When Ryan and Roya decided to get hitched, they knew they wanted to steer clear of a traditional wedding. Instead, they wanted to focus on each other – and throw a great party with their closest friends and family.

Special thanks to Lindsey Gomes for sharing all the beautiful photos from Ryan and Roya’s colorful California wedding with us!

Roya, 29 & Ryan, 33

Arroyo Seco, CA

Number of Guests: 70

Wedding Cost: $15,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Family Cabin in Arroyo Seco (Greenfield) California

Wedding Reception Location:  Family Cabin in Arroyo Seco (Greenfield) California

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We only wanted close friends and family present on our wedding day.

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

LOCATION!

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list? 

Yes, it was difficult to pare down the guest list.

Once you’ve been asked the all-important question, it’s time to return the favor by asking your ladies to be your bridesmaids. Sure you could just ask them over coffee or cocktails, but there’s definitely more fun to be had here. Start the festivities early and show your friends how much you want them to be included in your wedding. Here are 10 fun-filled ways to pop the question to your bridesmaids.

1. Personalized Treats

A personalized bottle of sparkling wine is that special extra touch that can really elevate your gift. Add to a box filled with a note and some sweet treats.

2. Mini Flipbook 

Create some signs and create your own photobook. Spell out the ask in your photos then have them printed into a flipbook. You’ll have a great time taking the photos and your bridesmaids will get a wonderful gift and many laughs out of it too.

3. A Dinner with a Difference 

Hosting a gorgeous dinner party for your bridesmaids is a lovely way to celebrate your engagement and to get your wedding planning started. You can ask your friends if they’ll be your bridesmaids and enjoy the moment with some great food and table decor.

4. Brunch for Bridesmaids

Not like you need an excuse to use a pun or to have a brunch. But having a brunch for your bridesmaids is a relaxing way to spend some time with your favorite ladies and to also eat copious amounts of donuts. Even better if you just invite them over and surprise them with a few of these signs.

5. Say it With A Crossword 

Send your friend on a trip down memory lane with a personalized crossword. Add in a few special moments as clues for a meaningful and unexpected way to ask if they’ll be your bridesmaid.

6. Scratch Card

Write your own message and pop the question to your besties with these adorable scratch-off cards in champagne pink and gold!

7. Solve The Puzzle 

A pretty note is lovely, but a puzzle is a really creative way to ask the question.

8. The Survival Kit 

With the abundance of memories you will be sure to create, treat your bridesmaids to a survival kit. Set your bridesmaids up with a case of goodies that will not only show your appreciation but will sweeten the deal when you’re asking for their help in your latest DIY project.

9. Pop, Pop, Pop

Balloons are always a good time, but an unexpected balloon that comes in a gift box is an even better time. Fill the balloon with a note and some sequins or confetti, then tie with a note to “pop me”. Attach a gold safety pin for the popping duties and there you go!

10. Necklace

You can never go wrong with jewelry. This personalized initial necklace makes the perfect ‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid?’ gift.

Photo one: rutheileenphotography.com; Photo two: studioelevenweddings.com; Photo three: theperfectpalette.com; Photo four: stylemepretty.com; Photo five: etsy.com; Photo six: Etsy.com; Photo seven: etsy.com; Photo eight: somethingturquoise.com; Photo nine: quietlikehorses.com; Photo ten: etsy.com

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Letters are are an awesome way to add a personal touch to your wedding decor. You can spell out your initials, married name or set the tone with your favorite romantic words.

We’ve found 10 of our fave letters on Etsy for you to use in your decor.

Add a festive touch to your wedding with these gold fringe letters by BlushBazaar.

These floral love letters by WildWeRun will look so stunning in a bohemian wedding!

For the perfect way to add in some summer brights, look no further. This felt floral ampersand by SugarSnapBoutique will add that all-important burst of color.

We love this felt succulent monogram, also by SugarSnapBoutique .

If you’ve always wanted to see your names in lights, then now is the time. Achieve the look with these marquee letters by VintageMarqueeLights.

A monogram wreath by ElegantWreath will add some greenery to your decor and you can also use it at home afterwards.

Literary lovers can rejoice with this floral letter made with book pages by AnthologyOnMain.

Greenery is everywhere right now and you can get in on the trend with these moss letters by HawthorneHill.

Add some glamour to your decor with a metallic gold letter by TheSparklette.

Spell out your names with a fun string art tablet by NineRed.

*This post includes Etsy affiliate links. 

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When it comes to choosing bridesmaid dresses, it’s not all about focusing on the right color for your ladies. With the silhouettes of bridesmaid dresses continuing to evolve, as well as the rise of separates, it’s time to expand your options with beaded designs.

Beaded bridesmaid dresses are not only glamorous, they are also practical; your bridesmaids can wear them again!

