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A Casual Vintage-inspired Outdoor Wedding in California

A Casual Vintage-inspired Outdoor Wedding in California

July 28, 2011

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An Unlikely Wedding Gown

Lena and Joshua are posing against a backdrop of Marimekko fabric reproduced from an early-1960s pattern. Lena is wearing a dress she found years ago at a thrift store -- a girlish 1960s prom dress dotted with bright flowers. Josh is wearing a suit from Barney's New York and a vintage patterned tie.

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Invitations

The letterpress invitation, map, reply card, and envelopes were done in retro hues and reflect the rustic feel of the wedding site. They were mailed with vintage stamps depicting woodland themes.

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Dancing Guests

The mother of the bride, Patti Corwin, dances with a young guest.

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Tie and Boutonniere

The bride's own collection of old fabrics helped inspire the day's details. Lena made Josh's lighthearted tie; his boutonniere of oak leaves and acorns is tied with a jaunty bow.

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Light as a Feather

A feather headpiece adorns Lena's hair.

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Pinecone Marker

Pinecones wired to a tree mark the entrance to the wedding site.

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Lena and Josh

A heart made of twigs, arranged on the ground in a clearing, greets arriving guests.

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Mountain Bouquet

In keeping with the wedding's mountain locale, the bridal bouquet of roses, cactus dahlias, and pom-pom dahlias is accented with oak leaves and acorns.

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Bird's Nest Altar

Family friend Jane Yen officiates at the ceremony under a canopy of oak branches topped with an oversize bird's nest, which was crafted by another friend.

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Creative Cocktails

At the bar, fruity drinks -- a thyme-vodka lemonade; a puree of strawberries, rum, and ginger; and a seltzer-honeydew sparkler with Midori -- sit on cloth coasters.

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Drink Cards

Lena illustrated cards listing the ingredients of each drink, and hung them next to the bar.

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Flower Girl

To ensure that they would have unique keepsake photographs of their guests, the couple set up an outdoor portrait studio made up of lengths of bright floral fabric draped over a clothesline. The photographer chose the background best suited to each subject's outfit, mixing unlike but complementary patterns to create a jubilant, richly textured collection of pictures.