Do I ever have a creative wedding to show you today. When I received this birds and bees themed wedding, captured by MoHa Photography, I knew right away that had to show you all the great ideas that this wedding has going on. The theme is definitely worth a gander at all the bride’s sweet personal touches and décor ideas.
Overall theme for the ceremony and reception
“The contrast of masculine burlap and femininity of lace inspired my wedding. I love the textures and I also love them layered together!
“‘Birds and Bees’ were also a repeated theme to the wedding décor. The cheerful chirping of a bird brings happiness. When I see two birds together, I think “Awe, Love Birds”. Birds embody the notion that there are “no limits” because they can fly away. No limits to our love, happiness or future.”
How many guests were invited & what was the final guest count?
“Guest list was about 195, ended up 165.”
Challenges you faced planning your wedding
“I thought the biggest challenge was keeping guest list down and staying on budget. All the other details came together quite easily and because we started so early and used the internet, it went pretty smoothly.”
What were the highlight from the ceremony & reception
“The wedding was very personal. The chuppa was made of burlap and covered with my mother’s wedding veil. Pinned to my bouquet was the antique cameo that my mother wore on her wedding day 37 years ago.
“My attendants were my niece and nephews and my beautiful new daughters. Bridesmaid was my lifelong friend. I loved the handmade sign that my nephew Benjamin carried, announcing me. My husband kayaks and canoes , so we surprised him with a handmade canoe bearing our rings.
“The sand for our sand ceremony came from all over to represent us. Ventura sand for me. Michigan sand for my husband and Indiana for our daughters. The sand blended in hand decorated vessels to symbolize our new family. Our vows were personally written.
“The dessert table was covered with homemade goodies and the birds on the top of our cake were handmade for us out of burlap to continue the theme. My mother had seen handkerchiefs hung for guests before. We started collecting them online and came up with the idea for the sign so that guests would know they were not just decoration.”
Any tips you would like to share with brides planning their own wedding?
“I thought all of our details came together so nicely. I felt it was because I stayed true to what i like. It is easy to get distracted and loose sight of your direction. Luckily, I appreciate eccentric things and don’t like every thing matchy matchy. So, I collected items I came across and didn’t worry so much about having a certain number of everything. We started early and used amazing internet sites like Etsy and Pinterest. A good tip is to save pictures of things you love in a binder for inspiration. Remember, there are no rules. It can be whatever you want it to be. Honestly, I hated the daunting task of filling out a minute by minute itinerary per the wedding coordinator but, it did keep the day running smoothly.”
We used vintage tags with birds, bees and robins eggs as place cards. Bee’s wax candles in rustic wood crates with tags that read “Amy and Matt Meant to Bee” for favors.
What was the budget, did you go over or stay under?
“The budget was $35,000 but when all said and done, we were at about $42,000. We recycled the Battenberg tables toppers from my older brother’s wedding 10 years earlier. We dyed them teal and gave them new life!
We decorated the mason jars and the vessels for our sand ceremony. The gorgeous junior bridesmaids/flower girls dresses were handmade by a company we found on Etsy . We saved some money on flowers by simply using baby’s breath on the tables and down the aisle. Our florist Joclyne, was great to work with. We gave her our flower budget and she gave us everything we wanted and more.
I loved my invitations. They were designed specifically for me and handmade for us by Lani Blue Stationary. Surprising, were less expensive than what we liked at the stationary store, and so much more special.”
Two adorable bride and groom burlap birds topped the wedding cake.
Brides/Bridesmaids Attire
“I still swoon over my Moonlight Couture, corded embroidered lace dress. Gorgeous sweetheart, mermaid gown with drop waist and open back made just for me. I’ve never felt so pretty. My two nieces and sweet daughters wore and made chameleon raw pulled silk fabric made by a lady on Etsy. The little boys’ outfits were also made by someone on Etsy. They were beautifully made and came from Latvia.”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“The plan was to Thailand, but in lieu of the typhoon we landed in Hawaii.”
Robert Dickey
July 11, 2016 at 5:24 pmWe love the canopy over the ceremony. Was it part of the venue, if so, how can I contact them. We are having an outdoor wedding in mid-August in Texas.
Helpful ReviewVendor
July 13, 2016 at 3:03 amHey Robert…I agree that it is a beautiful ceremony setup. I just emailed the photographer to see if she could ask the bride. Please stay tuned and I will let you know 🙂
Helpful Review