Despite the challenge of planning everything in just two months, newly-wed Kalyn and her husband managed to pull it off and had their dream wedding. They chose a beautiful state park in Florida as their venue and had incredible vendors like a vintage cocktail camper bar, a VW photo booth bus, and a wood-fired pizza food truck. The bride’s favorite vendor was their photographer, which shows through their breathtaking photos. The couple advises future brides not to be afraid of doing things a little untraditionally to make their wedding day more intimate and stress-free. Kudos for sharing with brides-to-be how to plan a small wedding. Read on for unique small non-traditional wedding ideas and the bride’s perfect wedding dress for a small wedding.

In middle school, they were just friends. In high school, they started dating. And after years of love, fun dating, and commitment, he proposed to Kalyn at a stunning hotel on the Gulf of Mexico just a few days before they moved across the country. Their wedding planning was different than most. They only had two months to plan everything before the big day, which took a lot of work. They were determined to have vendors they truly respected and liked, and they pulled it off.

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The couple had always dreamed of having an intimate wedding ceremony with only their immediate family present. When it’s your dream to have an intimate wedding, you must quickly become an expert on how to plan a small wedding. Questions start swirling in your head, like, “how to plan a small wedding?” “How much does a small wedding cost?” “Where to have a small wedding?”

“When we knew I needed to get a dress and get one fast, I thought it wasn’t an option. Luckily I could get a standard-size gown right in time for our event.”

The couple chose a beautiful state park in Florida, Anderson Park, Tarpon Springs, as their venue. It was a hidden gem in their hometown, surrounded by beautiful woodland. For her dress, the bride had always loved the Dawn dress she saw on Pinterest and Instagram a few years ago before she was engaged. To her surprise, she found the perfect shop, Dreamers & Lovers. She made an appointment in the Venice, CA, location, just an hour from where she lived. She tried on several dresses but fell in love with the Samantha dress, which made her and her mother emotional. The perfect wedding dress for her small wedding pairs with the venue beautifully, and the sleeves and fit are incredibly striking on Kalyn.

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Their wedding day had too many beautiful memories to recall, but the one that stood out the most to the bride was seeing her husband at the end of the aisle. (It’s refreshing to hear this from Kalyn because we listen to it consistently from brides when describing the most unforgettable part of their day) She felt blissful and at peace on her special day, surrounded by her loved ones. They had written their vows, which were sweet and personal, making them both cry as they read their promises to each other.

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WEDDING CREW

WEDDING TEAM:

PHOTOGRAPHER: Charlotte Hoos Photography

DRESS: Dreamers & Lovers Samantha Bell Sleeve Wedding Dress

VENUE: Anderson Park, Tarpon Springs

BAR: Vintage Cocktail Camper

VW PHOTO BOOTH BUS: Rollin Retro

FOOD TRUCK CATERER: Corvo Bianco Wood Fired Pizza

EVENT STYLING: The Orange Styling

Andrew and Amanda met in Albuquerque and married seven years later in Taos, New Mexico. Their wedding is epic! Browsing their photo gallery was like being transported into a bohemian wedding dream. The wedding fits the couple’s personality perfectly. From the cake to the bride’s hair to the venue. What an amazing venue! It’s filled with divine colors, textures, and an earthy Spanish vibe! Amanda found her dream bohemian wedding dress on the Dreamers and Lovers website. Their ceremony was quick (because it had to be), with the couple writing their vows and a close friend officiating. There were 150 guests, a 3-tier cheesecake (yummmm) made by Amanda’s mother and grandmother, and a close friend playing guitar. Dream wedding alert! The biggest challenge for the couple was planning the wedding from 2000 miles away without a wedding planner, but they managed to overcome it. They planned the wedding while living in Oregon. The couple plans to move back to New Mexico. Amanda and Anthony’s marriage proves that while a destination wedding can be challenging to plan, it can also be fun and adventurous.

Andrew & Amanda Met at a Bar

Andrew and Amanda met at a bar on a Tuesday night in Albuquerque. It was Amanda’s first night out after moving to the city to attend graduate school, and they had just finished their first day of classes. Amanda celebrated with two classmates, who eventually became their best friends and bridesmaids at their wedding. Andrew claims it was his 1001st night at the bar, and he finally found what he was looking for. Yay, the bar visits paid off. The two of them bonded over their love for Taos, and seven years later, they got married in Taos.

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The Couple Gets Engaged on Scenic Drive in Portland

The couple got engaged in December 2021 while driving to Amanda’s parent’s house to celebrate her stepdad’s birthday and later attend a holiday party with college friends in Portland. Andrew preferred taking the scenic route, which added two more hours to the trip, but Amanda agreed due to the excitement for the weekend of celebrations. After the first big snow of the season, they stopped at a parking lot to hike out to a waterfall, but due to the heavy snow, they decided to visit a closer one. Amanda turned around as the sun was setting and shining through the clouds to see Andrew down on one knee in the snow, proposing. It was a perfect moment, made even better by the opportunity to celebrate with their family and friends over the weekend.

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A Personal and Intimate Wedding Dress Fitting Experience

Amanda started searching for her wedding dress online after her engagement. She had a specific vision. She was looking for a lace dress with an open back and not a high neck. Her search led her from Pinterest to Etsy and eventually to the Dreamers and Lovers website. Initially, Amanda was planning to try on dresses at home, using D&L home try-on service (Yes, that’s a thing) but decided to use flight credits to make a trip instead. The fitting process ‘exceeded her expectations,’ as it was personal and intimate, just as she had hoped wedding dress shopping would be.

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Their Dream Wedding Comes to Life with the Help of Talented Vendors and Family Members

The couple’s photographer David Jesse and his second shooter were terrific and resourceful to have the day of the event. The photographer team helped Andrew and Amanda keep things moving, get the photos they wanted, and ensure the day went well. The couple had a local distiller (Rolling Stills) who did their bar and provided an excellent bar while keeping everything within their budget. Amanda raved about the fantastic bartenders, and the couple was happy to have them there. Our wedding cake was a 3 tier cheesecake made by my mom and my grandmother. The wedding toppers were handmade dolls that resembled the couple to replicate those Amanda’s parents had on their wedding cake. What a tremendous sentimental touch! The pair had a close friend play guitar for the ceremony. They sent him some songs, and he created his rendition, which was perfect. Most of the flowers for the wedding were from Amanda’s grandmother’s neighbor. She has a Dahlia farm and used to sell flowers at the farmers market but has stopped doing that for the past couple of years. She gave the couple ALL of the flowers, which was just amazing. Wow, that is an incredible gift!

Amanda’s Advice to Other Brides

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“The small details probably don’t matter. Find the meaningful things to be there and spend money or time on those. The little kitschy thing you pick up at Target and spend more than you should probably isn’t worth it.”

MORE INSPIRATION: Laura and Ryan’s Countryside Wedding

NEW MEXICO WEDDING CREW

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Jesse Photo

Taos, New Mexico Distiller: Rolling Still

WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER: Dreamers & Lovers