Due to demanding educational and work schedules, Ashley and Phil managed to plan their Kansas City, MO dream wedding in a matter of three months! With help from her mother and sister, they pulled off a casual yet elegant outdoor affair, as you will see in their gorgeous photos (shot by Sara Tafoya Photography). Bride, Ashley, shares her real wedding story, including her helpful DIY tips and tricks!

“Phil and I are really laid back and love the outdoors. We wanted a wedding that reflected our style, so we went with a rustic theme. Our venue, Saddle and Sirloin, had a cancellation at the last minute, so we booked it about a month and a half to two months before the wedding. It was perfect for what we had in mind!”

“I wanted a very natural look for our outdoor wedding, so our colors were tans and taupe with ivory and white. The only actual color I wanted in the wedding was green, and I only wanted it to come out from the greenery we used.”

Wedding Wardrobe Tip: Bargain hunt in department and designer discount stores! “Phil’s mom found the guys’ suits on sale at JC Penney for $100 total for the suit and jacket. Once we found the suits, I decided to have my sister-in-law’s mother custom make the bridesmaid dresses. For the bridesmaids’ shoes, I figured a wedge would fit the look of the wedding and the girls could walk in the grass without their heels sinking. I found the perfect Steve Madden, ivory wedges at Marshall’s.”

Wedding Decor Tip: Ask around! “I wanted to have whiskey and wine barrels around for the rustic look, so we called around and found a few local wineries (Blue Jacket – Eudora, KS) and distilleries (High Plains Distillery – Leavenworth, KS) that either gave them away, or let us purchase them.”

Wedding Centerpiece Idea: Mix it up! “We had four different centerpieces, so not all the tables would be the same. For one centerpiece, my mom and I found several wooden boxes for each table that we could fill with different rustic and old looking items. My mom purchased several old books from a used bookstore and we used galvanized buckets and crosses and anything old and rustic we could find. My mom also got a bunch of little picture frames for the boxes that we could put our engagement pictures in. For another centerpiece, I had Phil cut up big logs to use as a ‘charger’ to put candles or different items on.”

Wedding Cake Idea: Consider buying handmade! “I wanted a grape vine ‘R’ [for the cake topper], but didn’t know where to go to get the grape vine to make it. A co-worker told me to check Etsy. Sure enough, that’s where I found it.”

Thanks again to Ashley and Phil for sharing their DIY wedding decor ideas with us! Do you have a real wedding story to share? Contact us if you’re interested; you could be the next couple featured!

If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here on the wedding blog or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook (search: Susan Southerland Secret) or follow me on Twitter (@Susansoutherlan).

Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan

Ashley and Phil’s Wedding Vendors:
Sara Tafoya Photography
Saddle and Sirloin
Raspberry Rose Desserts
The Village Gardens
Patrick Lenz Music
Rock With U
Celebration Party Rental
Absolute Hair
Melissa Blayton
Mike Varel
Christian Anthony Designs
Idas Bridal and Tuxedos