Real Weddings | Bohemian Brides | Dreamers and Lovers

Small Non-Traditional Wedding Ideas: A Beautiful Intimate Ceremony in a State Park

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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.

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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.

DISCOVER MORE SMALL WEDDINGS: A SMALL CALIFORNIA WEDDING WITH 50 GUESTS

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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DISCOVER MORE SMALL WEDDINGS: THIS COUPLE DIYed THEIR SMALL WEDDING IN 3 MONTHS

Their vendors were unique and perfect for their special day. They had a vintage cocktail camper bar, a VW photo booth bus, a wood-fired pizza food truck caterer, an event stylist, and a ceremony photographer who understood the assignment of capturing once-in-a-lifetime dreams. The bride’s favorite vendor was their photographer. She went above and beyond to capture their day perfectly, exceeding all expectations.

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.

DISCOVER MORE SMALL WEDDINGS: AN INTIMATE AND CASUAL WEDDING AT A MOUNTAINTOP

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The couple advises future brides to be confident in doing things a little untraditionally. Having only their immediate family present for their ceremony made it much more intimate and special, allowing them to be fully present in the moment without any stress. As for what’s next for them, they have an adorable ten-month-old baby and are enjoying parenthood. They hope to have a honeymoon after the 2023 football season ends, continuing their journey together as husband and wife. Thanks to the couple for sharing how they planned their small wedding and their non-traditional wedding ideas. What a stunning couple and family! We wish them continued love and pure joy.

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

Dreamy Bohemian Destination Wedding in Taos, New Mexico: A Couple’s Dream Comes True in an Outdoor Ceremony and a Magical Lace Dress

by Jen Hart | Real Weddings

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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.

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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.

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!

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Amanda’s Advice to Other Brides

“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

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Planning a Destination Wedding and the Challenges of Distance and Lack of Professional Help

The biggest challenge for the couple was trying to plan a wedding that was 2000 miles from where they lived without the help of a wedding planner. Andrew and Amanda showed up in New Mexico a week before the wedding, and there was a TON of stuff they had to do really quickly. Amanda admits some of the tasks did not get done, but in retrospect, those things really just didn’t matter.

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The Next Chapter Unfolds in New Mexico?

The newlyweds are currently living in Oregon. They are hoping to move back to New Mexico to be closer to their family and community and start to build a family of their own.

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NEW MEXICO WEDDING CREW

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Jesse Photo

Taos, New Mexico Distiller: Rolling Still

WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER: Dreamers & Lovers

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A Boho Wedding at a Working Ranch in Wine Country

by Jen Hart | California Wedding, Real Weddings

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Emily and Chris met in high school, their first day of freshman year in the first period. So many firsts! Chris held the door open for Emily, and she was smitten. “I instantly thought he was so cute, and we crushed on each other since,” Emily said. As fate would have it, they never dated in high school. It wasn’t until seven years later, after Emily had moved from their hometown in California to Hawaii, that they made dating official. They reconnected, and Chris visited her in Hawaii and sparked flew. The couple got engaged less than two years later. Ahhhh, the magic of Hawaii!

Most of their relationship has been long-distance. Since Chris is in the military, the two wouldn’t see each other very often at the beginning of their dating relationship. After he visited her in Hawaii for a few weeks, they didn’t see each other for six months. Good thing Emily moved back home to California. Did that mean they saw each other regularly? Unfortunately, no. Chris was stationed in California, but they were still a 2.5-hour drive away from each other. Consequently, they saw each other only on weekends, not all, but most. 2 weeks after they got engaged, Chris was sent on a 7-month deployment. By now, you probably think Emily & Chris is the most patient couple ever. The things we do for love, and all so worth it.

Wedding planning was a challenge for these two lovebirds. Trying to plan their wedding while working and going to school full-time, paired with the time difference from California to Guam, made it a challenge. Conversations themselves were difficult. There were financial stressors, and “going through all the emotions of deployment and not having each other was very tough, but we got through it!” Emily stated. Their faith brought them closer together. They would regularly pray together and help to keep each other laughing and optimistic for the future. FaceTime was their saving grace! “Thank God for technology!”

