by Jen Hart | Bohemian Brides, Real Weddings
The Boho Bride & Her Flowy Wedding Dress
Paige and Tyler’s story is one of patience, friendship and two people who took the time to get to know one another before deciding to spend their lives together. It was Paige’s freshman year when a friend told her about a great looking guy who shared her love for God and before she knew it; he was knocking on her door, inviting her for a game of sand volleyball, one of his favorite pastimes. Flops, socks and a cheetah print bikini and Tyler was obviously hooked…the road to a romantic relationship, however, was going to be a long one, in spite of the fact that they both had strong feelings for one another from the get go.
They became close friends, even journeying to Spain together to study during their junior year. Some people have a lot of patience…I certainly don’t know if I would make it as far as they did before calling it like it is. The plus side is that, by the time they got together, they would know for sure whether or not it was meant to be. Six months after their stay abroad, they began spending more one on one time together and soon, that one on one time turned into dates.
After spending their last school year, at Cal Poly, as a couple, college loomed and a forced separation was imminent. Paige got a job in Southern California, while Tyler stayed on an extra year to finish his degree. They got together during holidays and some weekends, counting down the days to when they’d be living in the same city again. That day would be a long time coming, as Paige moved to Texas for graduate school and Tyler remained in California, working and applying for medical school.
Three years of long distance later, their paths finally took them to the same city again. Tyler began medical school in California and Paige landed a job close by. It was only a month later that Tyler asked her to be his wife…he’d had plenty time to think things through. Paige was, of course, well and truly surprised. Paige’s mom had been in town visiting and for some reason she’d thought he’d definitely not pop any big question while her mom was so close at hand.
One morning, Tyler nonchalantly invited Paige to join him on a hiking trail he’d heard about from a classmate. Since she loves exploring new places, she was keen as can be but she certainly wasn’t prepared for what Tyler had planned. Arriving at the hiking spot, there was a choice of two paths to take, one of which was paved and full of people, the other a little more rugged and definitely more intriguing to Paige. Tyler had thought she’d need convincing to take that particular path with him but, that day, he was in luck as she lunged, determine to take THAT path and no other.
On reaching the top of the hill trail, he wrapped his arm around her and a few moments later Paige was greeted by a sight she’ll never forget. There before them was a table set up with flowers and a card, overlooking a breathtaking lakeside vision. Paige had waited years for that day and couldn’t hold back the tears as he ushered her to a spot between two trees and got down on one knee. She later learned that there had been GoPros positioned in the trees and that a stealthy friend had flown in to take sneaky photos of them from a distant hiding spot. It was more romantic than she ever could have dreamed.
All about her Laid-back Flowy Wedding Dress
When it came to finding her perfect, laid back boho wedding dress, Paige knew what she wanted. She was very particular, she loved lace but was very picky about what kind of lace she wanted; she also planned to steer clear of bedazzlement, tulle, poof and the dreaded outcome of walking down the aisle like a heavily decorated cupcake. More than anything, Paige wanted to feel comfortable on her wedding day.
After many a long afternoon and night, scouring Instagram and Pinterest, she became aware of the fact that she had saved multiple pictures of different brides, all wearing the same boho flowy wedding dress, the Lisa. Not only was Lisa the epitome of her wedding dress dreams, the About Us page on the D&L website made her fall even more in love, Dreamers & Lovers and the laid back Lisa dress spoke to her, they WERE her!
Despite the fact that she’d already found ‘the one,’ Paige booked appointments at local boutiques so that her and her mom could do the ‘girl thing’ when her mom came to visit. She’d tell the assistants that she wanted long sleeves, comfortable, no glitter and preferably soft lace. The thing is, she couldn’t get the Lisa out of her mind. A short while later she ordered Lisa and Aurora to try on from Dreamers & Lovers but dreading the idea of not having her bridesmaids close at hand for the big try-on, she decided to fly up to Northern California and convince the gals to skip work and join her for an impromptu appointment. The choice was clear, Aurora, which was brand new at the time, was to be the one. Paige couldn’t have been happier in a million years.
