There are just some days where a vendor puts a wedding into words that I could not find. Today is one of those days. Anna Wu is not only an insanely talented photographer – I cite the vibrance and intimacy of today’s wedding photos as exhibit A of that fact – but she also put together the perfect description of today’s Tomales Bay, California wedding. Anna writes:

Their friends and family gathered in the beautiful park, and they sat surrounded by trees overlooking serene blue waters. Hilary glowed in the sunshine, her dress understated and romantic, and she stood with her groom, relaxed, smiling. Together they walked down the aisle and stood beneath the chuppah, a simple wedding canopy with gauze for a roof and four sticks for supports, held only by their friends. The chuppah does not promise that love or hope or pledges will keep out weather or catastrophe. The flimsiness of the chuppah is a reminder that the only thing that is real about the home is the people in it, who choose to be together, to be a family. Their ceremony was intimate, personal, and meaningful, nothing taken from the routine wedding script. The simple majesty of the location and the earnestness of the occasion brought every one of their guests into a sense of something larger. A feeling of timelessness and peace, and a sense of connection to life. The sun-kissed day with all its homemade details could not have been more perfect.

Hair Stylist: Muse Hairdressing | Caterer: Alta Cuisine | Floral Designer: Local Flora | Musicians: Bluegrass Duets | Reception Venue: Tomales Bay State Park | Makeup Artist: Glowing Bridal Makeup Artistry | Photographer: Anna Wu Photography

Bowties, DIY and doggies.  What more could we ask for from this fine Thursday (except to pass speedily along right into Friday!).  Thanks to Laura Murray and her exceptionally gorgeous photography, we have a serious load of Colorado wedding inspiration at our fingertips.  I can’t get enough of dogs in weddings.  I know, some of you may feel differently but guess what, it’s my blog!  *Wink*  Now I just wish we could get some cat representation in the house….  Here’s Laura with some tidbits from this wedding:

This couple is too cute for words. They put a lot of thought into their wedding day—and much of it was handmade DIY projects. I was amazed when they told me they made all their flower arrangement themselves- including all the bouquets and boutonnières! They had photographs of Italian Fountains on all the tables— each table was named after a different fountain in Rome. And, how appropriate as Chanse proposed to Ashley at the Trevi Fountain!

The couple picked out a different color bow tie for each of the groomsmen. And their dog, Maia, was a part of their wedding ceremony- he was all decked out in a paper flower collar. They made all their paper goods themselves weaving a bird theme into their décor.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Kid in a candy store. That’s what I am. This Snohomish wedding is out of this world. Literally EVERYTHING you’re taking in here is a DIY wedding project. Like. Everything. And Erin and Kyle, our bride and groom, are making it look easy. A DIY wedding that’s all class. Doesn’t hurt when you have the talented Katy Moran behind the lens, documenting the gorgeous event. It’s all so quaint and stunning! Erin is about to share her DIY projects with us but my faves have to be the coasters. SO original!

My husband and I are probably about the most laid back people that you could know. He grew up in Hobart – a small ‘town’ outside of Seattle, Washington. I grew up all over the greater northwest – and a bit beyond. On our first date, Kyle drove me in his red ford F150 to a field in the middle of nowhere where he taught me how to shoot skeet. Now I’m not that country. I had never gone shooting before. But I love the outdoors and I LOVE to create. I’m an industrial designer with a very crafty side. And our wedding was a great excuse to get knee-deep in projects!

We definitely didn’t want a cliché wedding, but rather one that represented us as a couple. We decided we wanted a laid back wedding on a farm. We then found Swans Trail Farms, and it all grew from there! It is the most beautifully wonderful venue we could have asked for and it set the mood perfectly

Everything you see, we made (except maybe the wedding dress!). Kyle cut down dead trees and sliced them into coaster. I painted them and wrote our guests names & table numbers on them. I designed all the signage, save the dates, invitations and ceremony programs. A friend and I ordered flowers online and created the arrangements ourselves. I made the earrings that myself and my bridesmaids wore. I made my veil and fascinator. I cut the burlap & lace table runners, attached all the lace to the mason jars which were mostly collected and purchased on craisglist, and created the burlap flag table numbers. The groomsmen wore clothes they already had, I bought the ties from goodwill, the bridesmaids wore a ‘beige or cream’ dress of choice. My aunt and uncle made the pies and my cousin and grandfather cut the stumps in Montana. My uncle officiated and wore my late grandfather’s shoes. A friend’s mom catered. A friend from college photographed. Guests signed river rocks with paint pens and dropped them into apothecary jars. It was a serious group effort and we are blessed to have such amazing and supportive friends and family.

