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DIY Dream Wedding: Couple’s Handmade Sign & Details Shine!

Newlyweds posing at an outdoor wedding with light up initials

Holy awesome marquee sign Batman! This adorable couple not only takes fabulous photos but they are crafty as all get out! Believe it or not, they made that light up sign themselves, along with many of the steal worthy details you'll see through out their big day.
Kathryn and Andrew's 'DIY like a champ' wedding will have you itching to pick up a glue gun or rev up your power drill. So be sure to see all of their handmade details, captured by Juliet Elizabeth Photography, by visiting the full gallery here.

Elegant bride in a lace wedding dress near a window

Elegant outdoor wedding with bride and groom, floral details

Elegant wedding couple holding balloons, captured in a joyful celebration

Bride and bridesmaids pose with parasols in a garden wedding

garden rose and anemone bouquet by Branch Design Studio @weddingchicks

Traveling For Better Weather

Growing up enduring harsh Chicago weather really made me want to have a beautiful, warm wedding full of sunshine! However, most of the venues in Chicago wouldn't even allow a Plan A of having a reception outside. So with Chicago out of the mix, we headed to South Carolina and had the wedding of our dreams!

We choose the Legare Waring House (which didn't even have an indoor option, gasp!) because of its beauty and multi-century old oak trees. A stunning scene for our vows and reception.

Wooden sign with elegant cursive text It always protects

Wedding aisle with Love never fails sign and floral decor

Elegant wedding invitation with calligraphy and watercolor detail

Wedding scene with guests and groomsmen wearing suspenders

Romantic wedding kiss under chandelier and big tree

Engineering Your Perfect Day

I've always been a somewhat crafty person so I was a very involved and DIY bride (my husband and I, both being engineers, even designed some items in 3D software and AutoCAD...yes we are dorks). During the process I taught myself Photoshop, web design, sewing and even how to use power tools. All in the name of the perfect wedding!Want to find out what exactly Kathryn and Andrew built by hand for their big day? Click on the read more tab at the bottom of this post and you can see a whole list of their mind blowing DIY projects!

Outdoor wedding bar decorated with flowers and chandelier

Wedding bar menu with flowers and drinks list for guests

Wedding details with illuminated arrows, beer menu, and IPA sign

eddison chaldeliere and whiskey bar @weddingchicks

Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottle

Flowers in beer bottles hanging from a tree for a rustic wedding

Glass orb decor and outdoor bar setup at a garden party

Keeping The Day Intimate

We wanted to have a small intimate wedding and having a destination wedding definitely helps narrow the list. We had 85 guests and truly felt the love of everyone who sacrificed the time, money, and energy to be there with us

Wedding seating cards display with flowers and decorations

Outdoor wedding reception with chandeliers under large trees

drift wood florals and succulent centerpieces @weddingchicks

Outdoor wedding reception tablescape with floral centerpieces

driftwood centerpiece and mr and mrs signs @weddingchicks

Perfect Wedding Weather

The prior 3 days had been hot...97 degrees. We were a bit worried about the heat and Andrew's grandparents, but we woke up Saturday morning to a forecast of of clear, sunny, and a high of 84. It was perfect. The day was perfect, everything went according to plan, and everyone had a great time.

Wedding reception with cake table set outdoors in garden

Get a closer look at this DIY like a champ wedding by watching the fabulous film created by Low Country Wedding Films below.

Are you just as impressed as we are by Kathryn and Andrew's DIY skills? Well keep reading to see just what they created by hand for their big day, but be warned it may cause uncontrollable jaw dropping.

K & A Arrow Marquee Letters & Edison Bulb Chandelier:
- designed in autocad
- wood cut, stained and constructed by us
- electrical by us Fabric Programs and Menus:
- Designed by bride in photoshop
- Printed by spoonflower Personalized Items:
- Whiskey coasters, matches, wooden stirrers (the silhouette is really us!), menus, escort cards, place cards, cocktail napkins
- Pint glasses with logo as favors Wood Signs:
- wood cut, stained and constructed by us
- each sign designed in photoshop and painted by us
- signs include: aisle signs, bar menus, whiskey/beer signs, table “numbers”, Mr. & Mrs. Signs, etc Displays:
- Whiskey, beer, champagne, escort card, dessert tables
- Wooden escort card moss boxes, risers on alcohol displays
- Hanging glass bubbles, hanging beer bottles Chiffon Curtains:
- 64 yards of fabric cut and sewn by bride (this was the worst)

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