Boho chic meets rustic influence in this GORGEOUS jewel tone wedding at Bramblewood. Gabriella’s self-proclaimed “flower child” style and her love of a mix of colors inspired the theme for the day. This look really came to life thanks to mismatched bridesmaids dressed in plum, burgundy, teal, and navy. Fresh greenery runners and floral print details brought another hint of nature to the exposed wooden beams of the incredible barn wedding venue. A guest book made of postcards from the couple’s European travels, a toast with their favorite cava from Spain, and even a twist on the father/daughter and mother/son dances meant this wedding was full of personal touches and challenges to the status quo. It’s the perfect blend of relaxed, genuine, pretty, and romantic. You’re going to love the coverage from Tied & True Photography.
About the Couple
Brandon and I met in middle school and became friends in high school, but we were always dating other people. During our senior year, while chatting one day in study hall, we found out that we were both going to college at the same place: Robert Morris University.
At RMU, we remained friends until fate stepped in! We fell in love and had the opportunity to experience so much exciting and challenging growth, both personally and in our relationship as we finished our time at RMU. After RMU, we moved into an apartment in Shadyside together while we both started our first jobs out of college. Just after celebrating three years of dating, we went on vacation with BOTH of our families all together. I kind of had a feeling something was being kept from me. Brandon and both of our moms had been acting shady so I was a little suspicious. But it wasn’t until one of the last nights of vacation that he popped the question! My cousin and her husband asked us to go take pictures with them on a little island in the middle of a bay near where we were staying. When we arrived, my cousin’s husband conveniently “forgot his phone” in the car so they turned back, while we walked ahead. Brandon guided me up to a spot where we could watch the sun set, put down the camera, and got down on one knee. Later that night, we joined the rest of our families to celebrate together!
About the Wedding
Our wedding was all love. We took care to really think about and consider each detail, make it personal to us, and make it as meaningful as possible. If I had to describe it quickly, I would say that it was a natural bohemian wedding in a rustic barn venue, and it was inspired by nature. I am a flower child at heart. I adore a mix of rich, dark, jewel toned flowers and kind of set that as the inspiration for the theme and vibe of our wedding. I wanted everything to feel infused with nature – relaxed, genuine, and romantic.
Instead of the traditional father-daughter/mother-son dances, we chose what I called a “family dance” in which we started out with Brandon dancing with his mom while I danced with my dad, and halfway through the song we switched so that Brandon danced with my mom and I danced with Brandon’s dad. We were so happy to include everyone and make this moment extra special.
For our guestbook, we decided to incorporate our love of travel. We ordered postcards with photos that Brandon and I have taken from some of our favorite European destinations and asked guests to write us a postcard and place it in an old mailbox that we used for decor. Currently, Brandon is pursuing travel nursing and we move about every three months to a new city. My sister has been sending us those postcards that our guests wrote so that we get a little love note from our family and friends back home. I love receiving them and getting a reminder of our wedding day, too!
Favorite Moment
I would say that my favorite thing about our wedding day was just the way it felt to be fully present in every moment. It was our day to escape from everything else in the world and celebrate love. I’ve honestly never felt more calm in my entire life, and that’s not something that I think many brides say on their wedding days! I am a chronic over-thinker, but this was something I had no hesitation or reservations about.
I wanted a day that was relaxed, genuine, and romantic, and it was all of those things and more. I loved spending time with my bridesmaids and our mothers in the morning and right before the wedding, taking a thousand photos, laughing, and hanging out together while waiting for it to be time for the ceremony. My dress, hair, and makeup made me feel so beautiful and so naturally myself, and Brandon looked so incredibly handsome. And I’m so glad we did a first look! We were so happy to be together and have that experience; we couldn’t stop smiling. We were surrounded by love and encouragement all day long, and it was just such a special feeling and such a unique opportunity to have so much fun with everyone, all in one place.
Vendors
Bride’s Dress: Lillian West from One Enchanted Evening | Bridesmaids Accessories: Born to Be | Bridesmaids Dresses: Lulu’s & Azazie | Cake: The Spring House | Caterer: The Spring House | Ceremony Location: Bramblewood | DJ: Joel Lindsey Entertainment | Flowers: Bramblewood | Hair: Hannah Conard Beauty | Hangers: Oh Joyful Day | Invitation & Signage Design: Evelyn Locke | Lighting: Bramblewood | Linens: Windswept | Makeup: Hannah Conard Beauty | Menswear: Tuxedo Junction | Photography: Tied & True Photography | Reception Venue: Bramblewood | Rings: Brilliant Earth | Videography: Alyssa Kramer
Ceremony Location: Bramblewood | Flowers: Bramblewood | Hangers: Oh Joyful Day | Lighting: Bramblewood | Reception Venue: Bramblewood