We've been so excited about sharing this beautiful and unique wedding for a while now.
What makes these nuptials so special is that Alyssa and Ian were already husband and wife before they started planning it.
They were married five years ago, with a simple courthouse ceremony shortly after their son was born. Fast-forward to their fifth anniversary, and Alyssa, now a wedding photographer, had caught the wedding bug, so she and Ian decided to finally have a bash of their own.
They recruited their friend and awesome wedding photographer, Emily of Anna Delores Photography to capture their day, a creative DIY wedding with splashes of colour, personal touches, original features, and a stunning bride and groom.
A beautiful, intimate celebration with their friends, relatives and two too-cute children, this is one of those weddings where the couple's happiness and love literally jump out of the pictures.
We'll let their photographer, Emily sum it up…
What I loved most about Ian and Alyssa’s celebration is that its “theme” was simple: Ian + Alyssa + the things they love most. They didn’t box themselves into some stiff definition of perfectly-coordinated details.
They got creative and built their wedding around their favorite movies, music, and their personalities. They ditched traditions like cake-cutting, the bouquet toss, and a lengthy ceremony because that just didn’t feel like them.
And as a result, their day at McQueen Ranch, surrounded by family and friends, was an organically-curated representation of who Ian and Alyssa really are, as individuals and as a couple who are madly in love.
Ian and Alyssa describe their wedding in three words as Fun, Unique, Whimsical.
If we had three words? So. Blooming. Gorgeous.
The Flowers
My bouquet by Amy of Stella Bloom Designs was all white peonies. Our centerpieces were a mixture of peonies, ranunculus, and various greens and fillers.
The Photography & Videography
My good friend Emily of Anna Delores Photography was the perfect photographer for us.
She really went above and beyond for us and that’s not surprising to me….she loves what she does and it shows! She knew exactly what we wanted!
Our friend Tessa of Orange Reel Media has known us for a really long time, so it was obvious that we would choose her to do our video.
She and her husband Matt are incredibly talented and unique and we knew that they would do an amazing job!
The Theme
Our inspiration was simple. We wanted everything to represent us and what we love.
We didn’t stick too much to a specific theme or rules. We wanted our guests to look at everything and think, “This is SO Ian & Alyssa!”
We’re weirdos, and we weren’t afraid of letting that show!
The Ceremony
We were married five years ago in a courthouse…and since we had already said our vows to each other back then, we wanted to keep everything short and sweet for our wedding day.
Our good friend, Nathan, served as our officiant and spoke from the heart.
I’m pretty sure it was the shortest ceremony in history!
Favourite Moment
One of my favorite moments of the day was when our son, Malakai, walked me down the aisle. He even waved to Ian when we got to the end and it was the sweetest.
But my absolute most FAVORITE part of the day was during the reception. Ian and I are huge Game of Thrones fans and during the reception, Ian had his best man/brother present me with my very own dragon eggs. I felt just like a Khaleesi!
The Music
Bridal Party Processional: I Want You – Tom Waits
Bride’s Processional: These Days – Nico
Recessional: Victory Celebration – John Williams
First Dance: Darling I Do – Landon Pigg & Lucy Schwartz
The Decor & Details
Where do I even start? Everything was DIY, so this is going to be a long list.
The paper airplane garland that was hung on the ceiling was made by my sister-in-law and matron of honor. My mom painted all of the bottles gold. I made all of the plywood signs. I also designed our stationary and paper products.
My mom had our table runners custom made, however at the last minute we realized that we were short three runners. So our friend Nathan (also the officiant) saved the day and made the last three in record timing right before the wedding.
One of my favourite DIY projects of the day was our table movies and seating chart. Rather than have numbers, we decided, being huge movie buffs, to use movies instead.
Also, at every table we had our favorite quotes from those movies listed and challenged our guests to use those quotes in normal conversation throughout the night. It definitely created some very funny moments!
Kristen and Emily of A Charming Occasion did an amazing job at bringing my vision to life.
Refreshments
We had a delicious buffet from Stonefire Grill, and a dessert table with cupcakes, cake, macaroons, and other delicious treats from Whole Foods.
Our after party included a camp fire and s'mores!
Advice for Other Couples
If you’re a DIY bride like me, ASK FOR HELP. Seriously, I could not have done any of it if it weren’t for my friends and family.
It was amazing how many people stepped up to the plate and WANTED to do everything they could for us.
Don’t try to do it all on your own!
Oh wow, this couple are just so great! Fun fact, Ian and Alyssa's reception was in the airplane hanger on McQueen Ranch – and Ian works on planes for a living, what a sweet touch. And how cool are the stripes, paired with the red splashes and bottles.
Thanks so much to the wonderful Emily of Anna Delores Photography, and of course Ian and Alyssa for sharing this beautiful wedding day with us.
For real wedding gorgeousness, check out DIY Weddings + Rustic Nuptials.
