This wedding embodies everything there is to love about spring and summer. Outdoor dining, family gatherings, drinking out of mason jars, and listening to records outside with your toes in the grass. Laura + Josh’s wedding became sort of a family solidifying event when they chose to celebrate their wedding on their daughter’s 1st birthday. There was no bridal party, formal ceremony or formal reception. Just an effortless & sincere day with a carnival influenced celebration, followed by dancing in the woods by candle light.
We were able to marry a variety of furniture, linens, glassware and serving-ware into one unified collection. I wanted everything we used, every single vase, lantern and blanket- to feel like home. I wanted the party (the day was one big celebration) to harken back to that first night when Josh and I stayed up all night on a blanket talking. There was no real color scheme, but when choosing some details I kept Josh and Vespertine’s bright aqua blue eyes and my yellow/green hazel eyes in mind.
Laura had collected a lot of plates, so all the vintage desert plates used for their cake and hors des vous were to be taken home by guests as favors.
Flowers and most of their food were purchased at local farmer’s market the day of the wedding.
In Josh’s family on birthdays the tradition is for everyone to sing to the birthday person, any song (though most go with “Happy Birthday”) in any key, any style, any volume that they wish. This of course guarantees a chorus of mismatched, absolutely not musically sound, but incredibly genuine sentiments. Of course we subjected Vespertine to this. It was a wonderful thing to see her serenaded on her very first birthday by her family and the friends that had been there for her since her birth. This one moment was gold for her daddy and I.
By celebrating on Vespertine’s birthday, we really wanted to establish a strong family bond. We wanted our anniversary to be a symbol of the love we have for each other, as well as the life we’ve committed to sharing with one another. Our daughter is such an important part of our lives, we are only having one child, so we wanted to share the day we officially committed to our family with her on her birthday. Each year it will be wonderful to look back at our growth as people and as a family.
Photography: Brooke Courtney Photography / Flowers: Royer’s Family Farm, Central Market Stand / Event Design: The Luce-Wood Collective / Location: Sylvan Retreat, Mountville PA / Invitations: Laura Luce with calligraphy by Alana Berry of Bow & Arrow Designs / Shoes: Bride: Vintage Groom: H&M / Dress: Bride: Tadashi Shoji (found at Nordstom in Dallas, TX) Vesper (daughter): Vintage (Found at Building Character, Lancaster PA)
