Kate and Justin opted for an intimate wedding on her family’s elderberry farm in Missouri with only 60 guests. What makes their wedding unique is that the guests who attended didn’t know they were going to a wedding.

“We invited everyone to an ‘engagement party’,” explains Kate.”We didn’t want color schemes, monograms, chair covers, bridal showers or pre-wedding parties. We decided the best way to keep the wedding small was to make it a surprise wedding.”

By the looks of it, the element of surprise didn’t detract from the charming and casual ambiance of this lovely DIY wedding.

Kudos to Cindy Lee Photography for capturing this fun event so beautifully!

Kate, 35 & Justin, 34

Location: Silver Acres Elderberry Farm, Cedar Hill, MO

Wedding Date: Aug 20, 2016

Number of Guests: 60

Wedding Cost: $6,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Bride’s family’s elderberry farm

Wedding Reception Location: Bride’s family’s elderberry farm

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We didn’t want the day to get lost in the details and drama of a big wedding.  We feel so lucky to have found each other and just wanted to spend the day celebrating with those closest to us.

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

It is so easy for a wedding to spiral out of control and become something bigger than the couple wished. Justin has a huge extended family; inviting extended family, parents’ friends, etc. would have put the guest list at 200 people. The farm could never host that many people, so we would have ended up at venue that wasn’t “us.” We invited everyone to an engagement party … We didn’t want color schemes, monograms, chair covers, bridal showers or pre-wedding parties. We decided the best way to keep the wedding small was to make it a surprise wedding. I was still able to involve my mom in the planning of a party, but we didn’t tell my parents until about two weeks before the wedding when we couldn’t come up with an excuse to mow an aisle into the field. Justin didn’t tell his family until the night before. Some of our family and friends suspected something was up, but the surprise factor allowed us to stay true to our vision of the day.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

We didn’t set a limit on guests; we only invited the people who had helped us along our paths to meeting each other. We decided not to invite any extended family because inviting a few would mean we would have to invite them all.

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

We were worried there might be some negative response from our extended families, but afterwards we explained that it was the only way to keep the wedding small. They seemed to understand.

 What were the highlights of the ceremony?

We enjoyed greeting our guests with a sign reading: “Surprise! Welcome to our wedding!” I wore a casual dress to greet guests so there was still a “reveal” of the wedding dress when I walked down the aisle. My best friend flew in from Paris and was ordained online so that she could be our officiant. She delivered the best ceremony I’ve ever heard – personal, poignant, and funny!

What were the highlights of the reception?

It was very picturesque.  Justin had spent hours hanging lanterns from a tree over the dance floor and they were beautiful. After everyone left, we turned off all the lights except for the lanterns and sat together reviewing our favorite parts of the day. Oh. And the cake. I still think about that cake.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The day was really about us. It allowed us and our guests to focus on the beauty of the day.

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

You’ll appreciate the day more without worrying about the tiny details and huge guest list. We had no negative feedback. Upon hearing about our small, surprise wedding, everyone says they wish they had done it that way.

Vendors:

Photography: Cindy Lee Photography

Catering: Salt + Smoke (our favorite restaurant)

Cake: Pint Size Bakery (our Saturday morning ritual)

Dresses:modcloth and bhldn

Hair and makeup: Stephanie Livingston

Tables: Ezekiel and Stearns

Flowers: Bouquet and boutonniere by Flowers to the People

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Tania & Oscar knew from the get-go that they didn’t want a big wedding. An intimate wedding with only their dearest friends and family suited their personalities to a tee.

The couple chose the venue where they shared their first date – the Santa Barbara Courthouse, as their ceremony location. After the heartfelt ceremony, the couple – along with their 40 guests, celebrated at a private residence rented through Airbnb.

“We wanted it to be easy and casual and that’s exactly what it was,” explains Tania.

Thanks to Ryanne Bee Photography for sending over this beautiful little wedding so that we could share it with you today!

Tania & Oscar

Location: Santa Barbara Courthouse

Wedding Date: September 24, 2016

Number of Guests: 40

Wedding Cost: ~ $10,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Santa Barbara Courthouse

Wedding Reception Location: Private Residence through Airbnb

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We wanted our nearest and dearest friends and family there for one of our most special day and didn’t want anything too big.

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

Our biggest challenge was trying to decide how small of a wedding we wanted.  We struggled with doing something as small as having only 10 people to having a wedding as large as 60 people. We changed locations a couple times and finally settled on Santa Barbara because that was where we had our first date.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Absolutely. We wished we could have had the many close friends in our life there, but we invited our childhood friends and our families, those who helped shaped who we are today.

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

No issues that came up.

What were the highlights of the ceremony? 

