Caitlin's Craft-tastic Wedding

A few months ago I was lucky enough to marry my best friend. We wanted to keep it small, intimate, and simple. And crafty, of course.

photos by Defiore Photography

I made my dress using Deer and Doe's Reglisse pattern, with a few tweaks. Fit was simple (thank you, elastic waist), so I didn't have too many alterations to do. I lowered the bust darts a bit, raise the armscye, and self-drafted a cap sleeve with just a bit of gather. Polka dots are my favorite! So when I found this 100% silk chiffon, ivory on ivory polka dot, dress planning really came together. I lined the dress with sueded silk charmeuse (swoon!) and the end result was perfect for our backyard wedding.

I knit the Kalimna Shawl with Tosh Light in Smokestack to use as the night went on. This was my first lace pattern and my first shawl. It was so fun to knit and I will definitely be getting more use out of this cozy shawl.

Some of the Tigers were able to celebrate with us!

A few hand-stitched hoops added decoration to the scene, the design inspired by our invitations.

Instead of a guestbook, guests signed and stitched small squares of fabric. These sweet little squares will eventually be stitched into a quilt for the two of us. I was surprised at how many guests chose to embroider their own square! It was so fun to see guests of all ages working on their own little craft project!

Steven and I gave home-made jam as party favors to our guests. It was something we worked on together the summer before the wedding, and all our hard work paid off!

The first thing I made for our wedding was Steven's tie (left), and he even picked out the fabric (a Parson Gray print from a few collections back). It looked so cool when it was made up, but I decided to add a little surprise to the back and embroidered this sweet little heart and stitched it to the back. I did the same for my dad, and surprised them both for the big day!

I incorporated a lot of my stash for the decorations. Mostly vintage prints, many from my great-grandmothers, were made into napkins, bunting and flags for the flower vases. It was hard to cut into such special fabrics, but so worth it in the end! The napkins and scraps will be used again in our wedding quilt.

Our backdrop for the ceremony was made with love with help from friends and family! Tissue paper pom poms in pretty teals, greys and peaches; it even made the perfect backdrop for photos! On the right you can see the Fancy Tigresses fawning over my dress - that's what happens when you use sueded silk charmeuse!

It was truly a magical day and went even better than planned! Huge hugs and thanks to Danielle of Defiore Photography - she photographed the entire day and captured every handmade detail in her shots!