Real Wedding: Donia & David

When Donia and Dave saw the engagement photos Samuel Lippke took of their friends, Heather and Eric, right here on Snippet & Ink, they loved them so much they asked him to shoot their wedding. If you haven't already seen Samuel's photos, then this wedding is going to blow you away - as though Donia and David (and all of their friends and family) weren't cool enough without Samuel making them all look like rock stars! Take a look for yourself...


With the help of family and friends and do-it-yourself talents, the couple was able to throw a wedding with 300 guests for under $8000 - and they planned it all in only two months! A friend silk-screened the invitations onto organic muslin. Along with a team of friends, Donia and David hand-sewed the muslin onto black cardstock, and Donia hand-addressed each one.








The men wore boutonnieres made from pinecones that Donia's mother found in Big Bear, where Donia grew up and her parents still live. David's suit was by Marc Jacobs.


Donia purchased two wedding dresses - both discontinued styles at a sample sale - and her matron of honor, a clothing designer, helped to combine the top from one dress with the skirt from the other to create a totally unique look. Along with another close friend, they hand-sewed silk organza details to the bottom of the dress - working up until the night before the wedding!




It poured rain in the days before the wedding, and since it was muddy, Donia decided to wear a pair of her everyday shoes - basic black oxfords.


The wedding took place at a friend's family property in Fallbrook, California (you may remember it from Heather and Eric's engagement photos). With fences, California oak trees, a pond, and a small rustic cabin, it was an awesome backdrop for their wedding.






All of the flowers were purchased at the Los Angeles Flower Mart, and arranged by Donia's cousin who is just starting out doing wedding flowers professionally. An antique charm that was part of Donia's great-grandmother's charm bracelet was added to the bridal bouquet. The bridesmaids wore black dresses from Target that were embellished with black applique flowers along the hemline, as well as little fishnet gloves.




The ceremony took place near a rustic little cabin and pond on the property. Music is a big part of David's life, so he helped to write the music that two friends played as Donia walked down the "aisle" - inspired by one of her favorite pieces, Claire de Lune. The couple also wrote their own vows, and worked closely with their officiant to make sure the ceremony was personal and true to them.




The couple's first dance was to Otis Redding's Coffee and Cigarettes. The reception was catered by Party Tacos More (pronounced mo-ray). Not only did it help Donia and David to stay within their tight budget, but it also allowed them to support a small, local business. Instead of purchasing a wedding cake, they served a buffet of desserts made by their mothers and other family members.




Donia shares a bit about the role of music at the wedding: Our friend Nathan Willett, who is lead singer for The Cold War Kids, sang Johnny Cash’s The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face to us while everyone ate and enjoyed themselves. My father then got up to sing a song to David and me from the musical Carousel (my father is Chinese but was born and raised in Japan and then came to the U.S. in 1962 – he has a major love for anything “American” because of the kindness of the American GI’s to him and his family) – everyone was crying, it was such an endearing moment. Then, David and I sang a song that we wrote specifically for our wedding. That, too, was meaningful for us and our guests. I had written out the lyrics of our song in a poem format so the guests could take it home with them. Our dear friend was our deejay and played only the best crowd pleasers for a major dance party in the barn.


Toward the end of the evening, Donia changed into her grandmother's wedding dress and her aunt's wrap. The couple left as their guests waved sparklers and shared well-wishes. I just love how Donia sums up their wedding day: Honestly, I could not imagine a more blissful day. David and I fulfilled everything we had hoped for. It was uniquely “us." We enjoyed the hard work and effort put into our wedding because it made it that much more meaningful. We were literally blown away by the kindness of friends and family who helped us during the wedding process with their dedication of time and resources – even down to one of my bridesmaids standing in as wedding coordinator for the whole day. We were able to enjoy each other the day of our wedding. Our guests felt like they participated in the celebration, support, and love on our wedding day. Our wedding was only possible because of the marvelous loved ones David and I are so blessed to have as part of our lives – without their help, the day would not have been as incredible as it was.

Congratulations Donia and David! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful day with us - it's such an inspiration not only in the pretty details, but also in the meaning and heart of the day. And a huge thank you to Samuel Lippke for sharing these photos with us - he really captured the emotion and personality of the day.