From the bride, Nora: EVERYTHING was a DIY project. We built our wedding on my brother’s land which is out in the northern forest and it is completely off-grid. We had no power, or running water. We worked on the land for a month beforehand. We built the beautiful elliptical stage, and cleared the large area where we put our big tent. The clearing and road to it, were a neighborhood group effort with the use of tractors and many hours of help by many beautiful people who helped just because they knew it was needed. My husband built the romantic bridge and pine arch that I crossed over to walk up our cedar-bow ‘aisle’. My brother, Mike, built another bridge near the tent that guests could take over to the ‘margarita bar’ which we constructed. My sister-in-law, Erica, and I did a lot of path work, clearing walkways from one magical place to the next. Jared (my husband) and I cleared the trees and scrub for the ceremony site, and all of this took place along a trickling creek.

We had very little waste, using bamboo plates that are currently decomposing on the land (and should be dirt within a few more months). All other utensils and glassware were gathered from second-hand shops by a few friends and family members. They have been donated back, minus a few that people wanted to keep. My nieces took the reigns on decorating each mason jar (for drinking out of) so that each would be different and identifiable to it’s owner. I bought inexpensive, white towels from IKEA and my maid-of-honor and I hand-dyed them all purple to stand out on the muslin table clothes. Everyone involved with the wedding, now has a few purple kitchen towels in their home.

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Ask for help, and dole out jobs to people ahead of time. When it comes down to a day or two before, it’s ok to let a few things go undone. It’s no biggie. Savor everything!

From the photographer, Kat: Nora and Jared’s story is very sweet. They grew up together near Marquette, Michigan and were good friends their whole lives. It wasn’t until a few years ago, that they realized they were in love (Jared lived in Los Angeles, Nora on the East Coast). They live in Bend, Oregon now, but when they decided to get married, it was a no-brainier that it will be held near their childhood homes in the U.P. With help from their family and friends they spent one month prior to their wedding clearing space in the woods on the bride’s brother’s land for the ceremony and reception. They actually lived in a little camper in the woods while they re-landscaped the land. Most of the decor and design of the wedding was done by the Bride and Groom, very creative artists/musicians. (This included paths through the woods, a space for the reception tent, a clearing in the forest for the ceremony, a covered wood bridge, a margarita bar). For me, the brass band processional through the forest from the ceremony clearing to the reception tent was one of the most amazing things I have seen at a wedding. Many of the guests camped on the land over the weekend too.

Wedding Vendors (Michigan):

Wedding Venue: Private Residence in the Upper Peninsula / Wedding Photographers: Kat and Dylan Schleicher of Ellagraph Studios / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero “Gatsby” / Wedding Shoes: MRKT / Bride’s Hair Accessory: WeeGardens / Bride’s Necklace: Tissage / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Groom’s Shirt: Prada / Groom’s Tie: Sptzbrgn / Groom’s Shoes: Cydwoq / Bride’s Hair: Studio 5 Nineteen (Marquette, MI) / Officiants: Mothers of the Bride and Groom / Wedding Musicians: Bohola / Wedding Flowers: Gille Mills and Marcia Gonstead of Garden Bouquet / Wedding Caterers: Rubaiyat, Randy Hicks (pig roast) and Michael and Terry Walker (tortilla makers) / Wedding Cake: Sister of the groom / Fruit Pies: Gopher’s / Stationery: Bride and Groom / Decor: DIY / Transportation: Checker Transport

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2012. | Permalink | 14 comments | Posted under: Whimsical Weddings DIY, Ellagraph Studios, Marquette, Michigan, outdoor ceremonies, outdoor weddings, rustic, woods, woodsy

From the stylist, Nicole of Flora Bond and Laura of Lemon Blossom Designs: For this shoot, we created a sweet rustic-meets-Anthropologie ambiance, with vintage flowing dresses in pinks and ivories and accessories with pretty pleats and ruffles. The entire color palette included mint blue as the base color and was accented by pops of peach, orange, yellow, pink, coral, red, and burgundy. For the table flowers, a blue wooden fruit compote complimented the flowers and created the organic flowing arrangement out of dogwood foliage, passion vine, green apples, cafe au lait dinnerplate dahlias, fresh cut garden roses, sweet ranunculus, and persimmon fruit. Persimmon fruit was placed loosely around the arrangement and dahlias graced the vintage dinner plates. Blowing in the wind above the table were handmade chandeliers made of vintage wallpapers in blues, and naturals.

