Fish and Bird Backyard Wedding
There's something a little fishy about this bird wedding ... that's because it's a bird and a fish wedding! When they first started dating Chris gave Janelle a note that contained lyrics to the song "Fish and Bird" - which became the inspiration for their backyard wedding. From the feather necklace for the bride and a whale tie pin for the groom to the bird table assignments and the handmade jellyfish decor, Chris and Janelle's unique theme was present from start to finish.
Using a color palette of blues and greens with touches of yellow this eclectic wedding is chalk full of unique, handmade decorations that are sure to inspire! Can't get enough of this fish and bird backyard wedding? Visit the full gallery here to see more photos captured by Julia Franzosa Photography. Continue reading to hear more from Janelle about their special day, including their full budget breakdown.
Chris and Janelle clearly put a lot of thought into every last detail of their special day! Our favorite details would have to be the unique tie pin and necklace, but we also love the other small details that subtly reference their theme. While each bridesmaids dress is a different style and shade of blue, they all are made of chiffon that billows like clouds and ripples like waves!
From the Bride:Before we started dating, Chris sent me the lyrics to the Tom Waits song "Fish and Bird" as a symbol of where our friendship was heading. In his email he said simply, "You can be the bird." I read it while I was on break at work, and it really hit home that we were meant to be. The song describes love despite separation beautifully. I think it was all over at that point, and the message became ours. We spent the next year and a half committed to making a long distance relationship work, until we could finally be together.
We wanted our day to be a celebration of us and our devotion to living life with intention. Chris and I had a vision of an intimate backyard celebration of the air and the sea, and the meeting in between. We chose to be married and celebrate in my parents backyard. We hired small businesses and handmade artists, and many items were made by us or our families because those details were important to us. It was truly magical, and we cannot thank our families and vendors enough for pulling off our wedding dream world.
While quite the beautiful bride, Janelle also is the owner of the rental company Re:find Joy. When designing her wedding she used all her own rentals and created all of the paper goods and stationery for the event, allowing her to customize so many details to fit the theme.
Another one of our favorite details is definitely the jellyfish decorations that were handmade by Sayuri’s World. Originally created for an art installation at the Portland Airport, artist Sayuri is expanding her "Urban Aquarium" by selling the jellies online. We're starting my Christmas lists a little early this year!
What the bride wishes she had done differently:The only thing we would have done differently is hiring a videographer, something we wish we had done. There were so many moments like saying our vows, our first dance with a guitarist playing our song, our dances with our parents and my grandfather saying grace that we wish we had been able to capture on video to watch in the future.
Read on to see how much this fish and bird backyard wedding cost. Please note that costs change as the years go by, and prices are subject to change. This is just one couple’s breakdown to give you a rough estimate on how much a wedding like this may cost you.
Caterer: $3,000
Dress: $3,300
Veil/Accessories: $400
Photography: $3,600
Floral & Plants: $6,000
Prop Rentals: (bride owns rental company. Approximate cost of items only: $1,000)
Farm Table Rentals: $2,500
Tents/Lighting: $2,000
Cake: $675
DJ & Guitarist: $1250
Hair/Makeup (Bride): $150
Favors/Decor DIY (supplies, screen printing): $700
Transportation: $300
Invitations (we made ours, but it would have cost $2,000)
Weekend Stay at Honor & Folly: $700
Chair Rental: $300
Pies: $140
Groom Attire: $400
Rings: $125
Runners were made by Bride's Mother Officiant was Bride's Uncle Wedding in Bride's parents backyard
- Bridesmaid Necklaces: Courtney Fischer Jewelry
- Cakes & Catering: Sweet Heather Anne
- Caterer: A Moveable Feast
- DJ: Ultimate Entertainment
- Fashion: Mignonette Bridal
- Flowers: Fleur
- Groom’s attire: Men's Wearhouse
- Handmade Jellyfish & Backdrops: Sayuri’s World
- Jewelry: Moira K. Lime
- Pies: Achatz Handmade Pie Co.
- Shoe Designer: Corso Como
- Shoes: Toms
- Venue: Private Home | Hair & Makeup: Dayna Skolas | Officiant: Bride's Uncle
- Wedding Dresses: Watters