A Casual, DIY Backyard Wedding at a Private Residence in Vancouver, Washington
The quaint, shabby-chic cottage and the lush surrounding gardens set the scene for an ideal backyard wedding. Melissa Archer (29 and a preschool teacher) and Carl Bycraft (28 and an electrical engineer) had their casual, rustic wedding filled with DIY details in Melissa’s aunt and uncle’s backyard, decked out in a green and white color palette. The couple wanted to keep their wedding attire simple and within their budget. Melissa chose a casual white dress with lace straps that opened up into a keyhole back, accented with a silk green ribbon belt, and Carl wore khaki pants and a button-up shirt he already owned. The ceremony took place in front of the small cottage, which was painted a light green color and had hanging paper decorations in front of the windows, all captured by Crystal Genes Photography and filmed by Robb Cummings Media. The reception took place in the backyard, with dining tables dressed in simple white tablecloths that were decorated with arrangements of baby’s breath, chrysanthemums and stock. We love how creative they got with their guest book! Instead of going a traditional route, the couple rented a photo booth and filled blank pages with photo strips of their guests taken throughout the wedding day. “We splurged on a photo booth, which was one of the things I couldn’t budge on and I’m so grateful,” Melissa says. “The photo strips were signed and taped into our 'guest book.' The photo booth printed two, so it was also our wedding favor!”