You’re meant to be a Bohemian Bride

You’re meant to be a Bohemian Bride

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Nine Signs that you’re meant to be a Bohemian Bride

• You’re a free thinker, not a follower: You’re an old soul, a free thinker. You believe in true, incandescent beauty and not pinned on, over the top pageantry. You visualise a day of simple pleasures, the sound of a soft breeze and birds behind a laid back guitar or cello under the trees or on the beach.

• You love beautiful things but don’t want to break the bank: To you, rustic means charming and not cheap. Scatter some old Persian rugs under the trees, bedeck your old wooden picnic table with candles, wildflowers and a Turkish coffee set and bring along your eclectic mix of chairs, pillows and indian drapes from home. Voila, rustic bohemian luxury!

• You Love the mix of vintage boho and modern: If you’ve ever noticed the difference between the vintage style lace or silk of dreams and the scratchy, synthetic looking, heavyweight wedding garb you’re likely to find at bridal boutiques; chances are you’re a bohemian bride. Choose bohemian style wedding dresses, made with heirloom quality fabrics…all the charm and dreamy feel of yesteryear with the simplicity and chic design of modern boho fashion. Wear a backless lace wedding dress with simple, clean lines and vintage style fabric that trails lightly behind you as you walk to meet your man.

• You want to look beautiful but not at the expense of comfort: Do you find the idea of a whalebone corset or 5kg dress slightly offensive? Opt for a bohemian style wedding dress in supple lace and lightweight, flowing silk, with all the detail geared toward maximum comfort and ease for you. You need the freedom to move and express yourself if you’re truly going to make this the day of your dreams.

• You cannot part with your leather sandals or your worn worker boots: Not keen on looking awkward in six inch heels on your wedding (or any) day. In a simple wedding dress and garland crown you’ll look the part with leather sandals or your trusty boots, the muddier the better. You can even enjoy a pre-wedding pedicure and opt for bare feet, add ankle charms and lace detail or toe rings to be a true bohemian beauty. Step out of the box and let your soul fly!

• You’re a sworn romantic: You know that romance is not about missing 3 meals and employing a team of bridesmaids to tighten your corset, it’s not about having your stiletto heels disappear into the lawn and getting stuck halfway down the aisle. Romance is about relaxing in his arms under the trees and running into the sunset with your shoes off. It’s about being who you are and not being ashamed of it. It’s about having your cake and eating it too!

• You’d rather wear a wildflower crown than a diamond tiara: So you’d rather feel like a woodland nymph than a trussed up beauty queen on your special day? You’d choose hand picked posies over lavish store bought arrangements any day? A bohemian garland crown is the only accessory you’ll need, choose fragrant blossoms, wildflowers and herbs. You could even add some wild berries to the mix for extra flavor on your special day.

• You’d rather see him in vintage suede than a standard tux: His shaved sides and tattooed forearms make you weak at the knees and you’d rather not clean him up too much. Think vintage suede or velvet (in dusty teal, or natural tones), suspenders and his grandfather’s pocket watch.

• You need to keep it simple: Forget hairspray, 3 make up artists and crazy diamantes that get stuck on table cloths as you walk by. Choose a timeless boho wedding dress that would look and feel right under the stars, standing on a windy beach or traipsing in wellingtons across a farmland pasture with your favorite man in tow. Keep your stress levels to a minimum on your special day, think of what you’re really about and go with it. Keep it simple and laid back, gorgeous boho chic yet comfortable enough to live and love and play on your wedding day.

Photo shown of  bohemian bride Poppy’s wedding, featured here

Austin & Shannon Rustic Texas Wedding

Austin & Shannon Rustic Texas Wedding

We absolutely love everything about bride Shannon and her groom Austin, wedding photos. The photos have an organic, wild, rustic and romantic feel to them, and captured in Texas where the couple recently wed.

Shannon wears our Catherine dress, with added custom long sleeves.