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Location: Idaho countryside / Photographer: Jaclyn Davis / Event Stylist: Flora Bond / Makeup and Hair: The Twisted Crown / Desserts: The Caramel Tree / Florist: Lemon Blossom Designs / Vintage Wedding Dresses and Accessories: Flora Bond / Stationery: Martha Hatfield (marthahatfielddesign@gmail.com)

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2012. | Permalink | 13 comments | Posted under: Design Inspiration bouquets, dahlias, Flora Bond, Jaclyn Davis, orange, Peach, pink, pink wedding dresses, ranunculus, rustic, teal, vintage books, vintage dresses

From the designers, Amorology Weddings: Just like the title of the movie, Steel Magnolias, this inspiration shoot is the epitome of contrasts. The beautiful duet of masculinity and femininity that is essential in marriage was reflected in the soft and strong elements of the table as well as throughout the photos. As a nod to the beauty of contrasts in a relationship and the saying “love is give and take” our bridal party engaged in a game of tug-o-war. The mixing of steel and cotton, driftwood and fresh flowers, rough burlap and soft white linen, symbolized the different components that define love. The graphics also merged masculine traits and their feminine counterparts by displaying phrases such as “soft as cotton and strong as steel or thick as rope.”

To play against the rugged feel of the wooden table and all the steel elements, dinner plate dahlias, magnolias, and roses in varying shades of pink and blush made up beautiful arrangements. The girly colors of the flowers hinted at the famous line from the movie, “My colors are blush and bashful, I have chosen two shades of pink.” Little favors of delectable pink candies also displayed the quote atop the boxes. Other details, such as the bull horns, white cotton that made it’s way to the boys boutonnieres, vintage glassware, and giant magnolias, brought in a touch of Southern charm by blending a whisper of tradition and elegance of the past.

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Wedding Vendors (San Diego, CA):

Venue: Private residence / Wedding Photographer: Schnack Studios / Event Design and Planning: Amorology Weddings / Wedding Dress: Priscilla Boston / Hair and Makeup: Char Hair and Makeup / Wedding Flowers: Twigg Botanicals / Wedding Cake: Erica O’Brien / Paper Goods: Brightly Designed / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Posted under: Design Inspiration Amorology Weddings, California, magnolias, rustic, San Diego, Schnack Studios, Southern charm

From the stylist, Pam Terpstra: About 6 months ago I happened to rent the movie Little Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Segfreid. I loved the romanticism, the drama, and the desire she had to be with the one she really loved. It had all the elements of suspense, hold your breath passion, and that cape, OH that cape! I imagined it could be photographed on the top of the world in a stone building. On top of Mount Spokane State Park outside of Spokane, Washington is such a place. The Vista House became Little Red’s residence. I wanted to inspire brides to be themselves and have fun and imagination with their engagement photos. Tony and Makenzie are outdoor enthusiasts and Mt. Spokane is befitting their style. They were totally at home with this engagement shoot as Mt. Spokane is a ski hill in the winter and this is where they met. A love of food is also a passion for them and in keeping with their pastime we set a table befitting Little Red and her fiancé, celebrating their upcoming nuptials. Passion, food, and the literal word RED is what brings this engagement shoot to life.

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Wedding Vendors (Spokane, WA):

Venue: Mount Spokane Vista House / Wedding Photography: Rebecca Hollis Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Rogue Heart Media / Wedding Flowers: Epiphany Floral / Event Design: Romancing the Stone / Dress: Finders Keepers / Groom’s Attire: The Bachelor Pad / Hair: Heather Blake of Fringe Salon and Boutique / Makeup: Shasta Hankins / Wedding Catering: Simply Gourmet Catering Co. / Rentals: Urban Cowgirl Antique Rentals

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Posted under: Engagement Sessions engagement sessions, Rebecca Hollis Photography, red, rustic, Washington, woods

From the bride, Kateri: The ceremony took place in one of the pastures, and was originally supposed to be open air. After checking the forecast several days before the wedding, we made the decision to rent a small tent for the area. It rained on our day, so that was one of the best last-minute decisions we made. We had tons of ivory candles in mason jars along the aisle and throughout and it felt really cozy and sweet under the tent surrounded by the people we love. We borrowed an antique carriage, that was basically falling apart, from an adorable old farmer and used it as a backdrop. Our friend played acoustic guitar. We had an amazing woman as our officiant who included our family and friends in the service. It all felt so personal and so warm.