Details of her Chic Bohemian Wedding
Location was of the utmost importance to the couple, who ended up getting married on the lawn at Paige’s aunt and uncle’s house in Northern Michigan, overlooking the most magnificent lake. When Paige was in high school she’d spend a few weeks there each summer and she’d always envisioned a wedding there. When her family offered, she jumped at the chance and looked forward to spending the day with 95 nearest and dearest, many of who had to catch a plane flight to get to the enchanting Michigan venue.
Jamie, at Pontius Flowers, helped Paige bring her imagination to life with organic, boho blooms and tons of fresh greenery. Because the planning was long distance, the couple enlisted the help of friends and family who lived closer to the destination during planning. Her cousin built a beautiful bar by hand, along with corn hole boards made out of pallet wood; her uncle made a birch wood arch and easel and Paige and her bestie worked together with watercolors and love to make original wedding stationary. Before the couple’s send off, another one of Paige’s beloved cousins treated the couple and guests to the ultimate firework show. It’s those details, which required the help of loved ones that the couple will remember the most.
Tyler and Paige are big on pie, so they visited a local bakery and ordered an assortment for the reception, while a friendly neighbor on the lake contributed some of her famous raspberry pies. On top of that, since Paige’s gran is somewhat traditional, a small, semi-naked, white wedding cake with raspberry filling was ordered for the two lovebirds to cut together.
Vows were self written, with Paige’s favorite from Tyler being: ‘You are my priority on this earth and I vow to rely on the strength of our Heavenly Father to shoulder the challenges we will face and always protect you and our marriage.’ Tyler’s favorite line from Paige’s was: ‘You bring laughter and joy into our loves and you always know how to make me smile. I feel so proud I get to call you my husband and so honored that you would call me your wife.’ Readings were Genesis 2:18-24, Matthew 19:4-5 and Romans 11:36.
“if you can’t afford a wedding planner, find a way to afford one! Even if you’re a control freak, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by letting someone smooth out details in the last week and especially on the day”
Paige’s advice for boho brides to be is that, “if you can’t afford a wedding planner, find a way to afford one! Even if you’re a control freak, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by letting someone smooth out details in the last week and especially on the day”. 2500 Miles away from the wedding venue, with a 3 hour time difference, Paige found herself having to wake up extra early to call vendors before work. Another challenge was choosing vendors based purely on internet searches, especially with Northern Michigan being a little behind California in terms of wedding resources…actually, with some vendors, there was only one choice available!
At the end of the day, the pair loved everything about how the wedding turned out. It was an unforgettable celebration, especially for all the loved ones who flew in for the event. They were blessed with perfect weather all weekend and spent the days boating and swimming in the lake. It wasn’t a stretch for friends and family to understand exactly why the couple had chosen that particular, far away venue.
Now, with Tyler half way through medical school and Paige working in public health as a registered dietician, the couple is looking forward to their long future together. They live in Northern California now but are both ecstatic about their planned move for Tyler’s medical residency. Little ones are surely on the cards but no time soon, for now it’s all about enjoying their time together and appreciated uninterrupted sleep for a few years, if they can help it. We wish them years of adventure, romance, friends and family!
Wedding Photographer: Jenna Borst Photography
To see other boho brides wearing the Aurora and other Flowy wedding dress styles see our Photo Album
For a listing of our complete lineup of bohemian wedding dresses go here
by Jen Hart | Bohemian Brides, Real Weddings
Now, I’ve come across a good many photographers who are light crazy, meaning…there snaps are always clear and crisp and more often than not heavily posed in order to make the most of LIGHT, LIGHT, LIGHT. Haley Nord is not one of those, in fact, her use of shadow and her ability to capture the magic in situations of natural shadow and just about any light is no less than inspiring.
Looking through a portfolio of her shots of happy couples with their friends and family, it’s hard to believe that these are just ordinary people and not seasoned fashion models being paid megabucks to look awesome. This is a wedding photographer that Dreamers and Lovers just couldn’t pass up recommending.
Haley’s had a camera in her hand since she was a teenager but it was on leaving school that she started to realize that this was the path she wanted to follow for the rest of her life. Editorial and fashion photography emblazoned itself upon her heart, she fell in love with her ability to manifest mood and drama with no more than a camera and an understanding of light. I say ‘no more than’ but really, Haley’s understanding of light is clearly a God given talent, her wedding work is quite extraordinary…
Her motto of ‘fear is a liar’ shines through in her work, with images that are real and glorious, she manages to communicate the beauty in angles and scenarios that the ‘traditional wedding photographer’ would, perhaps, walk away from. The result is that raw bohemian enchantment that D&L brides were born for.
