Ariel and Rem were married in May in Colorado. They didn’t want to spend a fortune, but they also didn’t want to cut corners on the wedding. They prioritised the things they felt were the most important (food, photos!) and saved where they could on everything else.
“The inspiration for our wedding was simply that we wanted it to feel like us”, Ariel said. “We thought it was important to be able to fully enjoy our day, so that meant cutting out some of the more traditional elements like having a large bridal party and tossing the bouquet, although we did keep a few of those things. We really just sat back and let our hearts lead the way.”
“We added a lot of personal touches everywhere that I think made our wedding special. I wanted people to walk in, not knowing who’s wedding they were going to, and just by looking around the room, be able to tell. We incorporated lovely quartz crystals on the tables that my dad gave to us. They came from dried up river beds in south Alabama, where my family is originally from. Rem and I have an affinity for stones and crystals, so it just felt right to bring that into our wedding décor. Not to mention that they’re very literally little pieces of my home, so that really made it feel unique to us.”
They were married at Villa Parker. “We asked my brother, Frank, to officiate our ceremony for us”, she continued. “It was such a great decision. We went back and forth on this, but we really wanted someone we knew standing up there with us on our special day. My brother did such an excellent job. I wrote our entire ceremony, with help from the hubby, personal edits from my brother, and lots of tips from the internet. He was a class act, and I think he just made the day that much more special. Also, because of my love for Harry Potter, he read the script right out of one of the Harry Potter books, and it was totally his idea! I love my family.”
“I also had both my parents walk me down the aisle instead of just my dad. Both of my mom and dad are such huge inspirations in my life and I couldn’t imagine walking down with just one of them. Neither of them felt that they were ‘giving me away’, so it was perfect to have them both their by my side, walking with me into a new chapter of my life.”
“If I was to describe our theme, I’d say it was vintage and bohemian”, she said. “We wanted people to be able to relax and have a good time and we drew inspiration from the outdoors. From the wildflowers to the books on the tables to the dreamcatcher seating tags, everything was intended to be earthy and natural.”
“The entire wedding was an absolute blast, and we honestly loved every minute of it”, she concluded. “I think I most enjoyed the time that I got to spend with Rem right after the ceremony. We signed our marriage license, drank champagne and had a few moments to just be together before the party kicked off. It was a much needed moment of peace and complete gratitude for everything that was going on. It was a sweet time to let everything sink in and allow it to be real. The calm before the best storm ever. I also really loved saying our vows to one another. It took a little convincing to get Rem to agree on writing our own vows, and I am so grateful that we did. It was such a precious moment. It was like there was no one else in the room, just us.”
