Today’s styled shoot is full of fun, contemporary Bohemian wedding ideas that highlight dresses from David’s Bridal. Photographed by Chelsea Anderson Photography, the shoot starts off with a spectacular ceremony space, complete with a crocheted birch altar and wild greenery swag. What really stands out though is the bride’s trumpet lace and tulle gown from David’s Bridal. Just Dandy Events and Isha Foss Design created the whole scene, which had such a laid-back and sweet vibe.

After the ceremony, we see the cocktail hour—chic and modern with just a little bit of sparkle. With the intricate architecture and gardens, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the site of this beautiful styled shoot, we are taken to an eclectic, elegant setting. Did we mention the lovely bridesmaids who are wearing convertible, elegant long mesh dresses (perfect for all shapes and sizes!) also from David’s Bridal?

After the ceremony, we see the cocktail hour—chic and modern with just a little bit of sparkle. With the intricate architecture and gardens, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the site of this beautiful styled shoot, we are taken to an eclectic, elegant setting. Did we mention the lovely bridesmaids who are wearing convertible, elegant long mesh dresses (perfect for all shapes and sizes!) also from David’s Bridal?

Vendors:

Photography: Chelsea Anderson Photography

Concept Design: Aisle Society

Event Production: Tidewater and Tulle

Bridalwear and Bridesmaid Gowns: Trumpet Bridal Gown – Style: SWG681 and Versa Convertible Mesh Dress – Style: F15782 in Mystic via David’s Bridal

Event Coordination: Just Dandy Events

Florals and Styling: Isha Foss Design

Hair and Makeup: Behind the Veil Studio

Cake and Sweets: Everything Emma

Stationery: Sue Corral Ink

Venue: Norfolk Botanical Garden

Menswear: Mens Wearhouse

Tableware: Sweetwater Cuisine

Furniture Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals

Sponsored Post.

A cake topper is a fun way to express your personality as a couple. We’ve found 10 awesome cake toppers from Etsy that will inspire you to get creative!

This simple Cupid’s arrow cake topper from icing101 is a unique addition to any theme.

Your guests will definitely get a kick out of this love birds cake topper from ThePinkOwlDesigns.

Having a woodland themed wedding? We suggest this metallic gold deer cake topper from LillyOmaDesigns.

These bamboo simple heart tree cake toppers by Cabin are simple – and awesome!

Love the geometric trend? We suggest this geometric shaped cake topper from TheRocShop.

A glamorous bride and groom need an equally glamorous cake topper like this glitzy personalized, Mr. and Mrs. cake topper from BetterOffWed.

We are crushing on this adorable personalized chalkboard, banner wedding cake topper from ThePaperWalrus.

You can transform your cake top into a colorful garden with this fun personalized paper cut cake topper with paper flowers from FrancesandFrancis.

There is something really sweet and elegant about this wooden tree cake topper from WeddingRusticDeco.

If you’re a couple looking for a whimsical cake topper, we recommend this beautiful owl cake topper from MorganTheCreator.

*This post includes Etsy Affiliate links

Gemstone rings have been making a huge comeback in recent years, and we couldn’t be happier. They are a gorgeous alternative to traditional diamond wedding rings. Today, we’re highlighting ten of our favorite gemstone rings from Etsy.

Let’s kick off this list with a hypnotizing alexandrite ring by metalicious. We absolutely love the deep purple sparkle of the alexandrite stone!

Brighter than our previous pick, this beautiful blue opal ring by OritNaar looks like a crown with its five stunning gemstones.

This gorgeous handcrafted blue sapphire ring by stonesandgold is to die for. The shape of this ring really stands out, and would work well paired with any round-stoned engagement ring.

For a ring that skips the diamonds, but still catches the eye, this enchanting blue spinel ring by fifthheaven is exactly what you’re looking for.

Though emerald is a color rarely represented in wedding rings, this beautiful custom made ring by metalicious make us want more!

With an intricate braided design and a beautiful blue stone, this sunstone wedding band by JewellRay is a perfect diamond alternative.

When you can’t just pick one color, this labradorite wedding ring by MineralRare is what you need. Labradorite is known to change colors based on lighting, so you don’t have to choose!

This enchanting and elegant purple sapphire ring by louisagallery is breathtaking.  With a stone that’s the perfect shade of purple paired with a stunning emerald cut, how could we resist?

Dark and mysterious, this beautiful topaz ring by fifthheaven is reminiscent of a medieval romance. With incredible detail and a big bright stone, this ring will blow everyone away.

Lastly, this light and dainty white topaz ring by OritNaar is perfect for the bride who would prefer a more understated ring.

* This post contains Etsy affiliate links

When it came to their wedding day, Madelene and Peter knew exactly what they didn’t want – a stiff, traditional church wedding. Instead, the couple gathered up their friends and family, hired an officiant (complete with traditional Swedish garb), put a bow tie on their adorable pup, and got married on the beach in the rain. After their simple ceremony, the couple celebrated with a Swedish wedding smörgåsbord and Swedish cheesecake.

