So today's real wedding post is a little bit longer than usual, but there were so many pretty pictures and gorgeous details (that you might want to borrow) that I figured I it was worth a little extra scrolling!
Kristen & Mirza married with a sweet garden ceremony and barn reception in Kiana Lodge in the scenic US Northwest.
And we just know you'll adore their beautiful pictures by Barrie Anne Photography.
This bookish bride and groom let their love of reading and tea-drinking shine through with their thoughtful wedding decor, alongside a running international feel which paid homage to Mirza's Bosnian roots.
We love it when a wedding really highlights the two personalities meeting in the middle, and nothing does that quite like Kristen & Mirza's half and half wedding cake. And at the top, their ring bearing goat, Henry, takes pride of place – so freakin' cute, right?
But of course, we can't let you start scrolling through this wonderful wedding without a nod to the gorgeous style. Kristen's Allure Bridals gown is simply stunning, (check out the back!) along with her chic braided upstyle and big smile.
As you'll see, the look on her dashing groom's face says it all…
Wedding Day Snapshot
Our Love Story
We met online!
Kristen saw Mirza’s picture and knew immediately.
She sent him a message, and the rest is history!
Our Wedding
Our wedding had a garden tea party feel.
We incorporated a variety of flowers, herbs, and book decor to pay homage to our joined love of reading and the outdoors!
Our wedding in three words? Intimate, earthy, and cross-cultural.
The Attire
The bride wore a champagne dress from Allure Bridal, and the Maid of Honor and Best Woman wore gowns from Anthropologie.
The Venue
After seeing the gorgeous venue on the water, surrounded by the simple beauty of nature, we knew that Kiana Lodge was the venue for us.
Kristen’s family has roots in Poulsbo as well, which made it extra special to us!
Favourite Moments
One of our favorite decisions we made was to have our ring bearer, Henry, walk the rings down the aisle.
The adorable goat was definitely a showstopper, and an animal that the bride and groom love dearly!
The Ceremony
After our vows, the bridal party all took shots of Bosnian brandy and smashed the glasses on the ground for good luck and a happy life ahead.
The Photography
We knew our photographer and videographers well, as they had been the amazing team for the bride’s sister’s wedding the year prior.
We knew immediately that we wanted them for our wedding too!
The Decor & Details
We both adore reading, and also drinking tea. For our centerpieces, we stacked old books, and placed a teacup flower arrangement on top.
The result was a unique and beautiful centerpiece that was true to who we are. Our favors were tiny “spread the love” Apricot Ginger jams – the guests loved them!
The flowers were garden roses, mini hydrangea, baby mums, and tiger lilies.
The Refreshments
We had a formal sit down plated dinner.
One of our dinner options was traditional Bosnian lamb, which is cooked over a spit and basted in beer.
Our wedding cake was one of our favorite features! On one side, it was a beautiful classic cake, and on the other it was a Batman theme, as Batman is one of the groom’s favorite characters.
The Honeymoon
We went on a guided tour to Turkey for our honeymoon. It was an excellent decision!
We felt we wanted to go somewhere truly unique, where we could be active every day and immerse ourselves in a new culture.
We had an unforgettable trip, and would highly recommend it!
The Music
We made sure to include songs from Maroon 5 (the bride’s favorite) and Pitbull (the groom’s favorite), in addition to “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson.
When Mirza was a child, he entered and won a talent contest by re-enacting the famous song and dance, outfit and all. He still knew all the moves, and had the crowd going wild!
So many pretty, cool, stealworthy details, isn't there? It's always great to see a best woman by a groom's side, but I love how her dress worked beautifully with Kristen's maid of honour's too. And did you see that cake – wow!
Thanks so much to Barrie Anne Photography, and the lovely Kristen & Mirza for sharing their tea party garden wedding with us.
Be inspired by more very special real weddings.
