“We met Jen and her mother just four months before her warm September wedding. We left that meeting with our fingers crossed. We could sense that this wedding was going to be supremely unique. Hearing Jen describe her vision for the DIY touches, the flow of the day, and the thoughtful experience she wanted for her guests, we knew it was going to be a dream wedding to shoot. We get very excited about photographing weddings because they always pose two challenges. The first challenge as a wedding photographer is to make sure you authentically tell the story of the day. To be sure you capture the once-in-a-lifetime moments, the small details, and the hard work that goes into the planning. The second, less obvious challenge, is to remain true to our own artistry and how we see the world through the lens. What we love is when you are successful doing one, the other always falls into place…

..many guests as well as her groom Josh explained that, “…Jen told us about what she pictured at various locations on her father’s farm and then magically, in the last couple days, with the help of friends and family, we all started to see her vision come to life.” Hearing that sentiment early in the day, long before the sun had set and the twinkling lights came on, we knew we had to do this wedding justice. In marriage, they say happy wife, happy life. In weddings, we say with a happy bride comes a photographer’s pride. We hope you love Jen’s vision and we hope you love ours.” – Pabst Photo

“Favorite memory? That’s so tough! I would have to say seeing our friends and family so happy, and us being so happy with them, made the day perfect. You work so hard for “your” day, but when it all comes together and no one notices if you were able to get the mahogany chairs and they laugh when your sister wasn’t able to make a speech and just sobs into the microphone, you realize it was all worth it. It’s your day because the people you care about most are supporting you and sharing your joy. It’s that profoundly deep feeling of happiness that was my favorite moment, and it lasted the whole day. 

..I definitely DIY’d a lot of our wedding, and saved tons of money that way. I designed and printed the entire invitation suite at home. I also designed a “logo” that was applied to the programs/menu booklets, beer cozies, and silverware wraps. Everything, except the can cozies, were printed, cut, and assembled at home. It was a lot of work but it was also a fun way to get my husband involved in the whole process. 

The boutonnieres were made from guinea feathers that I ordered from an organic farm in Oregon. I also used the feathers in the bouquets buy gluing them to some floral wire sticks ahead of time. 

For my myself, my bridesmaids, wedding attendants, and mothers (mine and my husbands) I made canvas totes and hand printed a design on each. That way, instead of trying to shove emergency kits into ity bity clutches, we could put whatever we needed in them and just keep them at our tables. I still use mine everyday to bring my things to and from work. 

For the flowers, I researched which flowers would be in season. I really wanted to do wild flowers or fresh from a farmer’s market but it turned out to be easier, though a little more expensive, to order the flowers in bulk/wholesale from an online retailer. They were delivered over the three days before the wedding which meant that I needed to be there, ready and waiting to prepare them upon arrival. Luckily, we had brought our travel trailer from our home in Indiana to my dad’s farm since we knew we’d need the space to bring a lot of stuff home. It turned out we needed that space as a flower cooler anyway! When the flowers arrived, I trimmed them, put them in buckets with a few inches of water, and stored them in the trailer with the AC on high. The night before the wedding, about 25 family members and friends helped with the finishing touches. We had our rehearsal right there on the farm and ordered 12 large Chicago style thin crust pizzas for dinner (so good!!) Afterward, all the ladies worked to get the stems in vases on the  tables and we made our own made the bouquets. Making my own bouquet was nerve-wracking but definitely worth it . I experienced a huge amount of pride when the day finally came and all of our hard work turned out beautifully. I hope I never forget the process, both the ups and downs of it!

photography: Pabst Photo // venue: parents farm // dress: BHLDN // hair/makeup: Odalisque Apothecary // brides necklace: Pyrrha // all the other gorgeous details you see, including the flowers where DIY-ed by the Bride and her family/friends