Shelbie

Our absolute dream woodland wedding! It was a lot of work, but so worth it. Our venue, The Sequoia Retreat Center, was very DIY in planning, but the staff supported each stage of my decisions. It’s a bit rural, so we had to hire shuttle services for all the guests who were not staying on site - which I will say makes things a bit more complicated. But this venue was worth it. Especially the GORGEOUS 15 on-site A-Frame cabins that were available for family Friday-Sunday. The “Honeymooners” cabin was absolutely perfect. Plus, the venue was just so naturally lovely - it didn’t require excessive decor. My husband too was so so helpful with planning (as all of my family and most of my bridesmaids were far away in my hometown in Arizona) and I am forever grateful for that - I joke that he was my true “Maid of Honor” lol. My ACTUAL Maid of Honor and lifelong best friend was a bit busy planning her own wedding that took place only one month after month - ironically to my husband’s best friend and Best Man :) My bridesmaids and I made their flower crowns as well as the flower girl crowns the evening of Rehearsal, and we also arranged the centerpieces for the guest tables (head table centerpieces & bouquets/boutonnières were made by Fringe Flower Co. - my absolute favorite flower company) The Sequoia Retreat Center placed & set all the centerpieces the day of, and they catered as well - the food was INCREDIBLE. I still dream of this food. Party Favors were a collab between myself (original artwork) and Prospective Leather & Supply, and we absolutely loved how those turned out. He did such a great job. My dress and sash were purchased from BHLDN, and personalized (straps and trim along the waist) by one of my good friends at The Taste Studio. She also handmade 2 of my bridesmaids’ dresses - the mustard (including the handmade faux flowers & leaves along the back) and the burgundy gowns. The MOH sequin embroidered dress, the burnt orange, and the lace gray dresses were all purchased from Free People. The metallic copper gown was purchased from ASOS, and the green gown from Lulus.com. I hope this is helpful, because I get a lot of questions about the dress sources! We were actually able to find most of them by searching key words (Ex: copper maxi gown, lace orange bridesmaid dress, etc.) on Pinterest, which linked us to some great websites, so I definitely recommend that! Groom’s suit & bow tie were also purchased via ASOS, and the groomsmen bow ties as well. Each groomsmen bought their pants independently - we knew we wanted a somewhat uniform look (in respects to their color scheme - especially since the bridesmaids were so different) but we encouraged different tones and textures to add some interest. We also alternated between vests & leather suspenders to make the looks a little more varied. I absolutely love how it turned out! Our photographer was our dream photographer, and I never imagined I would actually get to book her haha. We loved her emotional and moody aesthetic in her photos, and we knew she would capture the day in the way we wanted to remember it forever. She definitely delivered, and then some. I would also recommend our DJ/MC 100%. Henry Kim from Big Fun DJ’s was specifically recommended by one of my husband’s clients, and he was wonderful throughout the planning and also the day of. Quick and thorough communication, and he also had a background in composing. So he was able to perfectly edit and loop our aisle song, which was originally just a short intro tune we both liked from a full length song. He was also able to deliver an excellent music selection, and made sure to play all of our requested songs - even the ones that are not popular on the radio. I felt like I was able to listen to all of my favorite songs on my favorite day. Big Fun DJ’s was just overall such a professional and thorough company, and I would definitely recommend Henry! At least 10 different guests commented on the awesome dinner music, and specifically on his “perfect announcer/narrator voice” haha. I can honestly say that hiring him was probably the easiest and smoothest part of the entire planning process. I didn’t even know the choice of DJ would have such a big impact on our wedding day! And that so many people would notice his awesomeness! Well I think that covers it! I’ve been seeing a few of my photos floating around on Pinterest, so I hope this helps with anyone who is looking for tips with planning and vendors if this is the aesthetic you’re going for :) Happy planning, you guys!