Good Morning
At Pocketful of Dreams we passionately believe that not everybody is the same and therefore, no two weddings should be the same. We are all about celebrating and embracing individuality and that’s why we love today’s wedding so much. It may challenge a few preconceptions about how a bride should look on their wedding day and some of you may find it a little off the wall but what I love about it is that this couple didn’t care about any of that. They just went all out to create a day which was all about who they are and the things they love.
Bailie and Curtis live in Fort Collins, Colorado and first met when Curtis tattooed Bailie! This chance encounter soon blossomed into a relationship and the couple got married this June in a hand fasting ceremony in their own backyard followed by a reception at the Lincoln Center’s rooftop terrace.
Styling Their Day
Bailie and Curtis set about creating a wedding which would be vintage inspired, quirky and eclectic, influenced by their day-to-day style and aesthetic. “I love vintage housewares (tablecloths, scales, luggage) and Curtis loves things that are a bit obscure. We set out to recreate the idea of Grandma’s attic being transformed into a movie set for a Tim Burton movie (think Willy Wonka, Corpse Bride, etc)”.
I told you this wasn’t a tried and tested wedding didn’t I? But I just love how this kooky couple looked to their everyday style and interests for inspiration, rather than being tempted to follow a specific trend or fad.
“In the beginning, I was all over the place. I wanted animals and tons of vintage items everywhere as well as lots of huge props. As time went on, I was able to subtract items from the idea in my head and make it not only a more simple layout, but also more aesthetically pleasing. Our vision definitely became more clear and focused with fewer ideas and that let us really spend time on all the little details.”
To ensure their wedding was truly personal to them as a couple, Bailie used a lot of vintage items from her grandmother (tablecloths, napkins, doilies, lace) as well as pieces they already had on display in our home (old cameras, scales, luggage). They chose to get married in their home which helped to create a very intimate setting and they even had their ceremony conducted by family.
“Being able to just do things how we wanted without any resistance was probably the most enjoyable thing about the planning”, Bailie told me. “We were very lucky that everyone was very supportive of our wishes and ideas”.
Doing Things Their Own Way
Bailie and Curtis knew they wanted to create a day that was fun and quirky, just like them so set about challenging traditions and embarking on a number of DIY projects to ensure they had a day which reflected their personalities and beliefs.
“Instead of exchanging rings, we had a hand fasting ceremony where we asked guests to tie knots in my grandmother’s vintage lace to symbolize their love and support for our marriage. The lace was then used to tie our hands together and we have saved the lace to hang in our window at home. We also gave all our guests noise makers instead of confetti, to make a huge roar after we got married.
“We made sure to do a lot of projects ourselves and enlisted friends to help with what we couldn’t do. I handmade all the signs and little details we had sporadically placed throughout the wedding, the signs for the bar, guest table, favors table, photo booth, and more. I hand tied all the vintage napkins I collected to hang overhead during the reception.
Curtis hand painted our invitations, featuring a fox and squirrel couple. He also built the backdrop we stood in front of for our ceremony. My bridesmaids even made their hair pieces the morning of the wedding!”
The couple continued their mismatched and eclectic approach in their outfits for the day. Bailie told me that she knew she didn’t want to wear a white dress and so started searching on eBay for vintage prom dresses when she came across her Betsey Johnson dress for only $50! “It fit like a glove and I couldn’t have felt more like a bride in it. They say you just know when you find the one and I agree. I wore shoes by Irregular Choice for pictures and then a pair of pink Converse for the wedding.
My jewelry were simple diamond earrings and a dainty diamond necklace given to me by my parents years before. The bridesmaids wore tea dresses made out of pink, floral fabric by Louise Hedley and were given free range on picking their accessories.
Curtis wore a mix of items he already owned with custom made Vans (which he gave to all his groomsmen) and a bow tie handmade by a friend. The groomsmen all wore whatever they wanted with the Vans shoes and bow ties. Our bulldog also had his own bone-print bow tie. I love how everything was mismatched!”
The couple set about to make sure their reception was as much fun for their guests as possible. They had a photo booth full of a crazy assortment of props and covered the tables with kraft paper so that guests could scribble away to their hearts’ content.
Bailie and Curtis continued their laidback and fun approach in the food they served although as vegans themselves, they ensured that all food was vegan and sustainably sourced. ”We had a vegan Mexican Burrito buffet and a range of desserts including:donuts (apple, vanilla, chocolate), cupcakes (vanilla, peanut butter, chocolate), cookies (snickerdoodle, peanut butter, chocolate chip), pie (peach, strawberry) and our 6 inch wedding cake (banana cake with peanut butter frosting).”
Bailie told me that her favourite part of the day was straight after the ceremony where her and Curtis went off for a brief walk. “It was so nice to have those moments together where it was just us and we were able to focus on the fact that we just got married. Everything slowed down for a bit which allowed us to appreciate it more”. I think taking this time after your ceremony is so important; not only does it allow for your photographer to get some fantastic shots of just the two of you, having that time to let all the emotion sink in is just so precious.
Top Tips for a Tip Top Wedding
Bailie and Curtis have this advice for other couples planning their wedding:
- Accept that you will have moments in which you will think, “Why are we doing this?”
- Accept that others will have their own opinions and wishes for your big day.
- Accept that the picture you have in your head may not completely come to life in front of you. At the end of your wedding day, the details will be obsolete.
This wedding is pretty different from the celebrations we usually feature here on Pocketful of Dreams and we’d love your feedback. Personally, we just love how they created a day that was so personal and full of tiny touches representing them as a couple – for us, it’s what weddings are all about!
Vicki xx
All The Details
Photography: One O.A.K Photo
Venue: Lincoln Center
Bailie’s Dress: Betsey Johnson via Ebay, www.betseyjohnson.com
Bailie’s Shoes: Converse, Irregular Choice
Curtis’s Suit and Shoes: Vans Shoes. Bowtie by Auroa Scineros
Bridesmaid Outfits: Louise Hedley
Floral Designer: Alternative Blooms on Etsy
Venue Stylist/Wedding Planner: Inspired Vintage Rentals
Rentals: Inspired Vintage Rentals
Entertainment/Music: N/A
Caterer: Rainbow Restaurant, rainbowfortcollins.com
Cake Supplier: Beet Box, beetboxdenver.com
Bailie’s Dress: Betsey Johnson via Ebay, www.betseyjohnson.com
Bailie’s Shoes: Converse, Irregular Choice
Curtis’s Suit and Shoes: Vans Shoes. Bowtie by Auroa Scineros
Bridesmaid Outfits: Louise Hedley
Floral Designer: Alternative Blooms on Etsy
Venue Stylist/Wedding Planner: Inspired Vintage Rentals
Rentals: Inspired Vintage Rentals
Entertainment/Music: N/A
Caterer: Rainbow Restaurant, rainbowfortcollins.com
Cake Supplier: Beet Box, beetboxdenver.com
Photographer: Kelsey White, oneoakphoto.com
POSTED IN: Inspiration
TAGS: Backyard Wedding, eclectic styling, hand fasting ceremony, One OAK Photography, quirky wedding, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Photography, Weddings
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ooh la la – i love this wedding. xxxxxxx
What a cute wedding, so informal … The couple seems so couple … It’s good when you can realize your weirdest dreams in your wedding and to always have your friends to support you.
My kinda wedding!… Crazy for it =)
Beautiful wedding photos. It’s great to see a bride featured with loads of tattoos. I like that most brides would love a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and they this bride is rocking a set of converse all Stars. lol
Thanks for all your lovely comments people – great to see the love for this cooler than cool couple!
x
One of the funniest weddings I have seen in pictures!