real LLD wedding: j+d’s backyard california celebration

{all images by stephen hughes photography unless specified}

happpppy new year!! are you as excited about the fresh start and blank notebook paper as i am? LLD is fully booked (!) for 2013 and i just cannot wait to get these parties started. i took some time away from the computer (didn’t open it once!) over the holidays and did some serious thinking, and we have some big time announcements (not the baby kind, sorry mom, not yet) for the new year that i will be sharing with all of you very soon. in the meantime, though, i wanted to share this beautiful backyard wedding with you from this past september. this couple decided that they didn’t want their wedding to be submitted to a wedding blog or publication (but gave the green light to go up on the LLD site), which i have to say, i really admire and respect. j+d’s wedding was a very intimate celebration that took place in the bride’s parents’ backyard and was created with the help of just about every neighbor, friend, and family member. after several site visits with the longest roll of measuring tape i’ve ever seen to make sure the yard would fit everyone, numerous floor plan mockups, and even a visit to the bride’s mother’s garden to pick flowers to be included in the bride’s bouquet and some of the centerpieces, this amazing couple’s wedding day arrived without a hitch. i was so honored to play a part in j+d’s big day through planning assistance, styling, and floral design, and together with her family + friends (and a HUGE thanks to my main girl christine representing with LLD for the day), we completely transformed this backyard in to an awesome party space. with an amazing menu from culinary eye catering, beats from pop fiction, and those long wooden tables that dreams are made of, this wedding was a bash not to be missed. here are some of my favorite shots, all from stephen hughes photography {with the addition of a few of my instagram shots, of course}.

we’ll start out with an instagram line-up that sums up some of my favorite details from the day. the groom’s family had numerous olive trees in their yard, so we incorporated olive branches everywhere, as you’ll see a recurring theme throughout from the heart wreath i created for the entranceway to the place settings.

j’s bouquet was one of my favorites, because she truly wanted something natural and organic (as i said, i literally clipped flowers from her mother’s garden to include!) and free-flowing. she trusted me to just do my thing, and that kind of trust is such a priceless gift.

and now for some of the professional shots:

the groom and his sister are both very artistic and the groom is a graphic designer, so all paper design was in their hands!

imagine sitting down to a family style meal in your backyard with your closest friends + family in a setup like this! say what you want about long wooden tables, but i’ll be rocking those babies for a long time to come. natural wooden tables = my happy place.

:: cheers ::

just before dusk, we transformed the “ceremony area” in to a lounge using blankets and cushioned chairs/benches.

and they danced til dawn (not kidding. we didn’t stay that long though!) i heard there was even an in-and-out burger run :)

vendor credits// styling, logistics + floral design: lovely little details, photography: stephen hughes photography,
catering: culinary eye catering, rentals: classic party rentals, band: pop fiction, paper design: groom,
centerpieces: lovely little details + friends/family, fun times: all