j + t wedding

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of not only helping plan & setup one of the most heartfelt weddings ever, but I also attended the wedding and was able to watch the union of two of the most spirited, love-filled couples I have ever met. Jill & Travis chose to marry on their own property in Parsonsburg, MD. What a better what to really make your house a home than to invite all of your friends & family to witness and take part in your wedding celebration? Jill and Travis' wedding was greatly influenced by the Native American Indian cultures and traditions. Jill's grandmother shared pride in their family's Cherokee heritage and Jill & Travis chose to share these values and ideals with their wedding guests. I created a big, billowing 28' garland of mixed greenery to hang on the couple's front porch and mark the ceremony location. Huge yellow roses, pink roses, gladiolus & various other blooms were added. The garland style fit the home's garden (outfitted with colorful mums, zinnias, petunias & pumpkins) just perfectly. Jill is incredible! Over the past few years Jill and I have become good friends... much thanks to my fiancé for introducing us. She has a personality like no other woman I have ever met. She is a 'gal of my own heart who knows exactly what she wants and always trusts herself and her ideas. Obviously, she knew exactly what she wanted this wedding to look like and also knew the many feelings she was hoping to have all her guests experience. Jill carried a full, colorful, cascading bouquet. A mixture of garden-grown zinnias and dahlias were accented by a large teal-tinted king protea, yellow garden roses, fragrant purple stock, billowing seeded eucalyptus & pheasant feather accents. Upon arrival to the wedding site, guests were welcomed with a Native American wedding basket and mercury glass vases filled with flowers. Hazel, the mother of the bride opted to wear a fresh flower necklace with her fun orange gown that fit her absolutely perfectly. The orange zinnia on the necklace was grown by the bride. The sister of the bride carried a bouquet similar to the bride's bouquet. The flower girl carried a round pomander of orange mums.f The groom, groomsman & father of the bride wore boutonnieres of orange dahlias & guinea feathers. The bride & groom spend countless hours making dream catchers. More than 100 dream catchers were hung from the trees surrounding a tented reception area in their backyard. Dream catchers are a staple in Native American homes and Jill and Travis wanted them everywhere on their wedding day. Each guest took home a small dream catcher as a wedding favor. The centerpieces were blue mason jars filled with wild blooms. A mixture of locally grown zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers, and wheat looked fantastic paired with yellow & pink roses. Each mason jar had southwest style orange and turquoise ribbon tied around the mouth and fun turquoise beads or silver accents. Desserts by Rita created an elegant 3-tiered wedding cake. Colorful flowers were placed on each tier and a horsehair water vase was placed on top. In Native American tradition, the bride and groom drink water from the vase to seal their union with one another. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Martin! I am still so excited for you two and am so blessed to call you my friends. Cheers to endless years filled with love and happiness! Xoxo - Ami