The two had their dream bohemian ranch wedding at a working ranch in California Wine Country. Love does conquer all. You know what else? Emily sprained her ankle 10 minutes into the wedding reception, but that did not cause her to take a seat at her ranch wedding. She still danced the night away. Now, that’s a Dreamers & Lovers girl!

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The Proposal

Emily set up a beach photo shoot; she planned to take family pictures for their friends before their men headed out to their deployment. One of their favorite beaches in SoCal- is Carlsbad. Chris tagged along since they were going to get dinner afterward, and Emily’s friend offered to take photos of the couple. While the friend was snapping away, Chris fell on one knee at sunset. Emily was so surprised and described it as “the perfect moment. I felt like I sort of blacked out (LOL), but I was on cloud 9. The man of my dreams gave me the ring of my dreams, and it was extraordinary!”

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Wedding Vendors & Moments that Made the Day Magical

The couple had 165 guests present to witness their love story unfold. Much of the couple’s vendors were a family affair. Emily’s dad was the officiant. The couple was also elated with Emily’s Aunt Monica. She is the owner of Sweet Makery, an event company specializing in event styling + design and custom dessert tables. “She is simply the best and made my dreams come true with our cake and dessert table,” Emily noted. The couple is also happy with their chosen venue, a working ranch in Wine Country. Most of their family and close friends stayed on the property, making it a fun rehearsal dinner. They got a headstart on dancing the night away, even before the wedding! Chris’s brother tattooed lots of the wedding party in the groomsmen’s bunker, including Chris and Emily. Emily got her first tattoo! “It was small but significant, especially since he did it,” Emily noted.

Emily decided to DIY her flowers, and they are stunning. She does admit, “flowers were probably my biggest headache, LOL.” “I also think I slightly have OCD and wanted to make my bouquets and my nine bridesmaids… and my groomsmen and three mini groomsmen.” She got dried flowers from small businesses through a flea market and Etsy. The day before the wedding, the bride and friends bought loads of eucalyptus and carnations from Trader Joe’s. She admits that even though she is a strict planner, some things, “I just wing it!” The morning of their wedding, while all the girls got ready together, they built their bouquets with a mix of dried boho flowers and pampas and mixed them with fresh eucalyptus, carnations, roses, and babies breath. It turned out way better than Emily expected, and it was a fun way to get creative with her girls. “A special shoutout to my girls Emma and Rachel for making the bouquet of my dreams; I am such a blessed woman!” the bride notes.

MORE INSPIRATION: Megan & Scott’s Dreamy Bohemian Ranch Wedding.

Finding her Wedding Dress

Dreamers & Lovers was only the second place Emily looked for a dress. She did not have a great experience at the first dress shop she visited, but at Dreamers and Lovers, it was “truly the most special time,” Emily added. She went dress shopping with her mom and now her mother-in-law. Emily feels very blessed to have such a great relationship with both her moms and their bond with each other. Win, win! The Caroline dress was the first one she tried on after stalking the website because she immediately fell in love! The bride said, “It was everything I loved about wedding dresses such as these.” She loved they were elegant, romantic, and a little different! She wanted an off-the-shoulder dress with the kind of lace Caroline had. She tried a few more to be sure, but the bridal consultant told her she could tell that Emily was in love with the Caroline dress. She was right! Emily said yes that day! She says it was the “best decision ever.”

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The Wedding Vows

The couple wrote their vows! Emily’s favorite lines from Chris’s vows were:

“I promise to put God in the center of our marriage and to rely on Him and to seek wisdom and strength in our relationship.”

“I promise to watch Iron Man 2 with you and let you quote every line.” The couple are Marvel fans..

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The Bride’s Favorite Memory of the Weddings

This was a difficult question for the bride because there were so many memorable moments. She did come up with two. For Emily, the first dance as husband and wife was incredible. She recalls looking around the room and seeing their loved ones surrounding them. It was special having them all in one room and witnessing all the smiles and happy tears. “It was an indescribable feeling, full of love and joy and bliss all in one,” she said. Emily was also pleasantly surprised when Chris became emotional. “Before the wedding, Chris said he would not cry, but he cried about four times throughout our wedding ceremony; that was pretty sweet too! Love ya, honey ;).”

