“Izzy and AJ were inspired by old fashioned charm with a touch of rustic flair for their outdoor wedding. They added romantic touches throughout their day by hanging tea lights and adding blush curtains and linens to the reception. They balanced everything with a little bit of rustic décor with centerpieces made from tree trunks paired with succulents and wildflowers. Vintage also played a role with a gold bar cart used to display their wedding cake and an assortment of vintage dinner plates and champagne glasses. Handmade details were some of their favorite elements of the design. Izzy worked with a candle maker to curate a custom scent to give the guests as favors. AJ enlisted friends to create custom koozies featuring the couples favorite plant- a cacti. AJ also designed and built the triangular wooden backdrop for the couples ceremony. He also chopped down a branch from Izzy’s parent’s backyard to create the place card holders. “These personal touches were very special to us!” Said Izzy. Izzy and AJ shared a wonderful piece of advice for couples, “Start early! We had 18 months between our engagement and our wedding and it was the perfect amount of time. We never felt rushed to get things done and it really lessened the stress.” – Corey Torpie Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

The laughter, the dancing, our first kiss, the food?? How do I choose! There was such an overwhelming sense of love throughout the day. One of our best friends officiated our ceremony and filled his speech with personal and funny anecdotes that were unique and special to us. I also loved every second of dancing at the reception. One of my bridesmaids and I LOVE the song “I2I” from The Goofy Movie, and when our DJ played it we were both literally on the ground, screaming the lyrics into each other’s faces. On a more romantic note, my husband and I wrote our own vows and hearing his and reading mine is an experience I cherish forever. The whole day is my favorite memory!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

AJ loves working with his hands and I’ve always loved striking, geometric shapes, so he and I came up with a design for a triangular wooden wedding arch that he could build. AJ teamed up with his mom to build and stain the 8 foot arch, which became the centerpiece of our wedding ceremony. AJ also chopped a branch down from a tree in my parent’s backyard and used it to make our place-card holders. Additionally, we have some unbelievably talented and artistic friends who were able to use their drawing and print-making skills to create custom wedding koozies for us in our wedding colors, covered in artwork that was drawn especially for our big day.

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

We unfortunately didn’t get to all four! I had vintage gold earrings as my “something old,” my necklace – a gift from my mother was my “something new”…and that’s kind of as far as we got!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Start early! We had 18 months between our engagement and our wedding and it was the perfect amount of time. We never felt rushed to get things done and it really lessened the stress. Our timeline also made it so we were able to save up money for what we really wanted. When I say our wedding day was exactly what we imaged, I mean it. A lot of that was because we gave ourselves the time to really plan what would be perfect for us. When we first got engaged, I was worried that we had set the date too far in the future, but now that everything is said and done, I can’t recommend a long engagement enough!

Also, if you want something and you think it would make your wedding day better/you happier {and it won’t bankrupt you, of course!} just get it! Wedding days are stressful and I was so grateful for all the little splurges I had allowed myself during the planning process {for example: splurging to get a second shooter alongside our wedding photographer to capture more moments, bumping up our videographer package so we could film more of our day, things like that!} -Izzy, the Bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Corey Torpie Photography // Venue: Oak Hill at Livingston Mansion // Wedding Planner: Hudson Valley Ceremonies // Florist: The Rosery // Catering: Lola's Cafe & Catering: // Cake: Make Me a Cake Next Door // Invitations: Minted // Officiant: Julie Jakolat // Videographer: Brooklyn Wedding Videography // Rentals: Events Unlimited // Engagement Ring: John Fulton Jewelers // Bride's Attire: Lovely Bride // Bride's Jewelry: The Elephant's Trunk // Bride's Shoes: BHLDN // Hair + Make-up: MG Hair and Make-up // Groom's Attire: Enzo Custom // Groomsmen's Attire: Generation Tux // Wooden Bowties: Ars Studio Store // Bridesmaid's Getting Ready Robes: Belle Trends Studio // Just Married Sign: Z Create Design // Bubble Wands: Peabody and Co. // Cake Topper + Chair Signs: Better Off Wed // Hashtag Sign: Made Craft Co. // Table Numbers: BRAWOX // Wedding Welcome Sign: Paper and Pine Co.