My two year old asking to nurse as I started to walk down the aisle and then proceeded to strip down to her underwear at the altar.  And then having our four year old daughter hold our hands during the entire ceremony. It was just so ‘us’ and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

What were the highlights of the reception? 

It was so laid back and that was what Oscar and I wanted. We wanted it to be easy and casual and that’s exactly what it was.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding? 

For us, it was being able to make it our own. Oscar and I planned the whole thing by ourselves.

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

It’s a lot of work and it’s important to go step by step and be organized. And be patient with yourself and be open to unexpected mishaps. Two days before our wedding we found out our caterer had our date wrong by four months and we almost did not have catered food at our wedding. Luckily we were open to moving the reception up by two hours and that same caterer was able to make our wedding reception happen.

Vendors:

Photographer: Ryanne Bee Photography

Florals: Petals and Pop in Seal Beach

Ceremony Venue: Santa Barbara Courthouse

Reception Venue: Private Residence through Airbnb

Dress: The Stone Cold Fox

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Menswear: Banana Republic and J Crew

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Hammered wedding bands are a unique option for the unconventional couple. We’ve found 10 of our favorites on Etsy that we’re sure you’ll love.

This unique, rustic hammered 18 carat white gold ring is from firewhite.

If wild landscapes and rugged terrain speak to you, then this statement ring from BelindaSaville is the choice for you.

For a sleek, stylish look try this rose gold wedding band from MeanderWorks.

Lolide crafts amazing wedding bands for you and your sweetheart. We love this  hammered wedding band set handcrafted by lolide and you will too!

If subtle elegance is what you’re looking for, you’ll love this 14k gold wedding band from monkeysalwayslook.

Want a ring that you can feel good about showing off? This handmade gold ring from PraxisJewelry is created from ethically sourced recycled gold.

Want to make his wedding band even more special? You can personalize this silver wedding band from thebeadgirl with a message on the inside.

Rose gold remains to be one of our favorite trends. If you love rose gold as much as we do, then you’ll adore this hammered 14k rose gold wedding band from seababejewelry.

This green gold wedding band from seababejewelry is handmade from recycled materials. It’s perfect for the eco conscious couple!

Make a statement with this 14k gold chiseled ring set from daniellejewelry.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

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Looking for the perfect favors for all of your wonderful wedding guests? Consider edible wedding favors! They are a fun and thoughtful gift for your guests, and they won’t end up collecting dust on a shelf. We’ve narrowed it down to 12 options from Etsy for your big day.

How cute are these pretzel favor bags from SweetHomeDarlings? You can fill them with homemade pretzels, or have a bakery make them for you.

Your coffee drinking guests will love these one-of-a-kind freshly roasted coffee favors with a custom stamp by AproposRoasters. If your guests aren’t the coffee drinking type, they have tea and hot cocoa favors as well.  Treat yourself as well with their one-year coffee of the month subscription.

For an unexpected, sweet and unique wedding favor, try these two piece pie slice boxes from alamodo. Your guests will be impressed!

Do your guests love to cook or barbecue? These spice kit favors can double add a special touch to your table settings. You can choose from dellcovespices‘ large range of spice mixes, or have them make a custom one for you.

These cute Love is Nuts favor bags are from mavora. You can fill them with some gourmet DIY candied cashews, walnuts or pecans. You could also fill them with some delicious candied pistachios, featured below.

Your guest will go nutty over these candied pistachios from TheCandiedStache. Make sure you hide them before the wedding, or you might just end up eating them all yourself!

We cannot get enough of TheCandiedStache‘s pistachio treats! This sweet and salty white chocolate bark is creamy, yet crunchy and will have your guests raving about your wedding favors!

For a fabulous and fun treat, use these His/Hers stickers from mavora to package the perfect wedding favors.

For a boho wedding, use these edible feathers from WicksteadsEatMe to create some beautiful favors. You could place them on top of cookies or cupcakes.

Cake pops are such a fun and delicious way to thank your guests for attending your wedding! You can order these beautiful cake pops from SoCozyCreations.

We’re going to finish this list off with some lovely loose leaf tea favors. Our first option is this loose leaf tea test tube from customfavours. They have some other great favors that you can pair them with, such as honey filled test tubes.

These teas packed into a cute corked bottle from SpiceKitchenUK make perfect wedding favors.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links.

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Paul proposed to Jessica in the California redwoods, so it was only natural for the two of them to get married there.

Limekiln State Park along the Big Sur California coast was the perfect location for the two lovebirds to tie the knot with 18 of their dearest friends and family at their sides. According to photographer Paige Nelson, everyone had a special role in their day.

