Want to build a better wedding bar? One that stands out from all the others? There are so many fabulous bar accessories available, it can make a girl’s head spin! Well, we’ve just made your life a little easier by a few of our favorite items from Etsy.

We love this mid-century modern bar cart from MightyVintage. It’s perfect for a small wedding, and you can use it in your home after your big day!

Make your bar look fancy and glamorous with this bar sign menu from RichDesignCo.

With its refreshing taste and signature copper mug, the Moscow Mule is the perfect drink for your summer wedding. This sign from LilyandVal will be a fun addition to your bar and will look great in photos.

Serve up perfect drinks every time with this Moscow Mule mug set with a recipe glass from DrinkingModern.

Add some fun and whimsy to your wedding with these delightful gold animal cocktail stirrers from GnomeSweetGnomeShop.

Dellcovespices‘ margarita salt favors will be enjoyed greatly by your guests.

These dandelion wedding coasters from ruffhouseart are pretty and practical.

How cute are these napkins from yourethatgirldesigns? They’re perfect for any bar.

These pink and gold mid century modern glasses from EdenKitsch would be a great addition to the bar cart we featured at the top of this post.

This pretty printable Mimosa bar sign is from FloralArtFantasy.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links.

Save

Save

Kate and Scott didn’t want to put on a “performance” for their guests at a big wedding. Instead, they wanted a small, non-traditional affair where they could truly be themselves. Being self-described private people, a Philadelphia City Hall wedding seemed absolutely perfect.

“An intimate city hall wedding with our immediate family felt right,” Kate said.

Thanks to the lovely Shannon Collins for capturing this elopement so beautifully!

Kate, 29 & Scott, 29

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Wedding Date: July 12, 2016

Number of Guests: 9

Wedding Cost: $5,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Philadelphia City Hall

Wedding Reception Location: Talula’s Garden

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We knew from early on that we wanted a small, non-traditional wedding that could really be about us.  Sometimes a big wedding can feel like a performance for everyone else rather than the couple’s personal commitment and we wanted to keep it simple.  We’re generally private people, so an intimate city hall wedding with our immediate family felt right.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

We knew we wanted a civil ceremony where we were allowed some guests, it took some research to find the right venue. Philadelphia City Hall is gorgeous and met our needs perfectly. The only tricky part was that they schedule marriages only one month in advance, so everything had to be done at the last minute. The benefit was that civil marriages are done during the week, so all of our first-choice vendors were available.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Philadelphia City Hall has a limit of eight guests, which was just about right for our immediate family (luckily they let us bring in nine and our photographer!).  It’s always hard to draw a line, but in the end we decided on parents, siblings and my (Kate’s) grandmother who lives down the street from us.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

It was a little awkward to tell people: “We’re getting married!  You can’t come.” Some relatives were disappointed, but luckily our friends and families were gracious and understood our decision.  This made the photographer even more important, and Shannon did an amazing job capturing the day.  We did want everyone to feel included so we sent out a marriage announcement immediately afterwards, and our parents hosted a reception BBQ a few months later.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

We were married by the sweetest judge!  The ceremony was private in the judge’s chambers, with our family standing all around us.  It was also fun waiting with the other couples and their families in the court room beforehand.

What were the highlights of the reception?

The food was amazing and we got the most beautiful pictures in the restaurant’s garden.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Our families know each other very well so the mood was comfortable and we didn’t have to entertain anyone.  We were really able to enjoy our wedding day!  A highlight for us was taking pictures all over the city with Shannon–having that time alone together was very special.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Do it!  It was absolutely the right decision for us.  With an intimate wedding you can still have the details you’ve always dreamed of for your special day without the stress and expense of a huge wedding.

Vendors:

Photography: Shannon Collins Photography

Flowers: Falls Flowers

Dress: BHLDN

Suit: Suit Supply

Ceremony: Philadelphia City Hall

Reception: Talula’s Garden

Hair: Salon at Duross and Langel

Hotel: Morris House Hotel

Marriage Announcement: Etsy

Save

Save

Save

Andrea and Gabriel headed to the gorgeous California redwoods with 14 of their closest friends and family to say their ‘I do’s.’

The couple and their guests hiked 1/4 mile into the forest before settling on the perfect spot for their ceremony.

“During the ceremony, the location felt almost surreal. Big Sur is absolutely gorgeous so we felt really lucky to be there together, and with our family,” explains Andrea.

Geoff Rivers Photography captured this intimate wedding so beautifully, as we are sure you will agree!

