Yes, you saw that right… today’s wedding is a rustic, chemistry themed wedding! Emily of Emily Takes Photos sent this awesome wedding over, and as soon as I saw that this bride and groom were both chemists and they infused chemistry themed elements into their wedding, I got SO VERY excited! Not to mention that the location of the wedding is so incredibly beautiful. This wedding reflects the bride and groom so perfectly- and that is the BEST! Plus, I love what Michelle and Brad used for their details… beakers and test tubes for centerpieces, slides for escort cards, and even a unity ceremony using liquids that changed colors when mixed together! You see, in my past life, I took a bunch of science classes- some of which were with my husband… so I kind of love this kind of stuff! Michelle is here sharing some of her wedding planning insight with us, so be on the lookout for some great tips from her!
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
In preparing for our wedding, my parents were invaluable. They were there for us for both emotional and financial support throughout the entire process. I don’t know how we would have gotten through our engagement without such positive role models in how to tackle problems as a team. In planning the wedding itself, my husband, Brad, was amazing. While he isn’t at all into the creative stuff, he was a saint in taking on a bigger share of the household responsibilities so I could find time to get things ready for the wedding.
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
Personality! We decided early on we didn’t want to have a large wedding, so any vendors we hired who didn’t fit in with our families would stand out like a sore thumb in our relatively small group. Because of that, we went out of our way to look for vendors who felt like they belonged at our wedding and who shared our values (not always easy in a small town). We listened to recommendations from friends, scoured the internet, and met with a lot of people. In the end, we went with vendors who we hit it off with right away. We also felt that if we wanted vendors to feel like family, we had to treat them like family by keeping them in the loop and making sure they were taken care of both before and at the wedding. I highly recommend this, because not only do you have vendors that feel like friends at your wedding, you end up with vendors that really become your friends after the wedding is over.
Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?
So many vendors were wonderful with us, from being willing to negotiate with us on budget (our wedding was on a Thursday) to providing nice little things, like an Italian soda from the coffee house downstairs while I got my hair done. In particular, I can’t possibly say enough about how amazing our photographer, Emily, of Emily Takes Photos was. She flew out to Montana, stayed with us to help cut costs, and helped us out with a number of last minute details, even going with my husband to the store to help him find the waterproof mascara that I had forgotten about!
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
My favorite thing about the wedding was the amount of fun we had! I am pretty sure I had the dorkiest smile on my face for nearly the entire thing because I was so happy. Also the cake ‘cutting’ was pretty hilarious. I don’t care how tacky people on the internet say it is—food fights in fancy clothes you will never wear again are awesome. Especially when you are the type of people who show their love by flour-bombing each other while cooking together.
Brad says his favorite part of the wedding was the few moments we stole alone together after the ceremony to talk with each other and process the fact that we were actually finally married. Clearly he’s the romantic one in our relationship.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
Follow your heart and your gut. Don’t try to turn your wedding into something that isn’t you just because it is popular or expected. Don’t force your wedding into a mold just because you want it to be blogged about or because you don’t want Aunt Judy gossiping about your decisions. It is okay to have or not to have a vintage, or a modern, or a traditional wedding. You should have a wedding that fits your aesthetic, lifestyle, and family. For some people that involves homemade crafts while for others it means a field of ice sculptures. Remember that everyone coming to your wedding is there to celebrate with you, so just be yourselves because, in the end, that’s what they love about you!
My favorite thing that Michelle said: “You should have a wedding that fits your aesthetic, lifestyle, and family.” AMEN to every single word of that! Thank you so much for sharing your wedding insight with us Michelle! And thank you to Emily Takes Photos for sharing all of the beautiful images too! :)
Seriously, I am LOVING everything from this wedding! The details are just so perfect in reflecting the bride and groom… I can’t get over it! I think my favorite detail is the escort cards that were done on microscope slides. How about you… which detail is your favorite?! Oh, and are any of you planning a wedding with a theme like this? I would love to hear it if you are! :)
Vendors who made it all happen…
Lauren
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What a cute wedding!!!!!!! I love so much about it! It’s fantastic that the couple stayed true to their vision of their wedding. Love the comment above from the bride too “Don’t force your wedding into a mold just because you want it to be blogged about or because you don’t want Aunt Judy gossiping about your decisions. ” Fabulous!
I absolutely love your original ideas! Well done
Love this wedding so much!!! What fabulous details. Looking at this feature makes me want to get to know the couple :)
this is way too cute! I’m from Montana and just love seeing those beautiful big open skies!! So stunning right before a storm like that. And love the test tube flowers on the tables!
Wow, that altar is stunning!
What chemical did you use for your unity ceremony? My fiance and I are scientists, and we love this idea!