How To Have An Intimate Backyard Wedding Despite COVID-19
We have been so lucky to be able to share multiple posts with couples who were able to really go with the flow amidst this awful pandemic. They've had to downsize yet still have such insanely beautiful weddings. Going from 200 guests to less than 20 is not easy, but this next real wedding is proof that all you need is love and a vision to make it happen! With such beautiful decor and amazing photos this will always be a day to remember and at the end of the day love always comes first!
Mj Photography photographed the day, and Snowberry Event + Design planned every detail. You can see all the images in the full gallery.
CHANGE OF PLANS
Hailey and Levi had their dream wedding scheduled for the Fall of 2020. Needless to say, things didn’t go quite as planned. Hailey described her struggles in planning a Covid-19 wedding: “It seemed like every two weeks we changed a crucial part of the wedding. We had watched our guest list take hit after hit with the numbers going down. Our budget also kept taking so many hits with the constant changes and deposits.
About two months before the wedding, I was almost ready to give up; and yet pushing things off until next year felt like a defeat.” In spite of their challenges, they forged ahead, determined to make their wedding happen.
They opted for a micro wedding in Levi’s parents’ backyard with a guest count under twenty. They invited their dearest friends and family – those who had poured their love into the couple over the years.
Hailey said, “We worked really closely with the family to make it all happen. Having our plans altered so much forced me to look at the bigger picture and realize that the most important aspect was us being able to get married. Everything else was a bonus. I went into planning the final time with little to no expectations. Also, our officiants played a big role. Gail and Brian had a similar love story to ours. As an interracial couple who married young and took on their new chapter almost alone, they shed so much light and wisdom on us. They asked if they could both marry us at the alter because they felt it would be so powerful to be wed and blessed by another couple who walked a similar path.”
MAKING IT WORK
The vendor team consisted of six local, women-owned small businesses. Snowberry Event + Design styled the day with a foliage-heavy, vintage vibe. The ceremony arch was adorned with locally-foraged, lush Pacific Northwest foliage. The copper pipe and macrame backdrop for the dessert table were custom-made.
Antique brass candleholders, emerald green hand-dyed napkins, vintage glass cake stands, amber glass bottles, and touches of pampas completed the look. Wildflower Cakes made the honey vanilla lavender cake with blackberry filling as well as the gorgeous macarons (Hailey’s favorite!). The bouquet and boutonnieres were made by farmer-florist Lexi Mara using flowers she grew.
The handmade welcome sign was created by Crista Dougherty, who kept it simple with just the couple’s names and wedding date. That way, Crista suggested, Hailey and Levi could put it up on their wall afterward as a keepsake. The beauty and memories were captured by Melissa Jentzsch of Mj Photography.
LOVE + ADVICE
“I cried at least ten times!” said Melissa when later describing the joys of the day. Hailey and Levi also received a special treat the evening before their wedding: a saltwater soak from local bathhouse Soak On The Sound. It was a great way for them to relax and reenergize. In keeping with the intimate “family feel” of the whole day, Levi’s parents made the meal themselves on their giant barbeques.
When asked to describe her favorite moment of the day (aside from the ceremony!), Hailey said, “Levi's mom has a special tradition for all of her kids’ weddings where she cuts off a ribbon from one of her aprons and passes it to them along with a heartfelt message. For our wedding she used the apron that was her father’s (he was incredibly close to both her and Levi). She also gave me a piece of that ribbon to symbolize her letting me care for her son. It was the most tender moment!”
Hailey suggests to others planning their wedding during the pandemic: “Whatever you decide to do, make sure you make the decision that's best for you and will make you happy. At the end of the day, it's YOUR DAY! No one else should get in the way of that. The people that love and care about your relationship will support you no matter what decision you make. There are many avenues to take, so just remember you have options. There's eloping, postponing, having a small ceremony, etc.”
- Cakes & Catering: Wildflower Cakes
- Event Planning & Design: Snowberry Event + Design
- Flowers: Lexi Mara
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Crista Dougherty
- Photographers: Mj Photography
- Spa: Soak On The Sound