The only advice she has for brides when she’s on the job, ‘breath in, sink in, relax!
Haley maintains that it was no specific event, which triggered her to embrace the wedding photography industry. She sincerely finds joy in documenting that which is sacred and dear to the parties involved…she’s touching lives and she loves that. The only advice she has for brides when she’s on the job, ‘breath in, sink in, relax!’
It’s clear that Haley’s no stranger to love and she may even be something of a serious, die-hard romantic. Reading through Haley’s unmistakably boho website, www.haleynordphotography.com, I discovered that her beloved boyfriend is behind her every step of the way and that she credits him with teaching her how to find the beauty in life’s ‘little things.’
One of the other things, which make Haley such a perfect boho wedding photographer, is her preference for story-driven, editorial style work. She’s no fan of posting one photo at a time, for Haley it’s about seed…to a bud…to a rose…to a windstorm of stunning petals and a very, very happy ending! She wants people not just to see but also FEEL the story from start to finish and she gets it right every single time.
Haley’s photographic stories exude the feelings of the people captured in them; she’s not shy about getting close and personal, about getting real. For the couples who’ve left compliments on her website, they can hardly express their joy at being able to truly relive those moments, so much feeling has she captured in her work.
Haley’s style is really a mixture of just letting things unfold, anticipating moments and influencing outcomes
Haley’s style is really a mixture of just letting things unfold, anticipating moments and influencing outcomes. She’s more hands-on during formal shoots but beyond that she manages to create that million dollar editorial quality out of just about anything that happens during the day. There are artists who’ve inspired her during her life but not all of them are photographers…to name a few, Stevie Nicks, Theo Gosselin, Cormac McCarthy and Wong Kar-wai, specifically his film, “In the mood for love.”
Like many ‘meant to be’ photographers, Haley has a soft spot for shooting on film and because she, herself, learned in film, she always encourages others to experiment with it…in order to capture the extraordinary scenes she does at weddings though, she always shoots digital.
…that time a particular mother of the bride approached her to say thank you for showing her daughter how beautiful she is, not in a superficial way but for real
We’ve no doubt Haley receives plenty of heartfelt thank-you’s and compliments on her outstanding and inspired work but one that’s definitely stuck in her mind is the time a particular mother of the bride approached her to say thank you for showing her daughter how beautiful she is, not in a superficial way but for real. Haley says she’s never felt more flattered in her life because she always aims to show people the little beautiful things about themselves.
CREDITS: All photos here are by Haley Nord. The second and third photo, is of real bride Beth wearing the Dreamers & Lovers Azalea dress and Cindy veil.
by Jen Hart | Bohemian Wedding Dresses, California Wedding, Real Weddings
Julia..her ‘Julia’ Bohemian Wedding Dress and Mark
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Every so often, a free-spirited bride-to-be walks into the studio that Yanique feels she just won’t ever be able to forget. Sometimes, like in Julia’s case, the bride envisions and wears the dress sooo ethereally well that the designer feels it’s only right to name it in their honor.
The story about how Mark and Julia met is a new millennium tale and while their first steps may not seem like romance movie material to Julia… the fact is that, in her heart, some serious alignments were taking place which would give birth to her life’s poetry, Love, which just keeps growing. So, yes, Tinder can make dreams come true. Neither of them were serious about the online dating thing, it was a matter of friends coaxing them on from the get-go.
So that fateful Right Swipe happened in August of 2012, after which it took a few good weeks of chatting on the app and getting to know one another before they were ready to exchange phone numbers and organize a real date. The date was set for a Mexican restaurant near where Mark lived, called Habana. Unfamiliar with the spot and its surrounds, Julia rocked up a full hour late for their first date, after not knowing what to wear and getting seriously lost en-route. Flustered to the brink, Julia remembers the way that nervous energy dissipated on joining Mark at the table and how she so quickly needed to accept the reality of his serious handsomeness.
