Real Weddings: J. Lauren + Thomas

I’m over the moon today to share Elise and Bill’s beyond gorgeous Michigan wedding!  Elise is the sister of my dear friend Natalie (the mastermind behind Pemberley Events), and her wedding was infused with so many charming handmade details and the most amazing organic, lush florals from Petal Play Design. The Blue Dress Barn in Benton Harbor, Michigan has such a quaint, rustic feel, and it was the perfect setting for Elise and Bill’s “kind of quirky, eclectic, vintage” wedding.  The wedding was a true labor of love for the family.  Natalie planned and designed the event, Elise’s father made the wooden flower boxes with chalk sides for the centerpieces, Bill made the cake topper, and Elise’s mother sewed the flower girl dress and even made the wedding cake! Elise and Bill have been together since high school, and their love and joy is so palpable in these beautiful images from Harrison Studio!

Jennie and Jordan did not let a modest budget stand in the way of having their dream wedding. They brought in a team of friends and family to help create a gorgeously natural event. According to Jennie, instead of thinking about “what [they] couldn’t spend” they thought instead about “how [they] could do it differently”…really inspiring, no? The flowers, the invitations, the decor, and the desserts were just some of the details that the team effort helped put in place. But seriously, their St Louis wedding is oh-my-goodness gorgeous. The photos by Amelia Strauss Photography capture Jennie and Jordan’s day BEAUTIFULLY and make their already pretty details that much more incredible.

Heather and Jonathan’s Leesburg, Virginia wedding is overflowing with lovely details inspired by their love of the outdoors.  The color palette of cream, green, sky blue and brown echoes the beautiful setting of Raspberry Plain, and the couple infused many personal elements into the interfaith celebration, including a chuppah decorated with a crocheted cover created by Jonathan’s mother and handmade by Heather’s father from trees found on their lakeside cabin, smooth river stones as escort cards, and and ribbons streaming from the trees.  Vicki from My Simple Details made sure the day went off without a hitch, the gorgeous florals were created by Holly Heidler Chapple, and all of the lovely images are courtesy of Three Lights Photography.

Morgan and Matt’s outdoor wedding at Bella Luna Farms was as rustic and charming as it was pretty and timeless. The lovely images from one of Michele M. Waite Photography‘s favorite weddings of this year showcase bold blooms in arrangements and bouquets, as well as Morgan’s classic column-style gown. Sweet farm animals meandered around the grounds as guests enjoyed first a ceremony—where the couple took vows beneath a traditional chuppah festooned with a floral garland—and then a reception inside a barn strung with lights. We think Chambers and Company did a fabulous job with the design of this fun and fabulous affair!

Everything’s bigger in Texas—and from the looks of these photos from Kelly Hornberger Photography, everything’s better there, too! Lindsay and Jonathan planned a down-home, sophisticated affair for their country nuptials, and they didn’t miss a single detail. We’re loving the ombre-like bridesmaids’ dresses in hues of blush and blue—a touch that’s carried over to the ruffled wedding cake from Classic Cakes by Lori—and the bride’s shoe choices: jeweled Bagdley Mischka heels and a pair of monogrammed cowboy boots. Friends and family lent their talents for things like a custom logo and program, and Lindsay made the guest book herself with family recipes, photos, and blank pages for signing. The Kali Kate event pavilion in Buda offered the perfect mix of farm and fabulous, where guests two-stepped to tunes from DJ Barrington Miles under a Lone Star sky. Personal and perfect, y’all!

It’s pretty much impossible to look through the photos of Lynn and Stefan’s wedding by Kellie Kano and not immediately feel happier. Lynn knew she had to have yellow flowers because every since she was a little girl the color has always put a smile on her face. Thanks to Hedge Fine Blooms and all the other details in this sweet wedding, we’re now smiling too! Their big day was effortlessly elegant and set to the beautiful backdrop of Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia. Every detail of Lynn and Stefan’s wedding is all about happiness and love so sit back and enjoy!

There’s nothing more lovely than New England in the fall.  Vermont’s Inn at Mountain View Farm was the gorgeous setting for Kristen and Ben’s October wedding, which is chock full of handmade love!  These two designed their dream wedding on their own, but they couldn’t have put it together without the help of their family and friends.  Kristen’s father collected the mason jars, milk glass, and medicine bottles for the centerpieces, and along with Ben, transformed the barn by stringing 1200 feet of twinkle lights! A close family friend sewed the table runners, and Kristen and Ben were involved in each and every detail of the planning process, including working with Danika of Blomma Flicka Flowers to choose the wheat and wildflower decor.  A beautiful wedding full of love, laughter, and joy – and fabulous images from Deborah Zoe Photo!

There’s so much this wedding to fall in love with. Colorful tissue poms for the ceremony, unbelievable florals by the always amazing Fleur, and one of the cutest invitations I’ve seen in a while (self-designed, printed with Letterform), Bahareh and Justin had a colorful garden party wedding with all these stunning details and more! Their love of animals is what brought the two together, so they incorporated animals into their invitations, table numbers, cake, and other reception decor. Oh, and I’m in love with her shoes. Simply Jessie Photography did an incredible job capturing Bahareh and Justin’s big day!

