“From the second I saw this Instagram post, I knew I had to follow Kendra’s creative wedding planning journey. And from the first time we talked on the phone, I knew that I had to have her as our bridal blogger! Now months and lots of fabulous posts later, I’m honored to be sharing our bridal blogger Kendra’s stunning DIY wedding to her main squeeze, Aaron. They did an incredible job making their event truly personal, by incorporating elements and traditions that meant something to them and by leaving out those that didn’t. Their intimate backyard wedding took place at a family home complete with a delicious mimosa brunch, a stunning dress and too many tissue tassels to count!” – Jen, Something Turquoise

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My favorite memory at our wedding was the 30 seconds that we took for ourselves. We had already completed our first look photos, so right before we said “I do”, we stepped away from the chaos and snuck away. We looked at each other, held hands, took a deep breath and said “let’s do this”. It was a simple moment, but it was our moment. It made things so much more real for us; instead of letting the day sweep us away, we took the opportunity to be present and actively take the next step in our lives together.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

A better question may be “what didn’t you DIY for your wedding?”. As a proud DIY bride {and a supportive groom}, we made our homemade granola wedding favors, bunting banners, bathroom kits, name cards, chair signs, card box, tassels, table numbers, our welcome banner, a Polaroid guest book, program fans and aisle decor. After the wedding was over, I never wanted to see another tissue paper tassel again, but I kept all my DIY projects and passed them on to other brides or sold them for a small price. It was a great way to meet other brides, make a little wedding money back, reminisce about wedding planning, and also be secretly relieved that it was all over.

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

Our wedding was very non-traditional: it was during the day and we served waffles, eggs benedict, and mimosas; we didn’t have a bridal party; we had only 35 people in attendance; and we skipped the something old, new, borrowed, and blue. We kept a few traditional wedding practices like cutting the cake, but decided to create our own wedding traditions that were meaningful to us.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

The wedding advice that I would give to other brides and grooms is to keep in mind what’s important to you both. Listen to other options and ideas, but remember that at the end of the day, it’s your day and your vision. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of opinion, traditions, emotions and voices, so check in regularly with each other to make sure you’re both actively creating the wedding of your dreams. If you do this, you’ll be able to look around on your wedding day and say to yourself “This is the wedding of my dreams”. I know I did! -Kendra, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Norma Ibarra // Venue: Private Residence // Wedding Planner: Belle Aisle Wedding Planning // Florist: Quince Fine Florals // Catering: Truffles Fine Foods // Cake: Butter Baked Goods // Rentals: A&B Party and Event Rentals // Garden Banner: Kaitlyn Hunter // Engagement Ring: Davidson Designs // Bride's Attire: Paloma Blanca // Bride's Jewelry: J. Crew // Bride's Shoes: J. Crew // Hair: Emily Hartwick // Makeup: Christina Newcombe // Bride's Manicure: The Ten Spot // Groom's Attire: Perry Ellis // Groom's Shoes: Zara // Vases: BHLDN // Printable Place Cards: Fantabulosity // Guestbook: Print Smitten