1. Real Weddings

An Outdoor Wedding in Gainesville, FL

Crissy and Brian ran in the same group of friends during their tenure at the University of Florida but it wasn’t until 2004, when Brian was working on

Crissy and Brian ran in the same group of friends during their tenure at the University of Florida but it wasn’t until 2004, when Brian was working on his engineering degree, that the two started dating. The Bride Crissy Greene, 30, an information technology manager The Groom Brian Snyder, 31, a civil engineer The Date October 10 Three years later, the couple had just spent the holidays together when Brian asked Crissy out for a romantic night. He took her to one of her favorite Italian restaurants, Amelia’s, and then for a post-dinner walk. Crissy could tell he was nervous -- but was completely surprised when he got down on one knee and proposed.

The caterer suggested using tags as napkin holders, and Crissy and her best friend, Lauren, ran with the idea. They hand-stamped guests’ names onto the tags so they doubled as seating assignments.
After following her mom to yard sales and antique shops as a child, Crissy adopted her mom’s shopping ways and incorporated them into the wedding. She scoured local resources and created an underlying theme: variety. She used mismatched dinnerware, pops of bright pinks, oranges, and greens, and even served an eclectic mix of Mediterranean, Italian, and Spanish foods.
Crissy and Brian danced to “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong on a dance floor under paper lanterns and strings of lights.
Orange Rose Boutonniere
The couple exchanged their vows under the towering oak trees that fill their backyard. “We wanted to share our home with our guests,” says Crissy.
True to her color theme, Crissy carried a bouquet of bright-pink and orange roses filled with green hydrangeas. Her maid of honor had the same bouquet in a smaller version.
On Crissy’s many trips to yard sales and antique shops she picked up anything that caught her eye. Her final booty was a selection of advertising tins, mugs, candleholders, vases and decanters. She filled them with flowers and candles placed them on the tables, which were topped with burlap.
Colorful Rose Centerpieces
Gerbera Daisy Centerpieces
Watering Can Centerpiece
Inspired by a cake she saw in The Knot magazine, Crissy ordered a buttercream-frosted three-tiered cake with brown scrolls, a ribbon and an orange pendant. Spacers between each layer left room for fresh flowers.
On Crissy’s many trips to yard sales and antique shops she picked up anything that caught her eye. Her final booty was a selection of advertising tins, mugs, candleholders, vases, and decanters. She filled them with flowers and candles placed them on the tables, which were topped with burlap.