Emily’s Advice to Other Brides

“Wedding planning can be very stressful, but don’t forget to have fun! You only do this once, so enjoy it. Another tip is to remember the focus of the day; you are marrying the love of your life. That is such a gift! Don’t get caught up in the little things; some people will try to get their way at your wedding, but it’s YOUR wedding. Don’t feel bad about making decisions that are a little bit selfish. Enjoy the moment, and don’t you dare to look at your phone- I didn’t even think about mine. Best thing ever.”

MORE INSPIRATION: Laura and Ryan’s Countryside Wedding

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Emily & Chris’s Next Chapters

Congrats to the couple. They purchased their first home in Florida two days before their wedding. Chris’s military job has led them to Florida, and they bought their home without ever seeing it. Emily has mentioned it’s crazy, but this couple has proven that it all works out. Love conquers all. They took a leap of faith, and the deal closed the morning of their wedding! How meant to be? They love their home, and they now have a dog they love. Emily is finishing school and working. They are hoping for many kids in the future. Thanks to Emily for sharing their beautiful love story.

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WEDDING CREW

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wildlands Photo

DESSERT TABLES & EVENT DESIGN: Sweet Makery

TATTOO ARTIST: Art By Adrian Martin

WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER: Dreamers & Lovers

Small Wedding Ideas: Alison, Matt and their Pug, Rhino

by Jen Hart | Real Weddings

Alison and Matt planned a small wedding in California, where they are from, that felt right for them. They had 50 guests and their adorable pug, Rhino.

We asked Alison to share the details of her small wedding with only 50 guests. “It allowed us to be present with each one there to celebrate us. It also allowed guests who didn’t know each other before to mingle and get to know each other; it was perfect.”

We are obsessed with their style and how they look as if they were made for each other. Alison shares how they met: “Matt was a regular at a cafe I was managing. We progressed from customer to friends, to dating to now husband and wife. We always had a serendipitous feeling, so we just rode the wave and knew.”

How Matt Proposed

Initially, we were supposed to have our proposal in France, but Covid had other plans for the world. He pivoted and booked a room for us at La Valencia in La Jolla, CA. He knew I wanted to have a boho picnic, so he planned one at the park overlooking the ocean, and he proposed there; it was so sweet.

Fun Nice-to-Haves for your Small Wedding

“I absolutely loooved our photobooth, our phone guestbook, After The Tone and we purchased disposable cameras for each table to help capture the candid moments. But really, every vendor helped to create my full vision.”

Wedding Cake or Cupcake?

“We had mini cupcakes for our wedding and a small cutting cake for us. I loved the idea of having cupcakes because it allows everyone to pick a flavor or flavors that they want. I’m also gluten-free/dairy free so to be able to have regular cupcakes for our guests but also cupcakes/cutting cake for me was important.”

Finding a Dress for Her Small Wedding

“I had been following Dreamers & Lovers for yearsss! I knew when the time came I would find my dream dress here. I knew I wanted long sleeves and had one particular dress in mind but after trying on the Willow, I knew that was “the one.”

Shop More Lace Wedding Dresses

Their Wedding Flowers

“I wanted an October wedding to lean into the fall color palette but not overtly fall. I definitely wanted a more wild look for my bouquet and I wanted it to be quite substantial because I just love flowers. Our florist nailed my vision and I was soo happy with the end result, fall but not in your face fall, it was lovely.”

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Wedding Vows & Readings for a Smaller Wedding

“We specifically selected an officiant who would curate the perfect non-religious ceremony. She spoke mostly about love and what it means to everyone, and how it’s our universal language. It was exactly what we envisioned; we couldn’t have been happier.”

When asked about their vows, because we LOOOOOVE vows. “We did write our own vows! My favorite line was actually the last line of my vows – “and I cannot wait to laugh out the rest of this lifetime with you.” I truly believe that laughter can heal anything, and I’m so happy I found someone who makes me deep belly laugh daily.”

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Alison’s Advice to Future Brides

“Stay true to who you are as a couple, don’t let outside voices influence you. We wanted an authentic to our wedding and that’s exactly what we had and we couldn’t have been happier!”

Alison’s Favorite Detail from her Intimate Wedding

“My favorite detail was being able to celebrate with all of our loved ones and being able to include our dog Rhino into the first look and ceremony.”