The sequins and beading on this nude dress are subtle, but the details ensure that it will stand out without being too bold.

A rich jewel-tone dress looks gorgeous with some bead work and an open back.

For an Art Deco wedding, these embellished dresses are a modern take on the Flapper dress.

Beaded dresses have an air of formality to them, especially in the longer lengths. If this doesn’t work for your wedding, then short dresses look equally as fab.

It goes without saying that beading and sequins look great on metallic dresses, so look out for gold, silver and pewter styles.

Gray bridesmaid dresses are not only effortlessly stylish, but also work well with so many decor color palettes.

We love that the beading on this dress continues on to the gorgeous fluted sleeves.

To break up the embellishment you can also have a few of your bridesmaids wearing plain dresses with statement necklaces.

If you’re concerned about short bridesmaid dresses looking too casual, then go for dresses that have plenty of beadwork. Dresses that are only beaded on the top won’t feel too overwhelming but they can really transform the style.

After attending several 200+ guest weddings during their seven year relationship together, Sarah and Jared came to realize that going the traditional wedding route simply wasn’t the right choice for them as a couple. Since they love to travel, a small destination wedding felt far more appropriate, and having the opportunity to travel to Italy with their families to celebrate their union seemed too good to pass up. The couple fully embraced the old world charm of Tuscany as they exchanged their vows in a 12th century old church before celebrating at the picturesque Villa La Poggiolaia set deep in the Tuscan countryside.

Special thanks to Cristinao of Facibeni Fotografia for sharing all the gorgeous photos with us!

Sarah, 28 & Jared, 30

Certaldo, Italy

Wedding Date: August 20th, 2013

Number of Guests: 17

Wedding Reception Location: Villa La Poggiolaia

Why did you have an intimate wedding?  

During our 7 years of dating leading up to our engagement, we attended several traditional, 200+ guest weddings. While we always had a great time, as our relationship got more serious, we thought about how our ideal celebration would compare to a traditional wedding reception. We never felt that a big party represented who we are as a couple. A small destination wedding was more our style. We enjoy traveling and having the opportunity to travel with our immediate families to celebrate our union seemed like an impossible dream… only it wasn’t impossible!

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

None, our wedding planner was amazing and gave us great recommendations for everything we needed.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?  

We tried to be as fair and practical as possible when considering who to include in our big day. While we would have loved to have our extended families and our closest friends by our sides that day, that just was not a sensible option for a Tuscan wedding. We decided to include immediate family and grandparents only. We had a few additional guests that were carefully considered, one of which was Jared’s cousin who lives in Italy. We couldn’t have our dream Italian wedding a couple hours away from his home and leave him off the list.  Generally, everyone understood the boundaries and respected our wishes, as they appreciated the difficulties involved in planning an intimate, destination wedding.

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

We did not struggle too much with the guest list for our destination wedding; however, some of our family would have liked to extend the invite to celebrate with the rest of our extended family and friends. As a compromise, we decided to do a low key barbecue celebration when we got home from Italy. No wedding dress, no first dance, no cake cutting; just a chance to catch up with everyone and share our experiences.

What were the highlights of the ceremony? 

The ceremony was held at Santa Maria Assunta a Chianni, a church that dates  back to the 12th century! It was a beautiful ceremony officiated by Father Brian Lowery. We had a harpist for the music, our flowers were beautifully placed around the church, and the details of the church were breathtaking.

What were the highlights of the reception? 

Many people think of an intimate wedding and feel that it would be more calm and restrained, but that was not the case. We had an amazing cocktail hour by the pool with tons of delicious food and our signature drink, followed by an elegant sit down dinner under the setting sun, ending with an intense night of dancing under the stars! The DJ kept the music upbeat and the party was going strong until 1am!

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding? 

I think the best thing about having an intimate wedding was being able to enjoy the entire day without spending the entire time catching up with each guest. We have special memories with all of our guests at different points throughout the day that came naturally; nothing was forced. The focus was our marriage and our families, and that is what we feel is most important and is often overlooked when planning a bigger, traditional wedding.

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

Consider what your marriage means to you as a couple and make that your focus. It is quite easy to get caught up in the hype of planning a big party and neglect the reason why you are planning the party. My advice would be to discuss what you envision for your wedding with your partner only and do not request opinions from family, as that often complicates things. Once you’ve made a decision that works best for you and your partner, present your final decision to your families and stress how important it is to you that they respect what you’ve decided.

Vendors:

Wedding Planner: Ilaria Menichetti

Photographer: Facibeni Fotografia 

Caterer: Guido Guidi 

Music: Simone Alinari  

Flowers: Il Giardino delle Fate 

Hair/Makeup: Silvia Gerzeli