“Darcy and Jason got hitched at a private residence in Powell Butte, Oregon. Using a house for their wedding gave Darcy full control over all the details of her day. From bouquets to centerpieces, burlap silverware holders with stamped wood, wood signs, lace and ribbon decor, and homemade brew, Darcy did it all. Day of coordinator Abby, from AE Creative, took Darcy’s wedding day creations and beautifully displayed them to create the romantic, rustic wedding Darcy dreamed of.” –Kellianne Jordan Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My favorite memory is right when the wedding started. I was getting nervous, anxious, excited, all at the same time. I had planned in my head when I would walk out when my song started, but as soon as the processional music ended, I started pulling my Dad to start walking… not walking to any beat of the music, not popping around the corner at a pivotal point in the song, not paying attention to anyone else, just focused on getting to my soon-to-be husband without crying too much because of how happy I was in that moment. And then when I got to the altar, and took my husband’s hands, his eyes were as teary eyed and red as mine and it just made me smile because I knew in that moment how much this day meant to him too.

Also, even though I knew I wouldn’t mind if things went wrong the day of the wedding {let’s be real, I’d still get married even if the flowers all died the night before!} it’s still funny to look back and laugh and the things that truly went wrong! I feel like those are things that made it more special, and memorable.

For instance, I’m not one to nag my husband about clothes, so when I mentioned to him a few days before the wedding that his clothes were hanging in the closet and he might want to try them on ahead of time, well, I didn’t press any more than that. He told me after the ceremony that the pants were tailored wrong, didn’t fit, and he had to have his sister run to the nearest store {which was Walmart in such a small town} for any black pants she could find in his size the day of our wedding. Also, his vest was too big, but he made it work. I never would have known if he hadn’t told me. It didn’t stress me out, life is messy and even a wedding day doesn’t always turn out perfect. Definitely something funny to look back on.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

Little bit of everything :)

The DJ we picked was kind enough to let my husband record a tune from a song we like and it ended up being the processional which the bridal party walked out to. It was so special, and made a lot of people cry. Truly a special touch to the wedding!

I picked out and made my own bouquet at a local flower shop the day before the wedding. It was unique and special, and of course saved me a ton of money which is why I did the DIY in the first place. We also made the boutonnieres and bouquets.

My Mother-in-Law helped with a lot of the decorations including the burlap accents for our napkin holders, wreaths and flower girl baskets.

My Husband’s Uncle made the table number markers {wood blocks with the number “burned” into the wood}. He also did a small batch brew for the wedding and even made custom beer labels for our big day.

Another big thing we did ourselves was making the food. We tried finding a vendor within our budget, but the food just wasn’t very good. In the end, everyone chipped in and since our wedding was small enough, my Mother-in-Law and two Sisters-in-Law all helped cook for roughly 50 people, though only 35 or so showed up. My husband even made some beans ahead of time and contributed.

For decor, I found a lot of “containers” {vases, mason jars, metal watering cans} at various thrift stores and even used things I already had been using as decorations in my home. Doing this help add the personal style that we have to the wedding, and made it easy to reuse items in our house afterwards instead of turning around and getting rid of everything.

We also used a lot of rental decor from AE Creative. They were fantastic!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Enjoy the little things. Although it’s so nice to plan ahead so things don’t go wrong, remember why you’re getting married and try not to focus too much on whether the flowers are too short or too pink or too whatever. The point is two people coming together in front of their friends and family and that’s beautiful enough! All the other stuff is just dress up. The wedding will be over the next day and your life together will begin, and that’s the part that is truly important. -Darcy, the Bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Kellianne Jordan Photography // Venue: Private Residence // Wedding Planning + Rentals: AE Creative // Desserts: Ida's Cupcakes // Officiant: Wendy Duncan // DJ: Studio Jay // Engagement Ring: Fabrie Jewelers // Bride's Attire: Cordially Invited // Bride's Shoes: Zappos // Hair: The 9 Salon // Groom + Groomsmen's Attire: Men's Warehouse