DIY Wedding: Made by our hands and from the heart

Matt and I are the kind of people who mine their own gold to create a custom wedding band, so you betcha, all the decorations were made by our hands as well.   An intimate ceremony made from pure love is the dream Matt and I had for our wedding.  We hardly ever shop at retail stores as it is, so there was know way I was going to by a bunch of overpriced wedding nonsense that was cheaply made for such a special and meaningful day. I wanted us to be surrounded by the beauty of nature, good friends, and our handmade creations full of memories and lots of love.

Back in the olden days the women would gather and make everything for a wedding. No need for any bridezilla to emerge when your spending your Saturdays crafting with your girlfriends, sipping coffee and chatting away.  Thanks to Pinterest, we were able to make a board of Pioneer Wedding Ideas and all of my girlfriends could contribute their ideas to it as well. Once we had our projects picked out, it was just a matter of getting them done. It took many long crafting nights with my girlfriends but the result was wonderful memories together and decorations full of love and stories.

Home made wedding invitations

We made our crafting nights a sort of girls night in... Some nights were full of laughter and stories and others were fueled by hot coffee and an impending deadline. We worked on things right up to the ceremony but it all came together perfectly!


Pioneer Wedding DIY;

Project 1. The Invites

The first thing to make were our wedding invitations... I printed out topographic  maps of the area and used an old book of yellowed tracing paper I bought at a garage sale as vellum. I love the WEDDING Pinets and the cute little owl couple perched on the sign. Of course we had to incorporate our puppies into the invite as well. :)  For just a few dollars I had custom wedding invitations to send out.

Project 2. Bunting for Ceremony Arch and Tule Streamers

One thing I love are vintage sheets. They are so beautifully done and there are a million uses for them. I recently shredded up one of my favorites into long strips and tied them on to a string of jute. A few paper flowers, little lace, and some old chandelier crystals and you have yourself  beautiful bunting, worthy of any window.

I loved how they turned out so I decided to make a set for our wedding arch...

Cassie Shredding Sheets

 I recruited a dear friend who isn't much for crafting so I figured shredding sheets would be more her style:) She did a fantastic job.
It made a really nice backdrop for the arbor. This would also be fun to hang up for all your guests to take fun pictures in front of it, kind of like a photo both.

 I plan to use this in our guest bedroom and hang it up like a headboard. That way we can enjoy it for years to come and it has a beautiful story to tell.















Project 3. The Bouquet and Boutonniere

A little accent piece for Matt...lol!

Who would have thought fabric and paper flowers could be so lovely! This beautiful bouquet was a breathtaking surprise on my wedding day from my amazingly talented girlfriend Nickel. In between our nights of crafting, she was busy working on her own secret projects.

This piece of art is prettier than any bouquet and I am able to admire it every day. She was even able to incorporate my grandmother's wedding dress fabric in it and a little accent piece for Matt.  Maybe one day I can pass this treasured piece down for another to love. 

 The boutonniere was one of my favorite projects! I love old skeleton keys and a few months back I purchased a few from a little antique shop near our gold claim. I used the silk from my wedding gown to make the little flower and then tied the key on. Matt has held the key to my heart for a long time and always will. Now he is in charge of it:)

Project 4. The Centerpieces

The morning of our wedding, poor Matt missed breakfast entirely due to one too many mojitos the night before. We all enjoyed a delicious breakfast together  of french toast, eggs, and fresh fruit, while he slept the morning away.  Apparently decorating is girls business because the boys all disappeared.

Between the six of us we managed to transform the porch into a country-chic dinner party. The tables were covered with a mix of vintage sheets, burlap, and table cloths from my Grandmother. Little tin cans punched with hearts and lace doilies

The girls gathering wild flowers

decorated the tops of each table. All we were lacking at that point were the flower centerpieces. I gathered up all the girls and went out for a walk armed with scissors and  bags to carry clippings. We walked around the ranch looking for the perfect wildflowers and natural grasses to make our centerpieces and decorate our custom headbands. Along the way we got to visit the goats, reindeer, horses, and the friendliest burro I've ever met.  Once we had our fill of furry creatures and could carry no more flowers we began making the centerpieces.  A ball jar filled with pebbles, slices of fruit, and finished off with wildflowers growing throughout the property made for a simple yet whimsical arrangement. 

Project 5. The Flower Wreaths

One of my favorite decorations were the custom hair wreaths all the girls wore even my little princess Hampton had her own with a veil. We decorated each one with crystals and freshly picked wildflowers woven through it. Matt was adamant that I have yellow flowers in my hair and this was the perfect way to incorporate them.  All in all, these ideas came together so nicely and were just perfect for our special day!

Thank you to all my girlfriends that helped make this fairytale day a reality. We love you!