“Ever since she was a little girl, Amy has wanted to get married in her parents’ backyard, surrounded by the outdoors and the woods. When they were looking at wedding venues in the St. Louis area, nothing seemed right for their vision. Finally, Amy called her parents and asked, and to her surprise, they said yes! And wow, what an amazing backyard they have. Amy’s parents live on a beautiful property near Wentzville, Missouri. Their house is beautiful cabin, surrounded with beautiful woods and trees. It was a perfect location for Amy and Tyler’s laid-back wedding. Guests hung around the property enjoying each other’s company, and having a relaxed, fun time. Amy handmade all of the floral decorations using crepe paper – from the bouquets to the boutonnieres. All the other decorations were also DIY. This backyard wedding had a relaxed, intimate ambiance, and such a fun feel. Though they didn’t have a lot of decorations, it added to the simplicity of a day to celebrate love.” –Zoe Life Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My favorite wedding day memory happened about halfway through the reception. It was dark outside, and I standing outside the tent. The lights and music were on inside the tent. I saw my husband, family, and guests having a great time. Some were dancing. People who never met before the wedding were chatting like they were old friends. Most importantly, I saw my husband grinning from ear to ear as he chatted with his groomsmen, and I knew he was enjoying the day as much as I was.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

I did many DIY projects for the wedding. The most important project, and the one I’m most proud of, is the flowers. I made about 200 flowers by myself out of crepe paper! I actually made about 300 in total, but 100 were destroyed in the mail. I was living in California when I first started planning the wedding. I made all of the flowers and decided to mail them to my parents in Missouri. When one of the three boxes arrived, it was wet, falling apart, and all of the flowers inside were destroyed. I had to remake all of those flowers when I moved to Wisconsin in May 2017. I put some of the flowers together into the four bouquets: one for each of my three bridesmaids and one for me. It was the first time I ever made flowers out of crepe paper, and they surprisingly turned out great!

I made the centerpieces with my maid of honor/sister and one of my bridesmaids/cousin’s help. The flowers were obviously from the ones I made. I used food coloring to dye instant white rice orange for the jars. My maid of honor and bridesmaid put the twine on the jars. My husband and I cut the wood cookies for the table numbers from a tree on our property where we live in Wisconsin. My maid of honor outlined the stencils for the table numbers onto the wood cookies. One of my bridesmaids and I painted the numbers.

Did you have something old, new borrowed and blue?

My something old and borrowed was a blue pendant necklace from my Mom. While my something new and blue we’re my shoes!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My first suggestion is to make sure you plan what you want. Make sure you will be happy in 50 years with the decisions you make. My second suggestion has nothing to do with the wedding planning process. I received this advice from a friend, and it was the best advice I could have ever received. On your wedding day, take a moment to step back and really, truly see the event, the people, your family, the venue, your groom. The day happens once, and it happens so incredibly fast. Make sure to capture a snapshot in your mind that you can look back on, because if you don’t, it will all be a blur {a fun, exciting, crazy blur, but still a blur}! -Amy, the Bride

Event Credits

Photography: Zoe Life Photography // Catering: Two Mikes Catering // Invitations: Vista Print // Sound Equipment Rentals: TSV Sound & Vision // Transportation: First Student Charter Bus Rental // Rentals: Fund Ways of Missouri // Engagement Ring: Tiffany & Co. // Bride's Attire: Ti Adora // Bride's Haircomb: DeLovely Bride // Hair: Face and Body Spa