Andrea, 27 & Gabriel, 30

Location: Big Sur, CA

Wedding Date: June 1, 2015

Number of Guests:  14

Wedding Cost: ~ $5,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Big Sur, CA

Wedding Reception Location:   Big Sur River Inn

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We decided to have an intimate wedding because it really fit our personalities. Gabe and I are fairly private people so this kind of wedding is what came naturally for us.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

We went back and forth a few times between having something large or more intimate. We really wanted the people that we loved and cared about there, but we also wanted to make sure that we did something that was true to us and how we live our day-to-day lives. So we finally decided that we would have something really small and only invited those in our immediate family. This was hard because we knew there were friends and family that would have loved to be there but in the end it just didn’t work for us.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Once we decided that we would only invite those in our immediate family, it was pretty easy. I (Andrea) come from a small family anyway, but for Gabe it was a bit more of a challenge as he has a larger family.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We had heard things from people but no one directly. In the end, I think people understood and were happy with our decision.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The day was not as stressful as some bigger weddings might be. We were able to relax in the morning, have some breakfast at Big Sur Bakery and then get dressed and take pictures at our hotel. Things felt pretty easy and natural all the way up until we were making sure that everyone made it to our hidden spot at the right time. This got kind of hectic when your wedding venue has no real address!

During the ceremony, the location felt almost surreal. Big Sur is absolutely gorgeous so we felt really lucky to be there, together, and with our family.

What were the highlights of the reception?

After the wedding, we went to take some photos in Carmel. Then we met everyone for dinner at the Big Sur River Inn. Initially, we didn’t even order a cake or anything because we really wanted things to be simple and easy for us and all of our family. My mother-in-law — being the amazing woman that she is– went to a French bakery and ordered us a cake with a super cute topper. I thought this was really sweet. In addition to this, just eating with our family and spending time with them in a place many of them had not ever experienced was really special to us.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

I loved our wedding because it felt like we could really focus on us and the things we wanted instead of getting lost in the elaborate details of a larger wedding. Planning wasn’t really too stressful and this allowed us to have an experience that was both for us and our family.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

I would say go for whatever you think works for you as a couple. You don’t want to plan a wedding and invest all of this time and money into something that isn’t what you truly want. If your heart tells you that a small wedding is for you, then you should go for it! 

Vendors:

Photography: Geoff Rivers Photography

Venue: Big Sur River Inn

Save

Save

Looking for eco-friendly wedding favors? We’ve rounded up 10 of our favorites from Etsy!

Your guests will love the handmade, vegan soaps from WildBotanicals. You can personalize each soap with a saying or message.

Welcome your guests with these luxurious organic bath salts from TrulyAesthetic. With delightful ingredients like dead sea salt and pink rose petals, your guests will be in heaven!

If you’re looking for delightful, nicely presented wedding favors that won’t break the bank, these handmade mini soap favors from RusticJoySoap are the pick for you!

Made from all natural products and organic seeds, these NY seed bombs from RenaissanceBotanical are perfect for an environmentally conscious wedding.

Wedding favors don’t get any more beautiful than these organic wildflower heart seed bombs from RenaissanceBotanical.  They contain flower petals, whole flowers and loads of seeds.

Allow your love to benefit the earth, with these unique assorted wildflower seed packets from DaveandAthena.

Make your own custom seed packets with this “Let love grow” stamp from RedCloudStudio.

This biodegradable plantable heart confetti from botanicalpaperworks is very versatile. You can spread it on tables, package it into favors or use it instead of traditional confetti.

Say thank you to your guests with these sweet little dandelion wishing favors from KseniyaRevta.

Give your guests a sweet treat with these glass maple syrup favors from RedLeafHollowFarms.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

Save

Save

Save

Save

Bibliophiles get ready, because your wedding is about to become a book-lovers dream! We’ve made a list of some of our favorite Etsy finds for bookworms with everything from book charmed necklaces, to Penguin Classic themed wedding invitations.

Let’s start off this list with these sweet antique styled book-charm necklaces by JewelryByCompliment.

Why not make your guestbook library themed with this book pile poster by SaraAart.

This small book-cover themed matchbox by PortmanteauPaperCo is perfect to leave on your tables next to candles!

Keep your rings safe in this beautifully crafted book ring box by VolumeVII

Table numbers don’t have to be boring when you’re a book worm! These folded book table markers by HappyLittleGifts are perfect!

Ah, the Penguin Classics! Bookworms alike will smile when they open this book-lovers wedding invite by FeelGoodInvites.

For the bookworm groom, this story book bow-tie by CrookedSmileCreation is the perfect way to show off your love of reading.

Light up this book-titled candle by WilliamandJoseph, and get ready for the night when your own Brontë inspired love story unfolds.

We absolutely love the idea of these stacked books by beachbabyblues as decorations throughout the venue!

This sweet ring by TheLocketLibrary is a great way to subtly include your love of reading.

This “Vintage Library” Printable Wedding Welcome Sign by FreckledFoxPrints comes in eight jewel tone background colors.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save