California mountain elopement
Gia Canali sent over this stunning elopement this week and because the couple is moving to Northern Canada to go goldmining this week, which means they won’t have Internet, so we wanted to get it up right away.
Jillian and Dax got married on April 10, 2010 at a bend along the Kern River, near Kernville, California. Their closest friends came to the wedding, and everybody pitched in to pull it off! In Gia’s words, this wedding “is heartening proof that couples can wed last minute and still have a (small scale!) beautiful, totally romantic and deeply meaningful tying-of-the-knot.” Well said!
Jillian made her own dress, including the pattern for it. She deconstructed a vintage dress to create a pattern for the bodice (the green part); sewed that, and then crocheted doilies madly for three weeks straight. She used over two miles of crochet yarn. Apparently they were still working on the dress the morning of the wedding (!) and Jillian had to be sewn into it, Project Runway style.
She found her heels at David’s Bridal and had them dyed, then used a pair of vintage earrings that belonged to a friend (via the friend’s grandmother) as shoe clips. Such a clever way to sass up your outfit and make it your own!
Jillian made her own bouquet with fresh pink hydrangeas, Stars of Bethlehem, and soft flowing greenery from the LA Flower Mart.
You two (three!) are so adorable! Thanks for sharing your wedding with us and we wish you all the best on your journey to Canada.
Photography: Gia Canali / Cake toppers: Goose Grease Undone
postcards and pretties on May 27, 2010
i love the kelly green in the dress and the idea of vintage earrings used as shoe clips...such a craft bride
Cathy Crawley on May 27, 2010
I gasped, I did. It made me gasp! I love it, I would do almost anything to shoot a bride in that divine gown. Thanks for sharing!
Jenn on May 27, 2010
I adored this post! A very sentimental wedding, w/simple yet decorative touches! :) I can feel the heart-work gushing out of these photos! Thanks for sharing! :) blessings to the new couple! xx Jenn
kaitlin on May 27, 2010
Totally *not* an elopement. Just a small wedding. But, adorable nonetheless
Laura on May 27, 2010
HOOOMMMGGGG!!! I am DYING over that dress !!! It is soooo adorable! and the fact that she even crocheted all the doilys is even more awesome!! plus green is my favorite color
Everywhereist on May 27, 2010
The cake toppers hurt my heart. In a good way.
Meg on May 27, 2010
Yay!!! Yay for weddings at river bends and two miles of crochet yarn and yay for vintage earing shoe clips and little babies at the formal birth of baby families! Yay!
Holly on May 27, 2010
That dress is amazing!
jessyz on May 27, 2010
So creative and beautiful I gasped too. And the shoes are just amazing.
Lizzie on May 27, 2010
OH MY GOD I LOVE HER DRESS. The dress with the flower in her hair is perrrrrfect. Looked like a beautiful day to elope!
sk on May 27, 2010
LOVE IT.
Album Boutique Team on May 27, 2010
So pretty - I love the mountain setting and the green and pink in the bride's attire. Stunning!
lydia {ever ours} on May 27, 2010
oh what a beautiful dress!
Sara on May 27, 2010
That dress is absolute perfection ... I've been browsing the various blogs this afternoon and this shoot is a breath of fresh air. The apple green and the rosy pinks are such a hit combination. Thanks for featuring such fantastic style - you've made my day!
tPFmariah9999 on May 27, 2010
Absolutely devine! Her dress is incredible!
forget.me.knot.weddings on May 27, 2010
So Sweet and romantic!
erin @ chatty brides on May 27, 2010
That Dress is so amazing! The green color under the lace is just fantastic!
Kaleidoscope on May 27, 2010
That is so incredibly lovely. Brilliant choice to go with that green under the crochet. Gorgeous!
estherjulee on May 27, 2010
love love LOVE the dress!
Sara on May 27, 2010
Love this dress. It is beautiful and really shows the art of crochet. I also like the cute cake toppers which I recognize as being from an Etsy shop.
[email protected] on May 27, 2010
Holy doodle, that dress is outstanding. What a labour of love!!!
Yolanda on May 27, 2010
The dress! The dress! The dress. What else can I say? It is absolute perfection.
MrsFord on May 27, 2010
She did AWESOME with that bouquet and her dress is so unique! I love to see bride and groom's creativity fill their most important day!
Jennifer on May 27, 2010
What a stunning dress!! And can we please please see an up-close of her shoes???
Perry on May 27, 2010
Stunning dress and bride!
Ashley Rath on May 27, 2010
What an adorable cake! And what amazing shoes! Thanks for sharing!
100layercake on May 27, 2010
Hi Jennifer! I've updated our post so you can see a better shot of the shoes. That was a good call b/c they're pretty fabulous.
Dennis @ Wholesale Flowers on May 27, 2010
Three weeks straight of crocheting to make an amazing dress for a very special occassion is proof of Jillian's dedication.
weddingcakestoppers on May 27, 2010
i like the cakes toppers, really cute.
