OH Austin! Such fond memories. Seriously, one of the coolest cities EVER. So laid back and pretty. Much like today’s wedding. Micah and Brittany’s Austin indie wedding is sheer perfection. Thanks to Shan Renee’s gorgeous photography and some serious style on the part of the bride and groom, today’s wedding is a pure cheer-me-up wedding LOADED with DIY ideas.  Here’s Brittany with some details about her wedding:

Micah and I met while rock climbing at a local rock gym when we lived in Lubbock, Texas. He was the cute guy with the (at the time) mohawk. We got to talking and started climbing together regularly, and found out all sorts of things we had in common. We figured out we went to same church, our families lived 15 minutes apart from each other, yet we met 400 miles away. We went to rival high schools, both worked in pediatrics (him a nurse, myself an Occupational Therapist) knew a lot of the same friends, yet had never met until then. We dated for 8 months, and then he proposed while on a white water rafting trip on the Snake River in Idaho. My mom is a white water rafting guide and we hopped on a trip last minute. Little did I know that the biggest thrill of the trip wouldn’t be the class 4 rapids! I was in my last year of my Master’s program, and we decided to plan it for the week after graduation. The next seven months were a complete whirlwind of decorations, vendors, school projects, and moving preparations. Oh, did I not mention that I thought it was a completely sane idea to move across the state (to Austin, TX) 3 weeks before the wedding?

We both wanted something unique, something that represented our respect for the past, my love for patterns and color, and his love for the Southwest. At one point, Micah commented on our wedding colors being “just paisley” as he saw me bring in more fabrics and patterned card stock. I love all things vintage, feminine, and lovely, and if I could, I would decorate my entire home (and closet) in Anthropologie! At this time in our lives, so many friends are getting married and graduating college/grad school, and we just saw a lot of the same. Lots of tradition, very… much the same. I figured, well, we met in a non traditional way and his proposal was not only unexpected, but definitely not on bended knee, that we needed something a little left of center to represent our path to choosing to be together forever. I love a casual, thrown together look and wanted a fun, memorable wedding that represented our tastes. So we chose wildflowers, a variety of milk glass and antique bottles and jars to place them in, and a fun menu of Mexican food for everyone to enjoy. So for months, I hunted through thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales and other people’s junk for the little treasures to decorate our special day!

Venue- Lost Mission | Photography- Captured Photography by Shan Renee in Dallas, TX | Videographer- The Wedding Theater in Austin, TX | Catering- All Occasions of Texas in San Antonio, TX | Coordinator- Wedding Warriors in Wimberley, TX | Florist- WOW Factor in Wimberley, TX | Cupcakes- Kami Besson | Dress- Allure Couture from Belle Saison Bridal in Austin, TX | Hair & Makeup- Done by Bride | Rings- J, Keith’s Jewelers in Lubbock, TX | Bridesmaid’s Dresses- Adrianna Pappell | Groom’s/Groomsmen- Jos. A Bank | Stationery- Wedding Paper Divas (custom color order) | Guest book/poster- Masha D’yans

I had to force myself not to make a “Houston we have a problem” joke. This is far from a problem. Today’s indie engagement is more of a solution than anything else. You see ,directly in front of me, outside my window, particles of snow are falling feverishly from the sky. I’m cold. But these photos are making me warm. Natalie and Trey’s love is keeping me cozy. You see it right? Young love. They’ve got it. We love it. And Sarah Ainsworth captured it perfectly. LOVE her style of photography. Heads up, Houston lovers. She’s a wonderful wedding photographer! Here’s her take on today’s session:
Natalie and Trey will be getting married at the Sycamore Heights B&B and will follow their ceremony with a reception at the Heights Theatre in downtown Houston. We thought it was fitting to start their engagement session in the Heights to capture some of the downtown elements that make Houston so unique. We explored the streets of the Heights and the cute little vintage shops along the way. We wrapped up the session at the Menil Collection downtown where there were lovely trees and minimalistic walls and architecture. Natalie and Trey were so natural in front of the camera and really evoked a young love vibe that is so evident in the images.

