This Bride Met her Husband at 4 Years Old

This Bride Met her Husband at 4 Years Old

Take a second and remember what you were like at 4 and 5 years old. It was a great day if you had playtime, yummy snacks, and finding your sleeping mat. For Amanda and Derek, they were starting their journey of finding their soulmates. These love birds went from playing sports together to then reconnecting after high school. It’s safe to say they had a strong foundation with a lifetime of friendship and memories. Amanda and Derek’s love story is one for the books, as was their recent wedding at the Condor’s Nest in California. Their wedding feature is full of inspiration for the boho bride-to-be. We especially love all the DIY details from the flowers to the cake. Amanda wears her Ophelia two-piece wedding dress. We feel she couldn’t have chosen a more perfect dress to match her personality. She looks incredible.

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

The Proposal

Amanda loves hot air balloons, and was on a work trip in las vegas, and was surprised with a hot air balloon ride with a few of her co-workers… when she should up to the ride, Derek popped out of the hot air balloon basket to go on the trip with her. He proposed mid-air on the journey.

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

The Wedding Dress

Before being engaged, I came across Dreamers & Lovers on instagram and had my wedding dress picked out before marriage was even talked about, haha. I know what I like when I see it 😉

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography
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Ophelia 2-Piece Bohemian Wedding Dress

The Vows


Yes, we wrote our vows, I think my favorite line would be me telling Derek, “you are not only the best person in my life, but you are the best person in everyone’s life around you.” HE IS SO LOVED!!!

The Must-Have Detail

I dreamed of having a rug aisle for the ceremony that we were able to rent from witty rentals.

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography
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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

Advice for Future Brides

Make it as simple as possible for yourself, and take all the help you can get! LOL

The Guests

There were 140 guests!

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

The Wedding Cake

The bride’s mother made both cupcakes and wedding cake. The wedding cake was carrot with cream cheese frosting, all homemade so yummy 🙂

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

Favorite Details

Everything was perfect! More than we could’ve imagined, it was so awesome to see it all come together, knowing how much love went into every detail. Our thank you gifts were hand-painted rocks that we all helped out with; this took months to get done!

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

The Next Chapter

We are ready to enjoy life! 2 weeks after the wedding, Amanda and Derek put together a brand new salon for the bride and her three business partners, then traveled to Bali for three weeks!! We are excited to enjoy each other.

The Flowers

All of our flowers and arrangements were artificial and silk! Besides the greenery. The bride’s cousin put them all together!

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography
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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

Final Details

It was the best day of our lives, and we partied all night with our friends and family!!!!We wish we could relive this day over and over again.

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Photo: Erin Wiese Photography

To view Amanda’s dress, as well as other two-piece wedding dresses. See here

Chloe and Brian’s Young Love

Chloe and Brian’s Young Love

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Aah…Looking at Chloe in her wedding photos: Marilyn Monroe comes to mind, only in some far cooler, far more bohemian and laid back incarnation, I love it! Yet this wasn’t some high-paced, sweep-me-off-my-feet, Hollywood romance. This laughing couple goes way back! Chloe and Brian met at one of their local beaches in San Clemente just before starting High School, making this a love story that’s been brewing for quite some time!

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The proposal happened whilst the young flames were camping at their favorite spot on Lake Mary in Mammoth. The pair had just returned from a 10 mile hike to the gorgeous lake and were kicking back with some beers and a deck of cards when Brian declared that it was time to snap some pics with the Gopro before sundown (Chloe’s favorite time of day!).

Brian (absolutely killing it!) set about aiming the Gopro and positioning the two of them in the middle of a copse of trees…picture the tranquil meadow vibes at sundown (killing it!). As they strike a pose, Brian bends to his knee, spills out his man-heart and begs Chloe to be his forever-sidekick: birds were chirping in the trees, as Chloe warmly recalls. On the way back, the couple gave a ride to some hikers who’d been roughing it for days; to the brewery of course…they were, needless to say, the first to learn of the happy couple’s engagement.

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When asked about her favorite detail of the wedding, Chloe admitted that it was, for sure, her dress!

