Keep it Intimate With A Family Only Wedding
Does the thought of standing in front of a large crowd make you break out in a nervous sweat? Then keep your nerves at bay by making your actual wedding ceremony a family and close friends only event. Jessica and Sterling split their wedding into two days and found the result to be fabulously relaxing. With a 12 person ceremony the first day, an evening reception the following day and plenty of time to enjoy each others company in between, how could you go wrong!?
Beautifully captured by Jessica Simons Photography you can see even more of this quiet little wedding in the full gallery. And keep scrolling for some fantastic little DIY projects created by the bride herself!
From the Bride
I knew I wanted a simple and elegant dress that had geometric elements and found it while on a weekend trip with girlfriends at a shop called A & Be in Denver. I ended up finding the same dress online for half-off because it was a sample dress at a store in Pennsylvania. I bought my jewelry and wedding accessories from Etsy, did my own makeup, and had my friend do my hair.
We chose not to have bridesmaids and groomsmen but instead we had our closest friends participate through readings. However, we still gave gifts to those who would have been in our bridal party. In our spare time, Sterling is a potter and I’m a beader, so it seemed perfect to make handmade bridal party gifts.
Our wedding was on a Thursday evening with 12 immediate family members and our reception was 2 days later with 180 guests at Canyon Lake Park in Rapid City, SD. This schedule allowed us to have ample time to be in the moment with each other, and family and friends: hiking and an intimidate dinner the day of the wedding, an elegant brunch at a nearby ranch the next morning, and of course cold beer and camp chairs scattered throughout.
The reception consisted of a casual buffet, open bar, and 5-person swing band with a world-renown fiddle player. Most of the decorations were DIY including the 35mm keychain viewers, the wooden succulent and candleholders, washi tape tile runners, and the yarn balls. I also designed our own wedding invitations, thank you cards, and wedding website
Steal Worthy Idea
How cool are those table runners that Jessica created with Washi tape and ceramic tiles! We love this idea so much we just had to share a few more great ways you can use Washi tape for decorating! Just click here.
Our wedding just all came together and felt so right and real. It even ended in a prairie thunderstorm that we love so much. After our reception, we sat in our lakeside cabin with friends at 1:00am and watched it light up the lake and echo through the cabin. It was the best few weeks of our lives.
- Bridesmaids Gifts: Pigment Project
- Cake: Tara's Cakes For All Occations
- Dress & Apparel: BHLDN
- Flowers: Bloomers
- Groom’s attire: The Edinburgh Woolen Mill
- Jewelry: Lunhoo
- Photography: Jessica Simons Photography
- Venue: Canyon Lake Resort
- Wedding Dresses: Nicole Miller