Photography: Sarah Ainsworth Photography

This is by far one of our most popular DIY projects so I thought I’d go over the basics again of how to make a DIY burlap bouquet. We have had previous made a video tutorial and below you’ll find the steps you need to make this INCREDIBLY INEXPENSIVE, yet rustic bouqet. Enjoy!

Materials:

1. Burlap
2. Scissors
3. Floral stems (we found cool paper covered ones at Michael’s)
4. Ribbon
5. Glue gun
6. Pearl pins (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut a strip of burlap about 2 inches thick and a foot long (depending how big you’d like your flowers)
2. Take your stem and glue the tip of it onto the very end of your strip
3. Begin to roll your stem into the burlap, gluing along the way
4. Continue rolling your stem about 4-5 times. This creates the center “bud” of you flower
5. Now it’s time to start your petals! Take the fabric strip that is dangling from your “bud” and make a fold away from you, holding the bottom of the folding piece close to the stem
6. Overlapping your first “petal” slightly, create another backwards fold or petal. Again, holding the bottom of the fold near the stem
7. Glue your first two petals in place. Try to put the glue closer to the base of your flower
8. Continue steps 5-7 until you’ve completed an entire row of petals all the way around
9. Poke your glue gun in here and there to secure the flower
10. With your remaining fabric you’ll now secure the base of your flower and the top of your stem by winding the fabric around, gluing when appropriate.
11. Voilà! Your little burlap flower!
12. Now personally I like these flowers just on their own, but if you’d like to add a little color to your bud you can add a small piece of ribbon and a pearl pin in the center. If you’re making a bouquet like in the first photo, assemble a few burlap flowers, trim the ends and wrap with ribbon. It’s THAT easy.

Oh HEY!  Nice to see you guys today.  Tuesdays are notoriously my least favorite days of the week.  So I try to stack them with something fun and pretty to look at.  Enter, a gorgeous Seattle wedding shot by one of our fave wedding photographers, Abbey Hepner.  Abbey is a very hands on photographer, not to mention uber talented.  Abby and Alex’s photos from their wedding are proof of her knack for catching all the details perfectly.  And here’s Abbey with her take on this spunky wedding: Abby and Alex were married in downtown Seattle at a beautiful urban venue, Court In The Square. Abby and Alex both met working at a group home and share a passion for good music. Their wedding venue was right downtown near some of the busiest areas. As with any urban wedding, you have to be ready to have a little adventure on your wedding day. Risk getting dirty, do a little exploring and relish in the cheers of congratulations from total strangers. All of these things make for great stories. Abby and Alex have no shortage of stories to tell from a day filled with laughter, good friends and family. At the end of the night Abby and Alex dashed away from the dance floor to go up on the roof together, surrounded by city lights.

Photographer: Abbey Hepner Photography | Hair Stylist: Kim Vam Payrs | Caterer: Court In The Square | Floral Designer: Whimsical Whites | Reception Venue: Amphitryon Court in the Square | Dress Store: David’s Bridal | Dress Designer: Galina Signature | Makeup Artist: Amanda Joseph | Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Armani

I’m SO in the mood for a seriously stylish engagement shoot. I’m actually so in the mood for shopping. But I’m afraid of malls, especially this time of year. So today’s indie Vancouver couple is giving me my fashion fix. They’re so cute, non? Ann and John chose the talented Vasia Photography for their shoot. And here’s what Vasia had to say about her couple: The bride & groom to be came up with the idea for this engagement shoot. As an architect, John was really inspired by the unique design of the Pronto Caffe in Vancouver (by architect Scott Cohen and Stephan Gagnon). Both Ann and John felt like the store really had the perfect ambience for their shoot. Ann chose a Betsey Johnson dress and shoes and did her hair and makeup herself, she styled John to match Let me know if you need any other information. I hope you love their shoot as much as I do!

Dress Designer: Betsey Johnson | Restaurant: Pronto Caffe