Real #Azazie Wedding | Jen + Dan
With their eclectic, small wedding, Jen and Dan were able to incorporate their unique personalities into their big day. From the woodsy venue, to the minimalist decor and homemade trail mix as favors, this outdoorsy couple made their wedding their own. They were even able to add the rainy weather into their sweet and quirky photos. Take a look at some of our favorite shots from this one-of-a-kind wedding:
Dress: Dolores BG
Q: What location did you pick to have your wedding and why did you choose this place?
“We chose to get married and have the reception at Proud Lake State Park in the River Hawk Conference Center. We both love hiking, camping, and the outdoors, and take day hikes here often. About two weeks before we got engaged, we were hiking a new trail and randomly came across the conference center in a clearing in the woods. We peeked in the windows, saw the fireplace and minimalist vibe, and fell in love. My (now) husband encouraged me to call and ask about it right then, but I waited until we got engaged! It was reasonably priced, rustic but elegant, and we were able to bring in BBQ from a local favorite, Slows BBQ, and our own drinks, cake, and decor. We loved how it felt like a cozy hideaway in the woods, and how you could see trees from the windows that surrounded our reception room.”
Dress: Dolores BG
Q: Did you have a particular theme or color scheme? Is there a story behind this color theme and why you chose it?
“We went with a simple and understated color theme of champagne, gold, and cream. The tables had greenery, succulents, and white candles and lights. The only bright color was in my flowers. We went the morning of the wedding and bought three beautiful bouquets from our local farmer’s market, for $10 each! One for me, one for my matron of honor, and one to split on the fireplace mantle. I loved the eucalyptus and the big, bold fall flowers.”
Dress: Dolores BG
Q: What was the best/most memorable part of the day?
“My husband and I chose to stay in our home the night before the wedding. We woke up together, made breakfast together, and brought our coffee to the farmer’s market to pick up flowers. It was really nice to take that quiet time together before the excitement of the day to snuggle, laugh, and exchange cards. I also enjoyed that we had a tiny wedding party (just a best man and matron of honor) so we took all of our outdoor photos right after the ceremony with just us! It was nice to breathe and take in the moment of being newly married.”
Q: Why did you choose Azazie for your bridesmaids?
“I actually chose Azazie for my bridal gown after purchasing two previous bridesmaid dresses for my best friend’s wedding and my brother’s wedding! I loved the custom fit option, and that you could try on a sample of the wedding gown. I only tried on the Dolores, and fell in love. I appreciated how well made the dress was, and thought it was classic but fun. The length worked out great for taking pictures in the rainy woods. I also love your body positive and love-is-love attitudes! I am excited that I got to wear my dream dress without breaking my budget and while supporting a company with such a clear vision.”
Dress: Dolores BG
Q: Any tips or advice for anyone getting married soon?
“EVERYONE will have an opinion about EVERYTHING while you are planning. Keep your theme and vision in mind, and take time on the day of the wedding to have a private moment with your new spouse.”
Q: Did you enjoy the wedding planning process? Why or why not?
“I did! We decided on a low-key, simple wedding in the woods. I set a budget and stuck to it. My husband was great with ideas and super supportive of some non-traditional ideas. It was really nice to have someone who would remind me of our original plan and the vibe we wanted for the wedding when I got sucked into tiny details. I think we had a lot of fun planning together, and he felt like he had a voice in the process! He also came up with the idea to do trail mix as a favor, and created a recipe. We mixed and packed the bags together with some friends from out of town a few days before the wedding. We made Spotify playlists for dinner and dancing, and had a fun date night drinking wine and organizing those about a week before the wedding. We wrote our own vows, duet style, where we said lines back and forth to each other. I loved picking out the little details, and I baked the cake we cut. We chose to bring in catering, drinks, bought our flowers from a farmer’s market and our guest cake from Costco. It was a lot of coordination and work ahead of time, but a lot fewer logistics on the day of.”
Q: Where did you find/hear about Azazie?
“My sister-in-law and brother used Azazie for their wedding, and I wore a custom size bridesmaid dress. Once I started following social media accounts, I realized Azazie also had wedding gowns!”
Q: Describe your wedding in one word.
“Cozy”
Dress: Dolores BG
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
“I was a little sad when I woke up and it was raining on our wedding day. I threw my rain boots and umbrella in my bag, and we decided that we would do outdoor pictures no matter what. My godmother repeated something that she once heard from a cancer survivor at work: “What a beautiful day without the sun!” Even though it rained hard from 9am until midnight, it truly was a beautiful day without the sun. I love how my photos turned out, especially the quirky ones with boots and umbrella!”
