A Colorful DIY Wedding in Southern California

Caitlin and Tanner

When you know, you know. That's how Caitlin Watson and Tanner Boyes characterize the nine months between meeting and marrying. The bride and groom both grew up in San Clemente, California. She was friends with Tanner's older brother, but because of a small age gap, she never went to school with her future husband. They went away to colleges in different states. It wasn't their time to meet. But then it was 2012 and there was Facebook.

Caitlin clicked the "you might know them" button on the social media site and befriended Tanner. He accepted, they messaged, and the connection was made. It flourished, and on July 20, 2013, they made it more than "Facebook official," becoming husband and wife in their hometown, bringing their creativity to the forefront with a plethora of personalized and DIY details.

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The Invites

The product designer bride and freelance illustrator and designer groom racked their brains to come up with a fresh idea for the invitation, and decided that the way to go would be the DIY route. Tanner drew everything, Caitlin painted it -- including portraits of them -- and the final artwork was printed on vellum.

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The Ceremony

At noon on a beautiful summer day, the bride and groom became husband and wife during an intimate ceremony at the Newport Beach LDS Temple.

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The Fashions

Following the ceremony, the couple posed for photos. Tanner wore a fully customized suit of his own design handmade by Couture Clothiers. He complemented the vibrant red ensemble with a bespoke Proper Cloth shirt, STNTN tie, and Thom Browne shoes.

Caitlin donned an embroidered Temperley London she first spotted on the designer during a guest appearance on "Project Runway." She googled the gown and downloaded a photo, keeping it on her desktop. When she got engaged and started pulling photos for inspiration, she came across the saved image, and realized it was what she wanted to wear on her wedding day. "I went online and saw it was on sale for half off," Caitlin said. "It was a miracle. But by the time I was ready to order it, I couldn't find it anywhere. I made a call to London and was told there were a few left there. Everyone at the brand was really excited I was going to wear it as my wedding dress." J.Crew jewelry and shoes, a matte red lipstick, and some family jewelry rounded out the look.

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The Bouquet

The sister of the bride, Brittany, handmade the bride's bouquet, which was intended to look as though the blooms were plucked from an oversized garden.

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The Bridesmaids

caitlin-tanner-wedding-nn-bridesmaids-0514-horizontal.jpeg — Natalie Neal

Clad in cream dresses (some vintage, some contemporary), the bridal party carried bouquets of faux flowers.

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The Groomsmen

Tanner's attendants sported Brooks Brothers' suits accented by floral printed shirts and neckwear.

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The Boutonnieres

Caitlin crafted crepe-paper blooms for the guys' lapels, attaching each to their suit jackets with oversized bronze safety pins she found online.

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Portraits

Before heading to the reception, the couple posed for a few photos in Laguna Canyon.

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Big Banner Day

Using a clothesline and a pre-gessoed canvas, the couple cut out and painted a banner to set the scene and welcome everyone to the reception, which took place in the groom's parents' backyard.

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A Fantastic Field

Oversized paper flowers festooned the property, creating an enchanted garden feeling.

"I have always loved flowers," Caitlin said. "I think it's a family thing. My mother worked a lot with them and later I worked in a floral shop. I think because of those experiences I really wanted to make my own handcrafted flowers for my wedding, and I wanted to transform the backyard into a flower festival."

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Impactful Decor

Caitlin's mother was the mastermind on creating more jumbo flowers to adorn the tables, which were dressed with upholstery gauze that Caitlin dip-dyed.

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Floral Accents

Smaller crepe paper blooms, accented by fresh greenery and poppy pods, dotted round tables set with candles in hobnail vessels.

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The Guestbook

Floral origami was set out for the 250 guests to write well wishes on. They were then placed in a keepsake box, which sits on a coffee table in the newlyweds' home.

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Eco-Friendly Accents

Pink and Leather Wedding Shoes — Natalie Neal

Serving pieces were environmentally friendly, with heart-shaped biodegradable palm husk plates on hand for the buffet-style dinner of chicken and mixed-berry salad, a trio of pasta dishes, seasonal fruit, and Parmesan-garlic knots.

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Going Green

Napkins and cutlery were also responsibly sourced, and dressed up with handmade flower bands.

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Musical Highlights

During the reception, which the bride and groom's fathers emceed, Tanner serenaded Caitlin with one of their favorite songs—"Dream Come True Girl" by Cass McCombs. Friends also performed a few other tunes.

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The First Dance

Two of her best friends sang their first dance song, which was a slowed-down version of "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes. During the reception, the bride's brother Ryan spun vintage vinyl records.

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