The Blind Date and Kiss of a Lifetime
That blind date stretched on into the hours, with tales told on a whim that both of them had previously felt to keep secret. Julia was swept up in the intrigue of him, his manners and how easily he made her laugh. In her center she felt the poem come to life that night and was grateful when he walked her to her car and said goodbye with a kiss. She could actually kind of hear the fireworks going off in the distance; something was definitely going on here. That event is now safely filed under Julia’s ‘Kiss of a Lifetime’ heading.
Since Julia had been single for such an age before that first date, she liked to joke that if Mark hadn’t popped the question within 3 years, it would be time to break up. It was a joke but Julia did believe that after couple of years, that’s when you’d know whether this was for the long run. While Julia’s pretty sure that she would have been prepared to wait for him forever, she didn’t have to wait that long: only 2 years and 10 months.
The pair was invited on a 2-week trip all through Iceland; a van, friends and the county. They couldn’t contain their excitement; they’d never been to Europe and for them it felt like the opportunity of a lifetime. Julia knows that God serendipitously opened all the doors to make the special trip possible. Of course, Julia was secretly holding thumbs for a proposal but she knew it was wiser to keep her mind off the idea and just enjoy the trip.
“Jules, you are going to get that ice in Iceland!”
The thing is that her friends had caught on and the official group joke was: “Jules, you are going to get that ice in Iceland!” As a result, she simply couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of getting engaged to the man of her wildest dreams, while exploring one of the most beautiful places on earth.
On the 9th day of their epic journey, Mark kept raving about a ‘Black Rock Beach’ that featured very close to the top his ‘Must See’ list. This obviously tugged on Julia’s hopes but alas, after visiting said beach, there’d still been no proposal. That’s when Julia decided that she was 1000% sure that she had the wrong idea.
On the road to their next sightseeing, Mark suggested that she change into something really cute, so that they could do one of their customary photo-shoots at the waterfall where Justin Bieber shot his music video, “I’ll show you.” Julia rather likes JB so she figured that she could probably use a more Instagram-able getup. Taking pictures at their destinations is something of an obsession for them so Julia definitely didn’t think the request at all suspicious.
Once they got to Skogafoss Waterfall, Mark scouted for the ideal spot for their friends to take a few photos…this was nothing unusual for the group. That’s when Julia felt like the whole world went into slow motion. As Mark turned to her, he took her hand and got down to his knee. She sort of blanked out at that point and actually has no idea what words came out of her mouth, nor can she recall Mark’s actual words. Oh well, we’re thinking that the answer must have been something that sounded like 1000% YESSS!!!!
Speaking of epic journeys, Julia’s hunt for her totally unreal, totally exquisite, totally HER boho wedding dress was like running into a brick wall at first. Her and her sister had been on the hunt for a few months already, when her sister discovered Dreamers & Lovers on etsy.com. She instantly saw sparks and just knew that she needed to book an appointment on the double.
Julia’s vision involved a laid back, long sleeve gown with a dramatic plunging neckline and infinitely feminine lace right through. She now sees that trip to visit Yanique at the studio as the second best decision she’s made in her life thus far. In Julia’s words, Yanique is a beauty with a truly incredible talent. After slipping into a few D&L boho wedding dresses, she laid hands on the Lisa, at which point she and her entourage of lady-fam fell in love with the gorgeous lace, the long sleeves, and the plunging V-backline.
The Birth of the Julia Boho Wedding Dress
The only thing is, Julia had hopes for a plunging neckline and not a plunging back. In a burst of creative spirit, she asked Yanique if she could actually try the Lisa dress on backwards. To everyone’s awe, she came out of that dressing room as though her hopes and dreams had come alive. With the help of Yanique’s skilled and thoughtful seamstresses, D&L took every aspect of her vision on board and a few tweaks later; she had HER bohemian wedding dress, straight from laid-back heaven.
Pop-Up Wedding How-to…Solved!
Plans were set in place for an intimate wedding ceremony with just 23 of their nearest and dearest. Their reception, however, was to be a full on celebration with 150 friends and family partying it up into the night.
