Real Wedding: Kacie & Brandon

Kacie and Brandon's vintage-inspired wedding took place in the California wine country, and she sent me these photos knowing that I'm a northern California girl and would just love them. I've had these waiting in the wings since July, and I just can't wait any longer to share them with you - and today, following Paul Lowe's vintage-lace projects, seemed like the perfect time. This wedding is so full of handmade details - I know you'll appreciate it as much as I do, no matter where you're from. As Kacie wrote to me, "Every single detail meant something." Take a look and see what she means...




The ceremony took place this summer at Kacie's parents' home in the wine country, the same place where they were married twenty-seven years earlier, where Kacie grew up, and where her grandparents lived before that.




Kacie wore a flower made of delicate Alençon lace by the talented Myra of Twigs & Honey.


Kacie wore a Melissa Sweet gown, and sported vintage sunglasses throughout the day.


Kacie's bouquet, by Christine's Flowers, consisted of gardenias, blowsy garden roses, and stephanotis. Kacie and Brandon's siblings were their attendants.






Before exchanging rings, Kacie and Brandon had a ring warming ceremony, where all of the guests passed the rings and silently blessed them with love and good wishes.


100 guests joined Kacie and Brandon for the celebration.


Kacie and her father walked down the aisle to The Beatle's I Will, played by her cousin and best friend. Kacie and Brandon wrote their vows, and because Kacie was an English major, they included poems among the readings, such as Sonnet 17 by Pablo Neruda and a love letter by George Bernard Shaw.


Brandon and his groomsmen wore suits from J.Crew, and a single fragrant gardenia for a boutonniere.


Gardenias were everywhere, and the entire garden smelled like them.


Do you see the vintage glass drawer pulls?






In addition to champagne, they served Pinot Noir made from grapes grown by Kacie's parents.


So many of the details of the day - including the invitations, hanging votives, vintage hanky prayer flags, table cloths, pomanders, and doily favor bags - were handmade by Kacie's mother and family, mostly with vintage linens, ribbon and lace.


The handmade doily favor bags were filled with a classic wedding favor: white Jordan almonds. Kacie's mother also made small doily boutonnieres for guests to wear.


Instead of a sit-down dinner, there were Sonoma cheeses, fruit, and passed hors d'oeuvres, giving guests the chance to mingle and chat and dance at their leisure.




Kacie's grandmother, was not well enough to attend the wedding, but she did send her collection of silver mint julep cups for centerpieces, and gave her mother's (Kacie's great-grandmother's) engagement and wedding rings to Kacie as a gift.


A family friend baked the cake, with two layers of dark chocolate and one layer of lemon, covered in delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting, and decorated with gardenias. Along with cake, bite-sized desserts were passed around, and guests helped themselves at the gourmet coffee and cocoa bar with Kahlua, chocolate shavings, peppermint sticks, Torani syrups, fresh whipped cream. Yum!


Kacie and Brandon spent a month before the wedding painting the house and barn, sewing, and stringing lights in trees.


Hundreds of string lights and votives created a magical, romantic glow once the sun went down.




Kacie and Brandon are singers - they met in their high school choir and have been together ever since! - so music played a large part in the wedding. Kacie's sister sang a song she wrote during the wedding ceremony, everyone danced the night away to the music of the swing band, Stompy Jones, and toward the end of the night, Kacie and Brandon sang a duet. Then Brandon sang a song to Kacie that he had written about her.




After their first dance (to I've Got the World on a String), Kacie changed into a dress that was custom-made by Tawny of Amour Sans Anguish, made entirely of vintage doilies! Kacie's dad built the beautiful checkered dance floor himself. With all of the handmade details and creative touches, Kacie and Brandon were able to pull this beautiful wedding together for under $20,000. That may not sound like a budget wedding after our last two real wedding features, but for such a glamorous event full of so many details - and in the Bay Area! - it is quite an impressive feat.

Congratulations Kacie and Brandon - and thank you so much for sharing your beautiful wedding and all of these details with Snippet & Ink. And thank you to Brandon's sister, Lisa Dick, and Kacie's childhood friend, Dawn Heumann, for sharing these pretty pretty pictures.