It was impossible not to fall in love with the details of this Orlando wedding ourselves; Erin’s a DIY bride, and her aesthetic sensibilities shone through in every regard. Let’s start with the venue: the couple was married on Nov. 27th, 2010, one year after a Thanksgiving Day proposal by the groom. Though they were originally planning to have the ceremony and reception at the same place to save money, Erin fell in love with the authentic feel of the Winter Park Farmer’s Market for the reception. “It has such a rustic feel, with the brick walls and barn doors and the old train station … It was a blank canvas that I couldn’t wait to paint,” she says.
As for the ceremony, Mead Gardens (which we’ll profile in more depth in weeks to come), is just down the street, and hit the budgetary sweet spot at $250 for the event. “It had these amazing park benches for seating, so no rentals required,” says Erin. And her mother got into the DIY spirit, making a bunch of pillows for the guests to sit and lean upon.
Deciding on a photographer can be at least as important as choosing the right venue, and Erin and Brandon actually booked photographer Lori Barbely first. My best friend had gotten married a year before we were engaged and Lori Barbley had been her second photographer,” says Erin. “She was amazing and truly appreciated all the details.”
Now let’s move on to those details — the cupcakes, the rose theme, the coffee bar, the travel cases. The couple knew they wanted to do something different when it came to the cake, and cupcakes were just peaking in popularity. Plus, Erin says, it gave her dad a good project, “what better way to get dad involved than giving him an opportunity to put those power tools to work and make an elaborate stand for them,” she says. The cupcakes themselves came from Bluebird Bakery, right around the corner from Erin’s house.
As for the rose theme, Erin says “growing up, my dad worked in the wholesale florist industry and while I was in college, I would always work with him over the summers. One of my favorite jobs was cleaning out the rose cooler.” She even found pinecones that grow in the shape of a rose and filled glass jars with them all around the reception.
The coffee bar was a nod to Brandon’s side of the family, coffee connoisseurs. “Adding a few treats to the coffee display really allowed us to pay homage to our families and some age-old traditions,” she says.
To complete the rest of her vintage look, Erin trolled Etsy for items such as her guest book, cake topper and garter. Our favorite vintage pieces, without a doubt, are the traveling cases Erin presented as her bridesmaids’ gifts. She came across the idea of recycled luggage on the site, but couldn’t resist personalizing them for each of her attendants. “I found old Samsonite train cases in a variety of different colors,” she says. “I spray painted the trays inside and lined them with silk and vinyl using a trusty hot glue gun. I then found images online that were appropriate for each girl and hand painted them on the front … I’m not a painter, so that was a bit difficult. But the finished product was amazing. The girls were so excited about them and were able to carry all of their necessities that day in true vintage style.”
Finally, the bride has some wise words for others who may be in the beginning stages of planning a wedding. “Be in love with your top three vendors – photographer, DJ/band, and caterer,” she says. “Make sure you connect with them and trust them. For me, these were the vendors where I could ramble on about my vision and ask “Do you know what I mean?” … and when they said “yes” I knew that they truly meant it.”
