When a wedding described as ‘romantique’, ‘multicultural’ and ‘vintage inspired’ landed in my inbox I clicked open with bated breath…. and it is fair to say there were a fair few squeals of delight when I caught sight of the oh-so-lovely photos by Chloe Luka Photography! Because the pretty details and romantic style of Lea & Matt’s big day is truly something else……

From the prettiest palette of pinks, and the delicate floral arrangements (we’re talking peonies, roses and ranunculus!), to the breathtaking ceremony under a Willow tree, and the elegant barn reception with beautiful DIY decor by Lea & Matt; everything about this wedding says romantic, vintage perfection.

And, as if that isn’t enough, they also have the sweetest love story! You see Lea is French, and Matt American, so it seems when the couple met in 2010 in Lyon, France where Matt’s band were playing, it must have been fate! A long distance relationship for any length of time is never easy, but this loved up duo managed it for years, until Matt proposed and Lea applied for her Visa, only receiving it 8 weeks before their big day – yep 8 weeks!

Lea says “That was not a easy! It was REALLY stressful because we had only two months to plan everything – from the day I moved to America until the morning of our wedding – and Matt was home only 20 days of that because of touring!….. But it all turned out perfect! We loved  creating a wedding that displayed our cultures, we incorporated both languages into our wedding. For example, our menu as well as our party favors were in french. On the bar, I placed and antique ice bucket that contained english words, as well as their French translation for the guests. It was important for us that both of our families and friends were present, some driving 40 minutes, and others flying 18 hours. This union of both culture and language differences made our day unforgettable.” I should say it did!

“I went for a vintage wave hairstyle and makeup, with vintage inspired pearl hair accessory, necklace & earrings”

“For Matt and his Groomsmen we wanted to go classy and went with black suits, crisp white shirts and black ties.”

“Thank god for my florist Jessie from Sherwood Florist. She is the best! Has the cutest shop in downtown Dayton. She totally captured my vision. She used a multitude of flowers such as garden roses, peonies, ranunculus and incorporated greens so it could match our wedding colors. The shape was a hand tied, cascade style.”

“I bought my dress in France in a lovely boutique in the city of Annecy. The dress is from the designer Yolan Cris. I was looking for a boho chic look and when I saw that one I fell in love immediately. I absolutely loved the stunning laces details and the vintage feel, it made me feel so glamorous.”

“I had 4 bridesmaids, two of my best friends from France, Solene and Sophie, who made the trip. And also two of my best friends from America, Jaime and Molly. Their dresses were from Asos, and the color I chose was a Blush Pink to match our colors. Since I was such a really nice bride, they were allow to chose whatever hair and makeup style and to pick their shoes and jewels.”

“We got married at The Willow Tree in Tipp City, Ohio, a small town north of Dayton. The venue was a barn on a beautiful property. It took countless hours of searching to find it, but it was absolutely the perfect venue. Standing under the willow tree while reading our handwritten vows to each other – putting years of 9 hour flights and Skype calls behind us, and starting a new beautiful chapter of our lives together with no more goodbyes – was our favourite moment of the day.”

“The reception was held in the barn at The Willow Tree. Our inspiration for the decor was a classy, romantic and vintage look that incorporates both of our styles and likes. As well as objects encompassing the trials of our long distance relationship. One of our favorite thing to do is to go to antique stores, where we spent many hours searching for just the right items to complete the wedding decor. This includes 46 brass candleholders! We chose the DIY approach to create a wedding both personal and unique. We made a LOT of things ourselves, for example, Matt built two bars out of palettes. These bars worked perfectly with the venue, and were not just purchased from a store. With a background in graphic design and art,  I created the dessert bar backdrop, party favors as well as signs who were around the venue. We made a gigantic wire lighted heart as a backdrop for our host table . We also had a lot of paper lantern white, blush and gold.”

“Our wedding cake was made by Ele Cake in Dayton. It was a 3 tiered almond cake. The color was blush, with a gold fondant ribbon and the flowers were provided by Sherwood Florist. We also had pies and cheesecakes because it’s my favorite.”

Pearls of Wedding Wisdom from the Bride…..

“Be kind to each other. And hire a professional photographer! Your wedding pictures are what you will have left of your day, so find someone that can bring your vision to life. I’m so thankful that I found Chloe Luka she was everything we could have hoped for and more.”

Tell us a little bit about your photographer…..

“We found Chloe by doing many many internet research. In the list of our priorities, finding a GREAT photographer was on the top. I felt in love with her pictures immediately. Words can’t fully describe how appreciative and happy we were with all of our beautiful engagement pictures and STUNNING Wedding photos Chloe took of us! I still feel so emotional looking at them. Chloe is such a beautiful and talented soul and she captured the beauty of our big day so perfectly, MORE THAN WE EVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED. When we met her, we were filled with confidence that she knew exactly what we wanted. She has a lot of determination to make everything PERFECT. She was so professional and had the best personality. You can tell that her job is her passion, she is very creative, has an amazing attention to detail. She made our day perfect with Tim her husband. She captured our day with absolute perfection and we gained a wonderful friend.”

Many congratulations and huge thanks to the happy couple Lea & Matt! After all those years of living on different continents, it must feel like a dream to finally be together, and husband & wife!! A special thanks also to their lovely photographer Chloe Luka who really did do the most wonderful job of capturing the smiles, tears, love, joy and details of their magical day. If you would like to see more of her beautiful work, why not head over to her website www.chloelukaphotography.com and or you can find and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest.

And if this romantic modern-vintage wedding only whet your appetite, why not take a peek at this oh-so-romantic Spring celebration, or this elegant garden affair and you definitely won’t want to miss this delightful destination wedding! You will find all of these, and lots more wedding inspiration, by clicking here.

Amy

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Contributors & Credits

Photography – Chloe Luka Photography // Venue – The Willow Tree in Tipp City, Ohio // Event Design & Planning – DIY Lea Ridenour (the Bride) // Floral Design – Sherwood Florist // Wedding Dress – Yolan Cris // Hairpieces – Etsy // Bridal Shoes – ASOS // Bridesmaid Dresses – ASOS // Bridal Hair – Salon Ventures by Karen // Bridal Makeup – Jaime Testa (Bridesmaid) // Groom’s Suit – Zara // Wedding Stationery – Minted // Wedding Cake – Ele Cake // Instagram Sign – Lily and Val // Welcome Sign – Bontemps Beignet // Let Them Eat Cake Sign – Robbie Bauer, tattoo artist at Truth and Triumph tattoo // Seating Chart, Place Cards & Menus – ItsyBelle // French Sign – DIY Lea Ridenour (the Bride) // Bar Signs, Guestbook Sign, Desserts Signs & Sparklers Sign – DIY Lea Ridenour (the Bride) // Party Stamp & Buttons – DIY Lea Ridenour (the Bride) // Dessert Bar & Drinking Bar – DIY by the groom // Dessert Bar Background – DIY Lea Ridenour (the Bride) // Catering – Elite Catering // Rentals – Prime Time Party Rental // Officiant – Bride & Groom ‘s friend, Joe Head // Music – DJ, Jesse Lumpkin