A DIY Firefly-Inspired Wedding at the Stan Mansion in Chicago, Illinois

For their wedding, Carlee Weimer (28 and a specialty-foods department assistant manager) and Daniel McCartney (29 and a produce department assistant manager) planned an intimate, laid-back affair with lots of personal touches. “Our entire wedding was crafted by our friends and loved ones, so it really felt communal,” Carlee says. “We wanted to celebrate with our friends because they are the reason we became who we are, and if it weren't for them, there wouldn't be a reason to have a wedding.” The historic Stan Mansion, a former Mason temple built in the 1920s, was the perfect fit for the day, allowing the couple to bring in their own caterer and to host both the reception and ceremony in the same place, making it easy for planning purposes. To balance the ornate feel of the mansion’s decor, the couple decorated the space with playful handmade details like paper lanterns, chains and rosettes, a punchy yellow, green and black color palette and flowers and pussy willow sourced from Daniel’s family farm. As a nod to their love of catching fireflies as children, as well as their favorite TV show, “Firefly,” Carlee made mason jars filled with vines and fairy lights to mimic the look of fireflies for each of the centerpieces. The couple’s close friends played an important role in the success of the day by showing their love and support for Carlee and Daniel, and by surprising them with flowers for the bouquets, a “Firefly”-inspired wedding cake and even fun Batman cups and plates on their sweetheart table. A tip for the taking from Carlee: “Be appreciative of all your vendors, and thank people often for helping. Be flexible and open to change. No matter what happens, make sure you remember why you're getting married, and if you can still be happy when everything goes wrong, you're probably going to end up just fine.”