Fun Wedding For Travel Lovers
Laurel and Josh are such funny, creative, lovely people and their fun wedding for travel lovers proves it! They also have boat loads of talent as most of their wedding is DIY'd.
The decor is as personal and unique as it is beautiful, but this wedding isn't just about looking good it's also about feeling good. From a sweet and funny Irish song sung to the bride, a bear fight, and nerf guns, there's something to smile at around every corner. Step right up and see it all in the full gallery here, captured by The Bird and the Bear Photography and Films.
diy with help of family and friends
We had a 2 year engagement since we thought it would be best to take our time while planning especially with the long distance, which worked out perfectly. I flew back to Texas a few times each year to collect and build then store what we did with my mom. All the stationary, chalkboards, signs, plus the backdrop and garland at the entry I made with the help of my mom and josh. It was totally a mother daughter team effort on collecting all the props, furniture, books and vases, a lot of which my mom happened to just own. We had family and friends help create as much as possible too.. from the small cake, earrings, bud vases and boutonnieres (except josh's), the bow ties, the prints given out at the end and the giant jenga set (thanks to josh's artsy dad) along with the officiant (my old drama teacher) and the ceremony Guitarist (my cousin).
let the groom help
Give your groom some responsibilities, with a little guidance of course! Josh was so wonderful and super involved as well with finding the perfect outfits for each guy and, of course, serenading me with a song he has playfully sang to me since the beginning of our relationship. Both of us being performers/artists (visually (me) or musically (josh)) definitely came in handy and we had so much fun producing a show of our own. We are a goofy couple and wanted to bring some laughs to the wedding in a tasteful way hence the bear fight, spatula gift giving and nerf guns at cocktail hour.
save time for quick fixes
What would I have done differently... Basically the whole wedding was DIY, so the morning of, I helped unpack things and show those who set up where all the props should go but I eventually had to go into the house and start getting ready. I wish I would of allowed my self after hair and makeup to walk the grounds one final time to make sure everything was in place the way I envisioned it. For the most part everything was perfect but looking back now there are some minor things I would of adjusted.
benefits of a two year engagement
Some advice for other brides... Having a 2 year engagement was the best decision Josh and I made with planning a wedding. It gave us ample time to search for vendors from afar and be able to get our first picks, we also were able to craft mostly everything we wanted for the wedding including garland, the fabric backdrop, and I taught myself how to build a website and make a stationery from the ground up. Having a long engagement also strengthens your relationship with your groom. There is no need to rush into things because that usually is what makes the planning process overwhelming and stressful, let yourself relax and love this small stage of your relationship where you get to create such a beautiful memorable day together.Share in the joy of their day when you watch the beautiful video below, filmed by The Bird and the Bear Photography and Films.
https://vimeo.com/111030868
Read on to see how much this fun wedding for travel lovers 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.
Our budget was around $35,000
Apparel:
Dress $2598
Shoes $200
Headpiece $390
Decorations:
Florist $1,700, DIY Bulk Flowers $400
Venue & Catering (plus renting the place for the whole weekend) $16,500
Other:
Photography/Videography: $4,546
DJ: $725
Hair and Makeup: $500
Stationary: $600
The rest was spent on props, assorted desserts, the engagement party, and alcohol + tips $6800
We saved by having my wonderful middle school drama teacher officiate the wedding, my cousin played guitar during the ceremony, and my mom's home is a museum of old furnishings and beautiful trinkets that we used. With having so many people we cared about involved it made every detail of the wedding even more meaningful.
- Beauty: Mindy Orsak
- Cake: Stregare Cheesecake
- Coordinator & Venue: The Winfield Inn
- Dress & Apparel: BHLDN
- Flowers: Petals Ink
- Invitation Design: Laural Sturrock
- Lighting & Entertainment: Byrne Rock
- Photography & Cinematography: The Bird and the Bear