With the success of the book "Offbeat Bride," and the spawn of DIY Weblogs, a new generation of indie brides are whipping out their sewing machines and craft supplies in hopes of an Etsy-worthy wedding. While I have seen some frightening DIY projects, and it is my experience that this very special occasion is best left to the professionals, every once in a while a bride is able to manage the perfect balance of personalization and sophistication. Such was true with the wedding of Jillian and Jason.
Jillian is an uber-talented indie fashion designer, with her line of SIMONE all over Etsy. Jason is equally accomplished in his love of music, playing percussion for a local band. Together, they are one talented rockstar couple- and anything but your typical bride and groom. Thus, they took cues from their relationship and a little guidence from great vendors... making a destination wedding to remember!
Their 80 guests travelled from as far as Boston to be a part of the Sunshine State wedding- and by some grace of God... the rain held out. It poured for miles and miles for hours and hours- and then the clouds parted just in time for their 5 o'clock ceremony- and it was nothing but blue skies, sunshine, and rainbows for their vows. Guests were greeted by bagpiper, and invited to toss their heels aside for the barefoot beach ceremony. The ceremony was officiated by the couple's close friend... and the highlight of the whole day was seeing Jillian walked down the aisle in her hand-made wedding dress. It was stunning!
Guests were then treated to a casual reception at The Finch House... just a brisk walk from the beach. Here, they dined on a tropical-inspired menu created by Smashing Pans atop tables with custom linens sewn by none other than the crafty bride. They ooed-ahhhed over the cake (Publix) which was designed by- you guessed it- the bride! The ecclectic blend of reggae, punk, and rock and roll love ballads (One Voice Productions) were so indicative of the evening's lighthearted mood... with guests lining up to leave their well-wishes in the retro polaroid guestbook.
As the evening drew to an end, and Arte de Palm Photography prepared for their money-shot... the couple danced to one last song all alone. This was my favorite part of the entire night... the bride was so giddy with glee- the groom in his yellow and black nike sneakers and tux... dancing to "You are my sunshine"... and then they made a mad dash down an aisle of sparklers to their antique get-away car (Majestic). Off to St. Lucia for the honeymoon!