Deciding on Galleria Marchetti in Chicago as their venue was one of the easiest choices for Emily and Tom. It wasn’t as easy, however, for Emily to keep Tom from wanting to hang streamers from the tent. Either way, their colorful wedding looks like it was a blast! The florals by Fleur are stunning (love the limes!) and Emily’s necklace makes me want to dig through my mom’s jewelry and find a brooch to steal just so I can have it made into my own necklace by Elva Fields. The couple is very lucky to have some extremely helpful friends. Emily’s sorority sister, Amanda Hein, took great photos of the day, the one of the bridesmaids shoes is my fav!

This sweet little Chicago wedding showcases so much of my lovely city!  From the portraits on Wacker Drive to the reception at Fulton’s on the River, Andrea and Rob chose locations that reflect the best of Chicago, and Jessie from Simply Jessie Photography captured all of the images with her always amazing eye.  Fluffy white flowers and navy blue accents from Fleur complemented the view of the water from Fulton’s, and Greatest Expectations made sure the day ran off without a hitch.  Andrea is stunning in her classic Marisa gown and mantilla veil.  Oh and there is a pup - I love pups in weddings!

Sarah and Dale married in a gorgeous Autumn ceremony at Nashville’s Travellers Rest Plantation. This wedding is so thought out. Each detail is personally created by the bride and chosen for a reason. From the Cafe du Monde tin centerpieces (they met in Louisiana) to the petals tossed during their exit (saved from flowers the groom had given the bride), you can tell how much love was put into the wedding.

If you are recently engaged, or new to the wedding blog world, you may not yet have heard of the fabulousness that is Simply Bloom Photography.  Vania and Christine, in addition to being two of the nicest ladies on earth, are incredibly talented photographers and always bring the most magical and wonderful weddings to EAD.  Sarah and Jason’s New Hampshire wedding is no exception – I’m completely in love with Sarah’s floral wreath, the rustic elegance of the wood centerpieces and woodland bouquets, and the gown – don’t even get me started on the flowy, fabulous Amy Michelson gown (that skirt – it kills me!).

Christina and William’s wedding is chock-full of DIY cuteness!   A true handmade wedding in every sense of the word, Christina created all of the fun decor and letterpressed her wedding invitations, and friends handmade her gown and pulled together all of the floral arrangements.   I love the punchy red and blue color palette, and Sarah K. Chen‘s images are absolute perfection!

Outdoor venue? Check. Airstream camp? Check. Wait…Did we say Airstream camp? Yes we did! And that’s not the only creative detail in this outdoor Texas wedding. Adam and Rachel planned a creative wedding with tons of DIY details including painted signs, fabric flowers, varied centerpieces, driftwood altars and more.

Fall has firmly settled in here in Chicago, so it’s time to reminisce about summer, and what better way to do that than with a beautiful wedding from Laurie Peacock?  All of the details of this wedding, minus the flowers, were created by the couple, and I love all of the personal elements they incorporated!

I love showcasing weddings where the choices are as unique as the couple themselves!  Today’s wedding is just that.  Clay and Tiffany’s wedding was sent to us by the always-fabulous Jenny from Grise Photography and Tiffany shared some details of their French Lick, Indiana with us!

Fall is starting to make its appearance in Chicago – it’s a little nippy but clear outside, everyone is wearing light jackets, and I need to get my boots re-heeled!  In light of all the gorgeousness that is my favorite season, we have an amazing fall wedding today from Almasy Photography.

We are so thrilled to showcase images from a new photographer to EAD, Terra Tabbytosavit.  Alex and Rachel were married at the beautiful Asilomar retreat in Monterey, CA on New Years Eve 2007.

Sara and Conner met while were both were on vacation in Nashville. There was an instant connection, and after spending as much time together as possible during that trip, they began dating long distance and were married at Nashville’s Cedarwood just over a year later. Their festive, intimate dinner party was a nod to Sara’s Southern roots. Magnolia leaf place cards were set atop each place setting on long wooden tables where each flower was handpicked by the bride. The couple’s monogram was sprinkled throughout, even on the wreath above the historic home’s door. From their ceremony on the rolling hills of the estate to the reception glimmering with candlelight, we are smitten with this entire day, beautifully photographed by Erin Lee Allender!

The leaves are turning, temps are getting a smidge cooler, and autumn is set to make its grand entrance soon, so what better way to celebrate than with a stunning early fall wedding from one of our favorites, Amy Arrington Photography! Vinewood Plantation, a historical plantation home just outside of Atlanta, played host to Melissa and Zach’s whimsical celebration. J. Elliot Style designed an event that’s a mix of rustic and sophisticated, with elegant lanterns and greenery adorning the tree serving as the backdrop for the outdoor ceremony, and swaths of greenery and vivid blooms from Virtu Floral and Event Design gracing the wooden tables for the barn reception. We’re crushing hard on Melissa’s eclectic bouquet – a mix of anemones, ranunculus, dahlia, rose, and even kumquats in early autumn shades make for a stunning addition to her lace gown. Head over heels for this beautiful event and all of Amy’s images captured on film!