What’s Next for Alison, Matt & Rhino

“We’ve been together now for 7 years, we’ve been through so much already as a couple but now we’re ready to really settle in as husband and wife and continue working on creating a beautiful life for us and Rhino.”

Photographer: Kristina Joy Photography

Bride’s Dress: Willow Lace Wedding Dress

Sarah and Alex Discover That Good Things Take Time

by Jen Hart | Real Weddings

Sarah and Alex’s love story began on Tinder. After being together for two years, they moved from Australia to Canada. I love their spontaneity! They got engaged; might I add a romantic engagement. Next up is when wedding planning magic starts, and then Covid happened. Between their love story and covid, they had twins and life-saving surgery and soon discovered that good things take time. Love does conquer all.

How They Met + The Proposal

From Sarah: Alex and I met on tinder, nothing too exciting haha. We lived over an hour away so when we first started seeing each other we would only see each other on weekends and alternate the travelling.

When Alex and I had been together 2 years we moved to Calgary (Alberta, Canada) from Australia and about 1 month before moving back to Australia we went on a trip for his 30th birthday. We decided to have a day snow shoeing and arrived at a beautiful waterfall that was only partly frozen. Alex took his snow shoes off and started walking into the water. He kept trying to convince me to follow and pointing at something in the crystal clear glacial water. I refused to get in in case the water got through my boots, so he reached into the water and pulled out a ring (a ring passed down to him from his mother)

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Wedding Planning and Its Challenges

Wedding planning was one of the toughest things I have ever had to do. Our wedding was postponed twice because of COVID. After the first wedding was postponed to 2020, we fell pregnant with twins. Unfortunately, that meant a lot of complications, not just for me but for one of my daughters in particular. My daughter (and I) were in the hospital from the 3mo-7mo needed to have two life-saving surgeries during that time. During this time, I was still vaguely trying to plan the second wedding; however my heart wasn’t in it, knowing how unwell my daughter was. Approx 3 weeks before the second wedding, my daughter became extremely unwell while in hospital. I called the wedding off as it didn’t feel right. 2 days later, COVID restrictions postponed it anyway. So we finally made it two years after the original date and lots of hard work mentally and physically for us all. And as Alex always says to me, “Good things take time.” But also so grateful for the love and support of my close family and their help in organizing the wedding. Adding two toddlers into the planning also made things a lot harder having to factor them in however, we were so blessed to have an amazing nanny and so many family members help on the day

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How She Found Her Wedding Dress

Approx 3 years ago, I saw an Instagram ad and took a screenshot of it for reference when I would finally start dress shopping. When the time came to look for a dress, I was looking at stores (online) that might have something similar however was unable to find anything. So I looked into Dreamers and lovers and realized how easy it was, even from the other side of the world, to try on a sample dress. I got the dress sent over and knew that was the dress (it was the only dress I tried on) and sent them my measurements. I adore the boho vibe of the dress/brand and just couldn’t see myself in anything else.

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Wedding Day Highlights

After a week of torrential rain and a planned outdoor wedding that I had my heart set on… two days before, I had to bite the bullet, buy the clear umbrellas, and get my head around the indoor option just in case. On the day of the wedding, it was perfect sunshine!!!! So we could have the ceremony outdoors, looking over the water as planned. Also, after having my dress sitting and waiting for so long and having to change a lot in my lifestyle to fit back into my dress (bought pre-twins), my dress was perfect and my favorite outfit of all time. My 18mo twin girls being a part of the celebration was also so beautiful, especially thinking back to a time when that may not have been the case due to life-threatening health issues; as a result the wedding was very emotional, and there was so much relief and passion from us but also our guests, knowing what we had been through

Sarah’s Advice to Future Brides

Life is short, and it can be taken away at any time. No one will remember how many flowers you had etc. all they will remember is what they felt on the day. Just breathe and let things happen… (I promise your hairdresser/make-up artist/photographer etc. will work so much harder for you if you are relaxed and positive)

What’s Next for Sarah, Alex & The Twins

We are ready to sit still for a while as we have had so much packed into the last two years. However, we are also wanting to start having family adventures showing our girls what life really is about, hiking, traveling, skiing, beach days, etc.