Finding a destination for their pop-up, outdoor, desert wedding was to be the greatest challenge; they found it so difficult to decide. They only settled on the perfect location 2 short months before the date; well after their extraordinary photographer, India Earl; their videographer, Max Cutrone, their florist, Leelina Martin and their AirBn’Bs had all been booked.
The mission was to have all 23 guests hop onto a 1 1/2 hour party bus ride to a pop-up ceremony on the Salt Flats in Palm Springs, CA, right in the middle of the desert. The couple will never forget that moment when the bus finally pulled over to the side of the road at Amboy Salt Flats. That’s when the guys sprang into fire-drill-like action, grabbing the macramé-decorated altar, ghost chairs and the rug for the ceremony and building it up from nothing in the space of an hour.
Julia felt like someone might pinch her awake at any moment, when her bridesmaids and mom helped her zip up her ‘Julia’ in the bus as the boys worked miracles outside before their eyes. The feeling of love and support from their dear friends and family, who helped them make their wild pop-up in the middle of sublime nowhere a bright reality. The location picked was at 7840 Amboy Road, Palm Springs, CA.
As for flowers, Julia’s favorite specimen is the King Protea so that’s what she chose for her bouquet, Leelina accented it with dusty swathes of eucalyptus, olive branches, silver tree, silver dollar seeds and the bridesmaids had the same dusty green eucalyptus vibe.
Oh, and since Julia has a weak spot for desert plants like cacti and succulents, she opted for a simplistic naked cake with desert arrangements for accents.
The Readings
Readings were an integral part of the ceremony so, in Julia’s words, here’s what their beliefs entail and what they chose to have included in the ceremony:
God ordained marriage to be unique and to be the most deeply covenantal relationship possible by incorporating both horizontal and vertical agreements. If we were to see a picture of this, it would resemble a cross. For example, Ephesians 5:3 states that in marriage two individuals cleave together and become one flesh. The word ‘cleave’ emphasizes the Hebrew meaning of a man and a woman literally becoming glued together through a binding oath. This is the horizontal binding. Then, the beautiful nature of God’s perfect love for His people and what He desires for a married couple is expressed in 1 Corinthians 13:
“Love is slow to lose patience. Love is not possessive. It does not pursue selfish advantage. Love never gives up and never loses faith. It is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.”
This is the example of God’s love, which is the binding agent for the married couple. This is the vertical binding. So, pictorially, husband and wife together and then their married partnership in union with God form the full nature of the Cross.
The Vows
Self written vows were extremely hard for Julia, who says that there just aren’t enough words in the dictionary to truly explain the eternal kind of love she has for Mark. She could only describe her feelings and how Mark changed her life as a lightning bolt. Lightning bolts strike only once, in one spot and at one time. They have a purpose about where they strike and they most certainly leave a lifelong mark. The lightning bolt lights up the sky fast and if you’re not looking or paying attention you may just miss it. When it happens it might make you very nervous for a second but the aftermath is breathtaking.
Here are Julia’s own words:
Mark struck my heart with his love like no one else has done before and will ever do again. He lights up my world with his catching personality, laugh, and affection. I wasn’t looking for love, but it just happened to fall-like a lightning bolt…straight into my life. And I knew in my heart that there was something about this caring, tender man that I wanted more of. His love is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced and it leaves me in awe.
Next on the horizon for this angelic boho couple, who stole the hearts of the whole Dreamers & Lovers team, is thoroughly relishing the married life, seeing where it all takes them with traveling, puppies and even cacti and then, of course, starting their own new family!!
Vendors
Photographer: India Earl
HMUA: Kayla-Arielle
Florist: Leelina Martin
by Jen Hart | Backless Wedding Dresses, Bohemian Wedding Dresses, Elopement
Shay and Tony’s Elopement Wedding At The Top Of The World
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love at first sight exists and life can be very, very good indeed
Looking at pics of Shay and Tony on their wedding day, gazing out over a sea of green and rolling hills, with the cotton wool clouds in the distance almost in line with where they’re standing…I can hardly believe this doesn’t come from a magazine photo-shoot. The fairytale doesn’t end with the mountain top wedding venue they picked, it’s full of crazy romance that goes to prove, love at first sight exists and life can be very, very good indeed.
