Mariah McKechnie 4/1/22 Mariah McKechnie 4/1/22

Bright Fall Backyard Wedding

Sydney & Blake’s wedding was near and dear to our hearts. Sydeny is a former employee of ours who had been dreaming of a magical ballroom wedding her entire life. When the time finally came though, the universe had other plans and threw a pandemic in the way of things.

The couple pivoted and ended up with something even more magical, a surprise backyard wedding for just their closets family & friends at the home they had just bought together.

The ceremony consisted of only their immediate family, who had been told ahead of time they were attending a wedding. We used a collection of lounge furniture and dining chairs to create a cozy atmosphere for their guests. Our hexagon arch and tan vintage rug were showstoppers as well as the centerpiece of their ceremony set.

After the ceremony, we converted the arch area into a lounge & photo backdrop using the collection of furniture that was at the ceremony. We also created a second lounge area to accommodate close conversations. The couple’s shed acted as the self serve bar with a few of our 4 ft farm tables and some custom signage with their cute pup’s likeness.

Dinner was served open air in the grassy area of the back yard. A burger bar and individual charcuterie plates were the perfect mix of upscale but still casual. Our farm tables provided the perfect place for guests to set up camp for the evening, adorned with a simple mix of candlesticks, votives, and greenery.

The dessert display was a sweet mix of family favorites on our boho shelf & cut glass cake plates. Together, there was plenty of room to place all the sweets and the small cutting cake for the couple.

Even though things hadn’t gone as originally planned, this intimate backyard wedding had so much more magic than Sydney & Blake could’ve asked for. The bright fall tones mixed with muted neutrals created the perfect inviting palette for the entire day, even through to the crackle of the late night bonfire.

Treasures Sydney & Blake pulled from The Vault:

Vendor Team:

Wedding Planner | Northland Special Events - Mariah

Venue | Couple's Back Yard

Photos | Kellie Rae Studios

Florals | Superior Blooms

Rentals | The Vault & Party Time Rental

Catering | Black Woods Group Catering

Cake | Cold Spring Bakery

Officiant | Mariah from Northland Special Events

Lighting | Duluth Event Lighting

Beauty | Mantra Salon

Mariah McKechnie 3/25/22 Mariah McKechnie 3/25/22

Candlelit Micro Wedding

John and Laura decided early on in their pandemic- planning process that they were going to cut their losses and host a micro wedding for 16 of their closest family members. This is one of our favorite examples of how you don’t need much to make a wedding absolutely stunning. In fact, all of the décor for this small wedding fit in the back of an SUV (with 4 passengers in the front).

This copper arch, minimally decorated with loose greenery was the perfect minimal backdrop for the small ceremony. In a small room, there wasn’t much space for a large ceremony backdrop so the small footprint but big impact of this arch was just what was needed.

The dinner table was certainly the showstopper of this wedding. Without a dance, the 5 course dinner filled the evening for this small event. Chargers, statement napkins goblets, greenery, and a whole lot of candlelight are all you need to gussy up a table and bring it just over the top.

A stunning ceremony & warm intimate tablescape were all this micro wedding needed to tie everything together. A little decor goes a long way with a micro wedding, especially when less guests means more margin for making decor choices that you’re excited about.