• Real Weddings

Hayley and Kyle chose to have their wedding in their very own new spruced up backyard! The cozy and bright atmosphere perfectly compliments the soft blue and pink tones of their color palette. Packed full with DIY decor sure to warm every heart, this wedding is one of a kind and absolutely darling.
Can't get enough? See more of this backyard stunner of a wedding in the full gallery here, beautifully captured by Shaun Menary Photography.

The Love Story From the Bride:Kyle had been looking for his next home because his lease was close to ending. We both knew that wherever he ended up in next, was where I would eventually end up with him. We started looking at apartments, and then he told me about this super-ugly, tiny house near the lake. He began telling me about it with, “I think you will hate this house…”. He showed me a picture of it, and he was right — it was super ugly! But I knew the talent that he had to restore and rebuild. Within a week, we had put an offer on this tiny brown house sitting on almost an acre of land.

The next week we went ring shopping. A few weeks after that it was my birthday, and he had me meet him at the house that evening. As I drove up I saw all kinds of lights hanging in the trees in our huge backyard. He met me at the gate and led me into the backyard. When I opened my eyes he was down on one knee in front of our favorite tree in the yard. He had carved “Will you marry me” in the tree! He had also brought over the porch swing from my parent’s front porch, where he first told me he loved me. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. I immediately said yes!

From the Bride:The overall feeling Kyle and I wanted for our wedding was welcoming and personal. We wanted people to feel at home in the house we had been working on for months that we were excited to move into together after the honeymoon. We wanted to honor our family and the heritage we have come from. We made effort to pay special attention to ways we could honor and highlight our grandparents and parents. A couple of my favorite ways we honored them was using the pews from my grandmother’s church, as well as Kyle’s grandfather’s Bible. I had remnants of fabric from both grandmother’s and my mother’s wedding dresses on my bouquet.

We had our dads’ favorite drinks served at the reception along with Kyle’s grandmother's homemade groom’s desserts: banana pudding, pecan pie, and strawberry cake. We utilized as many flowers as possible that could be replanted in our yard after the wedding. The ring bearer’s pillow was used in my parents wedding 35 years ago. The handkerchiefs used by the bridesmaids belonged to my grandmother, and the “Six Chicks” — college friends — each carry them in their weddings. I ended up choosing a paint swatch to guide the bridesmaids in finding their own dress because I couldn’t decide on one specific color — I liked a range of them! (I even ended up painting our linen closet one of the colors of the paint colors in the swatch I gave the girls.)

 I can't think of anything major I wish I had done differently. I loved our wedding day so much and as far as I'm concerned it went just perfectly. The overall feeling Kyle and I wanted for our wedding was welcoming and personal. It was not a high priority that everything was perfect and flawless. We wanted people to feel at home in the house we had been working on for months that we were excited to move into after our honeymoon.

• Caterer: Vizcarra Hospitality
• Event Designer & Coordinator: Lavender Joy Weddings
• Flowers: Fifty Flowers
• Groom & His Men: J Crew
• Groom & His Men: Al's Formal Wear
• Hair & Makeup: Lindey
• Photographer: Shaun Menary Photography
• Prop or Furniture Rentals: TLC Event Rentals
• Shoes: Toms
• Venue: Rigdon Residence | Stationery: Bride | Cake: Grandmother of the Bride
• Wedding Dresses: Justin Alexander