The couple met because of a coworker of Shay’s, Travis. Their circle of friends was mostly female, since they’re all elementary school teachers. Shay wanted to help find some buddies for her friend and chose to do it in a rather odd way, through Tinder! Tony’s profile listed him as an elementary school teacher who was new to their area and since Shay’s friend group was visiting the state fair that weekend, she asked if he’d be interested in joining, for Travis’s sake, of course. Tony was keen on meeting new people and happy to oblige. His condition though, was that he and Shay first meet in person, the next day, at a coffee shop.
With the suspicious smell of a ‘date’ in the air, Shay was about ready to back out last minute but her friends managed to convince her otherwise and thank goodness for that! The first thing Shay remembers thinking on seeing Tony waiting for her at the coffee shop was, “oh my gosh, I’m in SO much trouble.
Shay had the distinct feeling she’d just experienced LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
A cup of coffee turned into two and the hours seemed just to slip away with Shay feeling as if she’d been reunited with a long lost best friend. They discovered a wealth of parallels between them, in their pasts and their future plans and when they finally parted at day’s end, Shay had the distinct feeling she’d just experienced LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. From there on out, the pair was inseparable.
Interestingly, Shay said yes to the boho dress even before an official proposal had happened. The summer after they met, the couple was traveling in Ecuador and it was then that Tony shared the fact that he did, indeed, plan to marry Shay and since that was her hope too, she decided she might as well be prepared. She’s spotted a laid back wedding dress on Pinterest and began scouring the net for its like; it didn’t occur to her to follow the pinned link, hehe; but when nothing came up after a couple of weeks searching, she finally clicked it and wham!
Shay describes her Dreamers & Lovers experience as one of the most ‘no-fuss’ processes she’s ever been a part of
After that it was smooth sailing and Shay describes her Dreamers & Lovers experience as one of the most ‘no-fuss’ processes she’s ever been a part of. First she ordered a sample dress to try on and after that, she picked her own colors for the lace and underlay, got her measurements taken and ordered her custom boho wedding gown. When the final product arrived, she let it stay in its packaging for weeks without peeking because she wanted to try it on for the first time when her mother and best friend were with her in Charlotte, over the holidays.
Then, when the couple was driving to Charlotte, Shay mused that she was disappointed to not be having one of those Hollywood ‘yes to the dress’ moments. So, unbeknownst to her, the afternoon of the reveal, Tony orchestrated a distraction to get her out of the family home for a few hours. While she was out, he gave her childhood bedroom a dress shop makeover, with white sheets, a tri-fold mirror and a mimosa bar! I’m sorry but…what, whaaat, whaaaaattt???!!! Needless to say, the family support and the unearthly romantic whim displayed by her soon-to-be, made for an absolutely unforgettable day. We think you made the right decision with this one, Shay.
The official proposal happened when Tony took her out on a special date night, first to the coffee shop where they met, then to their favorite restaurant and then to the first brewery they’d visited together (since they’re both craft beer mad). Everywhere they went, Shay was sure he’d propose but when they kept ordering the check with no ring, She started to think she’s been mistaken. At last, they visited their favorite ice-cream parlor to order a take-home pint and then headed home to relax after a long work week.
Shay was putting a record on in the living room when she heard Tony groan, “oh man!” She called to find out what was amiss and he told her there was something wrong with the ice cream. She was quite incredulous, since their favorite parlor is the bizznizz and their snow, absolutely flawless.
That’s when he cried, “Really, there’s something in it!” Shay was a wreck, not only was she not going to be proposed to tonight…her favorite treat was now ruined. She ventured to the kitchen to investigate and when he handed her the tub to open, there it was! She looked up to find him down on one knee, making a speech about Love which she can’t remember since she was so consumed with love and joy that she couldn’t pay attention. Even though she’s not a girl that squeals, she squealed then…and the answer was YES! Once Tony had licked the ice-cream off the ring and they’d both had a proper laugh, it was time for more scrumptious ice-cream!
Rings were a very special aspect of this couple’s wedding and even though they chose to elope, the rings were a way for them to pay tribute to their families. Shay’s engagement ring is a solitaire containing the diamond from her parents’ engagement ring, which they gave to him when he asked for their blessing. Shay’s wedding band contains diamonds from Tony’s grandmother, symbolic of September, the month when they met, while paying homage to his Gran. Tony designed Shay’s wedding band, taking inspiration from the band Shay’s parents had had designed for them, which wraps the solitaire to resemble petals. For the couple, seeing those truly precious stones was incredibly poignant, as was knowing that they’d always carry their families with them.
