1. Real Weddings

A Handmade Country Wedding

When Brandi and Will were set up on a blind date, they realized that they weren’t strangers -- they had been lab partners in college ten years prior!

When Brandi and Will were set up on a blind date, they realized that they weren’t strangers -- they had been lab partners in college ten years prior! Though Brandi confesses to having a huge crush on him then, nothing ever came of the relationship until a decade later when mutual friends arranged for them to meet at a dinner party. The Bride Brandi Parrish, 30, associate director The Groom Alfred “Will” Ellison, 28, salesman The Date May 1 When they first started planning their wedding, they both knew they wanted the celebration to be as meaningful and “handmade” as possible. Romantic, rustic details, like vintage keys, burlap linens, and a relaxed dress code helped capture the fun, elegant atmosphere they desired.

To give the reception venue a soft, romantic glow, the couple placed oil lanterns decorated with antique keys and dried herbs around the site.
Replicas of vintage keys and dried herbs decorated the ceremony chairs and tied into the rustic theme.
After spending so much time picking out her wedding invitations, Brandi wanted to show them off one more time. She created a shadow box of the stationery and displayed it on the sign-in table.
The bride’s father collected a few boards from an abandoned farm, which he then painted to point guests in the direction of the wedding.
To give her look a pop of color, Brandi chose a fun turquoise necklace to add to her wedding day look for the reception.
Brandi bought her sleek wedding dress off-the-rack, but she had it altered to have a sweetheart neckline and a cinched waist. The couple exited the ceremony with their 4-year-old lab, Pickles, who wore a daisy embellished collar that Brandi had made.
The couple said their vows in “the shortest ceremony ever” (it was 15 minutes including the processional and recessional!) under an intimate gazebo.
Burlap linens and romantic centerpieces of flowers cut from Brandi’s grandmother’s and parents’ yard gave the reception space a rustic, elegant look. Her grandmother arranged the flowers in distressed wood containers.
When Brandi couldn’t decide exactly what she wanted in her wedding cake, she ended up showing the baker a picture of her gown. The baker then came up with the quilted pattern, which she used on the top and bottom tier of the cake. Leftover flowers from the centerpieces completed the design.