When it comes to the story of how Chloe picked her bohemian wedding dress…like so many D&L brides, Chloe is a little different! She had determined to order her dress from some cheap online store after all other arrangements had been made (hmmm, interesting) but what was to be an offhanded BTW turned into a dream shopping experience the minute Chloe caught sight of the Lisa backless dress from D&L.

Chloe recalls that the whole experience turned out to be just perfect because D&L offered anything but your run-of-the-mill bridal shopping trip. Chloe recalls the entire journey with joy, not least of all her memory of meeting the beautiful Yanique (designer extraordinaire!) Chloe was excited just to spend time with Yanique on each visit. She ended up choosing her online favorite: Lisa. What surprised and delighted Chloe even more was the fact that the dress was made to order, at a price that fell well within her meager budget. Plus, it was without question the most beautiful dress she had ever seen! When asked about her favorite detail of the wedding, Chloe admitted that it was, for sure, her dress!

“You were my first kiss, my one girlfriend, my only love and now it will forever be you and me.”

So, the wedding was to be a not-so-small business, with 200 guests invited and Chloe still feeling that she had left many people out. The Christian couple was married by their Pastor and good friend, who did a beautiful, short sermon on the true meaning and beauty of marriage with Christ at the center, especially for them. Vows were self-written as the couple felt that would make it all the more special. Chloe’s favorite line from Brian’s vow was “You were my first kiss, my one girlfriend, my only love and now it will forever be you and me.”

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The flowers were, as Chloe says, UNREAL…San Diego floral designer, Julia Heit, with the help of Chloe’s sisters, Carli and Kayla, far exceeded expectations. They were the most beautiful arrangements Chloe’s ever seen and she really felt that her floral dreams came true. For lack of a better term: the flowers were Awesome!

The couple was super happy with their food vendor, the awesome BBQ dudes from R&R BBQ, Rod and Roger Livingston. These family friends have just opened up two restaurants in Utah to massive acclaim. They drove their smoker all the way out to California for the occasion and started meat smoking at 6am on the morning of the wedding. Needless to say, it was the best meal ever! Guests confirmed that they’d never, in all their lives, had a better BBQ…in fact, a few of them ended up regretting the number of servings they went back for.

 For dessert the couple had super simple but delicious bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. They also had powdered and crumbed donut holes in little bags for the guests to grab, plus individually wrapped, chocolate covered apples. It was inexpensive and what’s great is that the guests had a selection from which to choose.

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Bride Chloe in Lisa Dress shown BUSTLED

A friend’s band, a father and daughter duo named Esther and Brian Bent, played during the reception and thoroughly rocked it with an upbeat, rockabilly vibe. They opted just to make their own playlists, instead of enlisting a DJ. Esther, however, took charge and MCed the occasion. It worked out perfectly and saved stacks of money.

Friends, Niles Jeran and Sara Edwards took the incredible wedding pics and Mikey Fetner did video. The couple is extremely grateful to all who helped out.

Chloe’s advice for chilled out brides is this: just chip away at it a little at a time and actually enjoy the planning process, even when it’s hard, because you’ll never get it back. Also, seek out those you know with special talents or professions you can use. Knowing the vendors can really make the world of difference!

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Next for this stunning couple, just the ‘lifetime’ cruise at each other’s sides, enjoying every day, even through the trials, growing with each other and sometime soon perhaps some babies!!! We wish nothing but prosperity and good fortune for Chloe and Brian…and babies and love and more babies, Yeeeow!

VENDOR CREDIT

Photographer: CA based NILES GREY – www.nilesontheroad.com

To see other brides wearing the very boho Lisa wedding dress, see here

Ashley and Jeff (and Maggie’s) Love Story

Ashley and Jeff (and Maggie’s) Love Story

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Just looking at the photos of Ashley and Jeff’s special day, I can feel the atmosphere bursting through the screen. The laughing couple, Jeff (in dashing blue with stylish brown leather shoes), Ashley (in an enchantingly simple, boho wedding dress from Dreamers and Lovers, with a flower crown), together with their furry friend, Maggie the Goldendoodle (in her own flower necklace), look like the happiest, laid back family on earth and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind learning a little more about how they got to be so lucky.