During college, Shay had discovered a special hiking spot, overlooking the hills, where she’d done plenty soul searching. A few weeks after meeting, with the leaves in peak season, they took a day trip from Ashville up the parkway. They packed a picnic and made their way to the breathtaking spot, realizing they’d never enjoyed adventuring with any one else quite as much. They made many memories there, visiting it on weekends, but the biggest memory of all was when they had their ceremony there.
The only people in attendance were the maid and man of honor (cum officiant), Elle and Joe, as well as their photographer. They kept their elopement secret, everyone thought they were marrying in September but that was in fact to be their reception only, to which everyone dear to them (about 75 people) had been invited.
Shay’s ‘bachelorette’ party consisted of her MOH and her running around their college town in the misty rain, collecting wildflowers for their bouquets and the boys’ boutonnieres. They even did a few park, jump and run moves, thieving blooms from their old campus gardens and scouring the fields and parks all night, reminiscing about old times and contemplating the future. They ended up using Queen Anne’s Lace, fern leaves and some little, red, bell shaped flowers they’d found on their way up the Blue Ridge Parkway to reach their cabin.
The boys’ ‘bachelor’s’ was a similar mission, hiking the trail to the wedding site to open up foliage on route between the clearing where Shay and her Elle would be getting changed (so awesome!) and the ‘top of the world’ rock face where they’d have the first look and ceremony. While the boys were up there preparing, a huge cloud had rolled in and completely enveloped them. Indeed, Shay had been on her toes all week with thunderstorm warnings for the area but they were in luck when shortly afterwards, at sunrise, they got married overlooking a million hills with no rain, yet!
Picture this…they hiked up before dawn, the girls changing into their dresses in the dew-damp forest and carefully removing the bandanas that had covered their hair just before it was time. Up on the rock face the best friends shared an intimate and touching ceremony, telling tales of both their friendships between them and the new love that was being officiated.
Shay, we are going to get VERY old together, and I vow to let you grow and change as we do. Our lives will change and so will we.”
The couple wrote their own vows to one another, affirming each other and making some quirky promises in the process, such as not stealing the sheets, for example. Shay’s favorite line from his letter was “Shay, we are going to get VERY old together, and I vow to let you grow and change as we do. Our lives will change and so will we.” Tony’s favorite from her’s was: “I love how we explore and learn and play… the way you hold my hand when we fall asleep. And I love all your amazing dance moves. You have brought so much laughter and fun and light into my life.”
After taking the pictures that still catch their breath when they look through them, the crew drank champagne and took in the incredible view. Lucky for them, the promised rains only came once they’d reached the clearing and changed back into their hiking clothes. Shay was delighted to not have to get her D&L dress wet!
Time for their reception came a few months later and they were thrilled to have the opportunity to share that experience with family and friends but also felt really affirmed in their decision to have an intimate elopement at their favorite place in the world rather than a crowded ceremony…it had been a sacred joining between just them.
For the reception, Shay’s MOH (a professional baker) created a spectacular cake as one of her gifts to them. It was almond vanilla with a delicious buttercream frosting. There were three tiers and encircling each tier were sprigs of rosemary. Rosemary s a special herb for the couple and something they used a lot at their reception, it was on their invites and in a delicious lemonade drink they served their happy guests. The top tier of the cake was crowned with a bulb of Queen Anne’s Lace which, being Shay’s favorite flower, was present at both the wedding and the reception.
All I can say is, wow. That is an untraditional bohemian wedding story for the books! For the future…since the couple discovered their shared dream to teach internationally on their very first date, they’re in the process of applying for teaching jobs abroad. They plan to travel for 5 years and then settle in the states to raise a family. We couldn’t be happier for this beautiful couple and we’ve no doubt at all that their every dream is bound to come true.