 Venue:  Swans Trail Farms in Snohomish, WA  |  Photographer: Katy Moran  | Catering: Pear Tree Catering by Valerie Purrier

Dear British Columbia, Stop making such amazing weddings. It’s killing me. Signed, La Belle Bride. And it’s true, I am completely floored by the quality of weddings we’re seeing from out west. A regular contributor of these BC beauts is Jamie Delaine.  She scores THE BEST brides based on her amazing photographic talent.  Today’s bride and groom, Kyle and Laura offer DIY insight on nailing a gorgeous wedding on a budget.  DIY  bridesmaid bouquets, DIY centerpieces, DIY church pew decoration, DIY barn florals…..even the food was DIY!  Here’s Laura with a wee blurb about her wedding:

Believe it or not, but we did the food! We went out and bought it all a few days before, we went crazy baking and collecting family members white, wooden and silver dishes, I made all the condiments and put them in the jars, it was a busy week!

They say the way to a wedding bloggers heart is through her belly.  Ok. No one says that. But in my case it’s true. Which is why I was delighted, and somewhat hungry, after reading about Christine Lim (our real bride blogger) and her latest DIY adventures: The making of her DIY jame wedding favors!  Yum! Take it away Christine!

With only about two months left to my wedding, my whole Handmade theme has taken over in full force!  I’ve decided to take on (perhaps way too) many projects in a short amount of time to gain that warm touch, personal aesthetic and save a bit of money all at the same time!

Recent endeavour:  Bombonieres also called the Take Home Gift.
Goal:  80ish jars of Strawberry Jam.
Emotional Description:  Scary and maybe “too much work”?

Thankfully, I have some awesome friends who were there to lend a helping hand.
PLUS in Ontario, it’s strawberry season which means the farms are open for fresh picks!

A few friends and I headed out to Whitamore Farm for their first day of “Pick-Your-Own” Strawberries. It was awesome! Picking strawberries was a much faster process than we expected. I calculated that I’d need about 10 lbs of strawberries but I ended up taking home 20 lbs. The idea of having extras to freeze for yummy strawberry smoothies in the winter months was too hard to turn down. All in all, between the four of us, we took home 50 lbs of strawberries in just over an hour of picking. For those BCBs out there (Budget Conscious Brides), 10 lbs of fresh strawberries is only $20. But more importantly, it was a great afternoon with friends with sweet sweet rewards.

The next day, Meaghan and I got back together to start jamming and canning.

Things you will need: strawberries, mason jars, Certo (or another pectin for “jams and jellies”), sugar, lemon juice, stove and oven.

Instructions are found on the Certo box (or their website) and they are perfect! For a first time independent jamming experience, easy to make and yummy to taste! Meaghan has a Jam-Making-Mom so when we were unsure we gave her a quick call to confirm instructions. We managed to finish the project in about 4 hours. Not bad for first-timers in my opinion!

If you’re thinking about making your bombonieres but feel a bit uneasy about taking on a seemingly large project: Don’t fret! Gather your most resourceful and supportive friends and you will come out on top! Of course, try and include someone on your team who has some experience making your desired project, it’ll be that much easier.

I’m looking forward to sharing my gift with family and friends. I’ll be adding some finishing touches to decorate the jars in the coming weeks. Look for the “Final Product” in the soon future.

Practical info: 10 lbs of strawberries = 4 batches = 78 jars of jam (125ml).

Thank you again to Leah, Andrew and Meaghan for helping me pick the berries. Thank you to Meaghan for staying up with me for a late night of jamming. You are very wonderful friends!!! ♥

Editor’s note: All photos by Christine Lim.  Bride-to-be and Toronto-based wedding photographer.  Check out her site. She rules.