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Offbeat partners: Olivia and Alex
Date and location: 6/24/2023, Creswell, OR (Private Residence)
Our DIY backyard wedding at a glance:
Alex and I were together seven years, madly in love and always knew we'd get married. We kept waiting… for the right place, the right time in our lives, and mostly to have enough money. Eventually we gave up: let's just do it. In his relative's giant backyard, with 125 guests, and all homemade decorations. We carved out everything we could in order to keep our guest count high: no appetizers, no florals, no wedding party, no store-bought wedding dress, no DJ, no bartender, etc.
Our top priority was having all our people there to celebrate with us. We have friends and family spread out all across the United States, from Maine to Alaska, Florida to Washington, and beyond (my brother lives in Canada and my parents live in Honduras). It would mean so much to us if they could all be together on just one day, and we knew it would never happen again. So we wanted EVERYONE to be there. We started with a guestlist of 150 people, and 125 of them were able to attend. It was a blast.
Tell us about the DIY backyard wedding ceremony:
We didn't really have a theme other than “us!” So Alex chose his own outfit, and I chose mine. They didn't “go together” but we wanted to celebrate our uniqueness even as we were joining our lives together. Alex decided to wear a swashbuckling outfit reminiscent of pirates and romance novels, and I love to crochet so I crocheted my own wedding dress top and belt (I crocheted the flower girls' tops as well). May I say: the garments I made were sooo comfy! Like getting married in my favorite sweater.
We wrote our own ceremony. Our officiant (Alex's cousin) read our love story, and we had many compliments on it afterwards. We met in a funny way, full of coincidence and divine timing, so it makes for a good story. Our guests appreciated getting to know us better through the details we shared. After that we exchanged vows and rings: I had my vows written down, but Alex winged his. He used to perform standup comedy and began with a joke about the weather: “Standing here today, in this suit under the hot sun… I wish I had cold feet. I really do.” Our guests laughed so hard.
Tell us about the DIY backyard wedding reception:
After the ceremony we ran down the aisle straight to the taco buffet! Alex and I both volunteer at a local meat and dairy farm on the weekends, to be closer to our food. To celebrate that, we'd purchased ground beef from the farmer (who was an honored guest at the wedding), and gave it to our caterer in coolers the week before our big day.
Since we didn't have a budget for florals, we had the reception in a relative's backyard garden that was already planted with all kinds of living flowers. The tables were decorated with vases of local duck, goose, and turkey feathers, to celebrate Alex's passion for hunting (and our mutual passion for using all parts of the animals we harvest). We had toasts from close friends, and then my father and uncles sang our First Dance song. I grew up with my dad singing a lot around the house, and all his brothers love to sing. The live music was quite a surprise to most of our guests!
For dessert, we hosted a cookies and milk potluck – local raw milk from our farmer friend, and we'd asked wedding guests to bring cookies instead of gifts. We were able to have desserts that appealed to all dietary restrictions (our vegan guests brought vegan cookies, etc.), and the potluck kept us within budget. We danced the night away to a playlist on my laptop with borrowed speakers. We did the limbo. Oh, and when the song “Love Train” played, we formed a line and danced with our guests through the garden paths. We had a BLAST.
What were the most important lessons you learned from your DIY backyard wedding?
Oddly enough, our guests were really worried about what to wear. “Casual” seemed to be too vague, so we added detailed recommendations to our website: “Casual Garden Party attire – Aloha shirts and sundresses welcome!” Alex and I used to live in Hawaii together, and we love the beautiful patterns of Aloha shirts. Our guests turned up in style. Their clothing made for beautiful photos.
Many of our friends have babies and toddlers, so it was important to us that this wedding was accessible and enjoyable for all ages. We designed a Kid Zone in one part of the garden with toys and lawn games, and we even hired a couple childcare providers to watch the little ones so their parents could mingle. We got GREAT feedback from the parents; they said it was the most family-friendly wedding they'd ever been to.
Photography is so important. When the day is over, you'll want to look back and relive it from different angles. Photography (and videography, if you have the budget for it) allows you to do just that. Also, make a list of “must happen” moments and ask someone (or your day-of coordinator) to hold you accountable.
My biggest regret is we didn't get a photo with Alex's 91-year-old grandmother because she needed to leave early. Also I never stopped by Table 8 to hug the friends who came all the way from Alaska. There's too much to think about day-of, so ask for help remembering to make time for the must-have moments.
DIY backyard wedding vendors:
- Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Round Pearl Events IG: @roundpearlevents
- Photographer: Reyn Photography
- Catering: Alma Foods
- Dress: Olivia made it with a crochet pattern from Mermaidcat Designs
- Everything Else: DIY'd or borrowed from our beautiful community – we are so humbled and grateful!
Backyard DIY farm wedding gallery:
About the Author: Offbeat Weditors
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We had the best time at a Olivia and Alex’s wedding. So relaxed and full of love. I recommend Olivia for anyone wanting a unique special wedding. She is amazing!