A Modern Boho Wedding for An Adventurous Couple

by Jen Hart | Real Weddings

Modern boho weddings are the perfect blend of neutrals and earth tones. Jessica and John’s Midwestern background was keenly matched to this modern bohemian wedding in California.

Jessica is a boho bride who values simplicity. Whether it’s a first date at a taco shop or dreaming of a lifetime relaxing on the patio with her husband, simple and meaningful is more important to her than extravagant and impersonal. That’s why the artsy, laid-back vibe suited her perfectly.

Jessica and John met through the family, but the story has an unexpected twist.

“My brother and his sister are married, so it’s a funny and unlikely love story!”

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Take the Leap or Lose the Chance

Jessica and John’s first date was “modest. It was at our favorite local taco place in our hometown. Both of us had never left the Midwest, and we were starry-eyed romantics. I remember so many thoughts racing through my mind, and I can only assume the same was true for my thoughtful partner.”

But soon after, the couple was faced with a big decision.

“He was given the opportunity to move to sunny California from our home state of Michigan. We had just started seeing each other, which was a huge step to consider. It was either take the leap or lose the chance. So I took the messy chance to chase a feeling. I have never been happier about a crazy decision in my life.”

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The Proposal

So Jessica chose to move to California! They enjoyed their lives together as boyfriend and girlfriend until they took a memorable trip back home to Michigan.

“John and I were in Michigan for a dear friend’s wedding. We had so much fun celebrating a beautiful relationship. The next morning we woke up, and John had a look in his eye. He said, ‘let’s go for a drive before we head back to my parents’.”

“So we drove by the lake coast and were making our way to a beach, but we stopped somewhere different along the way. We stopped near a church, where we found a small pond with a floating dock surrounded by geese, ducks, and dragonflies.

We walked out on it, and just as I turned around to say something to him, he was on his knee. I thought he was joking, but as he started to talk, I realized this was the real deal, and I burst out, “yes.” I don’t know exactly what was said, but we stood there for a while and enjoyed the warmth of a June day in Michigan.”

Finding her Dream Modern Boho Wedding Dress

This boho bride knew she wanted a long-sleeved boho wedding dress, so Dreamers & Lovers was the perfect option for her! Her boho lace dreams are completed by her perfect-fit bohemian dress.

“Like many brides, I looked online at different designers, and I wasn’t sure where to begin. I found an adorable boutique right out my back door, and I felt drawn to make an appointment. I knew as soon as I heard handmade right here in LA that I had found the right place for me. I am all about sustainable fashion and supporting true creatives.

I tried on a couple of dresses and loved all of them; the delicate lace and long-sleeved designs were just what I had in mind. When I finally put the dress on I had been eyeing online, all my dreams came true, and the rest is history.”

Sentimental Treasures

But the outfit didn’t stop there. Jessica had another special element to wrap up her bohemian style.

“I wore a piece of jewelry from each of my parent’s mothers, neither of which could join us for the big day, but I needed them there in spirit. I wore a turquoise ring that my grandmother wore every day of her life that I can remember. My grandma passed away shortly after our wedding day, and having a piece of her there that day only became more special looking back. She was a pioneer of women in science and math.

My mom’s mother gave me her favorite earrings that dazzled in all the pictures. She is a firecracker- filled with life and inspires me daily to do extraordinary things.”

Future Advice to Brides

“Figure out what is most important to you about your special day and make that happen. Don’t get too hung up on traditions. Ultimately, as long as you find the one you are meant to be with, everything else will fall into place. You are genuinely one of the lucky ones in life.”

The Adventure Awaits

After this special wedding, we wondered what was next for this couple. Jessica said, “We are taking off in our new van as a couple and living a nomadic life for a while. We look forward to indulging in the here and now of life on the road. We can’t wait to learn from an alternative lifestyle and see the beauties around us.”

John and Jessica’s personalities came through in this wedding, capturing their unique pairing. A modern boho wedding is great for a free-spirited couple looking to have some elements of tradition at their wedding while still being unique. Congratulations, Jessica and John, on a beautiful boho wedding!

Vendors:

Photography: @codyandallisonphoto

Florist: @magiedefleur

Venue: Morten Botanical Gardens

Reception: Omni Rancho Las Palmas

Hair & Makeup: @manelovebeauty

Dress: Violetta Lace Wedding Dress

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