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Shannon is so lovely and took the time to give us an in-depth look at the planning stage, and the magic of their wedding day. We are such a sucker for love stories, and this one does not disappoint. She said yes over a fire and s’mores….yup, we love it!! Read on:

How her and hubby (Austin) met:

My Husband, Austin, and I were introduced to each other by a mutual college friend in the beginning of summer 2013. We became friends and spent the summer days getting coffee, and getting to know each other. In late December we started to see each other more often. This included more coffee dates, and even Austin ice skating with my family. Sparks flew whenever Nacogdoches, TX got a miracle amount of snow, and we spent the evening geocaching in the park. He asked me to be his girlfriend on February 8, 2014 over a perfect fire and s’mores, on a chilly evening by the lake.

Her Wedding Style & The Type of Bride she was:

I was a bohemian-woodland bride. We both really enjoy nature. He has a forestry degree, and loves trees. I have a bohemian style, and am into a natural aesthetic. Our wedding was a mixture of these styles. I had a lot of neutral colors and the flowers were the pop of color.

How she decided on the dress:

This is probably one of my favorites parts of the wedding planning process. It all started with the search for the perfect dress to fit my style. I knew from the start that I would have a hard time trying to find what I wanted in stores. The pressure was on from family to go shopping. In my search for the dress, my sister found dreamers and lovers and sent me the website. The first time I looked through the dresses, I saw the Catherine dress and was immediately in love. I knew it was the one and I eyed it for months! I finally ordered the sample, and just as I expected it was indeed the one. Up until the wedding, I would pull it out and try it on weekly. It was so unique and beautifully made.

Her Bridesmaids:

I knew I wanted my bridesmaids to pick their dresses from the start. I wanted their dresses to accentuate their figures. Everyone is shaped so differently, and I just wanted them to be comfortable. The color scheme that I picked for their dresses were neutrals of cream, white, brown and light brown. I think that it looked so beautiful! My mini bridesmaids (flower girls) wore white dresses and brown moccasins.

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The one thing she would not compromise on:

One thing I was not wiling to compromise on were the wooden tables and beeswax candles at my reception. So many people tried to talk me out of paying the extra price for them. I was not willing to budge. They looked gorgeous at the reception and perfectly captured the look that I was going for.

The traditions she left out:

I was an untraditional bride. I wanted our wedding to capture our personalities and style. I stayed away from traditional wedding music. We made a Spotify wedding playlist of songs that were much more fun, and our guests loved it! Vampire weekend and the Lumineers were much more fun to dance to than the Cha Cha slide.

Advice for brides to be just starting out:

Try to stay as organized as possible. Lists are your friend. Budget. Try to keep your stress levels low. I took yoga classes through out the planning process,and it was so wonderful! I highly recommend it.

Best memory of the day:

The best memory of the day was seeing our guests drinking coffee, eating Chipotle, and having a great time.

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Main inspiration:

Pinerest helped a lot to inspire the look that I wanted. I would pin things that inspired me which helped the ideas in my head come to life.

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CREDITS:

Photographer- Allix Ruby Photography –  http://www.allixrubyphotography.com
Cakes and Flowers- Whole Foods, The Woodlands
Venue- Raven Lodge, Huntsville State Park
Catering- Chipotle

Kerri + Chris Chill but Incredible LA Wedding

Kerri + Chris Chill but Incredible LA Wedding

This beaming bride, the kick-ass Alice dress, this amazing industrial venue, and the California chill vibe. We are bonkers about this wedding, and this couple is just gorgeous. Kerri also happens to be one of our favorite brides ever. She has a special place in the Dreamers&Lovers hall of fame. From her first appointment to her final fitting, she has been the sweetest, most down-to-earth laid-back bride ever.

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These photos from photographer Hannah Costello is slaying me this evening.

From the bride herself:

“Chris and I met through a mutual friend at a concert, once we had a couple of dates we basically became inseparable…not the most romantic, but hey, it worked for us:”)

We disagree…the mutual friend hook-up at a concert is totally romantic…right? Their intimate wedding totally have magic and romance sprinkled all over it.

