Garden Party DIY Wedding

Let me just start by saying that I could gush on and on about this gorgeous wedding. I had an impossible time narrowing down the photos to the ones I'm presenting here, too! Ashley and Joe's wedding, captured by Bit of Ivory Photography, was an amazing and artistic DIY affair this summer. Seriously, you will swoon. But enough from me – I'll let the lovely bride, Ashley, tell you all about it!

Ashley says, I am a fashion teacher, and my husband, Joe, owns a welding company. He obsesses over big trucks, fishing, and the mud… and I adore fashion, design and everything in between. In other words, we couldn't be more different. But that is what just makes us work. We are high school sweethearts who met in Math class, and as a result, our wedding day was long-awaited. For our engagement, Joe decided to pop the question in front of an audience of about 800 people. It was at my annual fashion show with my students, many of our close friends, and both of our families in attendance. The theme that year was “A Fairy-tale in Fashion,” and it truly marked the beginning of my “happily ever after.”

Once my Great-Aunt and Uncle offered to have the wedding at their stunning, waterfront home, our “backyard-garden party” vision was born. From the start, we really wanted the day to reflect our personalities while being different than any other wedding we had ever been to. But it wasn't until my mother and I were introduced to the multitude of wedding blogs and ideas from “real weddings” that we really began to visualize the ultimate details that defined our day. After a few months immersed in blogs that provided us with some major inspiration, we compiled a list of DIY projects to be accomplished. Then, we enlisted the help of many talented friends and family who spent hours upon hours assembling favors, making chalkboards, handwriting invitations, etc. My students assisted in packaging apple butter, painting wood signs, and creating “flowered” pens for the guest book during their off blocks. My husband, brother and dad would spend evenings calculating plans for the picnic tables that the Technology class at my school built as a class project. And my mother and I entitled each Friday “Wedding Friday,” which enabled us to check in on our always expanding to-do list.

Without a doubt, our wedding was a result of a lot of love, commitment, and dedication. When it all became a reality on our special day, I really couldn't believe my eyes. Our “labor of love” was finally revealed, and it was all worth it. The amount of details that we were able to incorporate while maintaining a unified vision still amazes me, and the fact that it was all a product of our loved ones made it that much more special. To say the day was exactly what I had imagined would be an understatement, as it far exceeded any expectation I could have had.

Didn't everyone involved do an extraordinary job?!

Artists

Caterer: Cuisine and Company – Virginia Beach, VA
Event Planner: MeghanBlair Weddings – Virginia Beach, VA
Floral Designer: Heidi's Flowers – Virginia Beach, VA
Musicians: Jesse Chong – Virginia Beach, VA
Dress Store: Pure English – Virginia Beach, VA
DJ: Astro Entertainment – Virginia Beach, VA
Tuxedo and Men's Attire: Dan Ryan's for Men – Virginia Beach, VA
Veils and Headpieces: Pieces of Pemberley – Norfolk, VA
Bakery: Carolina Cupcakery – Chesapeake, VA
Photography: Bit of Ivory Photography – Chesapeake, VA