Khaki

The evening was tranquil as the air was filled with coffee fragrance. Chelsea and Phil first met in a local coffeeshop and this is where they got their idea of having a coffee-inspired wedding day. So, they had khaki gowns and suits accented with deep reds which looked sophisticated on a place highly decorated with coffee filter flowers. Almost every decoration are DIY’s and they proved that even the simple things can be transformed into something amazing. They certainly achieved that coffeeshop vibe with the help of their guitarist friend. Yep, live acoustic music! And if you’re a coffee enthusiast, you’d be quenched of your coffee thirst by the espresso bar the couple hired to cater the event. This wedding must be hyped! Congratulations, Chelsea and Phil!

The Theme

We met for the first time at a local coffee shop, so we decided to have that be the theme for our wedding. The coffee beans we used for decorations were from that coffee shop. We had a “first look” photo shoot in front of the store and even sat at the same table we sat on our first date. The centerpiece flowers were made from coffee filters. Our favors were chocolate covered espresso beans. We hired an espresso bar to cater the event.

Our musician was a single acoustic guitarist because we wanted to have that “coffee shop” feel. Our wedding cake was coffee and caramel flavored. We provided coffee and vanilla tea lights to add to the smell if the beans weren’t enough. Our colors were tan and brown.

Wedding Outfit Inspiration

I originally wanted a gray and pink color theme, but the hubs hated the idea of wearing gray. I knew I wanted something lighter to go with the spring vibe and not the traditional black tie, and when we decided what we wanted the theme to be, tan seemed like the perfect choice.

I’ve never been a fan of matching uniform bridesmaids dresses. I’ve always liked the idea of the girls having different dresses (perfectly imperfect), so I gave the girls free range to pick their own dresses within a couple guidelines; keep it classy, 3 inches above or below the knee, no shiny material, and bright red accents. I think they nailed it.

My sister did mismatched bridesmaids at her wedding. Her color was navy. The biggest problem with navy is, there are so many shades of navy. She also had dresses in all lengths, shapes, and materials. It looked very uncoordinated and a bit awkward. The great thing about tan is, it doesn’t matter if it’s 2 shades lighter or darker, it still matches. I also had one bridesman which I wanted to stand out from the guys, so I had him in the same suit (without the jacket) and red cuff links and belt. He looked great.

I loved my dress. It was completely different than what I imagined, but I’m so happy I went with it because I felt like a princess. I made my hairpiece from my mother’s wedding dress and it turned out beautiful. I decided to go with flats because I’ve always hated heels. I figured they’re not “me” so it would be silly to wear them on my big day. Plus, I was way more comfortable than I would’ve been in heels.

Our Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Projects

Was there anything that was not DIY, is the question. The centerpieces were all handmade by myself with the help of my amazing friends. 120 tan and white flowers made from coffee filters. The flower petal curtain drop at the altar was made by myself and friends. We had 6 different flavors of chocolate covered espresso beans for wedding favors. All the bags were filled, tied and stamped by myself. The coffee cups filled with poms poms for the toss were printed and assembled by me.

My hubs made the guest book “heart drop” box the night before the wedding. My bouquet was made by a friend from work. The save the dates, invitations, and place settings were printed, trimmed, hand addressed, and stamped by myself with the resources of my stepfather’s printing company. The chalk board eisel program was drawn by my sister. The box that held all the cards was built by my grandfather. The wedding cake was made by a friend of hubs and I who owns a bakery (coffee and caramel flavored, of course).

Highlights from the Ceremony and the Reception

I think the goofiness of the ceremony was very sweet and very “us”. The song choices were perfect. I received so many complements for the music choice. With the exception of a few requests, I told the musician any rock music from 70s-today. My niece and flower girl, Anna, was so adorable. The food was amazing.

Favorite Part of the Day

I’m Lush Life Film now and there were many parts I liked. The first look in front of the coffee shop the couple met behind the balloons, the music at the reception, the light and sunset during the ceremony at the beach.

A Memorable Moment

The “first look” at the coffee shop was a lot of fun. The staff let us go behind the counter to take some pictures. For the ceremony, I had each of my girls (and guy) carry a total of 4 lanterns down with them. 2 were to represent my mother and father, and one to represent hubs’ father who could not be there. My sister/MOH carried the 4th and largest to represent our union and acknowledgement to our parents.

We did a candle lighting ritual at the beginning of the ceremony and there wasn’t a dry eye there. It was very meaningful. The cake cutting was fun. When i look back at the photos and videos, it’s so sweet. The best part of the night was when the reception was dying down, we snuck out back on the deck for a few minutes and just soaked it all in alone. It was very special. One of our guys caught us out there and snatched a pic of us under the altar with the curtain still up and it made for one of the sweetest moments of the night.

Our Wedding Video

VENDORS

Photographer:  Lush Life Film
Event Venue: Celebrations at the Bay