Shortly after Jeff moved back to his home town of Carmel Indiana from Chicago (in August 2013), him and Ashley where fatefully thrown together by good intentioned (scheming) friends

Shortly after Jeff moved back to his home town of Carmel Indiana from Chicago (in August 2013), him and Ashley where fatefully thrown together by good intentioned (scheming) friends. The idea was for the big group of friends to spend the night at a John Mayer concert, which they would get to in a friend’s RV (or trusty party bus), obviously the pair expected everyone to be sharing a section of seats and enjoying the concert together.

Well, after seriously hitting it off on the party bus, the pair was surprised to discover that their scheming friends had in fact booked separate seats for them, away from everybody…they would be forced to continue hitting it off for the rest of the night, which they did! Their friends had indeed pulled a fast one on them. For Ashley and Jeff there was no looking back. As fate would have it, John Mayer ended up performing at the same venue on the evening of June 17, 2016…the night they got married.

The proposal was a monumental surprise for Ashley, who always thought she’d see it coming. Jeff came home early from work, saying that they and Maggie should go hiking up at their favorite spot, an old Indian reserve running by the river 30 minutes from their Indiana home. Ashley thought nothing of it, it being a beautiful October day, perfect for a stroll outdoors.

They started their hike and stopped at one of the most picturesque outlook points by the river so that Maggie could have a dip and drink some water. Because the day was relatively cool, Ashley began urging for a move on, complaining that no more cooling off was needed…Jeff though, had other plans.

Ashley became aware that Jeff was mentioning their special spot, saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, discovering other special places. Realizing the situation, Ashley’s heart began to race, she turned away and looked at the ground intently…Jeff pulled her back and got down on one knee to propose, at which point Ashley exclaimed “what are you doing? This is so weird!”

Although she doesn’t remember responding, legend has it her answer was yes, only she kept on awkwardly saying “this is so weird” until Jeff finally responded “you have to stop saying that!”

Although she doesn’t remember responding, legend has it her answer was yes, only she kept on awkwardly saying “this is so weird” until Jeff finally responded “you have to stop saying that!” In closing Ashley reassured him that it ‘was a good weird, but still weird’.

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Now, Ashley is one of those free spirited boho brides who likes to stay comfy and the thought of a frumpy, massive, satin wedding gown quite frankly terrified her. She looked forward to the inevitable dress shopping experience with a sense of dread in her heart.

For the first time in her life, she took to Pinterest for ideas, where a stunning Dreamers and Lovers pin linked her to the Etsy shop. The enchanting dress Ashley ended up wearing was actually one of the original dresses she had pinned.

After seeing the happy, laid back brides on the Dreamers and Lovers Instagram pics, Ashley felt confident about ordering her dress online, she provided her measurements and the rest is history…all without ever setting foot in one of those dreaded bridal stores! The dress arrived and the outcome was both beautiful and comfortable, aligning perfectly with Ashley’s vision and the setting for the day.

One of the most interesting things about this wedding was that it actually took place over two days (a Friday and a Saturday), Ashley’s cousin got ordained online and performed the ceremony on the first day. It was an intimate, unforgettable affair with only 70 family members, including Maggie the furry Goldendoodle, set in the picturesque woods near an old covered bridge, overlooking the river where Ashley grew up.

Ashley’s Grandfather started their farm back in the 50’s, his favorite prayer had been the Serenity prayer and she remembers warmly that it was read out at the ceremony and meant a great deal to everyone present.

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A post ceremony dinner was held on Ashley’s Mom and Stepdad’s 10 acres, just a mile from where the ceremony was held. The dinner was set up on farm tables, under three old oak trees strung with fairy lights. The couple remember that day as a perfect one…in fact, they had such a blast that they forgot to cut the cake and ended up doing it next to Ashley’s Mom’s pool (in their swimsuits) the following day!

The same guests, as well as 130 friends and extended family, were invited to the Saturday night barn party on Ashley’s Dad and Stepmom’s farm, where Ashley was born. The barn was transformed with chandeliers and fairy lights hung from the rafters, with farm tables made out of an old barn from Ashley’s Mom’s property.

