonnières, bouquets, veil, flower design, ceremony and reception décor.  Oh, and I cannot forget to mention their gorgeous sparkler exit. Lemongrass Photography did a wonderful job capturing all the love and beauty of Rachel and Jeremy’s special day.

Details

Location: Avon, Indiana

Venue: Avon Gardens

Photographer: Lemongrass Photography