Real Wedding: Rustic Lakeside Oregon Wedding

I love how DIY this wedding was, and Sara and Andy had one of the most scenic ceremonies I have ever seen! They were married in eastern Oregon on a bluff overlooking Wallowa Lake. In the words of their photographers Gary and Courtney Christenson - it was "epic". I'm so excited I could play a small part in their wedding, since last year I got the sweetest email from the bride Sara, the best friend and roommate of my brother's girlfriend, wanting to see if I could help her with some ideas and suggestions for her August 1st wedding.

From Sara: "The theme we are going for is rustic country with a color palate of dark and latte brown, ivory, with a red accent. My dress has a little dusty rose pink on it (the ribbon) and I would like to include it a little if I could (maybe the bouquets???). The wedding ceremony will be outside on a hill above Wallowa Lake and the reception will be at the local community center in Joseph, Oregon. I have already booked both sites and have hired a band that has a laid back country feel." She also wanted to use mason jars as favors and have a BBQ potluck meal.

So I came up with an inspiration board for Sara as well as a bunch of ideas for her wedding. I had no idea she would use so many of the ideas! It was very cool to see how she translated all of them into her wedding... Husband and wife duo Gary and Courtney Christenson did an amazing job capturing Sara and Andy's rustic eastern Oregon wedding. They were super excited to share these with me when they heard I had helped come up with many of the details that they loved about the wedding - thanks so much guys!

Hay bales with different blankets and fabrics made up the ceremony seating

Twine and clothespins strung around the room showed off pictures of the couple from their engagement session, their dating years, and when they were both younger.
Handled mason jars served as escort cards, beverage containers, and favors; The BBQ food was potluck, and Sara included a cute sign to let people know it was "BBQ grub made with love by family and friends".

The hay bale seating carried over to the reception, where they acted as chairs around the dancefloor for guests to take a break. The centerpieces were a DIY project from OnceWed, and the table numbers were stamped on mason jar printed cards.

Congrats on your 1st anniversary Sara and Andy! And thanks so much to Gary and Courtney for sharing your work with me!

Photography: Gary & Courtney Christenson Photography
Ceremony location: Wallowa Lake, Oregon
Reception venue: Community Center in Joseph, Oregon