Joseph and Jenna had an authentic rustic Quaker wedding from the DIY décors to the beautiful venue. You can definitely feel the love between these two. The moment was just perfect for them — the setting, ambiance, and love all around.
The wood stump, a favorite rustic décor, also made an appearance at their wedding. Like Jenna, you can also use the decorations she used at her wedding as house décors. A useful tip for those who love to DIY.
Our Story:
When I created my online dating profile, I never expected to meet the man that would someday become my husband. I was on the website for a couple of months and had gone on a few dates very nice people, but I was busy working two jobs and eventually decided to put dating on hold for a while. When I went online to suspend my profile, I noticed a message in my inbox that caught my eye.
I wish I could remember exactly what he said, but I ‘m sure it was a typical, sarcastic, very “Joe” comment, and I was instantly drawn to this witty, charming guy in an Eagles jersey. Joe and I sat and talked for over five hours on our first date and completely missed the movie we were supposed to see (but have made up for it several thousand times over in the years since with our Netflix addiction…).
We Are A Perfect Match:
Joe and I balance each other; he is the yin to my yang. When I am worried about something, he is right there telling me to relax. He puts things in perspective for me and tells me that I do the same for him. As cliche as it sounds, we bring out the best in each other and make each other better people!
The Proposal:
Joe proposed on the day we moved into our new home. We had fallen in love with a 225-year-old home in Bucks County, but it seemed like the forces were against us. We had trouble securing our mortgage, so when the deal finally went through we were elated and couldn’t wait to start our life together in this fantastic new (old!) home. The struggles we went through while buying the house helped me see that we were perfect for each other, even in the face of adversity. Soon move-in day, while moving boxes around in the attic, Joe pulled out a little box that he “found”, and inside was my beautiful vintage style engagement ring. Of course, I said yes… probably a hundred times!!
The Theme:
I would summarize our “theme” as rustic simplicity with a touch of country. Most of our décor was either handmade, natural, or recycled. And I am still using a lot of our décor at my house!
Wedding Day Outfit Inspiration:
I knew I wanted to wear boots (they were comfy and super cute!), so I knew a lace wedding dress was the direction I wanted to go. Browns and neutrals became our palette through our natural decor, so I tied the tuxes into that concept. And my sister, who was my MOH, and my flower girl, had the freedom to pick whatever dress they liked – it was really a coincidence that everything ended up so well coordinated!
Wedding Décor Inspiration:
My wedding decor was inspired by my rustic venue and simple ceremony space. We had a Quaker ceremony at a Friend’s Meetinghouse in Bucks County, which was a very simple place that didn’t need many decors because of its natural, historic beauty. Carrying this theme to the reception was a no-brainer for me, especially once we booked an old grist mill as our reception space. The building had so much character; it didn’t need much help! We used slices from a fallen tree as our centerpieces, with recycled mason jars full of flowers and small votive candles scattering the tables. It was beautiful, rustic, and simple!
The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Projects:
Everything about our wedding was a DIY project! We sourced our flowers (dried and fresh) from a local farm in large buckets. My mom, sister, and I got together the day before the wedding to arrange them in mason jars. We had a blast and they looked awesome! The centerpieces were round slices of wood cut from a fallen tree, which we put a flower arrangement on top of, with votive candles and pine cones. We bought plain grapevine wreaths and added handmade burlap flowers and bows, these were hung on the walls of the mill (our reception venue).
The artwork on our invitations was sketched by a friend’s family member, and my friend helped me design and print the invitations. My aunt made my flower girl’s basket, and a coworker made my purse. My mom made two adorable bride and groom scarecrows that we put out by our cider and donut table after the ceremony. I think all of the DIY touches made it special – and I couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends and family!
The Planning Process:
We were engaged for 16 months, which gave us plenty of time for planning and lots of DIY-ing! It surprised me how quickly venues and vendors book up though, so I am glad I was more of an early planner.
Best Advice We Received:
Not to sweat the small stuff, and to relax and enjoy the big day! I had so much fun making my wedding decor, and I was thrilled when family and friends offered to help. Instead of being controlling and fussing over every detail, I gave them artistic freedom to complete my projects with their spin and it made everything that much more unique and special! Also, so many people told us to try to slow down and enjoy our wedding day, so we made a conscious effort to do that and are so glad we did!
