Romantic Redwoods Wedding
The California redwoods are such impressive creations of nature, and in all of their majesty, it’s no wonder why so many couples choose to get hitched there. It’s gorgeous! Victoria Carlson Photography snapped Lindsay and Eugene’s romantic wedding day to our delight. For color choices, Lindsay wanted to keep the focal point on all of the organic elements around, so a clean neutral palette with hints of greys and blues were important. There’s nothing more timeless than a pairing of white and green florals and root & riot did a fantastic job creating such complementary pieces. We give this wedding an A-plus!
From the bride, Lindsay: Whenever my husband and I talked about getting married, we always knew we would say “I do” beneath the redwoods. My husband and I love being outdoors in nature, but one of our favorite places to be is amongst the trees. We wanted something simple, elegant, and timeless, yet also laid back and relaxed. My husband and I are not formal people by any means, so it was important for us to have an environment that was comfortable for our guests. Whenever people would ask me about the vibe of my wedding I would tell them, “it’s going to be a magical, romantic forest wedding!” I really feel like I accomplished this! But some more adjectives I used to describe the day were: ethereal and woodsy. Before I purchased ANYTHING I would make sure it stayed true to these descriptions.
Bouquet recipe: Mock-orange, white roses, white peonies, ferns… to name a few! My florists were amazing! I sent them a few inspiration photos that I found off Pinterest, and my task to them was to make me a beautiful, big, bouquet full of white flowers and ferns.
I chose a neutral color scheme and I feel like that perfectly complemented the gorgeous setting and the feel of the day. I knew I wanted my bridesmaids in different dresses and different colors, but was still somewhat particular on the dresses they chose. I ended up giving them 10-15 different dresses to choose from and everyone chose the dress that I wanted for them (without me saying a thing!). I thought they all looked beautiful! For the men, I think my groom looks so handsome in navy, so we found a gorgeous slate blue tux for him. He wanted to be in something different than his groomsmen, so we chose grey suits with navy ties for the rest of the guys!
Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Stay true to you. It sounds cliché, but it is so easy to lose sight of you and your partner during the craziness of wedding planning. Remember that this day is about the two of you and the celebration of your love and commitment to each other – that is all that matters. I loved my wedding day and it went perfect, despite all the things that actually “went wrong” (like it raining on wedding day for our outdoor wedding!) But what I loved the most and what I remember the most are all the amazing moments shared between my husband and me.
Don’t worry about making everyone else happy and just worry about making you and your groom as happy as you can be! Also, we highly encourage a first look. I know it’s not traditional, but aside from saying our vows during our ceremony, our first look was the most special moment. I can’t even explain in words how beautiful that moment was, and one of the only moments of the day where it was just the two of us.
Bridal Party Processional: “I Love You Because,” Johnny Cash
Bridal Processional: “A Thousand Years,” The Piano Guys
Recessional: “Forever and Ever, Amen,” Randy Travis (Eugene and I always send each other songs [and we did this a lot during the beginning of our relationship!]. One night, a few days before he told me he loved me, he sent me this song.)
First Dance: “Then,” Brad Paisley.
Father/Daughter Dance: “I Loved Her First,” Heartland
Mother/Son Dance: “Simple Man (acoustic version),” Shinedown