I love a good garden wedding. To me, they are the epitome of relaxed elegance, and a fabulous way to save a few pennies – who needs decorations when you are surrounded by nature? And today’s early Summer garden celebration from Emily Wren Photography showcases just why these natural spaces make the most enchanting venues…..

After a romantic proposal on Machu Picchu College sweethearts Tess & Billy planned this romance-fest of a wedding at Tyler Arboretum in just over a year – quite the achievement when you think the couple were also preparing for their final exams and organising summer internships! Wanting a wedding that was vintage and elegant in style, but also natural, relaxed and fun, whilst most importantly true to themselves, the couple took to planning their big day with just the right attitude! Tess explains “We tried to approach wedding planning in as relaxed a manner as possible. We really wanted the day to feel like us, and were very thoughtful about each element we included. My amazing mom handled the majority of our planning, and helped make sure everything was beautiful and very personal.”

I think Tess’s Mom could have found a new job! Because from the soft palette of pinks and blues with splashes of purple that is just perfection (especially with Tess’s stunning blush, yep blush!, wedding dress), and the super pretty aisle decor; to the delicate florals with their just-picked feel (by Falls Flowers), and the understated yet oh-so-lovely reception decor; everything about this wedding says relaxed, vintage elegance – just the look Tess was after.

“I wore a blush colored BHLDN Tamsin gown. It was lovely, simple, elegant — and really comfortable. I wanted to feel like myself on my wedding day, and wanted the dress to be beautiful without being too much of a presence. I loved BHLDN‘s choices online, and my mom and I made a trip to one of their stores so I could try some on. I tried on 4 or 5 beautiful gowns, but fell in love with the Tamsin. I loved the color and felt like a princess in it, but also knew that I would be able to dance!”

“My husband wore a lovely blue suit from Joseph A. Banks, with a light blue tie and a pale pink boutonniere.”

“I wore my hair up in a soft, wavy style to complement the simple elegance of the dress and the romantic outdoor setting. My hair was done beautifully by Heather Mussari of Salon True. I wanted my makeup to look natural and fresh — and Darien Wildstein of Mainline Makeup made me feel lovely!”

“I added a sparkling BHLDN belt to the dress, and also wore two BHLDN pins in my hair. My mom loaned me a pair of sparkling earrings (which I tend to borrow when I need to dress up), and my grandma loaned me a simple gold bracelet that had belonged to my great grandmother. Finally, I used a silver clutch that had belonged to my granny, and still had her name card inside from a party she brought it to decades ago. ”

“My bridesmaids and officiant are my closest friends from high school and college. They now live all across the country, and it was so special to have them all here together for a few days. I wanted them to wear dresses that they would feel great in and want to wear again, so just gave them a color scheme (using paint chips!) and had them pick whatever they loved best. By chance, we ended up with three long dresses in darker blue, and three short dresses in lighter blue. It was perfect, and the colors worked beautifully with the vintage and elegant style we aspired to.”

“We had the most beautiful flowers from Falls Flowers. The landscape around us was so lush and woodsy, and we wanted our flowers to look like they could have just been picked from a wild garden. My bouquet was full and soft and so elegant, with big, pale pink peonies and lovely peach, purple and green accents. It was tied with a piece of my great grandmother’s lace.”

“We were married at Tyler Arboretum, a beautiful wooded landscape with incredible trees, un-manicured meadows, and a lovely old stone barn. When selecting a venue, we knew we wanted to be married outdoors, and the rustic beauty of Tyler really caught our imagination. I used to visit the arboretum as a child, so it was really fun going back. We were so lucky to have the most perfect early summer’s day for our wedding, sprinkled with soft sunlight and the sound of songbirds. In lieu of an altar, we had antique wooden step stools from my great-grandmother’s farm on either side of us, cascading with flowers (some of which were in old watering cans, also from the farm).”

“Our reception was such a jubilant celebration, with incredible dancing and so much laughter and tears. It was in a tent underneath the old stone barn. We hung Mexican paper banners with the word “Amor” across the tent, in honor of our studies and travels in Spain and Latin America. The tables were simply decorated, with the spectacular flowers stealing the show—billowing out of an assortment of bottles and jars we’d been collecting for months.”

 “In lieu of traditional favors, we made a donation to Heifer International, and made bookmarks thanking everyone for being there and supporting us.”

Pearls of Wedding Wisdom from the Bride…..

“Friends who were already married suggested we take a few minutes to be alone together, or else everything would seem like a blur. So, we took a walk after the ceremony, while our guests moved up the hill for cocktails. It was so nice to be together quietly for a few minutes to wrap our heads around all the emotion and excitement. This was really important to our experience of the day—and we’re so glad we took their advice.

And, stay true to yourself. There is so much pressure around weddings being the perfect day, and it makes you think that you have to follow a lot of rules and control every detail. Your day will be beautiful no matter what — even if you forget to put flowers on the sweetheart table or end up sitting in the parking lot after everyone went home because you didn’t remember to arrange a taxi. Your love is the most important thing, and that’s what people will remember.”

Tell us a little bit about your photographer…..

“Our photographer was Emily Wren, who has a beautiful, artistic style that is both elegant and natural. When we first met her, she made us feel comfortable immediately, and we knew we wanted her to spend our wedding day with us! She and her associate were wonderful during the wedding: really relaxed, appropriately assertive, and mostly in the background, while managing to capture so many beautiful moments that have been so fun to relive!”

Congratulations to the happy couple Tess and Billy, wishing you a long and joyful life together. A huge thankyou to them for allowing me to share their wedding with you here on Chic Vintage Brides, and to their wonderful photographer Emily Wren, who captured all the lovely details and moments so beautifully. Do pop across to her website www.emilywrenweddings.com to see more of her fabulous work. And be sure to follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, to see more of her work.

Amy

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