anna + andre

I'm so excited to get to share this real "lovebird" wedding with you! I met Anna and Andre through my community group at Reality LA and it has been such a blessing to see both their love for each other and love for God grow. 

They got married on a beautiful summer day at Hartley Botanica, a beautiful garden venue located in Simi Valley.  Her inspiration for the bird theme came from Matthew 10:29 --

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."

With the wedding being in a garden she knew she wanted to incorporate that verse and her love for birds.  Most of her inspiration came from Etsy (an excellent resource), nature, and her husband's New Zealand heritage.  For example, the candy in the favor bags were from New Zealand.

I loved the hanging flowers in mason jars during the ceremony, such a beautiful backdrop for their wedding.  Here are some pictures from their wedding!

Favorite moment of the day: Our first kiss ever!

Any planning advice for future brides? Don't be afraid to ask friends for help (one friend sang, another did my makeup, and another made the invites and seating chart).  Also, don't be super picky about little details - it will keep things more relaxed.

I hear it again and again, that it's not so much about the wedding as it is about the marriage.  Keep that in mind when things start to feel a little (or really) stressful or hectic.  The wedding is a celebration of your marriage, so let it be a memory that you can look back on with joy -- as a time spent growing in your relationship with your fiance.

lovebirds

The term "lovebirds" has often been used to reference a couple in love, but I realized I never took the time to find out why.  Genetically from the parrot family, lovebirds today are depicted as tiny parrots.  They got their name because they sit closely to each and are known to keep in pairs, and keep in pairs privately (similar to behavior of a couple in love).  The symbol is used on Valentine's day because apparently in the olden times there was a belief that birds found their mate on February 14.  I don't know if it's just me, but I tend to see more hearts and explosions of red and pink overtaking the candy aisle more than anything else. 




Needless to say, birds can be creatively incorporated into a rustic and garden wedding theme.  Below are a few things I've found that I love!

For a personalized touch on a guest book, you can order beautiful hand drawn manzanita trees (below by Bleu de toi) and have your guests thumbprint "leaves" onto the tree and sign their name.  The ink color can reflect your wedding's color scheme and by the end of the night you'll have a memorable keepsake to take home and frame.  I also love the bride and groom birds at the bottom!

For an alternative card box, find a cute birdcage for guests to drop their cards in.





Source: Green Wedding Shoes.  Photo Credit: Taryn Kent Photography

Your centerpieces can resemble a nest (or be an actual nest!) with more earth tones like brown, green, and tan, with a neutral colored table cloth.  The cake toppers to the left are some of my favorites!  Of course there are tons more -- Etsy is an excellent resource for handmade cake toppers.  The black and white ones also double as salt and pepper shakers, another nice keepsake for your new home. 

 

Centerpiece: The Knot. 
Bird Cake Toppers: 1. Red Light Studio 2. Lauren Alane 3. buttoneyedteddybear - Etsy 4. Madame Pomme

Photo Credit: Once Wed

Moving right along to wedding favors and invitations! My friend Anna is in the process of planning her bird-themed wedding and shared these creative pieces with me, both from vendors on Etsy.



Source: Etsy.com

Hope you were inspired today!