I knew that I didn’t want the typical wedding fare, so my mom and I planned the menu based on the food that Dan and I love. We went with comfort foods, mostly all recipes from Ina Garten. It’s not the easiest thing to find a caterer that will make specific recipes from a customized menu! My mom made the decision to make all the food herself (she’s crazy! and an amazing cook!) and to hire my aunt who is a catering manager to handle all the details. My dad is a baker, and he made the delicious filled cupcakes, along with chocolate pudding, apple crisp, and chocolate chip cookies! Our friends own a bar, the Malted Barley, and they provided the alcohol and beer.

We went for a rustic farm theme, with antique lace accents and lots of natural wood and burlap. We mixed in some of our own antique furniture and linens, which made it feel very intimate… like an extension of our living room. We rented long, wooden farm tables and adorned them with a handmade, natural linen runner with crochet lace trim. The napkins are actually dishcloths from Ikea. The wooden centerpiece boxes were designed by me, and made by a dear family friend, who also happens to be a master carpenter. He also made the huge wooden frames for the chalkboard seating chart and menu. He sawed and hammered, and I painted and stained.

I wanted the flowers at our wedding to look like things that were picked from the property, unfussy and natural. A lot of my requests were actually for weeds, like Queen Anne’s Lace, tansy, and goldenrod. Our florist worked with my milk glass collection, and made beautiful arrangements for the bar and food tables. My sister in law, Julia, is an amazing artist and craftswoman. She used a wood burner to burn all the signage for our day onto old barn wood that was lying around our property.

Our band was awesome! They were so happy to be playing and singing their hearts out for a very wild crowd! We loved seeing all of our family and friends together in the same place, celebrating life and love. We also needed to have our handsome bulldog Reggie right there with us the entire time! The day left us feeling very blessed to have so many helpful and talented people surrounding us, making it all possible… and so much fun! And the best part is, it all happened at HOME!

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Wedding vendors (Rhode Island):

Venue: Bride and groom’s home / Wedding photographer: agaimages / Wedding flowers: Weed Weavers / Band: Equinox / Wedding gown: Claire Pettibone / Wedding catering: West’s Bakery / Bride’s earrings: Anthropologie / Groom’s shirt and tie: J. Crew / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Urban Outfitters / Flower Girl Dresses: dressbabybeautiful / Ring Bearer’s shirts: Land’s End / Wedding invitations: Lucky Luxe

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Posted under: Garden Weddings agaimages, blue, bohemian, garden weddings, organic, Rhode Island, rustic, wildflowers, yellow

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From the photographer, Alea: We shot on Longview Mansion’s grounds that had a lot of rustic structures we could work with along with the great overgrown grass. With the vision I had to shoot it I just couldn’t find a dress that matched the feeling of what we were going for so I made the dress to capture the very whimsical direction we were headed for and used color in the dress inspired by the latest fashion trend of using color in bridal. The florist used her great-grandmother’s amazing pink antique depression glass as centerpieces and accents to the flowers and cake. The cake decorator used a brush-like texture on the buttercream to give it a nest-like look. The furniture rentals used were great rustic pieces like old wooden crates, old dress trunks, rusted keys and this great wide bottom over-sized chair that looks like it came straight from the set of Alice and Wonderland. The pergola was a great accent location in front of the water for something a little different.

Wedding Vendors (Lee’s Summit, MO):

Photography and direction: Alea Lovely Photo + Video / Florals and decor: Amy Cason of Victorian Gardens / Rentals and styling: My Pleasant Street Rentals / Cake: Classic Cakes / Hair: Love Your Bobby Pins / Makeup: Jolie Artistry / Dress and hair accessories: Alea of The Bridal Tree / Venue: Longview Mansion Grounds / Model: Amanda Morrow

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments | Posted under: Design Inspiration Alea Lovely, beige, fall, Missouri, outdoors, pink, rustic, vintage birdcages, vintage details, whimsical

When we chose Beaver Stadium’s Mt. Nittany Club at Penn State as the venue for our reception, I didn’t want to compete with it’s industrial feel. Were were at the 4th largest football stadium in the world, afterall, so there is NO covering that up. I needed designs to to enhance the space, so I came up with a vintage theme that would capture nostalgia and be soft and romantic, with a funky twist to incorporate an element of our personalities. The bar was served from the stadium’s concession stand, so I enhanced that by creating a Farmer’s Market with vintage fruit crates, vintage mason jars, veggies and floral. If you know us, no one expected tradition. Fashion and style is what guests were expecting. My favorite aspect, which shined through more than I originally thought it would, was the sentimentality in reception which really made the room warm with love. For instance- Jon’s mom had given me a colorful butterfly pin that Jon had given her when he was seven years old. I held on to it for years and surprised them both by having my florist pin it in my bouquet. Everytime I looked at it it drew present in my mind the love I have for his family and the beauty of Jon’s love for his mom.

