How To Have A Fabulous Micro Backyard Wedding
We've all heard the phrase "Go big or go home," well, these next two brides took it to heart. Asheley and Kirstin took their adorably intimate wedding ceremony home with them and we are so in love with the outcome of their micro backyard wedding! Thinking of doing the same for your "Big" day? Kirstin has some awesome "Life hacks" that you won't want to miss.
Keep scrolling to see the whole heartwarming event. And don't skip over the text, Kirstin has some great stories, our favorite is about their neighbor turning down their party music during the ceremony and then surprising them with a song after the "I dos". Matei Horvath took some amazing photos, be sure to catch every moment he captured in our full gallery.
From Kirstin: My wife and I tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at our new home in Highland Park, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles, on Saturday, July 15, 2017. It was such an incredible day, filled with all of our favorite things: friends, food, and fun.
The guest list
Since we were throwing a three-day extravaganza for more than 120 people in Montana a few weeks later, we chose to keep our vows and certificate signing simple and low-key —inviting eight of our closest friends and family to bear witness and chow down on Mexican food after the nuptials.
The looks
Asheley and I both wanted to feel comfortable yet elegant while still staying true to our typical styles. She wore a white suit by Alice + Olivia with white sneakers; I chose a white, off-the-shoulder jumpsuit by Jay Godfrey. Our hair and makeup were done by Glamsquad and Blushington in West Hollywood. (Thank goodness for them! They helped us stay calm and feel beautiful.)
The decorations:
Our house has a bright, minimalist aesthetic so we continued that theme with our decor—selecting greenery, white flowers, and candles. We were fortunate enough to have a dear friend (Joel Mefford, founder of Airscape Gardens in LA) come to our aid in this department. Joel advised me to order an arch from Amazon earlier in the week, and then the two of us made a trip to the Los Angeles Flower Market the morning of the ceremony to select all of the greenery and flowers for later in the day. Joel proceeded to work miracles and built a stunning, yet simplistic, flower arch, under which Asheley and I exchanged vows.
We did actually narrowly avert a poop disaster! Our dog, Minnie, was unfazed by all of the activity and decorations covering her normal "business area", and just before the ceremony began, she decided to present us with a very personal gift. Matei, the photographer, captured this moment and it will live on in poopfamy!
Life hack:
Joel encouraged me to select long-lasting plants, which continue to grace our home. Such a smart investment!
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The vows:
Asheley and I wrote our own vows and another one of our closest friends, Casey Brown, officiated the ceremony. Our back neighbors were throwing a birthday party and kindly paused their music during our ceremony. As soon as we kissed, they played "Here Comes the Bride" for the whole neighborhood to hear. They later invited us up to the party, where we shared our first dance as a married couple.
Life hack:
Our friend Casey, applied for his officiant license online so that he could marry us.
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The photos:
At first, Asheley and I didn't think we'd need a professional photographer (after all, doesn't everyone have an iPhone?)—but boy, are we grateful that we were convinced otherwise. Los Angeles-based photographer Matei Horvath immediately put us at ease with his easy-going, yet focused attitude and managed to capture the beauty and energy in every moment—even bonding with our nine-year-old dog, Minnie. Matei even encouraged us to escape for a few minutes for portraits in the park near our house, and he brilliantly captured the quintessential LA sunset in barely any time at all (literally 10 minutes).
Wedding Advice & Budget
We planned our DIY ceremony on the fly, arranging for hair and makeup at the last minute. We also spent the better part of the day preparing for our guests, readying our backyard for the ceremony, and finally getting ourselves ready for the big moment. If we were to do it all over again, we would have made these arrangements in advance. At the end of the day though, everything turned out spectacularly well and hiccup free!
No budget at all! This was really meant to be an intimate ceremony with some of our closest friends leading up to our three-day, 120-guest bash in Montana!
Actual Budget: $1,000
Number of Guests: 9, all of whom contributed in some way to our celebration, whether it be preparing snacks and drinks, wrangling Minnie, or helping us put the finishing touches on our hair/clothes/makeup.
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- Bridal Jumpsuit: Jay Godfrey
- Bridal Suit: Alice & Olivia
- Flowers: Joel Mefford
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Glamsquad
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Blushington
- Photographers: Matei Horvath