Handmade
A Homegrown Garden Wedding in Montana
From the bride, Robin: After eight adventurous years of dating, Tyler got down on one knee after we hiked to the top of Wayna Picchu, a site overlooking Macchu Picchu. From hiking to train rides to buses, we didn’t have service for days, so we were able to relish in our engagement and begin fantasizing about our wedding. We were in the midst of a three month backpacking journey and started counting how many countries we will have had been to together by the end of the trip, and realized it would be 22. We quickly decided that travel should be the theme of our wedding, and every table should be a country that we have been to together.
I am a very creative person, so it was hard for me to not DIY everything! But honestly, some of the best advice I got was to leave it to the professionals, so week of you can relax and enjoy the moment with everyone. Thus, I just incorporated DIY into a few special, heartfelt areas.
The venue of our wedding was decided before we were even engaged: my parents’ 400 acre farm in Montana. It was so special and heartfelt to get married at my home. We had a lot of fun incorporating the things most important to us into our wedding: travel, Montana, music, and friends/family.
Tyler and I are concert junkies in San Francisco, so we knew we needed as much live music as possible, which ended up being all of it! We had a cellist in the secret garden for the entry music and processional. And as soon as we said “I do,” a bag piper started playing (to represent my Scottish heritage!) to escort the guests to cocktail hour. At cocktail hour, we had acoustic guitar, and after that a fiddle player (from the band) escorted the guests to the reception where the rest of the band was waiting to play the rest of the night!
The travel theme was most evident at the reception. Our guest book was a globe, our seating directory was bag tags directing you to a country, travel books and maps were everywhere, and we had photos of us from around the world on all of the tables.
Everyone’s name was painted on a river rock from Glacier National Park and placed on their table setting. I also photoshopped a greeting and thank you card that was on everyone’s place setting.
I’m sure every bride says this, but it is truly hard for me to pick a favorite memory of the day. Everything was so special, that I was truly blissed out on love for months to follow, just reminiscing every moment and detail. From yoga with my bridesmaids in the morning, to serenading each other with our vows, to Tyler whispering how beautiful I am and how much he loves my dress (win!) during the ceremony.
The dance floor was packed until nearly 2am! I have to admit, I do think we had the best wedding band ever!!
MY ADVICE:
I really struggled with the invite list since we are both from a small town and wanted so many people to be there, but at the same time, wanted that intimate feeling. Looking back at the wedding, I am glad I ended up sending out all of those extra invites and having more smiling faces there to support us. It is not everyday that you get to see everyone you love from all facets of your life get together in one place to support you: relish in that.
Secondly, only look at blogs and Pinterest in the beginning to gather your own ideas, but once you make a decision, move on! You can’t keep second guessing things and changing ideas because you will never get anywhere, and, not to mention, your vendors might get annoyed!
Plus, for me, who was getting married outdoors in Montana, I had to keep remembering that the natural setting is beautiful by itself, so I don’t need to keep stressing about dressing it up. There is something to be said about letting the surroundings speak for themselves.
Thirdly, DIY is great, but also stressful. Even without DIY, the week of your wedding can be overwhelming trying to navigate everyone, see relatives, get ready, RELAX, etc. So incorporate it where you can, and let your vendors do the rest. They are extremely good at what they do – just trust them!
And lastly, take a few minutes throughout the day and night to soak it all in. Everything is moving so quickly that it is easy to get flustered and let it all slip by you in a whirlwind. Step aside and just look around you to take mental pictures of your hard work, the love that surrounds you, and the best day of your life!
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photography: Marianne Wiest Photography // Coordination & Styling: Joyce Walkup // Videography: Britney Paige Cinematography // Catering: Cuisine Machine // Liquor: Casey’s Bar & Grill // Band: Savannah Jack // Rentals: The Party Store // Flower & Design: Beargrass Gardens Florals & Events // Photobooth: The Fotowagen // Cake: A Whole Lotta Yum // Dress: Rue de Seine Bridal // Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August // Groom & Groomsmen: J.Crew // Makeup: Kristen O’Leary // Hair: Zachary Morad
A Rocky Mountain Wedding Filled with Handmade Details
From the bride, Meghan: We knew we wanted to be married in the mountains of Colorado. When we were trying to decide where in the mountains to get married, we thought about how much we loved the dinner we had the previous winter at Beano’s Cabin. We wanted to recreate one of our best dining experiences for our family and friends so, we chose Beano’s as our wedding venue. It was perfect!
Wildflowers were the only thing of color that I really wanted people to remember. I didn’t want people to leave and say, “Oh, that was a nice pink wedding.” I made a point to use natural materials and mostly neutral colors for everything, but the flowers.