My mom had a boyfriend in high school that had collected apothecary medicine bottles from excavation digs he found for her. She of course saved them and we used them in little vignettes throughout the room. Our dear friend from Japan gave us a traditional Japanese wedding gift from his parents when they visited us (two small cups to share a drink from to symbolize the bond between a husband a wife)that we sat on our sweetheart table. The beauty was that no one but Jon and I knew about these meaningful additions, so it was as if we were sharing little secrets throughout the night.




My key words to get inspired were vintage, antique, fashion-forward and non-traditional. I eventually upped the ante with “rustic chic”. I have a lucky pair of yellow ballet flats that I was wearing when Jon and I decided on our venue. The moment that happened I knew I had to have yellow in our wedding. Besides, how can yellow not make you smile from ear to ear? I knew even a formal color scheme was too traditional for me, so in keeping with my vintage theme, I antiqued the yellow and ended up w/ mustard yellow as the common color throughout the look. This was also true for my flowers. I love the ethereal look of wildflowers, I wanted something carefree and whimsical- I think I have an inner hippie dying to come out.


It was DIY projects galore! I collected, bargained and hoarded all things vintage. More was more. Each guest received a hand-selected vintage plate to take home as a memory of our day. My mom and I turned over every antique store in the area to find those plates! 120 mason jars, 125 vintage postcards (most with actual notes on the back, stamped and sent!) 33 Prohibition Era wine bottles, 8 vintage fruit crates, shutters, antique mailboxes… I collected ‘em! It was a labor of love, that’s for sure, but it paid off.

As a student at Penn State I would walk by the All-Faith Chapel on campus and think to myself, “I am going to get married there one day”. Well who knew, seven years later, it would all come true with the boy (Jon!) I pined away for all.four.years. of college! So fast-forward to 2011…being that we are an inter-faith couple, we wanted a ceremony location that was nondenominational. We didn’t religion so much as we wanted tradition. It all just fit. As for the football stadium reception, I had searched high and low between New York and Philadelphia for a reception location that was original and significant to both of us. The last thing we wanted was a venue that hosted multiple weddings on any given day, insert bride and groom here. In the beginning, as a HUGE sports fan and Penn State grad, Jon had asked me as a joke “how about Beaver Stadium??” knowing my immediate response would be “not with THIS bride”! But after months of venue searching to no avail, I decided to throw him a bone and find out if Beaver Stadium does weddings. To our surprise they do about 4-5 weddings a year (perfect for my non-insert bride/groom here criteria) and to our (read: MY) even bigger surprise the venue was UH-mayzing. Views for days of Mt. Nittany on one side and access to the stadium on the other. Almost like a wedding mullet- business in the front, party in the back. And who am I told hold my man back from his dreams of getting married in Beaver Stadium?? So I said let’s do it!…and at that very moment I think I won fiancee of the year.

Wedding Songs:

The processional music is the ONE thing I went traditional on. Seasons played Canon in D. Spiced it up for the recessional and all danced back down the aisle to Jennifer Hudson’s “All Dressed Up in Love” blasting from my iPod. First dance was “Little Moments” by Brad Paisley.

Wedding Venue and Vendors (University Park, PA + New York, NY):

Ceremony: Eisenhower All Faith Chapel / Reception: Beaver Stadium / Florist: Daniel Vaughn / Photographer: Sweet Little Photographs / Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta from Spring 2010 / Wedding Shoes: fuschia suede Chrisitan Louboutin booties / Reception dress: bride’s mom’s altered wedding dress bloused out over a vintage black beaded belt / Veil: black birdcage veil / Hair and Makeup: Billie Jo at J. Stephens Salon / Bridesmaid Dresses: Quail Bridal / Groom’s suit: Brooks Brothers / Musicians: Seasons by Mary Kate Spring Lee / Caterer: The Penn State Hospitality Services / Wedding Cake: Chevron print fondant cake, The Penn State Hospitality Services / Wedding invitations: handmade/ Transportation: Penn State blue and white school buses

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Posted under: Vintage Weddings baseball, Beaver Stadium, farm to table, Penn State, Pennsylvania, rustic, Sweet Little Photographs, vintage

The week before the wedding Emily was in a car accident. Luckily it was nothing serious, but hence the “just married” sign.

