Rachel and Connors intimate eclectic ranch wedding was a one-of-a-kind celebration filled with bohemian and southwestern inspired elements. Decorated with handmade projects, details designed by small businesses and unique thrift store finds, the sweet couple made sure to incorporate features that represented their love for books, all things vintage, and even took some pieces from their home.

Brooke Edelman brought the wedding to life with stunning florals that nailed Rachel's vision. The charming arrangements were made up of muted earthy and deep colors and incorporated a mix of wildflowers. Cole Garret Photography perfectly captured every intimate look and detail that made this day one to never forget!

What inspired your wedding day? 

For our wedding, we wanted to go with a more low-key venue that we could dress up with lots of decor and formal attire. We wanted to have an earthy, eclectic-bohemian vibe with a touch of southwestern details because we both love that aesthetic. The color scheme was flexible, and my main priority was that the colors were muted, dusty hues for a more romantic feel. I was most excited about doing DIY projects to really make the wedding feel like our own! 

Tell us more about your decor 

We also really wanted to support small businesses during the pandemic, and did our best to purchase our decorations and details from Etsy or local artists. A lot of the details we incorporated are decoration from the house we have built together. The look we sought after incorporated our love of all things books (and the fact that we met in poetry class), our hobby of thrifting and that feeling of nostalgia it brings, and some trendy boho details. We definitely used wedding blogs like the wedding standard for inspiration too!

What was a memorable moment of the wedding day? 

The first look with my father was extremely special. My father and I are very close and it was an especially sentimental moment. I also loved Connor and I's first dance because it was probably the only part of the night where it was just Connor and I, focused on each other. No distractions, no hosting, just us for a solid three minutes.

What were some of your favorite vendors? 

Honestly...all of them! But I would have to go with Brooke Edelman, our florist, because I am a very hands-on person and wanted a lot of involvement in the process, and Brooke is much more mellow and relaxed. We really did not communicate much beforehand but she absolutely nailed our floral vision! It was like she read my mind.

How did your love story start? 

Connor and I met our senior year at Cal Poly SLO in April of 2015 in an upper-level Poetry Class. By August of 2015 we had moved into a TINY 400 square-foot studio in SF after just four months of dating. We thankfully didn't kill each other, and instead moved to Barcelona to travel Europe and teach English a year later. After returning to America from a year of living abroad, we lived in Tahoe during the transition for a bit, rescued the love of our lives, Gatsby, an adorable cattle-dog mix and eventually moved back to SLO so I could attend graduate school at Cal Poly and Connor could accept a full-time position. Connor asked me to marry him on 5/25/2019 and it was one of the best nights of our lives! 

What were some of the details you were most excited about? 

I wanted the centerpieces to be a bunch of bottles filled with dusty-colored blue, pink, peach, purple and white wildflowers so my mom, husband and I searched for tons of tiny little bottles for the big day from thrift stores for over a year in advance. We also put blue quartz, rose quartz and clear quartz my sister had collected rockhounding along the tables as part of the centerpieces, and used polished agate for the place cards. I was really excited about the table decor because it really captured the romantic, earthy, eclectic feel we were going for! 

Do you have any advice for future brides planning their weddings?  

The day goes by so fast!! So much energy and time went into planning and it's over before you can even process it! Don't sweat the small stuff and just find moments with your husband and loved ones. I would also advise couples to really make the day their own and to remember that it is about them and their life together above everything! No matter what decor or florals or details you chose the bond between you are your partner, and your loved ones will always be the most beautiful part of the day!