AE Bride Shae & Chris | Browns Valley CA

What was most important to me when shopping for my wedding dress was to find a dress that was uniquely yet perfectly me. I knew I wanted something simple & elegant, but also something with a boho kind of flair to add some of my personality to it. I saw my dress on the mannequin when I walked in & knew it was exactly what I was looking for.

While my wedding day has so many perfect moments, my favorite by far, was my first look with my husband. We planned on doing a first look simply to save time. We were getting married in the evening & knew we would quickly run out of time to take pictures after the ceremony so we opted to do them before hand. It ended up being the most romantic, intimate moment of the day. It gave us a moment to laugh, cry, & spend some time together just the two of us before all craziness started.

Flowers. Flowers. & more Flowers! My florist did a phenomenal job of not only bringing to life my idea, but going beyond my wildest dreams. My bouquet was something dreams are made of & I am pretty sure weighted at least 10+ lbs. But totally worth it! Honestly all of my vendors stood out to me because they all went above & beyond to help make the day everything we wanted it to be and more.

My overall inspiration for my wedding day was sort of a western, boho, rustic style that combined all of my personal styles. I wanted that same personality to be showcased in what wedding dress I chose as well. I wanted a dress that I had never seen before – something that was uniquely me.  I loved the simplicity yet intricate detail of the lace, and the boho yet vintage style. It was not the wedding dress I always pictured myself in – it was better. Oh so much better! Once I found the dress I molded my inspiration for the wedding day from there. I added some of my western style through the boots my bridesmaids & I wore along with our turquoise jewelry. The boho style was showcased through the floral. The venue we used and all the decor was so beautiful & rustic. Everything ended up coming together perfectly.

There are so many different pieces of advice I could give future brides, but there are 3 things in particular that stand out to me. 1) Don’t sweat the little things. This is something I was told by many people & boy is it true. The day goes by in such a whirlwind that the little things you think are important at the time you honestly wont even notice on the day of, so do not let it stress you out. 2) Memories fade, but pictures last forever! I cannot emphasize enough how important a good photographer is. Lucky for me mine was absolutely amazing & she captured the day in such a beautiful way. It was better than I ever could’ve imagined. 3) Most importantly don’t be afraid to steal some time away for just you & your husband. It is a hectic day with so many people to say hi to, and you want to make sure to visit with as many as possible, but you have to remember that it is your day – just the two of you. My husband & I did a first look, but we also did sunset photos & that time together with just us & our photographer to capture the moment was exactly what we needed.