We really tried to focus on two main things: simple & clean. We wanted something that felt intimate in size and timeless in style.

Meghan’s advice to other brides: Keep it simple. The more elaborate ideas that I had originally all fell by the wayside and yet after all everything was said and done, it was the best night of our lives.

I will add though, that the show-stopper for the night wasn’t our first dance, it was one that followed. A friend of mine requested Michael Bolton’s version of When a Man Loves a Woman. One need not have been there to be entertained by the idea of two women slow dancing to this at their wedding. There’s a photo that Ryan took of us holding hand on the dance floor and singing to each other. “When a maaaa-aaaan loves a woman!” It was kind of epic.

Wedding Songs:

Leading up to the wedding: The Vitamin String Quartet’s Indie Wedding String Collection

Meghan and her wedding party processional: “The Winner Is”- Devotchka

Emily and her wedding party processional: Instrumental version of “All of the Lights”- the Portland Cello Project

Recessional: “Home”- Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

First Dance: “Crazy Love”- Van Morrison

Wedding Vendors and Venue (Hillsboro, OR):

Venue: The Octagonal Barn at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse / Photographer: Ryan Wilcox of You Look Nice Today Photography / Florist: Jessica Beck with flowers from New Season’s Market and Broadway Floral Home & Garden / Emily’s Dress: Bridal Exclusives / Bridal Party Shoes: Toms / Meghan’s Suit: Express suit and J. Crew shirt / DJ: Jared Jenson of the band Bombs Into You / Desserts: Cupcakes from Cupcake Jones / Wedding invitations: Two Yellow Shoes / Guest Book: Blue de Tois / Favors: Emily’s step-brother Dan Wellisch who owns Flash Ink Custom Screen Printing in Bend, Oregon

You Look Nice Today Photography is a member of Blue Label. To find more vendors in your area, click here.

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Posted under: Vintage Weddings intimate, LGBT, Oregon, rustic, You Look Nice Today Photography

Andre and I spent a couple of months searching for a unique Utah destination, and our search eventually led us to Sundance Resort. We wanted our wedding to feel like a destination wedding, and just the words “resort wedding in Utah” evoke a feeling that extends beyond just a day. Sundance offered a breathtakingly spectacular setting. Our guests were so impressed in every respect and we will now have beautiful memories to last us a lifetime.

The inspiration for the decor and design of our wedding was “rustic glam.” We booked both our rehearsal dinner and wedding at the Redford Conference Center, an environmentally friendly building that appealed to Andre, who is studying environmental law. The space naturally provided a rustic feel, which I chose not to focus on so much as to enhance. We chose to play up an Old Hollywood glam feeling reminiscent of the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s eras with the incorporation of ostrich feathers, lace, and pearls. More than aesthetics, however, we knew we wanted a wedding that was uniquely “us,” so we set out to incorporate meaning into every detail so nothing was included unless it spoke to our lives, families, friends, and love.

Wedding Vendors and Venue (Utah):

Venue: Sundance Resort / Photographer: Morgan Trinker Photography / Catering: Sundance Resort / Event Coordinator: Cathy Murphy / Florist: Julie Prince / Hair: Ellen McConnell of Studio Nine Salon / Makeup: Janelle Corey / Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Glint from Nordstrom / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Shoes: Bruno Magli / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Invitations: Pink Piggy Design / Feathers, lace, cameos, and pearls for decor: DIY bride and bridesmaids / Cameo art of bride and groom: gift from Maid of Honor / Brooch bouquet: DIY family and friends / Band: Tony Lake Trio / DJ: Roots Rawka / Photobooth: Entourage Photobooth / Minister: Anita Gordon

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Posted under: Rustic Weddings glam, Morgan Trinker Phorography, pink wedding dresses, rustic, Sundance resort, Utah, Vera Wang, vintage glam, wedding

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Wedding Venue and Vendors (Los Gatos, California):

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Vignette Vintage Ranch / Wedding Photographer: Kate Harrison Photography / Event Planner: Twitterpated Weddings / Floral Designer: Bloomworks / Invitation Designer: Smock Paper / Cinema and Video: Austin Hendrix Productions / Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, purchased at Tara Keely / Cake Designer: Sweet Tooth Confections / Band: Magnolia Jazz Band / DJ: Jason Spencer Weddings and Entertainment

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Posted under: Rustic Weddings California, Kate Harrison, Los Gatos, rustic