J&J - Storybook DIY Backyard Ranch Wedding

Our wedding was definitively inspired by Jadie's love for Disney and Johnny's appreciation for classical storybooks (which many Disney classics originate from). We both imagined our wedding to be outdoor and so hosting it in the backyard Jadie grew up in was the obvious appropriate setting. An equally strong source of inspiration is our love for children. We both serve within a children's ministry at our church site in Temecula. So we absolutely had kids in mind when we put it all together on paper. In addition to all the kids from our extended family we voluntarily invited many of the kids and their parents from our church family; they are an influential part of our lives and were an inspiration to us as our wedding day drew near. We knew if the wedding could be enjoyable and fun for the kids it would be also for the adults. A family focused atmosphere was very important to us.

 

We had so many ideas but little time to complete it all. We were graced with a large community of friends and family who volunteered to be apart of the process. Many of our friends and family had just the right skills or connections that we needed to implement our ideas.

I had a very specific vision for this photo barn as you have seen in the photos. It started just as an idea but was proving to be well out of our budget since all the pieces I needed to make it had to be antiques in order for it to be authentic. About three months before the wedding we started to visit flea markets, garage sales, and local antique stores for props but the prices for props and furniture were still to high especially for a one time use enterprise. On one of our visits to a local antique store as we were becoming quite discouraged about our situation we crossed paths with an acquaintance from high school whose mom is a very aggressive antique dealer! Her mom had a space in the very store we were wandering around in and she was there with her mom who has access to countless classic pieces of antique goods. Kelly’s mom Nancy offered to loan out anything she had from suit cases to church pews, lamps, tables, chairs, hats, old sinks for our beverages, a rug, and the list can go on. We couldn’t believe what had just happened. We were just given access to hundreds of dollars worth of antiques to build our photo booth. Not only did Nancy loan this out but she dropped it all off at our venue. One of the reasons running into Nancy was significant was because she said she never goes into work the day we were there and would never be there that late in the day, it was just perfect that she decided to swing by to pick something up. When it came down to those last few hours before the wedding Nancy came through with some more beautiful pieces to help me polish up the photo booth and we were able to bring my vision to life in just a couple hours. It all started out as just an idea, I had no plan to how it would work out, only a divine intervention could have put this together so perfectly.

Less than two months before the wedding the owner of Reed’s Ginger Brews offered to provide all of our beverages for our reception. We were expecting to pay something for the drinks when we contacted them about providing enough product for the reception and maybe at the minimum hoping to get a wholesale deal but Mr. Reed and his kind marketing manger generously loaded us up with more than what we needed and all he asked for in return was a few photos of his product on display. We didn’t have any relationship with Chris Reed or anyone on his staff prior to this generous offer. We again were left speechless at what had just happened.

Jadie handmade the Maple-pacan cinnamon rolls for our cake the night before the wedding! Her aunt arranged it into a cake for us the morning of the wedding. It was topped with a cashew cream frosting. (Johnny's favorite pastry).

Details are important but don't stress...just remember what the goal is on your big day, to get married!
Be sure to have a good day of coordinator who knows all of the little details you are expecting, it will keep the stress off of your shoulders so you can enjoy your day!

Another very important nugget of wisdom is to hire creative, professional photographers who care about quality and have an excellent portfolio to show for. Your photos will be your conduit into some precious memories for the future. Be sure to hire photographers who can capture the tone and style/character of the wedding and bride and groom. Bottom line: Don't compromise on the photography! We are so pleased with the quality and creativity we got with our photos. We are secure in the fact that the photos accurately depict the event in all its splendor and enchantment. These particular photographers are our very long time friends, they honored us greatly by being apart of the wedding in this way. I would encourage people to use photographers like them as a standard as they shop for the right Photographer. 

 

Venue: Country Cottage Estate merriemontante@yahoo.com / Event Design: Jadie and Johnny / Day of Planner: Bridget Denton / Floral Design: RSVP Events / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee / Hairpieces: None / Shoes: Marshalls and Boot Barn / Bridesmaid dresses: Modcloth / Hair + Makeup: Katie Peters, Acappella Salon, Temecula / Groom Suit: mytailorstore.com / Invitations & Paper Goods: Paper Source, Cricut, Jadie and Johnny, Cregar / Printing, Temecula / Catering: Tony Rose Catering - tonyrosecatering@gmail.com / Cake: Jadie (Bride) / Beverages: Reed's Ginger Brews / Treat Bag Printing: Squid Ink Printers