Backyard | You May French Kiss The Bride

May 2014

Kaiti + Priit

Dreamy Backyard Winter Wedding at Dusk

Yes, it’s the end of May and we’re all looking forward to some sun and hot temperatures, but on a cold and rainy day like the one we’re having in Paris right now, I really don’t mind looking back at a winter wedding… Especially when it’s a dreamy backyard winter wedding at dusk like the one Kaiti and Priit had! Funny story, Kaiti told me she wasn’t thinking about having a winter wedding, until she saw Joanna and Jaan’s on this very blog (which of course, totally made my day)! It even ended up convincing her future husband how a great idea it was and that’s what they went for, with the same photographer Joanna and Jaan had. I think I love everything about this wedding: the bride’s beautiful braid, the decor created by the winter woods and the ice on the floor, the cute ceremony backdrop, and of course all the sweet details! What about you? Is anyone planning a winter wedding? Photography by Gerry Sulp out of Estonia.

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The wedding took place at Laitse Granite Villa—an old renovated manor stable with fieldstone walls and stylish interior—on February, 22, 2014.

February here is the coldest month of the year, a time when Estonia is entirely covered with a beautiful white snow carpet. We wanted our registration to be outside no matter how hard frost there would be. But the reality was totally different – the whole night before the wedding and even in the morning it was pouring rain. There was zero snow, the ground was muddy and green. At first it seemed pretty frustrating but in the end it made our day even more special than we expected!

Name one thing you regret…

No matter what happens or how your wedding day turns out, it is unique and in the end you are anyhow super happy! You have worked hard and it pays off big time. Small errors are OK, they do not play any roll in the big picture. A few tips:

– The more you do yourself, more you will enjoy it.

– The more you do yourself, more it characterizes your union.

– It is important to choose some key figures carefully and not scrimp with money. E.g. a photographer – our choice was so right and we are more than pleased!

– Consider having a video made by a professional. As a wedding gift we were offered a brief video clip made by Kristiin Kõosalu. We truly suggest that: it passes really well all emotions and was the best gift we could have.

… And one thing you’re really happy about. proud of.

One thing that we are really proud of is our registration ceremony. It still took place outside (luckily it stopped raining), in the backyard of the Granite Villa. The groom’s father got lost and did not arrive on time, so the beginning of the wedding was delayed. It got dim in the meanwhile and the place turned to magical. We spoke briefly about love, friendship and emotions. A lot of people sobbed and everybody laughed. It was so special, really beautiful and awesome. A memory for a lifetime, and not just for us!

May 2014

Deirdre + Boris

Outdoor Dutch Wedding – A Ceremony Between Two Apple Trees and a Mint Wedding Dress

A simple day in a beautiful backyard & a ceremony between two apple trees, this is what Deirdre and Boris’ wedding looked like. No tight schedule for these two – the band stayed for so long that they left too late for their next gig and the bride even said “I do” before her turn!… In other words, no frills for this wedding, but one memorable day for both the bride and groom and their guests! And oh, YES to mint wedding dresses! Photography by Jarg Woldhuis.

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The wedding took place on 30 August 2013 at a B&B called Mollenvlied in the Dutch village Vaassen.

We wanted an outdoor wedding and Mollenvlied was perfect for it. It is a magical place in the woods only to be reached over a long sandy road. Because our wedding was outside, in the woods, we made up our own dress code, ‘forest chic’. People really struggled with that, had no idea. Of course, a lot of the ladies wore high heels against our advise. We kept checking the weather forecast every day for about a month, hoping and praying it would be sunny and lovely, and luckily, it was!! Everything worked in our favour that day, we couldn’t believe how lucky we were.

I was very, very nervous before the ceremony. Jarg had to keep telling me to breathe, I just forgot. He was really kind and thoughtful like that. We wrote our own vows and had an intimate ceremony between the apple trees. Because of my nerves I misunderstood and said I DO before my turn, oh well…

Name one thing you regret…

I really have no regrets at all about our wedding, with all its little flaws it was still such a perfectly wonderful day!
Our guests really loved our wedding as well. Some even said it was the best they had ever attended, including their own ;) Some of them sat by the fire until dawn.

… And one thing you’re really happy about/ proud of.

I’m most happy about the fact that this beautiful day reflected so perfectly who we are together and in relation to our family and friends. And of course, that it marks the beginning of a journey for me and my sweet, amazing husband.

May 2014

Brianna + Nathan

DIY Backyard Wedding with a Framed Letter Ceremony Backdrop

Nathan and Brianna had a beautiful backyard wedding. Brianna took care of the decorations almost on her own, and tried to incorporate many personal references to their own story (as the frozen banana stand she built as a reminder of the TV show Arrested Development the couple used to watch together at the beginning of their story!). I personally think that those framed letters and messages make the perfect ceremony backdrop, and what to say about the fact that this wedding gathered lamas, ponys and chickens? Photography by Aubrey & Phillip for Yes, Dear. Studio, out of San Diego, USA.

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The wedding took place on June 22, 2013 in Olympia, WA, USA, at The Albee’s. From the bride:

One of the first times Nathan and I hung out just the two of us, I had crafted (and by this, I definitely mean spent at least half an hour writing and editing) a well-worded text inviting him to watch a movie with me. We ended up watching Arrested Development and talking until about three in the morning and many of the jokes from the show became things we said to each other throughout our friendship and then, the time we dated. We thought it would be fun to incorporate this into our wedding and originally, had only planned on serving chocolate covered bananas until one of the groomsmen, Austin, suggested we actually have a banana stand at the wedding. The month before the wedding, I spent a good ten hours (at least) planning and building what became the Dupper’s Original Frozen Banana Stand. Our friend Shirlee served as Mr. Manager and it was one of my favorite parts of our wedding.

I had never been one of those girls with their wedding planned out in their head and when it came time to actually think about my own, the only thing I had strong feelings about was wanting a vintage dress. I have always had an appreciation for vintage fashion and knew that when it came to my wedding dress, I wanted vintage, particularly 50’s or 60’s. After searching online for nearly two months and searching a random assortment of LA and Seattle thrift stores, I had kind of given up hope of finding something. I had read online about this shop called Shareen’s, which is girl’s only (because there are no fitting rooms-girls just change wherever there is room) and is a warehouse full of vintage dresses from every era. Faith, one of my bridesmaids, and I decided to check it out early one morning and after getting lost in the middle of Chinatown twice, we found this hole in the wall store filled to the brim with vintage dresses galore. The sales girl had me try on at 20 or so dresses, all from different time periods, but nothing was working. As the disappointment set in, she ran to the back to find one more and minutes later came out with the perfect-fitting, Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face, 50’s gown that ended up coming home with me. I left with dress in hand and glad that this adventure was finally over.

Regarding the wedding, one thing you regret…

I really liked the bridesmaids dresses, but I think if I could change anything, I would have them pick their own. Other than that, I think I’m pretty happy about how things turned out.

Oh! Not eating more of the Wedding pie we had. I had a slice and it was delicious and I wish I could have had more. Does that count?

… And one thing you’re really happy about/ proud of.

The look and feel of our wedding turned out to fit our personalities, which was what we were going for. We wanted something simple and fun because we felt like our wedding should be a relaxed time to celebrate the commitment we made with the people we care about. A lot of thought and care went into the decorations, music, food and well, everything else. I think it all came together and that we had exactly the day we wanted. If I had to say one thing I’m proud of, it would probably be decorations. I spent so much time, especially with the hand-lettered signs and banana stand, and was glad to see everything fit together nicely once it was all done.