Rhiannon and Gunnar chose a completely private, self-uniting ceremony at Trough Creek Park in James Creek, Pennsylvania. A week later, they hosted a micro-reception with 17 guests. As an introverted couple who don’t enjoy being the centre of attention, they found that something small, private, and meaningful was the perfect fit. Their total wedding budget was $3,500, with their primary expenses being food and drinks.

The bride added her creative touch by heavily altering both of her dresses. She embroidered oak leaves onto the back panel of her green ceremony dress and incorporated a completely different underskirt for her reception one.

Their love for nature was central to the day’s design. All of the reception décor was biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable. Rhiannon handcrafted a large leaf garland that was draped across the fireplace, and natural elements like moss, leaves, and sticks were used throughout the venue. Since they only had two tables to decorate, the DIY setup was very manageable. “”For the reception, we envisioned a cozy, Hobbity Shire style harvest festival kind of feel”, the bride explained.

“The wedding day itself was meant to be an authentic reflection of who we are as a couple,” Rhiannon continued. “We knew right away we wanted this to be a private event. So private, in fact, we went ahead and did a Pennsylvania Quaker wedding, meaning we skipped the officiant all together. Instead of a big event, we stayed over at my family’s hunting cabin the night before. The day of we had a nice slow morning before getting ready and meeting with the photographer, and then going on a really lovely hike to the ceremony spot.”

“My favourite thing about our wedding was that we were able to have this beautiful intimate little dinner party, and watching our families and friends truly gel and everyone just talking and laughing and telling stories basically until the restaurant closed”. Rhiannon concluded. “On the ceremony day it was just so incredible just having the day entirely to ourselves. It was exactly what we wanted.”