Esther and Charlie’s backyard wedding, captured by Bridget McEnaney Photography, was a total labor of love. A tight budget didn’t stop Esther from creating the wedding of her dreams, with every last detail planned to perfection. I adore the multi-colored bridesmaid dresses and the beautiful place settings! Here’s a bit more from the bride, Esther:

“My tactical approach to pulling-off this blessed event was a combination of writing a thesis and plotting an inter-planetary takeover. I researched every possible detail to exhaustion, took a lot of notes, cross-referenced sources and set up a command post with numerous organizational features. I watched every wedding show – every episode – and took note of what I liked about their weddings and what I didn’t like. I devoured magazines and wedding blogs and design blogs and DIY blogs until the morning of the wedding. My primary focus in planning our wedding was to effectively edit all of my ideas down to a cohesive design scheme that felt true to us as a couple and achieved a specific design aesthetic as well as conveying an overall relaxed and honest feel.”

A bit more from Esther:

“Several months prior to our May wedding we were secretly married at the courthouse; it helped with the wedding jitters on the day of our big ceremony, and it was really special to have a chance to say our vows alone to each other. It more than replaced the impossible “moment away” in the midst of wedding day madness and I would highly recommend it!

Planning was a complete whirlwind and the end result definitely reflected the journey. Things went wrong, timing got skewed, and we found a bunch of hidden cake pops the next day… If I could go back and change anything I would definitely hire a day-of-coordinator so that I could relax a little. It was just physically impossible for me to get all the details just right (I’m a little OCD as it is) and I was a hot mess by the time I got to the hotel to get ready. That said, even though everything wasn’t perfect it was still great and I am eternally grateful to all of my friends and family for pitching in and helping out – they were all amazing and I couldn’t have done it without them. I bet nobody even noticed that I didn’t have time to make a croquembouche… ha.”

Vendors:

Photography: Bridget McEnaney Photography
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Hair + Makeup Artist: Shelley Illmensee
Macarons: Petites Bouchees
Guest Book Thumbprint Tree: Bleu de toi
Bride’s Dress: J.Crew
Groom’s Suit: Banana Republic
Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew
Groomsmen Attire: Target
Flowers: Trader Joe’s + Whole Foods