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Venue: Smog Shoppe
Photographer: Hannah Costello

Ashley & Matt’s Intimate San Diego Wedding

Ashley & Matt’s Intimate San Diego Wedding

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Ashley & Matt’s wedding is just the kind of wedding that makes us married folks want to get married all over again. It is sweet and simple, and with a magical backdrop. Beach weddings gets us every time. This first photo gets us too, because at the end of the wedding planning, this is everything, this is what it is ALL about….

Here’s a recap of the wedding from the lovely bride:

How and when you and hubby met?

We met five years ago, we worked the same part time retail job and only ever saw each other in passing. One day we started talking and the rest is history!

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Describe your wedding style, and the type of bride you were?

Our wedding was intimate, dreamy and romantic! I was definitely a laid back bride, we had a very short engagement and a very small wedding. I enjoyed letting things come together and fall naturally into place, not getting overly stressed about the unnecessary details.

How did you choose/decide on the dress?

I tried on a lot of different dresses, originally I pictured myself in a very modern, clean cut dress, I almost settled on one but it just didn’t feel special enough and didn’t fit the feeling I wanted my wedding to have. I came across Dreamers and Lovers while looking for more Boho style dresses and fell in love with the Catherine backless lace dress!! I loved how elegant it was, and created just the right amount of interest in the detail in the lace and the architecture of the gown. Not to mention it has pockets, which came in very handy to carry my husband’s ring and my vows, since I didn’t have any bridesmaids! 😉

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Tell us about bridesmaid dresses?

We chose not to have a wedding party. We kept our ceremony and reception very small, only about 25 people. We liked the idea of the two of us (and the officiant of course), being the only ones at the altar and allowing our closest friends and family to sit back and enjoy the day!

What was the one thing you were not willing to compromise on for the day?

The dress! And also having my family there to share the day with us!

Did you skip tradition? If yes, which ones?

In some regards we skipped a lot of tradition and in other ways our wedding was very traditional. It was very important to us to have the Pastor of our church perform our ceremony, to have my dad walk me down the aisle, and to have Matt see me for the first time in my dress when I was walking down the aisle. I suppose our wedding was non traditional in the sense that for the majority of our guests it was a “destination wedding”.

We also chose to have a very small, very intimate restaurant reception. We didn’t have a DJ at the reception or any dancing. We loved celebrating by having a big family dinner. We wanted to take advantage of the time we had with family and friends that we don’t get to see as often anymore to talk, catch up and get to know each other, as most of our families hadn’t met prior to the big day!

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What advise would you give to brides to be just starting the process?

Follow your instincts on what you feel is right for your day! A huge guest list, extravagant venues, and coordinating with five bridesmaids is a dream for some but definitely wasn’t right for me. I couldn’t be happier that I remained honest with myself about what I wanted for my wedding instead of trying to fit in a checklist of things you’re supposed to do on your wedding day.

What were you best sources of inspiration while planning your wedding?

Creative and talented friends, family, a lot of pinterest and Google searches!

Best memory of your wedding day?

That’s a tough one! The whole day was so much better than I could have ever imagined! I think the best memory of the day was meeting my husband at the end of the aisle, and exchanging our vows. We chose to write our own wedding vows, I remember being focused on just my vows and my husband, and really staying present in that moment.

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Wedding Vendors

Photography: Hannah Barker (@hannah_barker on Instagram)

Flowers: Ashley Pike (@arenuart_pike on Instagram)

Ceremony Music: String Duo-Melodies by Madeline

Ceremony: Cuvier Park “The Wedding Bowl” in La Jolla

Reception: Savoie Eatery in Chula Vista

Dress: Dreamers & Lovers Catherine Dress

A Bohemian Spanish Styled New Zealand Wedding

A Bohemian Spanish Styled New Zealand Wedding

Ellie & Liam’s wedding set in beautiful New Zealand is beyond gorgeous. We love the bohemian meets Spanish vibes thanks to the use of luxe deep reds. The reds seen throughout heightens the feel of romance and love.

