If you have a copy of our 2013 wedding issue of clutch, the bride’s guide to have and to hold, chances are you caught a glimpse of this “everyday wedding” in print. When I first laid eyes on these photos, I knew that we had to feature them in our magazine! I love the fact that the wedding takes place at a beautiful residence, has amazing florals and includes chandeliers hanging from trees. The colors are beautiful and the bride is stunning. I adore the fact that she chose her grandmother’s vintage dress as her exit outfit … that is one of my favorite parts (I am a vintage clothing junkie!).

Here are some of Elizabeth’s own words about her wedding. We didn’t have room for her full story in print, so I am excited to include it here:

Our wedding day was a perfect representation of who we are individually and as a couple. Capron and I are both non-traditional people from traditional background,s and we really love our families and friends, so we wanted our wedding to not only reflect our love but express our love to the people we care about.

Having the wedding in my parents’ backyard seemed like an obvious choice. I have so many memories in that yard. Capron proposed to me on the back porch that overlooks the beautiful with terraces, gardens, and fountains – it is really perfect for entertaining. We wanted the whole thing to be relaxed and beautiful, like a candlelit garden party.

The dresses that my bridesmaids wore were their own choices. My sister wore a dress that belonged to my late grandmother, Mary. We were looking through a bunch of her old dresses from the 40′s, 50′s, and 60′s, and she found a gorgeous blue cocktail dress. We both thought that it would be perfect for the wedding, and she tried it on and I thought it looked gorgeous on her. I felt like it would be a great way to honor Granny’s spirit.

Since it was a blue dress (and blues are my favorite), I asked my bridesmaids to choose their own. They all have different styles and personalities, and it wouldn’t have felt right having them all wear the same thing. By allowing them to choose I knew they could find something to fit their different bodies, personalities, and budgets. The dresses ended up showing off their unique personalities, which is something I love about all of them, so it worked really well. Originally, I wanted to wear blue but eventually decided to wear white.

When my Memaw (mom’s mother) heard I was doing blue bridesmaid dresses she offered her wedding dress, which was a beautiful baby blue tea-length dress from the 50′s. As soon as I saw it I thought, “Nope, this can’t be a bridesmaid dress – this is for me!” It fit like a glove, and I ended up wearing it at the reception.

Capron and I made our own iPod playlist for the reception. It was a really fun thing for us to do together, and we knew the type of music that our family and friends would want to hear that was still in line with the ambiance we wanted. That worked out really well.

Everything just felt so laid back and warm. The ceremony was definitely my favorite part. We had an amazing officiant, and you could just feel the love radiating from the people around us. Capron and I went into the whole experience with the feeling that as long as we were married to one another at the end of the day and we got to share that day with everyone we loved, then our wedding would be perfect – everything else was just details. That made the planning feel fun and stress-free and it did turn out to be truly perfect. My mother was an incredible help in planning. She has incredible taste and I relied on her for many things. It was truly the best day of our lives.

Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for sharing your heart. Again, I adore the story of the dresses! Enjoy these photos of the wedding, which were taken by Jeremiah of Stone Blue Productions. Elizabeth and Capron, I wish you the best in your life together!

Photography – Stone Blue Productions

Catering – Avenue Foods

Cake – Montana Plains Bakery

Wedding Dress – Church Street Bridal (Pnina Tornai) (Alterations by Grace at Sew What)

Chair/Table Rental – True Value Hardware

Officiant – Rev. Anne Gibbons (Lynchburg College Chaplain)

Flowers/Decor – Rod Meek & Company

If you would like to view more of the work of Stone Blue Productions, click here to view another posting.

We love weddings around here … that’s obvious! Some of them we adore so much (and they come in at just the right time) that we decide to feature them in our print publication, clutch, the bride’s guide to have and to hold. This is one such wedding! We can only devote two pages to our “everyday weddings”, so the blog is a perfect spot for showcasing the full photo gallery. Enjoy this wedding photographed by Crystal George Studios.

So lovely, retro and fun! The colors alone just make me happy. To view more of Crystal‘s work, just click here.

Having a bridal session allows time and creativity that may not be a reality on the wedding day. So many brides are taking the time to have their bridal session be themed or even just to showcase their likes and personality.

This bride was photographed by Studio Eleven Photography, and here is what they had to say …

This bridal shoot was so much fun. The bride and her mother both have an extremely vintage style so I really wanted to reflect that for her shoot. Once I had settled on the idea of a vintage bedroom scene outdoors, I spent weeks scouring the local antique store for all the detail items. Almost every item used in the shoot was an actual antique. The bed belonged to my great-grandmother and served as the perfect centerpiece. The bride’s mother brought the gorgeous quilt, a family heirloom, and the pillows from Magnolia Pearl. All of the lace also belonged to my great-grandmother. Small items were found antiquing, and the entire scene came together perfectly. The bride’s vintage style was represented, and the images displayed at her entirely vintage themed wedding were ideal for the event.

Want to see more beautiful bridal sessions? Just click here to view more. This bridal session was submitted to Hill City Bride via Two Bright Lights.

Sometimes there is just not enough time to capture the bride and groom in all of their glory on the wedding day itself, so some couples choose to schedule a photo session the day after or even beyond. Why not consider something like that and take it up a notch and style it to boot? This is a fun, colorful session that even ends in a pillow fight (which seems to make the groom all too happy to shower his bride with feathers!).

Here is what Tiffany had to say …

This couple is full of love and laughs! Chad is a goofball that makes Cerissa smile every second of the day. They are truly meant for each other. There are couples that love each other, and then there are couples that are so in love it’s contagious … that is Chad and Cerissa. They are best friends that fell in love and are living their Happily Ever After! This shoot was a blast because what bride doesn’t want to put on their stunning gown again to take a fun, romantic pillow fight all dressed up with their Prince Charming?

Photographer: Tiffany Amber Photography

Makeup & Hair: Tiffany Amber Henson

Florist: Enchanted Fine Florals San Clemente

Venue: San Juan Capistrano, CA

Bridal Gown: Marry Me Bridal

Bride’s Shoes: David’s Bridal

Groom’s Outfit: H&M

Vintage Decor: Couples’ own collection

Hair Accessories: Tessa Kim Bridal Collection

Vintage is all the rage nowadays … upcycling, recycling, doing something new with something old. Enter these three beauties from John Wind Maximal Art (and you can win one of them!). It has been a long time since we have done a giveaway, and we thought it was about time to do so.

John Wind has been designing jewelry for years, and this year he is thinking “modern vintage” for brides and bridesmaids alike. Retro chic button earrings are the newest look, and they are perfect with an updo for dressing up.

These 1940s inspired beaded flowers in midnight blue are the perfect “something blue” for a bride.

These sparkle buttons have a gold plated bee icon perched “just so”.

And THESE are what you can win! These are faux seed pearl knots (purchased from 1960s overstock) attached to new button bases. How perfect for a bride! I love the fact that they are old made new again.

What can you do to win? Just follow the instructions below, and when you do post a SEPARATE comment for each thing that you do.

1. Comment here telling us which earrings are your favorite! It’s hard to choose, I know.

2. “Like” John Wind Maximal Art on Facebook by clicking here (or let us know if you are already a fan!).

3. “Like” Hill City Bride on Facebook by clicking here (or let us know if you are already a fan!).

Interested in purchasing these items? They retail for $34 per pair, and they are part of an exclusive collection that is not available on their website called “High Tea at Hampton Court”. Feel free to call their customer service number at (800)573-3308 to inquire about these beautiful pieces, and don’t forget … one of you will win the seed pearl knots! Entries close on July 18 at midnight!