If you know me, you won’t be surprised to learn I was a DIY bride when I got married. I took on all of the projects humanly possible in an effort to make my wedding my own and to utilize my creative energy. So when I photograph another DIY wedding, I’m super excited to learn about everything my client’s did to create their custom wedding day.
Erica and Shane are both creatives - they met while working at a screen printing shop! He has moved on to being a tattoo artist and she has switched paths to business and accounting. Their first date was at one of my favorite places (Storm King Art Center!) and they recently adopted an elderly pit bull named Becky who spent the majority of her adult life in the shelter. Clearly these two are conscientious and artistic; qualities that lended themselves perfectly to creating a do-it-yourself wedding.
The first notable challenge was their venue; they secured a pavilion at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Orange County NY. The space itself is barebones - an open air picnic area with tables and a small stage. It’s the type of municipal spot that can host any type of event. Well they made it their own. They used stained crates, drapery, Sola wood flowers and candles to make the stage have a warm ambiance. They utilized table runners and faux greenery to create simple and elegant tables capes for their guests. For their signage, Erica scoured local thrift stores for large frames, painted them with black chalk paint, and then used her Cricut to cut the vinyl lettering. Talk about a project - these things looked completely professional. One of her signs even had a scannable QR code! I couldn’t believe it was something she was able to do all on her own.
Shane took on the wooden florals. When I learned he created Erica’s beautiful bouquet I was floored. He hand painted the Sola wood flowers and arranged them with greenery from local shops. Her bouquet looked incredibly professional and lovely. Through out the table scapes more Sola and greenery was sprinkled throughout as well. I love that the bouquet can become an heirloom and not go to waste, it’s such a conscientious and creative choice which was truly the theme of their DIYs.
Lastly, the detail that stands out the most to me was their utilization of vintage thrifted plates and reusable wine glasses. Once again Erica busted out her Cricut machine and made personalized wine glasses for every guest and vendor. I even got one to take home with my name on it! Guests reused their glasses throughout the night and had a lovely souvenir to take home - talk about win/win! For the plates, Erica purchased so many sets of vintage plates in various patterns and sizes. Behind the scenes, there were large storage containers to take the dirty plates home to wash. It was such a clever and stylish way to cut down on landfill waste - I was so excited when I saw that she had done this!
Aside from the extensive DIYs, their day was memorable for other reasons. After their first look at the Orange County Arboretum, they professed their vows privately with just my second shooter and I present. It was beautiful and sentimental and I most definitely cried. Next they had their family formal photos in the Arboretum’s lawn, and Erica surprised their family members with framed photographs from their parent’s weddings. It was such a sweet ode and felt almost inception like to capture. I loved it.
For their ceremony, Shane intended to walk their elderly pup Becky down the aisle. Becky had other plans. She plopped down, so Shane laughingly picked the old lady up and carried her down the aisle. As the owner of a lazy pittie myself, this moment was so relatable and adorable.
Their ceremony took place on the stage under the pavilion and the owner of Skin City, Tony, officiated. During cocktail hour, the Skin City crew got together and took their traditional topless photo to show off their tattoos. It was epic.
Finally, as the sun was setting, a piñata was hung. One of the little boys attending committed himself to busting it open (it took longer than you’d expect!) and squealed with delight when nips of liquor and candy slowly escaped. He exclaimed “juice!” and gave the bottles to some of the guests watching. It was adorable.
From their song (Blink-182’s “First Date”)
Let's go
Don't wait
This night's almost over
Honest, let's make
This night last forever
Forever and ever
Vendor credits:
First look location - Orange County Arboretum
Venue - Thomas Bull Memorial Park, Montgomery NY
Erica’s dress - Lambs Hill, Beacon NY
Shane’s jacket - Saks Off 5th, Woodbury Commons
Rings - Terran at Lyn Jewelry, Hudson Valley NY
Catering - Tina’s Pizza Cafe, Chester NY
Coordination - Gabby Brown & Zaes Marrero