The boho bride – Ellie – has shared some really great details about her days, and the important details surrounding her magical day. “It truly was the best day I have ever had and now I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend”.

More from the bride:

HOW THEY MET

Liam and I met when I was about 13 and was friends with his younger sister. I remember going over to their place & he just wanted nothing to do with us – I assume we were just annoying little girls to him! A few years later my friends and I started hanging out with Liam’s group of friends, I started to develop a massive crush on him – then a few years after that when I was 17 & he was 19 I finally built up the courage to start expressing my feelings and luckily he felt the same! 6 years later here we are!

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THE PROPOSAL

We had talked about marriage in the past and we both knew we wanted to get married. I remember coming home one night & Liam said he would cook dinner – to anyone who knows him that’s already strange behaviour because I always cook. I knew something was up. There were candles and the lights were off and after we had finished eating he started to talk about us & how far we had come, how much he loved me. By this time I was already holding in tears then he got up walked over to me & got down on one knee and proposed! It was nothing too dramatic or theatrical – but it was perfect, it was just what we are like as a couple. Intimate, chill & down to earth.

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THE VENUE

We aren’t religious, so I initially didn’t want to have the ceremony in a church, but we went out into Wellington one day to look at some venues and on the way home drove past Old St Paul’s in Wellington. We decided to go have a look and I just fell in love. It’s is just such a gorgeous building – I couldn’t not have it there! Luckily as it’s just classed as an historic building now, we were able to. It was breath taking. We decided to have the Reception at the Boatshed, we just loved the views on the waterfront and the big windows!

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THE DRESS

I knew I didn’t want you typical princess wedding dress. I wanted long sleeves (it was a winter wedding in Wellington after all!) I looked for a long time, then I was on etsy.com and I found a little boutique shop in LA called Dreamers and Lovers, all their dresses were just gorgeous, then I found mine! I send them my measurements and about 6 weeks later received it! Looked even better in person than the photos!

 

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THE DECOR

As it was a winter wedding I was really against any pastel colours, we decided to go for deep colours that would still stand out, so red roses felt perfect to me. I met with our florist Jane, at Bud Florists in Silverstream, Upper Hutt and pretty much just told her what flowers I wanted, what look I was going for and she came up with the most amazing bouquets and head pieces. They were beyond my expectations, just beautiful.

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THE BRIDESMAIDS

My bridesmaids and myself stayed at the Museum hotel the night before the wedding so we woke up early, went and got breakfast & then it was time to start getting ready! I was surprisingly calm the whole time, then as soon as we arrived at Old St Pauls & I was waiting in the lobby I started to get really nervous. As soon as I walked out and saw Liam the nerves went away, it was perfect. I loved the ceremony so much I want to do it again!

 

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THE PHOTOS

We went and got our photos done at the Botanical Gardens in Wellington, it was quite funny walking up to the duck pond and everyone staring at us! When we arrived at the Boatshed everyone was waiting and cheered for us, it was just so amazing seeing everyone we love there just to support us. The food was just amazing, we went with Nosh Catering and the just went above and beyond – they were just awesome. I truly had an amazing night.
We decided to go with Lumiere Studios (a very new company) for the photography, not just because they are amazing, but I used to work with one of them, so it felt more personal to me. They did such an amazing job at capturing the right moments, making the colours pop and just bringing the photos to life. They are all gorgeous that I can’t even pick a favourite. I was truly blown away by them.

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THE HONEYMOON

We went to Bali for our honeymoon, a week before the wedding they had stopped all planes flying there due to the volcanic ash, so we were starting to worry that we wouldn’t be able to get there – but we must have had luck on our side as we got there & back just fine with no disruptions. I had an amazing time. We did all the touristy things like went to the Bali Safari Park, rode Elephants and went to the Monkey Forest – but we also went and saw the locals in their villages and learnt what they did for a living, we saw wood carvers, ladies making beautiful sarongs & scarfs and people who just sit and paint all day it was just such an experience. It’s an amazing place and I would definitely go back.