As a working wedding photographer, I have seen my fair share of "do it yourself" weddings.  Most have been wonderful.  However, the wedding I captured on September 8, 2012 took every DIY detail and elevated it to a whole new level!  The centerpieces, the veil, the shoe adornments, the bouquets, the chandeliers, the backdrop, the favors, and much more were all handmade by the bride and groom.  Even the cake stand!  I knew it was going to be spectacular as I watched the couple gather driftwood during our "off the beaten path" Engagement Session... but nothing could have prepared me for the immense beauty when it all came together!  Just see for yourself...

Burnt organza "petals" with antique brooch centers.  The stick it's mounted on is one they found together in the woods.

Handmade centerpieces... each one unique and made of various vessels found at different markets and thrift shops throughout the county.

The bride created the backdrop they stand in front of using branches, handmade flower adornments, and strands of crystals hanging at varying lengths.  In the foreground, endcaps made of falling green balls hung from dark beautiful wood.

No shoes are complete without vintage custom jewelry attached to the toe!  The greens tied the whole theme together.

In addition to her bouquet, the bride made her own veil and hair piece!  It looks so professionally done, one would NEVER guess!

Custom signs directed guests to wherever they needed to be, whether it was the bar or the loo...

No DIY wedding would be complete without PERSONALITY!  The bride had her brother and sister standing up for her and the groom had his brother, complete with fedora!  In this shot you also get a glimpse of the maid of honor's bouquet down front... same as the bride's but with a touch of green!

To mesh with their theme (which was laden with candles), the bride and groom wanted a shot that incorporated that theme.

The whole venue was filled with wood, glass, nature, and light.

You guessed it - handmade "Just Married" sign ready to drag those perfectly cleaned aluminum cans!

Another view of the bride's fabulously hand-made birdcage veil and feather head piece...

Of course the new Mr. and Mrs. shared their first dance underneath the couple's handmade chandeliers!

It was a DIY fairytale wedding!

One of the only non-homemade items of the day... a stunning cascading dress from Cocoa Couture.

Let's be real.  These next few photos will have nothing to do with DIY, they were just too precious not to share!  When his bride got to the front of the aisle, his emotions got the best of him.  There was not a dry eye in the house, not even me!

It was raining hard this day, but under the thick willow tree we were safe and dry.  The bride and groom shared some special first moments as husband and wife here.

Isn't she lovely?

Simply stunning.

The bride and groom wanted their pictures, much like their DIY theme, to be full of whimsy...

The night concluded by everyone making a wish on their sky lantern and releasing them into the night sky.  It was perfect.

Despite severe thunderstorms and silly wedding day mishaps, the day was PHENOMENAL.