The photos from Lindsey & David's Minimal // Romantic Wedding are HERE!!!

I absolutely loved getting to be a part of their special day! Lindsey was a dream come true of a Bride. Their day was gorgeous, even with the heat, and filled to the brim with love. From the very start of my involvement, the love their friends and family have for them was palpable. Everyone jumped in to make their journey happen, from their engagement and showers to the rehearsal dinner and finally their Wedding Day.

That's what I LOVE to see - family and friends gathering together to make it happen - that makes the planning process and the BIG DAY that much more special. Sure, you can hire a team to take care of every detail if you choose, but I wholeheartedly believe, a wedding that involves the family and friends of the bride & groom makes for the happiest most joyous occasion with memories that will last the rest of their lives. Just see for yourselves...

I was in LOVE with how glamorous she looked - simply breathtaking - and that DRESS! These photos of her getting ready and the reaction of one of her Maid's of Honor seeing her all dolled up - just priceless!

Lindsey brought so much care into every element of her wedding. It's all I can do not to tear up looking through the photos of her giving each of her girls a special individualized gift, their reactions to seeing their Best Friend in her wedding gown and seeing them gather around her to pour prayer and blessings over her before they all go off to the Ceremony Venue. ALL THE FEELS.

I love how simple, classic and easy-going this wedding was. Lindsey knew what she wanted - she has impeccable taste. Throughout the whole process, she kept saying, "I'm not fancy - just keep it simple," and though her gorgeous appearance might make you think differently, she truly was and is carefree - just wanting their day to represent their love and to be surrounded by their nearest and dearest. Just look at these two - they are completely beaming!

I don't think there's ever been such a gorgeous bridal party! The all white flowy dresses, the lace, the eucalyptus, the simplicity - UGH. I remember assembling all of those bouquets, with the help of a newly made friend, and how their heavenly scent filled my home...

AND we can't forget about the guys! They all looked so handsome in their black suits and eucalyptus boutonnieres I got to put together. Also, these group shots - SO FUN!

Like everything in this wedding - the ceremony was just beautiful.

I remember getting choked up when Lindsey told me she and David would walk down the aisle together at the start. Hearing her talk about him and their love and their story and how it just made sense for them really moved me. Those tears were quickly met with laughter when she then explained that they were switching sides, because she wanted her 'Good Side' to show during the ceremony - it was her wedding day after all!

The careful thoughtfulness that went into every aspect of the wedding continued as they shared communion with their family, wedding party and finally each other while one of her Maid's of Honor sang beautifully in the background. The whole thing was so lovely.

I'll just let these stunners speak for themselves...

This reception was SO fun. So relaxed. So simple. So great!

The two venues were perfect. The graceful elegance of The Rosedale Plantation met with the laid-back industrial feel of Unknown Brewing made for the perfect combination of simple, romantic, free-spirited fun. I loved that they had BBQ, Doughnuts and Beer to go with their all white everything. Minimal but definitely not stuffy.

Yours truly was responsible for the florals and decor - creating, styling, setting up & tearing down. Of course, I didn't do that all by myself. Lindsey had a team of girls meet me at the venue to help me set up the room and then at the end of the night everyone pitched in to clear everything out. I've said it before and I'll say it forever - the best weddings are created from family and friends doing whatever they can to make this special day happen for their people.

And then there was one of the most epic dance parties ever. Leonardo totally brought it and the crowd ate it up. I especially am in LOVE with the photo of Lindsey getting so low, she just spread out on the floor. You know you have a free spirit for a bride when she does something like that - so great!

After the celebration, they made their exit as only rockstars could - walking through a tunnel of people oohing and awing over them with smoke bombs lining the way to their getaway car.

These two are epic. Their hearts are huge. Their taste is impeccable. And they are LOVED by so many! I'm forever honored to have played a role in the beginning of their journey as Mr. & Mrs.

Lindsey & David - So much love for you!

VENDOR MAGIC

suit: Matthew Perez
hair: Caitlin Allen IG @onlyseaahair
make up: Brooke Allen
coordinator: IG @joeylea_
hand lettering: Kaley Olson
cake: Sunflour Baking Company
donuts: Duck Donuts - Kenilworth Commons - Charlotte, NC
DJ: Leonardo Solis

photography: © Alicia White Photography
invitation design: Anne Marie Gaines
ceremony venue: Historic Rosedale Plantation
reception venue: The Unknown Brewing Company
video: Junior & Roni Jane Hernandez
event design & florals: The Classy Hippie
bridal boquet: Nectar
dress: BHLDN

Planning Take-Aways for DIY Brides

Always Always Always Involve Friends & Family

I was a DIY Bride myself and I know our wedding would not have come together if it had not been for our dear loved ones. They stepped up to the plate. Almost every one of our vendors was a friend and then our guests even went above and beyond helping us set-up and tear down. The same thing happened for Lindsey & David. They asked friends with mad skills to step in and help them pull this off and it was magical. Now, they'll always get to remember how their loved ones came together for them. They will have those memories for a lifetime.

Know that something unexpected will happen

This is unavoidable. Anyone who tells you your day will go perfectly without a hitch is lying to you. Something always goes wrong. Weddings involve A LOT of people and somewhere along the way, something isn't communicated correctly.

Like your Day of Coordinator double booking your wedding and not telling you until a week out, your rehearsal caterer's business catching on fire a week out, your centerpieces catching on fire, your lighting not getting hung, your rental company showing up 12 hours late, your lighting falling to the ground and shattering, [these are all real and sadly only represent three weddings.]

You definitely need to plan to the very best of your ability BECAUSE it won't end up that way. If you didn't do any planning, it would be a free for all. Just do your best to stay open and relaxed.

[Sidebar: Planners, Stylists, Helpers, Friends of the Brides - whoever is in charge - obviously you don't tell the Bride everything that is going or went wrong on her day until MUCH later AFTER the wedding. The WORST thing you can do is add any worry to your Bride. DON'T. JUST. DON'T.]

Keep it simple

We're DIY Brides for one of three reasons.

We're laid-back and easy-going, we need to save money or we know what we want and we enjoy creating it ourselves. Whether you're one, two or all three of those, keeping it simple will ALWAYS help in planning, budgeting, creating and keeping stress down.

With her all white everything and essentially only eucalyptus decor with candles - this wedding was simple and GORGEOUS. You can have all the details if you want them, but rest assured, you don't NEED them to have a beautiful wedding!

Make as much as you can yourself. Surround yourself with friends and family that are willing to help you. Support local and small businesses - they are often less expensive or equal in pricing to the big names that everyone uses and they LOVE what they do. They bring such care and thoughtfulness to each customer, project or event.

Hire a Helper

That's where I come in. This is what I do. I have a heart for DIY Brides - mostly because I was one and I know the difficulties and the joys that come along with planning and designing your own wedding. Even with my event and design experience, I still had unanswered questions. I needed some help, but felt like I couldn't hire someone to fill in the gaps. Everyone had such specific packages and flat rate fees - it was intimidating.

Throughout the process, I fell in love with events and weddings for DIY Brides specifically. I vowed that I wanted to help others like me. I wanted to be there for them, to help them streamline their vision, help them find ways to save money, help them create, set-up and tear down, help them scout out vendors and ultimately help them create the wedding of their dreams that celebrates the marriage of their dreams that they are about to embark on. That's my 'Why' - that's why I started doing this and I love it!

If you are a DIY Bride needing some help, or you know a DIY Bride - check out my very free-flowing design package tailored for DIY Brides specifically - HERE.

I want to help :)