Keeping their wedding small and intimate allowed the couple to save lots of money (always a bonus!), but more importantly, it let them stay true to themselves and have fun in the process!

Thanks to Photo by Betsy for sending over this lovely wedding!

Madelene, 31 & Peter, 30

Location: Vättern (the lake) in Habo, Sweden

Wedding Date: June 19, 2015

Number of Guests: 50

Wedding Cost: $1000; $2500 with rings

Wedding Ceremony Location: small private beach by Vättern

Wedding Reception Location: At our house in Habo where we put up a party tent in the backyard.

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We wanted to be surrounded by people that really know and care for us, people that we could be ourselves with. We did not want a traditional, stiff wedding in a church. We both love the simple life, nature, and animals so we wanted to have our dog Maui with us, and somewhere where the children could run and have fun.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

It was difficult to not get stuck in the traditional way of thinking –”the way you’re supposed to get married”– and instead keep it small, really daring to do what we wanted and felt we should do.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list? 

Yes, at first. We didn’t want to exclude anyone, but when we started thinking about it, we knew who we really wanted to share our day with – our closest family and friends. We did divide our wedding into two with only our families at the ceremony. We then had two receptions, one for family and one for our friends. We loved doing it that way.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

Thankfully, we had no issues.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The highlights were being outside by the lake, the intimacy, and that there was no stress and we could just be ourselves.

What were the highlights of the reception?

Having two, one for family and then a barbecue party for our friends where we could be even less formal and more relaxed.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

There was no stress and we could be ourselves. And it was cheap!

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Do it! Don’t stress. Have fun.

Vendors:

Photographer: Photo by Betsy

Today, Allie Anderson from Presh Events shares a gorgeous Southern California shoot with the theme of rustic elegance. The shoot features a bride with stylish, long, loose curls and a floral wreath crown.

With rich gold, green and maroon tones, this styled shoot is perfect inspiration for late summer and early fall brides. We are just adoring all the spectacular little details, like the artichoke centerpieces. So perfect for the eco-friendly or outdoorsy bride!

Here’s what Allie had to say about the styled shoot photographed by Kimberlee Miller Photography:

The Ceremony Style

The most common request a couple will have with their planner is a unique experience for guests that showcases their story. For this styled shoot, we pictured a couple who wanted a more intimate feel for themselves and their guests of only close family and friends to enjoy. Turning a wedding venue into an unthinkable surrounding is the key to the exclusive experience a couple wants. We decided on Hartley Botanica– a botanical garden wedding venue in Southern California. 

For the ceremony setting, we chose a variety of vintage furniture ranging from a burgundy tufted chair to an extravagant Victorian couch. We took twelve vintage pieces with wooden chairs chosen at random and scattered them around the ceremony site…. Delicate ivory laced cloth was placed on dark walnut coffee tables arranged around the antique couches and chairs. We placed at various eye-levels an arbitrary collection of gold trinkets and loose organic flowers as a centerpiece. The finished feel was cozy and warm with a “secret garden” vibe.

The Reception Look

For the reception, we delicately styled a large dark oak table with rare china place settings, diverse vintage wooden chairs, a burgundy settee for the bride and groom, and a plethora of romantic floral and decor. Although the table decor was picked at random, the gold-rimmed dinner plates and champagne flutes, brown goblets, and marsala linen napkins coordinated together through-out. Our floral designer surprised us all with her chocolate-smelling orchid mixed in the abundance of a deliciously rich garland.

Including something handmade by the couple makes guests feel a connection with the bride and groom. For the styled shoot, we added a splash of DIY decor by draping a handmade burgundy and laced fabric stripped banner above the dinner setting. 

The “Bride”

It is easy for brides to get carried away with current wedding trends instead of considering their own style for the big day. For our shoot, we hired a model that we thought would work really well with our ambiance. Haley has lengthy thick red hair and we had to take that into careful consideration when working with the colors and style we chose. Her hair blended exceptionally well with the color composition and contemporary garden scenery … Our florist designed a bold and beautiful flower crown for Haley to wear that matched her bridal bouquet. 

Finding a dress in a silhouette that works best for a bride can be exhausting if she gets caught up in the moment of trying on the trendy dress in the window of the bridal shop. Elizabeth Mackenzie is one of the best custom dress designers in Southern California. She found in her stash a floor-length sheath-style gown that flows straight down from top to bottom for Haley’s tall, narrow shape. With our fabulous team of vendors working together, Haley made quite the statement!

The Cake

An ivory layer of luxurious ruffled fondant, a simple blanket of thick pearly icing and a coat of gorgeous gold sequins made this cake dazzling and delicious. With just a couple of small roses to add to the top, Frost It Cupcakery made the cake speak for itself!

Vendors:

Venue: Hartley Botanica

Planners/Designers: Presh Events

Photographer: Kimberlee Miller Photography

Rentals: Party Pleasers

Tabletop Decor: Otis + Pearl Vintage Rentals

Cake: Frost It

Florist: Petaling a Dream

Bridal Gown: Elizabeth Mackenzie Designs

Hair + Makeup: Le Rouge Artistry

Model: Hayley Cariker