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There were food trucks parked outside the barn, with a gourmet donut truck (The Dancing Donut) to provide delicious, fresh dessert. The night was magical, with music, scrumptious cocktails and dazzling fireworks. The couple loved the idea of getting two whole days to celebrate and feel the love with friends and family.

Ashley’s greatest advice for boho brides-to-be is to realize it will all be worth it. Although planning (especially when you’ve got your own business to run) can be overwhelming and stressful, having a special day (or two) to spend with your loved ones is a wonderful gift and those memories are there to last a lifetime…just remember to breathe!

The couple recently sold their condo and are planning on buying and renovating a house in which they can raise a family. They’ve also got a South American honeymoon coming up in January 2017. We wish them all the best and a future full of special places and happy memories.

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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

An Intimate and Romantic Boho Wedding Elopement

An Intimate and Romantic Boho Wedding Elopement

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Our brides are almost always more relaxed, and are usually quite vocal about not wanting all the extra fluff that goes in to a wedding. For this reason, naturally we are seeing that many of our brides-to-be are skipping traditional weddings altogether, and instead choosing to elope. This however does not mean they are looking less beautiful, or sacrificing those styling and details, that makes for the most killer wedding photographs. On a side note…if you are a bride to be, who has become so overwhelmed with the stress and expense of the ‘traditional’ wedding, we ask that you consider not skipping out on the details…super important, because the photos are a part of the memories you will have forever.

We have seen so many well-documented elopements, that we have fallen in love with eloping. Eloping in the sense of just the couple running off to some exotic destination, or eloping with closest friends and family in tow. It never fail that we hear the complaints very often in our fittings, usually the dear mother, who is disappointed that important people will be left out. So, if the situation allows then by all means, we love the idea of eloping with your tightest group of your gang with you. And remember you’re most likely considering an elopement because you are looking to peel away traditions and expectations, so ultimately you have to do what feels right for you and your other half.

One of the major reasons why elopements tug at our heartstrings is the location. In business, location is everything…everything, and we’d say it is the same with elopements…it is everythang!! Emphasis placed on the thang:-) This is the time when you get to choose anywhere you love, that place that is ultra special to you as a couple. We hear from couples frequently who tells us that this place was monumental and a connecting piece of their love story.

This effortlessly stunning couple – Malia and Derrik – chose the most captivating location ever, and it goes perfect with their relaxed bohemian style. We are in awe of the beauty of the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Isn’t nature the perfect canvas?

As we look at the photos we can’t help but notice the moments of peace, and intimacy and can only imagine this day was so special to them, and one they’ll remember forever.

This couple decided to elope after they went through their spreadsheet (yes, you read that right, a spreadsheet) and saw the dizzying number of guests they had to invite if they planned a traditional wedding. They knew that a large midwestern wedding was not their vibe, and instead decided to choose a place they have never been. We love that they went with one of our favorite wedding mantras…”if it doesn’t feel right, then throw it out”.

Malia & Derrik’s elopement was captured by the incredibly talented husband & wife photographer team – The Colagrossis. Here are sentiments from the photographers themselves: “These two wanted a place unique, surreal, quiet and elusive. The guidelines for White Sands weddings severely limits decoration – fresh flowers and greens are not allowed and candles are useless against the high winds and blowing gypsum minerals. The best part about White Sands is the sunset. When the sky turns pink and the white dunes turn blue – it is almost impossible to know which way is up!” Excerpted from Green Wedding Shoes Blog, where it was recently featured.

Malia is wearing the very dreamy boho wedding 2-piece dress, the Alana and Fiona skirt. This is sold together, but is also offered as separates.

To see a complete listing of our simple yet refined bohemian wedding dresses, visit this link.

Malia you were a beautiful boho bride, and thank you for sharing your day with us.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the subject of eloping. Drop us a comment below.

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VENDOR DETAILS

Photography: The Colagrossis

Venue: White Sands National Monument

Florals: Be Married

Styling: Fixx Salon