“Jessica’s mother, Terri, and her aunt, Lisa, hand sewed her two piece wedding dress. Her sister and cousin, Hanna and Ginny, were her maid and matron of honor…. Jessica’s other sister, Emily, was their florist,” she says, adding that a friend Jessica also acted as officiant and ceremony musician.

After the heartfelt ceremony in the woods, a bottle of champagne was popped and many hugs were exchanged, followed by a reception at Restaurant 1833 in Monterey for dinner and a celebratory cake cutting.

In the words of Paige Nelson: “It was a perfect day.”

Jessica, 27 & Paul, 36

Location: Big Sur, CA

Wedding Date: September 24, 2016

Number of Guests: 19

 Wedding Cost: ~$14,000

 Wedding Ceremony Location: Limekiln State Park, Big Sur, CA

Wedding Reception Location: Restaurant 1833, Monterey, CA

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

Paul and I are private people. We both prefer small gatherings with the people we love over large crowds. We felt that the moment we would get married was one we really wanted to be present for. I didn’t want to be worrying about every last detail and hoping everyone was having a good time. I wanted to focus on my husband and this monumental step we were taking together.

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

At first, we thought we might elope. We thought it might be hard deciding which family members to invite, so we planned to elope with just two friends present. Later on, it became clear that we would be missing out if our close family members weren’t there to celebrate with us. We decided that moment was better shared with our family.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

It wasn’t hard once we made a simple decision. We made a list of the people closest to us– the ones we see all the time and consider good friends–and that was who we invited.

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

No, our family understood our reasoning and they were so supportive. They really understood how important it was to us that our wedding be personal and intimate.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

When Paul first brought my family to the ceremony site, they were amazed by how gorgeous and romantic the forest was, and that made him so happy. He says watching me walk down the aisle was a very emotional moment for him, and about the time where he started to lose a sense of the surroundings. He remembers that by the time I reached him, it felt as if we were completely alone in the forest. A close friend of ours officiated the ceremony for us. His words were heartfelt, and the poem his wife read was beautiful. From Paul: “We both wrote our own vows and agreed not to share them with each other until the ceremony. I know we were both dreadfully nervous, but the words we spoke were raw, true and powerful. After the kiss, we started to dance, and shortly after, “This Will Be Our Year” by the Zombies was accompanied by the sound of champagne corks. It was completely euphoric; we each took a glass, surrounded by close family, smiles on every face, and at one point, our two-year old nephew found his way into our arms, to join in the dance.”

What were the highlights of the reception?

From Paul: We were having a grand time with our photographers, so it was some time before we made it to the reception. We booked a private room at Restaurant 1833 in Monterrey, about 90 minutes away. When we arrived, everyone was there. It made us so happy to see all of our loved ones talking, smiling, laughing; not unlike any other family gathering, and that is what we wanted. At a time when Jessi and I felt closer than ever, nothing could be better than feeling similarly close to family. We spent some time going from table to table, talking, smiling and laughing alongside (and stealing some appetizers from plates, as we both realised we had eaten little to nothing in the last 12 hours). Chef Mikey Adams created a wonderful meal for us and our guests. Of course, while it was amazing to be with family, it was also wonderful to spend some time with Paige and Whitney, our photographers. They are two very interesting, intelligent and caring ladies; it was important to include them in the celebration. And let us not forget cake! Parker-Lusseau created a stunning naked cake with edible flowers, but let’s be honest, more importantly a delicious cake to complement a delightful chill that was starting to fill the air.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Having an intimate wedding gave us the chance to feel connected to each other and our family on our wedding day. Everyone helped in one way or another, and it felt like a family effort. My favorite moment was just after the ceremony, when the champagne was being passed around. I watched everyone talking, hugging, and laughing, and I felt full of happiness and gratitude. My wedding day was everything I hoped it would be.

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

Truly take the time to consider what you want from your wedding. What’s important to you? What do you want to remember? Other than the love of your life, who do you want to share that moment with?

Watch a video from this stunning intimate wedding:

Paul & Jessica // Romantic Big Sur Wedding from Whitney Justesen on Vimeo.

Vendors:

Reception Venue: Restaurant 1833

Photography: Paige Nelson

Flowers: The florals were done by the Jessi’s very talented sister, Emily. She has previously done weddings small and large, including celebrity weddings. Her work can be found on her Instagram, @emmacatz

Dress: Jessi’s dress was handmade by family. Her mother made the corset and her aunt made the skirt. Her shoes were vintage, handed down from her aunt.

Make-up: Jessi’s makeup was done by her cousin, Virginia White, a professional makeup artist.

Groom’s attire: Paul’s jacket came from Charles Tywhitt; his shirt, vest, pants, and tie came from Suit Supply. His shoes were Allen Edmonds.

Videography:Whitney Justesen

Cake: Parker Lusseau

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