This winter season has us dreaming of warm & lazy summer days. Thinking of simple summer strolls through the garden, enjoying the sunset and the smell & sound of nature on those clear summer evenings. Especially here in Oregon! We are spoiled with lovely summers of fruit stands, the beautiful countryside, and lots of beautiful wildflowers. For those brides wanting a simple relaxed summer wedding you have come to the right place. Our garden is perfect for this! I always tell my newbie brides that the venue is the most important part to making a great wedding come together. You really need that space that is designed for a wedding and has enough space to hold a large event. Our garden is so lovely that you really don't need much decor which is great for a stress-free wedding! Sit back and relax, and let us take you through the elements that will help you create that tranquil summer wedding that you've been dreaming of and ultimately enjoy your wedding day.
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| Katie Brown Photography |
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| Katie Brown Photography |
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| Katie Brown Photography |
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| Katie Brown Photography |
Bridesmaids
The best option for this relaxed summer wedding would be to have your bridesmaids choose their own and have mismatched dresses. If the idea of having different colors and patterns does not appeal to you choose a color and let your bridesmaids find dresses in different hues of that color. Another great option that some brides have begun trending this year are having no bridesmaids at all; letting your friends and family really enjoy the wedding.
Yes you do need it, even if you are super-bride. There are things even super-bride can't do! Like being in two places at once. You really do need someone to help you on your big day. Please hire at least a day of coordinator, and if you can't afford one- after looking and asking around- enlist the help of a friend. Even if you would like to be there for the set up of your event you still need someone in charge of making sure everything is where it should be from start to finish. If someone tells you that you don't need a coordinator or tells you that "yes, you could totally bake your own wedding cake," or anything along the lines of that, they are not your friend or have no idea how this wedding stuff works.
Skip the Suit & Tie
It's summer and it's going to be hot. Don't make the men suffer in stuffy suits. Opt for cotton button downs, with vests or suspenders, and khaki pants
I can hear some of you *gasping* at the thought of this. Favors take time, money, and are usually forgotten or thrown away. It is hard to think of those 10+ hours you spent making jam or filling mini jars of honey only to see them in the trash on the way out of the reception. Most weddings that I have seen have way too many favors left over at the end of the night because the guests have forgotten them or just didn't realize they were supposed to take them home. Then you are stuck trying to make someone else take them all. Save yourself the energy and skip them.
Your Dress
Whether it's long or short, your dress needs to be comfortable! Pick flowing fabrics and details that are special to you such as lace to create a lax feel.
Keep it natural and keep it you! Wear your hair down or half up. If this doesn't appeal to you try having it pulled back loosely or try a loose fishtail braid. Try natural looking eyes and a soft palette for your makeup. The goal is to softly enhance your features, not drastically change them. I always suggest that you use a professional makeup artist & have a trial run included, but if it is not in your budget then try watching some youtube videos and doing several trial runs on yourself.
Keep it low key. Nice & simple buffets work great! Try gourmet pizza & salad, build your own tacos, or barbecue. Think you can't afford a caterer? Always ask….ask local caterers if they can work with your budget or if they have drop off menu's. Ask your favorite restaurants or pizza places about catering your wedding. Just because places don't advertise what you are looking for doesn't mean they can't accommodate, and they often will.
Dessert
It's a piece of cake! Literally, cake is a classic and easy option for your reception dessert. You can choose to have 1 large wedding cake, a small cake with cupcakes, or several small cakes (this is my favorite option, but not always affordable depending on your budget). Contact local bakers to get quotes as well as your local grocery store. Keeping with the simple theme, buttercream is best or no frosting at all.
Using what you have really takes the stress off of trying to make everything perfect and uniform. It also incorporates touches that are truly meaningful to you. The guests will notice this nice sentiment. Do you have an old quilt that is special to you? Use it as a table linen for your cake or as a photo backdrop. Have some photo's and frames or art prints? Use those as well. These types of things create nice personal touches and don't require any of that money you have for the budget.
Don't Feel Pressured
Don't feel pressured to follow all of those wedding traditions all the way down to the flower girl baskets. It is your wedding! You start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. Don't want a guest book? Then don't have one! Your guests will not care. They are there to celebrate your love with you, eat, dance, and mingle. But do remember that this is a wedding and not another regular get together, so try your best to make it extra special.
Flowers (my favorite!) & Other Decor
If you are at all like me (somewhat hippie) you will want tons of wildflowers to make their way into your special day. And because this is a relaxed summer wedding, they really are the perfect type of flowers for it! There is something about the mixed color, texture, and height that give these flowers the ultimate relaxation feeling. There is nothing that says formal more than a perfectly round bouquet of roses. You can do so many great things with wildflowers. Did you know that many wildflowers are also herbs? They often have a very lovely and natural scent. If you find a wildflower florist in your area then you have hit the jackpot!
Invitations & Paper
If you decide to do paper invitations there are some great options out there! I believe you should try and match your invitations to your wedding. So for a relaxed summer wedding I would try and go with something that looks hand painted or hand drawn. Possibly something floral or on kraft paper.
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