I handmade hangers for my bridesmaids so they would be surprised to see their dresses. A special day, a special dress, a special hanger!
My bridesmaids ended up wearing blush, lavender, and porcelain blue. I let them choose their own dresses and those were the colors they desired. After the girls chose their dress colors, I decided to accent the groomsmen with coordinating colors.
I gifted my nice with her first pearl necklace. She wore this during the ceremony and will get lots of use out of it dressing up in the future. I also had a handkerchief made for her with a sentimental message to mark the memory of her being my flower girl.
I made individual tissues in a bag stamped “Happy Tears” to place used tissues in during the ceremony. I also created a crossword puzzle with details of our relationship. I printed this on the back of the ceremony program for people to have something to do before the ceremony started.
I think my favorite memory was when I reached the aisle with my dad and I looked at James for the first time. When I saw him I just collapsed in a wave of emotion. What a powerful thing to be standing at the end of an aisle, looking at the man who has asked you to be his wife.
I made the table numbers out of wine bottles. I used photos from our many travels to customize the bottles and provided a story detailing why that location is important to us.
I had conversation cards on every table. This was special to us because we used these conversation cards on our second date and we also answer one card every morning over breakfast. We also thought it would help get the conversation going among the dinner tables.
At the end of the night, everyone took an assortment of blank greeting cards home with them. My mother made the 300 cards using her own artwork.
Meghan’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photographer: IN Photography // Venue: Beano’s Cabin // Day of Coordinator: Love This Day Events // Florist: Bouquets Denver // Cake: Mountain Flour // Bride’s Gown: Katy May from a & be bridal // Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor
Honeymoon Location: Tortola, British Virgin Islands. This was a surprise destination for me. My husband planned the whole thing and simply told me to pack for warm weather. What a great surprise!
A Natural & Organic Wedding in Vail, Colorado
From the bride, Emily: We love Colorado – in particular outdoor Colorado. So, we wanted the feel of our wedding to very natural and organic. Almost everything was recycled – from the fabric on the table runners, the wood used to make the signs, the mason jars, it was all found through thrift stores, treasure hunting and estate sales.
Just about every aspect of our wedding was personally touched by us or someone we love. There were many nights spent laboring over details, constructing signs, painting, ironing, sewing, drafting programs. Everything was carefully planned and perfectly executed.
For my bridesmaids, I wanted dresses the girls could wear again. We found them at Anthropologie and they were only $50. I loved them so much, I got one for myself!
Piney River Ranch is amazing! The backdrop to our ceremony was so majestic, and couldn’t have been more perfect. We had Cole’s Uncle Robert officiate our ceremony because we wanted someone who knew us the best and loved us dearly to be the one to unite us.
We chose to write and share personal vows, and in honor of our athletic backgrounds, we asked Robert to flip a coin to see who would go first (to mimic a coin toss before a big game).
The table centerpiece boxes were made by Cole using reclaimed wood from an old fence.
The table runners were made using fabric found at an estate sale by Cole’s Grammie.
The wedding favors were homemade peach jelly, complete with hand crafted thank you cards.
We chose not to put too much décor throughout the reception, mainly because we did not want to take away from the natural beauty surrounding us. And I think our guests would agree – the scenery of Piney River Ranch is more than enough.
My advice: Enjoy the time you have to plan. If there is something you truly want, you can find a way to make it work. Be open to alternative ideas, and be creative!
THE WEDDING TEAM
Venue & Caterer: Piney River Ranch | Photographer: Chris McLaughlin, CMP Studios | Florist: 3 Leaf Floral | Cake: Mountain Flour
A Rustic Wedding on a Wyoming Ranch
From the bride, Danielle: We handmade just about everything from the arbor for the ceremony to the dance floor and bars. We also decorated every inch of the space.
My favorite homemade item was the lemonade stand that my uncle made for the flavored water.
The backdrop of lush green trees and a beautiful arbor (built by CJ & his Dad) required minimal décor to make a perfect location for the ceremony.
Watching the ring bearer and flower girl hold hands as they walked down the aisle calmed my nerves prior to making that same walk with my father.
Right as we were exchanging vows it began to rain, we got nervous and cut the ceremony reading. When we were announced husband and wife the rain stopped and the rest of the night was full of perfect weather and beautiful skies.
The reception was just a minutes’ walk away from the ceremony. We had the guests walk through a small opening in the bushes over a bridge into the vast opening at the lawn to see the spread of two tents, a dance floor, appetizer tables, bars, a fire pit, kids table, and lawn games.
The doilies on all the tables were collected from family and friends.
For favors, we had homemade S’mores bags. 