Jen on May 28, 2010
Oh wow that dress is beautiful, I would love something like that. And it looks like such a sweet ceremony, too. In my Google Reader, your pictures never show up until after I've been to the website. Weird. But it's a very pretty website so I don't mind visiting. :)
Tandarra on May 28, 2010
That dress is AMAZING!!!
noodle on May 28, 2010
Okay, this is insane. The images in the posts refuse to load… what the heck?
Inger Carina on May 28, 2010
OH, you look divine!!!!! Fabulous dress! Fantastic
consumptiongirl on May 28, 2010
So gorgeous! What creativity! And Felicitations!
Jessa on May 28, 2010
Incredible! That dress is STUNNING! Crafty yet elegant, truly one of a kind. What a gorgeous wedding, thanks for sharing :)
Stephanie on May 28, 2010
The most amazing dress. I really really love it!!
Masha on May 28, 2010
This is one of the prettiest wedding dresses I've seen - that girl is amazing! I love the colours and the cake toppers are the cutest!
Mavis on May 28, 2010
OMG, what an adorable dress!! Love the bouquet and great ideas for dressing up the shoes! Love it!
Dream Wedding Italy on May 28, 2010
The first thing I though was "where did she get that out fit?" That is one talented bride right there
Engageology on May 28, 2010
That dress is incredible. I have gone back to it about 5 times. I love it! What a great little elopement!
Camrah on May 28, 2010
I saw this dress on craftzine and had to come over to 100 layer. LOVE IT! My favorite is the picture of her holding her shoes. She looks like a vintage barbie doll. I just want to be her friend. I crocheted a lot of my wedding (veil, handkerchiefs, and garter), but her dress is simply amazing.
Cheryl (Make Me Joyful) on May 28, 2010
That is two miles of crochet yarn well spent! What a talented and beautiful bride.
Megan (Best of Fates) on May 28, 2010
That's the most darling wedding (and dress) I've ever seen - I absolutely love it!
Katie on May 28, 2010
absolutely love her dress! the detail of the crochet layer is absolutely stunning!
Tino&Pip Photography on May 28, 2010
OMG how amazing is this dress!!
El Kapitan on May 28, 2010
And how 'bout that matching ascot?!
SimplyDesigned on May 28, 2010
What a stunning dress, and those shoes!!!! LOVE THEM! Beautiful bride, and what looks like a beautiful ceremony. Congratulations to the bride and groom.
Monkeygurl on May 28, 2010
Amazing. Easily the most beautiful bride (and bride-lette) I've seen - EVER.
Pinar G. on May 28, 2010
Wow! What a talented lady :) Looks very lovely.
Marianne Firth on May 28, 2010
That dress should be on the cover of every bridal magazine around. If this doesn't catch the attention of the Martha Stewart types, I will be very surprised. This is gorgeous. I am so glad I got married 4 years ago, otherwise I would need to make this dress. What a vision! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
Sarah on May 28, 2010
i absolutely love love love her dress. probably one of the prettiest and most original dresses i've ever seen. i keep coming back to look at it <3 adorable family picture and very cute cake :) NOW, i need to learn to crochet!
vInTaGe VioLeT on May 29, 2010
aww what a lovely story and the dress is gorgeous but i really REALLY adore the personalised cake toppers!
cindy on May 29, 2010
beautiful dress! i think i love the bride...i used to do alterations on dresses, she sounds like the perfect bride! what a lovely wedding!
Julie on May 30, 2010
very nice work! Beautiful photos!
Aprilette on May 30, 2010
Love the adorable cake toppers. Very cute. I think a wedding elopement is very romantic especially if it took place on some mountain.
Emma on May 31, 2010
What a fabulous wedding dress! Congratulations to the happy couple!
Sally on May 31, 2010
Sooo gorgeous!! I love her dress, the location, the cake toppers! Really fun & unique. :)
Desirable Weddings on May 31, 2010
What a beautiful wedding. The photo's are absolutely beautiful and the setting was gorgeous, I definetely wouldn't call this wedding an elopement! The photo's show a wonderful story. The dress was gorgeously different. This wedding was a breath of fresh air.
Cydney on Jun 1, 2010
Absolutely love the dress! All of it is lovely!
Stephanie on Jun 2, 2010
LOVE the dress !! Perfect !
jessica on Jun 2, 2010
This had to be one of the most perfect weddings I have ever seen. I hope you stay as happy as you look
Tamara Jo Rankila on Jun 2, 2010
Everything about this Wedding is all CLASS!!! Beautiful!!!!
Margareth on Jun 2, 2010
Congratulations, Jillian! Your dress is gorgeous!!!
Karen on Jun 2, 2010
Ab-so-lute-ly gorgeous!!! How beautiful...and so individual. WoW! I would love a pattern to make a summer dress or dress on more simple terms.... Hugs Karen x x x
Bheng on Jun 3, 2010
I love your gown... it's really nice....congratulations and best wishes :)
basia on Jun 3, 2010
piekny ślub i sukienka cudo ,
Maire Treanor on Jun 6, 2010
the dress is amazing. So inventive and creative to crochet doilies and join them together for a dress! Congratulations. The cake toppers are fantastic too!
