fun and funky backyard wedding
fun and funky backyard wedding
via
Leah and Matt decided to tie the knot in her family's backyard. The house as built in 1918, and one of the first homes in Chandler, Arizona. Equipped with a water tower and windmill. The perfect venue for a fun and funky backyard wedding. The entire day was filled to the brim with eclectic and touches, most of which were created by the bride.
We guarantee you will be tempted to incorporate a few of her crafty ideas into your own big day! Keep your eyes open for the charming rentals from Tremaine Ranch that provided a stunning foundation for the entire day. Don't forget to delve through so many great ideas from this DIY earth tones wedding in the full gallery here, all captured by Lowe Photos.
Words from The bride
As soon as I got engaged, I knew exactly how I wanted my wedding to be. Fun, funky, and completely 'Matt & Leah'. I had always wanted to get married at my parents home in Chandler, Arizona, and luckily, Matt was totally okay with the idea. They own a historic home in Chandler, that was built in 1918. It was one of the first homes in Chandler, equipped with a water tower and windmill. Thanks to Pinterest and blogs, I was able to find all sorts of inspiration and DIY projects to help make my dreams a reality. My mother and I crafted for countless hours and took way too many trips to different craft stores. We created all of our decor including our light up marquee signs, our ginormous seating chart, the chalkboard signs, all the bunting that hung over our cocktail hour and reception, and our paper products including our invitations, programs, and additional paper signage in golden frames.
Matt and my father handmade all of the benches we used in our ceremony, which was a huge task. My bridesmaids and I were able to get ready in the comfort of my parents home, which was my home growing up, so it was very sentimental for me. We had a blast all morning getting our hair done and drinking mimosas. Choosing your bridesmaids can be a stressful time. I would recommend all brides out there to think of the people who bring the best out of you. I picked three of my closest girlfriends, and I remember feeling completely confident in my choices because I knew that those girls would bring the best out in me. I was worried about being a 'bridezilla' at times, but with the right crew, there is no way that could happen. 
Matt and I could not decide if we wanted to do a first look or not. We finally decided that we would not do a first look. One of the things I was mostly worried about by not doing a first look was not being able to get enough pictures of just us, which is something many previous brides and planners had told me. After the ceremony, we went straight into pictures, and had the best time. We were able to enjoy each other and celebrate being married, rather than taking pictures before. I would recommend for any bride out there to stay with tradition and skip the first look. Seeing your fiancé's face as you walk down the aisle is totally worth it. 
We had the most delicious food at our wedding. Seriously, your guests notice if you have good food or not. After an hour of dancing, once it got a little bit closer to the end of our night, we requested our caterer to serve french bread pizza. This was a huge hit! Matt and I were too busy dancing to get any, but everyone said it was such a good idea. Finding vendors you trust and can consider your friends is a big deal. We are so happy with everyone we chose. I can say, that we spent many hours of labor ourselves crafting and creating things for half the price you could find online. If you are a DIY bride, than you should really DIY with the majority of everything for your wedding. It makes it that much more special to you, knowing all the hard work & creativeness you put into your wedding. 
Hear the vows and immerse yourself in this beautiful day when you view their wedding video below, filmed by ZoMei Film Stories.
Photography: Lowe Photos
Coordinator: Shannon Smith from Sassy Soirees
Cinematography: ZoMei Film Stories
Flowers: The Flower Studio
Caterer & Cake: Robert's Catering
Hair & Makeup: Babydoll Hair
Dress Shop: David's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Wedding Dress Bee
Groom's Attire: ASOS
Jewelry & Hair Accessories: Mignonne Handmade
Prop/Furniture Rentals: Modern Revival & Tremaine Ranch
Dj: Robert Walk from Just Weddings AZ