The Catherine Dress can also be seen on more brides here and here
Photos by MorningWild Photography here at http://morningwild.com
by Jen Hart | Bohemian Wedding Dresses, Real Weddings
Kara & Devin’s Tiny Intimate Tofino Wedding
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I guess Kara and Devin are what you’d call high school sweethearts, Devin having first noticed Kara back in grade 8, when her red hair streaked past him in a race one sports day. They officially met for the first time in grade 10, when PE role call had them sitting next to each other on account of their alphabetically adjacent surnames Hanson and Gilroy.
They must have hit it off then because here they are, more than 11 years later, sharing their happy boho wedding and love story with us! The proposal happened one year at Kara’s family’s Christmas dinner. It came as a huge surprise to everyone except Kara’s Co-conspirator Mom when Devin popped the big one during a gift exchange…the answer was yes, of course.
The couple decided on a very intimate setting with their 8 closest loved ones, both of their parental units, their brothers and their brothers’ girlfriends. The small party would celebrate the union in beautiful Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver island in Canada, a breathtaking natural setting that practically demanded Kara get her hands on something dreamy and boho, in the wedding dress department.
Shortly after the proposal, Kara noticed Dreamers and Lovers and their simple wedding dresses on Instagram and while she’d taken quite a shine to the Catherine Dress, it was Lisa’s long sleeves that made her heart flutter and just wouldn’t get out of her mind. She had no choice but to try on that laid back boho wedding gown, made as it was for the wind swept, moody beaches of Tofino…when she finally did, she knew it was the one for sure!
They both wrote their own vows but Kara was literally so choked up on the day that poor Devin had to read both his vows to Kara AND her vows to him
The couple’s celebrant, Barbara Densmore, combined their very favorite things, earth and ocean, to create a ceremony that was just perfect for them. They both wrote their own vows but Kara was literally so choked up on the day that poor Devin had to read both his vows to Kara AND her vows to him! She says that the vision of him about to burst, having to read the second set of vows too, will just get her every time.
Before the event there were guys and gals cabins for the purpose of beautifying. In keeping with her simplistic style, Kara opted to do her own hair and make up, she even helped pretty up the other girls and moms!
The gorgeous pair hired Wren and Rook photography (Adina for photos) and Kai Jacobson (Kai for videos) for their big day. They were overwhelmed by the sense of kindness, care and attention to detail they experienced from both professionals. Kara paid for them all to stay closer to the wedding location so that they could stay the course and not stress about late night tipsy drives.
It was such a success that the couple almost feels like they are part of the family now…they even stayed for the beach bonfire after-party. Just as wedding photographers / videographers should, both vendors went the extra mile to ensure that all involved were 100% comfortable throughout.
Kara had an arbor set up on the beach with flowers all courtesy of her Mom, the florist…( her shop has been in the family a whopping 50 years), who took her to the flower auction so that she could pick the florals for her bouquet. Her non-traditional choices certainly weren’t lost on her mom, however the lady certainly worked her magic, as the final product was magnifique! The Earl Grey roses in the bouquet were a symbol of the lovers’ addiction to the tea by the same name.
Instead of the traditional wedding cake and eats, the party took to the stunningly rustic, log cabin restaurant of ‘Wolf in The Fog’ in Tofino, after the ceremony. The photographer and videographer joined them at the venue and everyone was just blown away by the warm atmosphere and out of control scrumptious cuisine.
Well, you’ve likely noticed a little non-traditional pattern here and you’d be spot on. The couple even got married on their 11th anniversary (wowza). They bought gifts and hand wrote cards for every one in attendance (including the vendors and celebrant), which were opened before the ceremony. There were certainly tears shed left and right but Devin’s Mom and Kara take the prize for crying the most buckets!
only have a traditional wedding when that is what THEY want…because only when you do things YOUR way can you see the day through with absolutely no regrets!
Kara maintains that one should only have a traditional wedding when that is what THEY want…because only when you do things YOUR way can you see the day through with absolutely no regrets!
Needless to say, the couple are insanely happy since they tied the knot, they’re living life to the fullest and not looking back, except to cherish memories of their tiny, perfect Vancouver wedding. We wish them all the best throughout their journey of love and life and we thank them for sharing their story!
Connect with the vendors on Instagram:
Photographer: @wrenandrook
Florist: @adeleraeflorist
