A Rustic Wedding at the Mitten Building in Redlands, California

Jill Shandra (24, an administrative assistant) and Brett Shandra (a pilot) started dating while they were teenagers in high school and continued to maintain a long distance relationship throughout college. On their six year anniversary, Brett placed a variety of pictures from each anniversary around oak trees in the park. When Jill got to the last tree, there was an engagement ring in an R2D2 figurine and Brett proposed to Jill on the spot. The couple held their wedding at the Mitten Building in Redlands, California because due to the rustic elements of the indoor and outdoor space that provided all they wanted in a wedding venue. Jill’s love for sunflower yellow and Brett’s love for blue were the two colors chosen for the palette, incorporated into the flower arrangements, the wedding apparel and even the wedding cake and desserts! Many details of the wedding were DIY, such as the centerpieces made up of mason jars filled with baby’s breath and wooden airplanes made by the bride’s father. Instead of a traditional guest book, guests wrote messages on individual quilt squares that would be later woven together into a full quilt for the couple to enjoy. “The element that most reflected us was the d?cor,” says Jill. “We wanted to make sure most of it was handmade and all of our family was involved.”