Planning Advice For Couples:
Have fun with it – when it’s all over you will find yourself wondering what to do with all of your free time! I miss the planning process actually, it was so much fun getting together with friends and family for crafting and planning!
Tips & Tricks For Future Brides:
I sourced my flowers from a local farm to arrange myself in mason jars, and one of the farmers offered to make my bouquet. They turned out amazing, and I supported local business, and I saved a lot of money! We had a friend make our cake, so we asked her to make just a small display cake and then had big sheet cakes in the back. Nobody knew the difference, and it was easy for her to transport.
The Challenges We Faced:
Our planning process went smoothly….I’m having trouble thinking of a challenge! I guess our biggest challenge was finding a rustic venue that allowed us to bring our caterer and could seat 150. Once we found our venue, it was smooth sailing!
Money Matters:
We spent $15k-$20k
The saved most on the flowers, we got them from a local farm, and they came to us in big buckets. The farmer dried some flowers for us as well, and my mom, sister, and I arranged them in mason jars the day before the wedding. We had so much fun arranging them together, and they turned out great!
The catering was our biggest expense, but we still got a great deal with the best caterer that uses local ingredients. Another expense I didn’t realize would be so big was the rental bill – can you believe it costs $.42 to rent a fork?!?
The Guest List:
We asked exactly 150, which was the capacity of our reception venue. Our last count was 135.
We had to cut some old friends that we aren’t really in touch with, and second cousins. We also decided only to invite the children of the immediate family to keep our numbers down.
The Songs:
We hired a harpist to play some music for our ceremony, but the ceremony itself was a traditional silent Quaker meeting for worship. We used Canon in D for our processional, the bridal march, and the wedding march as our recessional. The harpist stayed during the Quaker tradition of the wedding certificate signing afterward, which was very nice.
Our Honeymoon:
We traveled around Italy – the land of wine and food! Everything was amazing – we started in romantic Venice and took the signature gondola ride. Then we spent a week on a farm in Tuscany, they called them “Agriturismo” and traveled around wine country. We went to Rome for two days and ended up in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre. We fell in love with the country and plan to return for our second anniversary in 2016!
Excited About:
We are so excited to get to spend every day together, forever! We are looking forward to traveling – our goal is to get to Scotland and Ireland this year, and then back to Italy next year. We are looking forward to working around the house, planting a vegetable garden, and eventually starting a family! Everything is more fun when we do it together.
Favorite Part Of The day:
My photographs are probably my favorite part of my wedding. He did an absolutely amazing job and we are blown away by our gallery. The Quaker ceremony was absolutely amazing, and the fact that it was unplanned made it extra special. A Quaker ceremony takes place during meeting for worship, a period of silent worship. During this time our friends and family stood up to speak, telling stories and wishing us congratulations. Their messages are such wonderful memories of the day, it was so meaningful!
The Highlights From The Ceremony & Reception:
The Quaker ceremony was absolutely amazing, and the fact that it was unplanned made it extra special. A Quaker ceremony takes place during meeting for worship, a period of silent worship. During this time our friends and family stood up to speak, telling stories and wishing us congratulations. Their messages are such wonderful memories of the day, it was so meaningful!
At the reception, we had a photo booth, which turned out to be a lot of fun and we love the little album of photo strips that we got afterward. Our flower girl spontaneously asked the DJ to perform a special song for us (we’re still trying to figure out what she was singing!) – It was adorable and heartfelt. We got to dance all night and the guys enjoyed cigars out by the river. The reception was a blast!
Most Memorable Moment:
The Quaker ceremony was absolutely amazing, and the fact that it was unplanned made it extra special. A Quaker ceremony takes place during meeting for worship, a period of silent worship. During this time our friends and family stood up to speak, telling stories and wishing us congratulations. Their messages are such wonderful memories of the day, it was so meaningful!
VENDORS
Photographer: Joseph Delgado Photography
Makeup Artist: Make Me Glam
Ceremony Location: Prallsville Mill
Reception Venue: Prallsville Mills
Ceremony Location: Solebury Friends Meeting House
Caterer: Soup to Nuts Catering
Dress Store: The Country Bride and Gent
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