Throwing a wedding festival in a forest just got a whole lot easier

woodsy wedding

Tay and Sefo met in 2016 through a chance encounter in an Uber Pool in San Francisco. After chatting and hitting it off, they got each other's phone number, and the rest is history. Since then, Tay and Sefo have been on many adventures together while living in Oakland, Seattle, Huntington Beach, and now Sacramento. In between Oakland and Seattle, they even took a year abroad where they spent 1 month in Europe, 6 months in Bali, and 2 months exploring Southeast Asia! The whimsical design elements and personal touches captured by Megan Goetz Photography and planned with the help of Savvy Weddings make this "Forest Fest" wedding a must-see for any outdoor brides!

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off the shoulder woodsy wedding dress colorful floral shawl for brides

mauve suit for wedding

Unexpected pops of color

The couple incorporated unexpected pops of color into each of their wedding looks - the bride through accessories, and the groom through a stunning mauve suit from Friar Tux. Bride Tay opted for a colorful floral wrap and gold and turquoise earrings. Her bouquet by Zannah Farms complemented the colors found in the shawl, tying her whole look together.

hike to wedding ceremony

Hand-drawn invitations

Illustrator bride Tay designed all of the graphics for the wedding and hand drew a map of camp for their invitations.

wedding ceremony rugs

woodsy wedding ceremony

wedding ceremony in the woods on rugs

The vibes: Colorful disco festival

The overall vibe of the day was a whimsical and colorful disco festival. Because their first date was at Outside Lands in San Francisco, the bride and groom took a lot of inspiration from that! They wanted an event that was colorful and funky, and they even encouraged their guests to get into the Forest Fest spirit with a music festival formal / funky disco dress code.

colorful campground wedding

sweetheart table with tropical floral arrangements colorful mason jars

personal photo table numbers

elevated campground wedding

DIY dance floor and disco balls

It was a must for Tay and Sefo to have their reception in the Redwood Grove. This required bringing in lighting and a dance floor. Groom Sefo, his dad, and his friends took it upon themselves to order string lighting to put up in the Redwood Grove, hang disco balls from Golden Hour Rentals around, and even make a custom dance floor on site. Every element was true to the couple's funky and fun sense of style.

disco ball dance floor custom black and white wedding dance floor

The ultimate playlist

Looking for a great playlist for the day? Consider this couple's choices for their big wedding day moments:

- Bridal party entrance (ceremony): "Tired Boy" by Joey Pecoraro

- Bride's processional: "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" by Sampha

- Bride and Groom's recessional: "Home" by Good Neighbors

- Bridal party entrance (reception): "This Girl (Kungs vs. Cookin' on 3 Burners)" by Kungs, Cookin' on 3 Burners

- Bride and Groom's entrance (reception): "Sunday Best" by Surfaces

- Mother/Son dance: "Drops of Jupiter" by Train

- Father/Daughter dance: "Unforgettable" by Natalie King Cole, Nat King Cole

- Bride and Groom's first dance: "Day 1" by Honne

- Reception music vibes courtesy of MVMNT DJs: Hip Hop, Pop, Alternative Indie, Island/Reggae

disco wedding bar decor

wedding sheet cake 70's inspired guestbook

A few of things favorite things

One of the groom's favorite memories of the day was the first dance with a close second being just how fun the reception and after party were. He shared, "I was so grateful that we didn’t have to worry about driving to different locations or even back to a hotel. We could really just enjoy the day and let loose with the people closest to us." For the bride, her favorite part was having everyone they love in once place and being able to see their vision come to life in the best way.

outdoor uplighting

After-the-fact advice

"Work as a team with your partner! Get the groom involved and make wedding planning as fun as possible! Set time aside for you both to sit down and accomplish tasks weekly while enjoying a bottle of wine and dinner at home or at a favorite bar or restaurant. We had 'Wedding Wednesdays' on our shared calendar for the 9+ months leading up to the day, and it was the best thing we did! Also, if you are able to (with your budget), hire a planner!! We originally wanted to do everything ourselves and we are SO GLAD we did not! We still ended up doing fun DIY projects and being super involved with the vibe, planning, and decisions, but on the week/day of we were both able to let it all go, be present, and just enjoy every moment."

forest disco dance party