A Simple Wedding at a Private Residence in Cinco Bayou, Florida

Mary-Martha Bullard (29 and a logistics broker) and Nathan McDaniel (39 and a warehouse manager) got engaged four years after they met at a party. On Christmas day, he asked her to look to look for one last present by the tree. “Three minutes later his was down on one knee with my great aunt's ring from the 1940s,” says Mary-Martha. “It was the most laid back, unexpected proposal.” The next ten months were spent planning an outdoor wedding at her parent’s home. As the house and her engagement ring were once owned by Mary-Martha’s namesake, her great aunt, the couple saw it fitting to have the wedding there. “We had always dreamed of a backyard wedding surrounded by our friends and family,” she says. Mary-Martha and Nathan accented the space with shades of blush and navy as well as Pendleton wool. Multiple other colors were also incorporated into the wedding. “The theme became a melting pot of backyard chic with an eclectic flare,” she says. Their ceremony decor focused on the backyard’s natural scenery. String lighting was hung overhead as Mary-Martha and Nathan said “I do.” The reception’s decor incorporated both the couple’s color scheme and a personal touch. By spending months prior to the wedding shopping on eBay, the couple decorated each wooden family-style table with Pendleton runners. Black lanterns, floral centerpieces in gold vases, succulents and tea light candles were used as accents. Mary-Martha and Nathan served a dinner of pork and beef tenderloin, shrimp cocktail, potato salad and kale salad before cutting into their three-tiered white wedding cake. After taking pictures in a photo booth and spending time with their guests, the couple made a fun sparkler exit. “Nathan and I ran through the crowd and hopped onto a boat as our friends and family watched us sail off into the night,” says Mary-Martha.