• Real Weddings

Knowing they wanted a simple outdoor event, Kelly and Ian used that objective as inspiration to create the wedding of their dreams. The unique, rustic decor created by DIY elements and vintage items along with the furniture rentals and lighting provided by Event Magic transformed their outdoor venue into the perfect backyard wedding. To see more details from this vintage peach wedding at The Old Homestead view the full gallery here, all beautifully captured by Honey Honey Photography.

From the Bride:It was important for me to decide what was really important to me; there are so many different options and opinions out there, you really need to be confident enough in your vision to be able to say no to things others are excited about while also accepting other things that may be out of your control. Everyone wants to help and feel involved, but remember if someone wants to offer their help you should ask them what they might be able to do for you. It can be more work (and stress) for you to try to come up with ways for people to help and then manage them than it is for you to just do it...

Looking at other people's weddings was a huge inspiration and help also! Every time I went to a new wedding I'd see things that would make me say "Oh, yes!" and other things that made me say, "Not at my wedding..." Pinterest was an amazing way to create inspiration boards and communicate ideas with friends, family, and vendors. Be confident that your vision will come through regardless, it will. And don't forget to have fun!

When I was looking for a photographer one of the best things I did was to submit a request for vendors on www.100layercake.com. Once I described my event and what I wanted, photographers actually contacted me to "bid" on my event. It was here that I came into contact with Emma, my photographer, from Honey Honey Photography. She came with a lot of great advice, the best in my opinion was to do a First Look shoot, something I had been opposed to before. After we had done it I was so grateful that we had had a chance to see each other and share a moment before all of the hubbub began. It allowed both of us to relax a little more into the day and it took NOTHING away from walking down the aisle to him which is what I was afraid would happen.

I did so much online research trying to plan, sometimes it would get so overwhelming, I'd feel like every time I took a step forward I'd take a couple more back! I stumbled upon our venue while in search of a photographer (the photographer wasn't for us, but the venue featured for one of the weddings they shot was perfect!). An old house with a big backyard, right next to golden rolling hills and the bay.On the Venue: The Old Homestead, located in scenic Crockett, California, was the first American home constructed in the town in 1867. Located across from an historic sugar mill with a view out to the Carquinez Straight, this historic site is the perfect venue for a wedding. Along with a yard and deck shaded by redwoods and abundant parking, the historic Old Homestead features beautiful grounds for indoor or outdoor wedding ceremonies as well as ample space for your reception — the perfect location for a vintage backyard wedding.

My caterer, Mavericks BBQ, came from great Yelp reviews after deciding on a type of food (BBQ), and it really was good. We did as much of it as we could ourselves and had a lot of help from friends and family, especially in the days preceding the wedding. Our thank you gift of mason jars filled with homemade cookies and our flower arrangements were labors of love — so many people helped to get it all accomplished! My husband's family came through with so much help in the days before the wedding, it was amazing!

If you can afford it, work with a wedding planner. My friend did an amazing job, I just wish she could have gotten to enjoy more of the party. Even if it's just a day-of-planner, having that person there to deal with your vendors, hold all of your lists (playlists, photograph lists, timeline), etc. can be a real life saver. Look into it in the beginning to see if they can work with your budget to include themselves in it while still getting you what you want.

Photographer: Honey Honey Photography Venue: The Old Homestead Caterer: Mavericks BBQ Furniture Rentals & Lighting: Event Magic Stationery: PAPERTALK PRESSCake: Nothing Bundt Cakes Officiant: Mark Pelter | Makeup: Bride | Hair: Mandy Garcia | Coordinator: Emily Myer | DJ: Quinn Barnes-Carr | Flowers: Family and Friends