A Rustic Backyard DIY Wedding at the Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie, New York

Betsy Corey (32 and a project manager) and Eliot Lee (30 and a business analyst) met in New York City after being set up by mutual friends. Hitting things off, they talked the entire night and eventually found themselves walking through Greenwich Village together. After dropping lots of hints that he was going to propose, Eliot had planned a special getaway for him and Betsy. She was convinced he was going to ask her while they were away, but to her surprise, he popped the question after preparing an elaborate breakfast for her before they left. Immediately saying yes, Betsy and Eliot began planning their wedding. Knowing they wanted to get married outside of the Hudson Valley, the Locust Grove Estate was the perfect fit for them. They allowed Betsy and Eliot to bring in their own vendors and customize and transform the space into their rustic theme. The couple truly elevated the wedding by creating the majority of the decor themselves. From the invitations to the floral bouquets and centerpieces in addition to the homemade apple butter and strawberry rhubarb jam wedding favors, their rustic backyard themed wedding was pristine from beginning to end. One unique aspect among many of the wedding was the receiving line after the ceremony. Because they took their wedding photos before the wedding, they set up photo booth, so each guest that came to congratulate them and get a fun picture with the newlyweds as well. "Making so many details for our wedding allowed us to get our family involved in projects, and help get them as excited as we were," says Betsy.