Ready for more details about our DIY backyard wedding? Here’s another installment from our wedding week, with practical ideas and personal touches you can adapt for your own celebration.
Anyone who’s planned a wedding or a large event knows that small thoughtful touches make guests feel cared for. One simple idea we used was a basket of complimentary flip-flops for guests whose shoes were too ambitious for a garden setting. To make the inexpensive flip-flops feel intentional and sweet, Sherry tied each pair with rustic twine and arranged them in a burlap basket so they were easy to spot and grab.
We also reinvented the traditional wedding slideshow in a budget-friendly, charming way. Instead of a projector, we created a photo clothesline by stretching twine between two 5 ft garden hooks and using wooden clothespins to display photos that told the story of us growing up, meeting and falling in love. The whole project cost under $20 but made a big impression, entertaining guests while they waited to use the photobooth. Guests still comment on it years later.
For the ceremony we wanted something personal instead of a standard reading, so we wrote our own. In a playful moment we pulled out our high school yearbooks and collected notes from friends—some sweet, some silly—that surprisingly reflected our personalities better than a traditional sonnet. My sister and Sherry’s brother read selections during the ceremony, and it became one of the most memorable parts of the service, right alongside the vows.
Lighting was a key element in elevating the backyard into an elegant evening setting. We used votives on the tables for soft, intimate lighting and a few tiki torches around the perimeter for ambiance. Along the driveway we lined jam, pickle and sauce jars—saved for months—with sand and candles to create mini hurricane lanterns. The result was warm, welcoming and inexpensive.
We also hung battery-operated paper lanterns from two trees near the ceremony area. They added visual interest during the vows and created a beautiful backdrop for family photos without any complicated wiring. Because they ran on batteries, we could focus on capturing smiles instead of managing cords.
Our photographer Todd deserves huge thanks for most of the beautiful images you see here. He happens to be family, which made his generosity possible, and his professional experience ensured our day was captured beautifully. We were grateful to have such talent behind the lens.
We kept attire casual to match the relaxed, July-in-Virginia vibe. I wore khakis, a white button-down and flip-flops; my friend and cousin coincidentally wore similar outfits, so we called ourselves the “Khaki Brigade.” To lighten the mood, Sherry surprised us with tuxedo t-shirts—because we didn’t take ourselves too seriously.
Sherry’s dress was a last-minute find—an affordable Arden B dress purchased just 48 hours before the wedding. It was an unexpected switch from the earlier dress she’d bought, but it suited her perfectly and felt right for the day. The relaxed timeline didn’t detract from how stunning she looked walking down the aisle.
Her bouquet was another simple DIY. On the wedding morning she bought three large hydrangea blooms from the grocery store, secured them with green floral tape, wrapped the stems in satin ribbon and fastened it with pearl-headed pins. She tucked a small necklace from a close family friend into the handle, pinned carefully so the sentimental charm stayed hidden and secure until the ceremony.
One of our most dramatic decor elements was the string lighting over the reception. We bought six sets of round-bulb string lights and made three long strands reinforced with clear fishing line to handle the tension. We attached carabiners to each end and anchored the lights from our sunroom to the peak of the garage, where they met at the weathervane and plugged into a discreet extension cord. The overhead glow transformed the space and held up safely throughout the night.
Part of me wanted to leave the lights up year-round for the dramatic effect, but practical concerns—like storms and falling branches—won out. Still, the memory of that twinkling canopy stays with us.
*Check the Wedding Album tab above the header to see more photos and details from our big day, from start to finish.