Eclectic Watercolor Wedding
When my husband and I got engaged it seemed pretty obvious that we’d get married at my parents’ house, an avocado farm in Carpinteria, CA. It was April and we wanted a fall wedding, so we decided to just go for it and plan it all in 6 months–I knew more time would only mean more obsessing! I also really wanted everything to have a hand-made feel and come out of the talents of our community–we are lucky to know so many creative, wonderful people, so we enlisted them all to make the wedding as homegrown as possible.
I’m a wedding photographer myself, so photography was of huge importance; Nancy was my first and only choice. She led me to Emily, my new friend and dream dress creator. I’d found an old lace dress at a vintage show, and she reworked it entirely, making a hand-dyed ombre slip to go underneath and putting in panels and sleeves made of tulle from my husband’s grandmother’s veil. She also dyed an old silk bedcoat I had lying around to match the dress. The invitations were based on a watercolor I did–the guys at Aardvark letterpress worked with me to create a custom two-ink press so that the colors would bleed like watercolors! I asked my mom, an incredible florist, to do the flowers.
I wanted the tablescapes to feel wild and blowsy, like a fairyland. For centerpieces, she gathered my husband’s family silver and planted it with succulents, then filled in with smaller flower arrangements, pomegranates, baby apples, and acacia branches from one of her trees. I cut napkins out of sari fabric and used painters’ dropclothes as tableclothes. For escort cards, I used cut-up watercolors I’d painted; table numbers were old house address numbers I found on Etsy.
It was an intensely emotional, magical day and Nancy’s photos capture the spirit of the thing so beautifully. Thank you for letting me share it!
Photography: Nancy Neil // Videography: Tyler Rumph // Florist: Monica Fishman (minxy47(at)aol.com) // Day of Coordinator: Hallie Slade / La Boheme Events // Invitations: Aardvark Letterpress // Dress: Emily Harteau(emilyharteau@gmail.com) // Suit: InterMilan // Catering: Animal Restaurant
That dress! oh my, it is gorgeous
A magical moment to be sure.
The images capture the magic of this day.
Precious. Love the country feel.
love it! Nancy’s work is always so dreamy!
I always love watercolor accents on weddings. This bride did it justice and Nancy Neil is one of my all time favorites so this is just perfection.
SO romantic and gorgeous!
Beautiful colours here. Very nice!
LOVE the invitation! So pretty!
Insanely beautiful and really unique ideas, the colour combinations are so fresh and vibrant but still dreamy and ethereal!
Everything about this wedding is just breathtaking! Right down to those gorgeous, gold booties! Seriously swooning over here!
So beautiful. It looks like a secret garden. I love all of the details! We were thinking of using canvas drop cloths as well but haven’t found them without several seams.
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments… And thanks Emily for featuring it!
I love the garden photos. They are really cool in the eyes. Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful photos.
I love this ‘eclectic’ wedding. When weddings have themes, they often don’t feel real to me because the palettes and all else end up too simplified. This one is personal, elegant, rich, and so beautiful. Thanks!
gorgeous photos, nancy! and thank you to emily for your feature. rebecca – you + thomas look stunning! :)
Absolutely beautiful.
Great work, Hallie! :) What an amazing job an absolutely beautiful bride!
Lovely couple and beautiful wedding! Hallie is always wonderful to work with…
Love everything about it, especially those booties.
beautiful dress even more special knowing the story behind it, i love all the little details and the photography is stunning.
Amazing photos… What a beautiful wedding
Fantastic pictures of a most beautiful wedding…what a beautiful bride
The most amazingly delicate touch of colour – stunning!
Oh Rebecca! These photos are so gorgeous. You created the most beautiful, personal, connected event, and Nancy captured images that mirror the effects that memory adds to events. Thank you so much for sharing.
This wedding speaks to me. So beautiful, fresh and unique. Wish I could have been there to witness it in person. Love every beautiful detail and that community was involved in bringing it all together so lovingly and beautifully.
I love those tulle sleeves! And those golden booties! Where are they from? Did you also make them yourself?
Just one word: WOW!
I love everything about this wedding… Especially the watercolor details, they are perfection!
I love the colour and tone of all the photographs. Vintage and vibrant. I have tried on several occasions to edit photographs with a watercolour tone. Yet often lose vibrancy or skin tones.
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i love the color and the romance, what a beautiful wedding!!!