Khadija on Jun 8, 2010
All the work that was put into the dress and shoes paid off, I adore the dress. Awww, the bebe is sooo cute!
candyce on Jun 17, 2010
That is a STUNNING dress... but in the picture of you guys kissing... am I the only one noticing the "revealing" moment??? Or am I looking at it wrong?!
violarulz/ducksandbooks on Jun 26, 2010
wow. That dress is AMAZING! I can't imagine spending 3 weeks to crochet the dress and then having to be sewn into it. That dress is love in yarn form.
Megan on Jun 27, 2010
I saw this awhile back and have become so obsessed with it I hunted it down again. This style gown is now my personal mission. What a beautiful dress and wedding!
ugg on Jul 11, 2010
This is one of the prettiest wedding dresses I’ve seen – that girl is amazing! I love the colours and the cake toppers are the cutest!
Berry and Jerri from InI PhotoGraphics on Aug 6, 2010
SUCH a Cute Wedding Dress! It's just TOO Unique- You killed it Jillian!!! Totally adorable. :D
Rose on Nov 1, 2010
I was just floored to see such a beautiful wedding dress. The bride is just as beautiful as the dress. I know she will cherish the dress forever. You can see all the love in her groom and bride on their wedding day. Congratulations to you both and many years of happy bliss for you!!!
Sophie on Dec 17, 2010
Wow, what an incredible dress! Love the shoes too. Beautiful style! Wishing you lots of luck and happiness.
Nadia on Jan 24, 2011
Love!Love!Love! I wish I knew how to make that dress :-(
Silvia on Apr 18, 2011
The dress is truly beautiful!!! I love it! Is it possible to contact the bride to have info about her crocheting job?
Lola Blue* on May 20, 2011
Splendid!!... just felt in love with the dress an want to marry (... again!)) just for this kind of treasure!.... what a work, congrat*...
alice on Jun 11, 2011
your dress is beautiful and you are splendid in this photos
wedding shop on Jun 11, 2011
your smile is so sweat and I love it
Laureana on Jul 2, 2011
Seu casamemto foi simplesmente magico,doce,e perfeito.Com muitissimo bom gosto . Meu estado tem uma tradição muito forte em croche todos aqui que viram o seu vestido , ficaram encantados .se puder mande-me o graficos e trocaremos receitas se gostar tenho algumas coisas de minha vovo que são lindas e preciosas tambem. um abraçao seje muito feliz fique comDeus.
Alvin on Aug 22, 2011
The dress is very gorgeous. I love to see the bride dress like that.
United Gold Direct on Sep 18, 2011
Ah very nice photo blog and nice photo shots. Makes it very interesting and relaxing to read posts like this
Cheap Nike Dunks on Oct 4, 2011
Nice article, i appreciate for putting this together!"This is obviously one great post.
Tea cups sets on Oct 26, 2011
Thanks for your posting about tea. There is so much to learn about the different teas. I appreciate your thoughts and thank you for continuing the discussion.
Adrienne on Nov 2, 2011
Is there any way to ask the beautiful bride a question about the construction of her dress? I'm getting married in a year, and would love to recreate this in my own way, but would really appreciate some advice about how to design the crochet layer, It appears that the front is constructed of a whole piece, with the back consisting of several larger doilies sewn together at the edges? I'm very slow at crochet, so I doubt I'd be able to weave anything this spectacular in 3 weeks time
Cheap Nike Dunk on Nov 6, 2011
I can feel the heart-work gushing out of these photos! Thanks for sharing!
cc on Dec 12, 2011
完美了婚纱
Tatiana on Dec 12, 2011
I really liked your dress, I'm just crazy otnego not mogliby you share schemes, I would have had you a grace, I have long searched for a wedding dress themselves and that's by chance I found your [email protected] beforehand thank you
Kelsey on Feb 15, 2012
IN LOVE WITH THIS DRESS!!!!!!! So few catch my attention enough to say that would be something I would gush about wearing. Thanks for making something so stunning that me and other want to emulate that wosh of beauty.
Canvas Printing on Feb 22, 2012
Just found this post now - and so pleased I have! Love it. There's lots of little bits and pieces to take from this - the colors are stunning. Many thanks.
Nell on Mar 8, 2012
This wedding is beautiful. I absolutely adore the dress, will be recreating something similar for my own dress this year
Kristina on Apr 20, 2012
Which patterns was used for the dress? i read somewhere that it was from a book. which book? :)
Angela on Apr 24, 2012
I never comment of these things, but I feel in love with these pictures, WOW!!!!! Amazing, love the dress, the cake, the flowers, the hair, the shoes, the setting, everything just beautiful, Love, love, love it!!!!!
Susan warren on May 12, 2014
Really like that green dress very cute would like to have that made like yours very simple
Susan warren on May 12, 2014
Could you email some information about the dress that you wore thank you Susan from ny
Susan warren on May 12, 2014
This is my email [email protected]
Photo Prints on Jul 6, 2014
I realy like this wedding dress
Canvas Prints Online on Dec 14, 2015
Love the concept and photography. People now take more interest to make such moments special and to be remembered!!
stella canvas on Mar 25, 2016
The way you explain your creative concept i enjoyed so i will recommend others to read your awesome information .