We had two large homemade pie tables, one under each tent, for dessert. Myself and a ton of family and friends all came together to make our dessert table a reality. Every pie just looked and tasted divine!
Looking back, there was nothing I would have changed. Except that we never cut the cake… we got too busy having fun and dancing with everyone and it just never happened.
My advice: Schedule everything out. I was told multiple times that I was the most specific and organized bride. I gave everyone in the family and bridal party a detailed timeline for the week/weekend so they knew where to be and when. There was no cell phone service at the location so it all needed to be planned ahead of time. Once the day came I knew I could relax because every single person knew where they needed to be, what needed to be done, and when. Because of that – I was able to truly relax and enjoy every moment of the wedding week. Also, get a good photographer. You only get to experience the day itself once, but with good pictures you get to see so many things all over again. I am so thankful for my photographer. I wouldn’t have asked for anything else from her. One final piece of advice – check with all your vendors about methods of payment that they accept – we had a little shocker with the rental company not accepting the type of credit card we were going to pay with (when we were there picking things up!)
Danielle & CJ’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photographer: Melissa Del Vecchio with Plum Pretty Photography – THE BEST!
Venue: Vee Bar Guest Ranch // Tent, Linens & Rentals: All Events Tent and Party Rental // Caterer: Caterings of Laramie // Bride’s Bouquet, Corsages, and Boutonnieres: Poppy’s Flowers
A Bohemian Wedding in Boulder, Colorado
From the bride, Aryn: We both attended Colorado State University, and although we moved for our careers following college, Colorado still felt like home. My sister lives in Boulder, and we realized we could have the intimate ceremony at her house, walk to amazing dining at Colterra, and return to have the reception without time limits typically set by venues. We decided to have the wedding in her backyard, not to save on cost, but to be somewhere we truly felt comfortable to enjoy the day and being together.
Everything was personalized and handmade! We draped burlap and chiffon fabric along the outside of the house, hung countless bulb lights, hung glass vases filled with wildflowers and candles, had pictures printed of us, incorporated antique trunks, mismatched antique chairs, vintage boxes and so many unique elements. Both of our names start with A, so we had A’s around the venue and tables. 
We loved vintage pieces mixed with the sort of effortless that bohemian and rustic offers. 
My husband and I spent hours writing our own ceremony that would mix our personalities and views on marriage. Writing it ourselves took a lot of work, but it was so personal and filled with love. Our brother in law married us, and brought such comfort to the ceremony since we know him so well. We wrote our own vows, and there was plenty of emotion all around!
Rain was threatening all day, but as we kissed for the first time, a loud rumble of thunder hit. Our guests still talk about it today and what perfect and crazy timing it was.
My husband and I have been together for 9 years before we got married, and have so many life events that have occurred. We handed out cards during cocktail hour for people to write their favorite memories, stories or ideas of our future. As we walked to dinner, we had “stations” set up with dates on a chalkboard that were meaningful for Aaron and I. At each stop, our friends and family shared what was on their card, and we were all able to talk and laugh as we took a trip down memory lane and our story came full circle at the last stop, our wedding day.
My advice: Relax and just be true to yourselves as couple. There is no “right” way to get married. It is such an emotional day, and should be focused on two people committing their lives together, not on what centerpiece you have. Stay focused on the real purpose, and your guests will feel that love and energy to create an unforgettable day.
Aryn & Aaron
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Ceremony Site: My sister’s house! Pick somewhere you feel comfortable!
Reception Site: Colterra and the back to my sister’s house for dancing, drinks and dessert. Colterra has an amazing patio and world-class food in a cozy setting. Also, they are farm to table and utilize local ingredients!
Event Planner: Ali Polson of Parties on a Pedestal. I cannot say enough about her ability to plan, create, remain calm, fun, supportive, etc. She made the day so special and totally unique to my now husband and I. Not only is she crazy talented and makes everything herself, she is calm, attentive, sweet, and was just perfect at planning the day and making it so much more than we ever expected.
Photographer: Michelle Koechle Photography. Michelle and her husband are masters at catching the emotions of the wedding. They are so easy and amazing to work with, my husband and I could just be ourselves, and they captured it perfectly. We now have a wall of our wedding pictures because we love them so much!
Mismatched Vintage Chairs: Chairs with Character // Florist: Longmont Florist // Cake: Colterra // Dessert Bar: Shamane’s Bake Shop // Bride’s Gown: J. Crew // Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropolgie // Hair & Makeup: Theresa of Voodoo Hair Lounge // DJ: Tip Top Entertainment // Musician: Dave Solzberg // Guest Lodging: Niwot Inn