We are swooning over this stunning beach wedding!
Shea Shoemaker
Shea Shoemaker August 23, 2017

DIY Wedding | Tanner + Emily

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“Emily and Tanner had a beautiful, intimate, heartfelt wedding at the Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach. Living in Iowa, where they met, they decided to have a destination wedding in St. Pete, and I’m so glad they did. Emily’s family had been vacationing on our beautiful beaches for years. Plus, with Tanner’s family being from California, it only seemed fair that everyone had to travel for this celebration!

This wedding was so incredibly relaxing. It was a day filled with fun and laughter – it was truly an all day celebration! The bridesmaids kept us all laughing in the morning – between the snapchat selfies and the kitchen dance party. Emily put on her corset-back, beaded strapped gown with the help of her mom. She was such a beautiful bride! Her bridesmaids stood by her side all day in their blue dresses, all a different shade. I loved how creative this team was! How fun are their pineapple dress hangers? Scrapbook paper for the win! I was super impressed that they all made their own bouquets with the help of Emily’s mom! Holy smokes – good work girls!

Soon, it was time for Emily and Tanner to see each other for the first time. They shared a beautiful first look in the courtyard of Postcard Inn. They both tried to hold back their tears, but once the letters came out, there was not a dry eye around. It was so beautiful to watch these two celebrate this moment together.

Emily and Tanner exchanged vows on the beach in the late afternoon. We were all super grateful that the rain clouds avoided us that day! The sun was shining bright! Guests were invited to remove their shoes and take a seat. The aisle was lined with palm leaves and there was a driftwood cross under the arbor. Tanner and Emily exchanged vows that they had written. My favorite line was “And I vow to keep updating [these vows] as we go. Because one set of vows, it can’t cover a lifetime of growing and changing with you.” Apparently that’s from a television show, but I’m just going to pretend they came up with those beautiful words!

Everyone celebrated in the tiki hut after the ceremony. My favorite detail was the envelope escort cards. Emily and Tanner had taken the time to write a letter to each guest, and they were inside the adorable little blue envelopes. As the guests found their seats, they opened the envelope and read a thoughtful note thanking them for being part of the celebration.

After the cake was cut, all of the guests migrated towards the water to watch the sun set over the perfectly blue water. It was so sweet to watch the newlyweds just soak up that moment.” –The Ganeys

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

I think I have too many favorite memories to count, but one of them was how emotional everyone was throughout the day. There were plenty of tears and laughter while getting ready with my bridesmaids! My groom, Tanner, was also very emotional and cried during our first look, while I was walking down the aisle and a few more times throughout the day {and the same can be said for me!}. That showed me just how ecstatic he was to be marrying me and definitely made me feel special!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

We DIY-ed pretty much everything! My mom and I spent months shopping at Goodwill + Hobby Lobby for milk glass vases, flowers, craft supplies… you name it! My groom, Tanner, actually designed all the save the dates, invitations, program fans and favor bags. We got plenty of inspiration from Pinterest and then he designed everything and printed them at Office Depot. We bought all the flowers for the arch from Hobby Lobby {40% off coupons, anyone?!}. The day before the wedding, all of my awesome bridesmaids and their Mom’s got together and made the centerpieces and we put together our own bouquets! I loved that each bridesmaid got to customize their own bouquet to make it how they wanted. One special DIY detail I loved were the gold pineapples on the reception tables! We bought a bunch of pineapples from the grocery store and spray painted them gold. It was a pretty inexpensive piece that made a huge statement!

Throughout the whole planning process, we had an amazing group of friends that were willing to help with anything! The morning of the wedding, many of mine and Tanner’s friends, aunts/uncles, and cousins set up the ceremony and reception. My mom and I had set up examples of the reception tables, welcome table, cake table, etc. a few weeks before the wedding and taken pictures, which we sent along with instructions to all the friends who were helping out. That way, we knew the venues would look exactly how we had envisioned and didn’t have to stress about getting any last minute phone calls with questions!

Did you have a something old, new borrowed, blue?

I didn’t purposely try to follow this saying, but I ended up having a piece from my Mom’s veil in my hair as my “something old”, my dress was new, a lot of things from the wedding were borrowed, and the piece of fabric on my bouquet was my “something blue.”

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! I was working about 60 hours a week for most of the time I was planning my wedding, so my Mom was invaluable help throughout the whole process! She was able to run to the store during the day to pick up craft supplies and research all kinds of ideas. I also found that everyone I asked was so willing and eager to help out! Everyone loves weddings – especially when it’s someone they know well, so don’t feel like you’re all alone in the planning process! I could not have pulled off my dream Cinderella day without all the help I received! -Emily, the Bride

Event Credits

Photographer: The Ganeys // Venue: The Postcard Inn // Flowers: Fifty Flowers // Music: Matt Winter Band // Videographer: Sunshine City Films // Engagement Ring: James Allen // Bride's Attire: Stacey's Bridal // Bride's Shoes: Aerosoles // Hair: KyleLynn Weddings // Groom's Attire: Calvin Klein // Groom's Shoes: Sperry // Bridemaid's Getting Ready Shorts: Doodle D Monograms

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