Michelle's Wedding & Honeymoon Recap!

Hi bloom girls! Michelle here and I have some exciting news - I am officially married!

My husband and I opted for a more “non-traditional” route, and instead of having one big wedding, we “spread it out” into multiple parties. We were actually married on 9/10/16 in a very small park ceremony near our house (“Party 1!”) The next day, we left for a two week Europe trip, visiting Paris, Amsterdam and Italy! We packed up my wedding dress and his suit and hired a photographer to do an elopement photoshoot for us in the beautiful Amalfi Coast (“Party 2!”) The weekend after we got back, we had a “post wedding celebration” at my sister’s house. We invited all of the people we would have invited to a more "traditional" sit down wedding, but in a more casual format where people could come and go as they pleased (“Party 3!”) Every couple is different, but for us, this was the perfect mixture of everything we wanted in a wedding. We were able to spend quality time with guests on our actual wedding day (because it was so small) and at our BBQ (because it was an all day event.) By doing things in a more "laid back" format (using my sister's house vs. an official venue, having BBQ food vs. a formal sit down dinner, skipping the photographer, flowers, videographer, DJ, etc.) we were able to extend our honeymoon (we LOVE to travel!) and save for our forever home, which is part of our 5 year plan (what can I say? I'm a planner!) I loved every second and looking back I truly can’t imagine doing it any other way. Here is a brief recap of each of each event:

Party 1: Our Official Wedding Day

This day was extremely intimate and personal, with only about 15 close friends and family members present. My brother-in-law is ordained, so he was actually able to officiate for us! He did an amazing job. We wrote our own ceremony, said our own vows (my favorite part!) and customized the ring exchange, so it was wonderfully unique and so very “us.” Our golden retriever was present with a “best dog” sign around his neck, and his sister (who belongs to one of my best friends) was our “flower dog” (she totally stole the show! SO cute!) I loved that it was at a park that we visit almost every weekend, that our "fur baby" was present, and that we were able to spend quality time with each and every guest. The weather was perfect and we didn’t stop smiling or laughing all day! 

Party 2: Elopement Photoshoot in Italy

Although the pictures above look extremely professional, they were actually a wedding gift from my insanely talented friend, Jen, who has a passion (and an amazing eye) for photography. She has actually taken some pictures for bloom before! We saved our official "professional" wedding photos for the leg of our honeymoon that I was most excited for - The Amalfi Coast in Italy! At first it felt like this photoshoot just wasn't meant to be. Our original photographer had to cancel last minute due to a family emergency, and there was a 90% chance of rain our only day in Positano. Luckily we found the amazing Leanne Rose of Leanne Rose Photography at the 11th hour. The sky magically cleared up, and the weather turned out to be perfect! We spent the whole day chatting, taking pics, laughing, and eating pizza and lemon granitas (in my dress!) People stared at us, clapped for us, and we even made a few people cry! It was truly a magical day and I will never forget it. Here are a few "sneak peeks" she has sent us so far. I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures!

Party 3: Our BBQ!

Unfortunately I do not have very many pictures of our Post Wedding Celebration. I was too busy with all of our guests to take any pictures! Our friend Zach played live acoustic music and we ate, danced, mingled, played yard games and told stories from our honeymoon late into the night. Here are a few pictures of the set up, and some of my #bloomgirl family celebrating with us :) 

It has been a whirlwind of a month, and I have to admit I am pretty excited to finally have some downtime :) I used my experience planning our wedding to help create bloom's Wedding Planner! I am SO proud of how this new product turned out, and I couldn't have planned all of our events without it! Just like the letter in the front of the wedding planner says, 

"Whether you are a hands off bride or totally DIY, whether you are eloping or hosting hundreds of guests, we hope this planner helps you create your vision of the perfect day!”

Whatever your dream wedding looks like, I hope you follow whatever path feels right for you. Hopefully our Wedding Planner can make your vision for your big day into a reality, just like it did for mine!

xoxo,
The new Michelle Trincia-Askin!