“Michelle and Cory were an incredibly darling couple to work with. Their elegant ceremony at sea was one of the most romantic I have ever seen. As the sun set over the horizon, Michelle and Cory vowed to love one another forever. All of their guests had an incredible experience, cruising the San Diego bay on board a gorgeous Hornblower Yacht. Their vintage-nautical inspired wedding was an absolutely elegant adventure, and the perfect beginning to the rest of their lives together!” – Brit Jaye Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My husband and I really did not want to see each other before the ceremony. So of course it was coordinated that I would board the yacht about 30 minutes before everyone else, and hide out in this room below deck. But… we could still see everyone boarding from the tiny window! So seeing the groom outside and knowing he couldn’t see me was super fun.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

To be honest, not much! I wanted the custom, handmade look but we planned our wedding in 2 months, so I turned to Etsy for everything!!! I got the cake toppers, favor tags, custom table runners with special embroidery for the head table, guest book, bridesmaids necklaces, you name it from Etsy. Every vendor I worked with was really great getting everything to me in a timely manner and all of it was so beautiful and well made.

If groomsmen outfits count though, I would say those were kinda DIY (ok this is reaching for it haha). But we went to a men’s store to ask them to put together this nautical inspired outfits for us and it was just way more than we wanted our groomsmen to spend. So… we ended up getting the pants and shirts for them from Costco and the navy jackets with gold buttons from a uniform supply store. Ohh, and I got polka dotted pocket squares from Etsy too!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

It’s hard not to obsess about things, and spend hours and hours rethinking decisions you thought you already made. I’m glad we only had 2 months to plan, because otherwise I think I would have driven myself crazy over the course of 3 years! Try to go with your gut. I really really wanted blue mason jars to hold my flowers, but my sister, future husband, even the florist thought they weren’t appropriate for weddings. So after spending probably 10 hours going crazy looking for other blue floral containers, I decided just to keep the mason jars and I was so happy I did. So don’t overanalyze things and don’t take too many people’s opinions into account. – Michelle, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Brit Jaye Photography // Venue: Hornblower Yacht Renown // Florist: Kenner and Sons Florists // Cake: Twiggs Bakery // Brides dress: David's Bridal, Oleg Cassini // Bridesmaids attire: J. Crew // Groom's Suit: Hugo Boss // Groomsmen attire: Costco // Favors: Beaucoup // Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas // Groomsmen Pocket Squares: New York to Nashville // Place Cards: Wrapsidazy // Bridesmaids necklaces: Ana Inspirations // Favor tags: Print Smitten // Table Runners: Custom Holly Davidson // Guest book: Envelope Guest Books // Bride & Groom signs: Guess Whooo Designs