How To Plan an Engagement Proposal: Must-Know Tips for the Big Day
MODERN COLOURFUL WOODLAND ELOPEMENT INSPIRATION
We’re all about non-traditional weddings and today’s inspiration features a couple that did it not once… but twice. Real life model couple, Meg & Phillip never had a traditional wedding day; instead they eloped and held their wedding in their own backyard. Their second ‘wedding’ although still an elopement and just as unique, would see them as models, as they teamed up with Windi Noble, wedding officiant and wedding day manager at Run to an Elopement to ‘model’ for this Boho Romantic Elopement.
“It was such an honor to give them the wedding experience that they never had.” Windi began.
“I wanted to to expose future couple’s to the possibilities available for their elopements or weddings. We wanted to showcase vivid colors with a bohemian romantic natural vibe,” she told us.
“Our theme was inspired by a vibrant palette that you wouldn’t expect during the fall season. Meg has a really elegant mohawk hair style that seemed to stand out against the often traditionally portrayed backdrop of forest and cabins. This juxtaposition of the edgy modern style with the natural softness of the woods inspired the choice of floral varieties. We wanted our future couples to be inspired by the bold vibrant color palette. We often see couples commit to one or two colors – why not include all of the colors for a warm, and lively feel.”
“I collaborated with my favorite photographer in the area, Elizabeth Nihiser. Elizabeth is an adventurous photographer who likes to focus on using the natural beauty of her clients and surroundings. She has a way of making her clients feel instantly comfortable.” Windi explained.
“We knew that we needed the perfect venue with both an indoor and outdoor component with a warm, welcoming feel, so we contacted Cedar Grove Lodge and Event Center. Cedar Grove lodge is nestled in the heart of the Hocking hills region of Ohio and is just a short drive to all of the State Parks that the area is known for. The Hocking Hills is a fall fairy tale of colorful leaves, winding woodland trails, and cozy, luxurious cabin accommodations. Cedar Grove provides a clean, light wooden backdrop that embodies the modern rustic style and can be paired with almost any decor. Their 65-acre property offers a one-bedroom cabin for just the two of you, or a total of 8 different lodging options that can collectively accommodate up to 85 guests, which makes it the perfect getaway for an elopement or wedding.”
“Stunning florals were our next concern and we knew that we could count on Sarah Shaffer of Shaffer Creative Co. to deliver a breathtaking display. Sarah is thoughtful and authentic –she is a beast in her niche! Sarah began her day by decorating the arbor and had prepared an over-sized bouquet, weighing-in at 9 lbs. She also provided a stunning hair piece to accent Meg’s Mohawk, a boutonniere for Phillip, and a wreath for Petey, Meg’s service dog, to proudly waltz down the aisle”
“When we spoke about our vision she knew right away what flowers would work best to create this one-of-a-kind look. The “neo-tropical” style of floral design, where field-grown flowers are paired with striking tropical florals, has been very popular in recent years as distribution methods make previously difficult to acquire tropical blooms more accessible. The floral design showcases premium roses with local field-grown ranunculus, stock, fritillaria, and delphinium. Also featured are tropical orchids, eremurus and Holland-grown tulips. This style is avant-garde, contrasting theme throughout the design of the elopement.If you think about it, this theme embodies a very pertinent life lesson – often it is the differences in two things (or people) that make them better together.”
“Shaffer Creative Co. also curated the tablescapes with plates rented from The Meadow Market, hand-dyed cotton napkins, table runners,and vintage white ceramic compotes. Arbor drapery and bouquet ribbons were also hand-dyed by Shaffer Creative Co.”
“No “wedding day” is complete without something deliciously sweet – Pinkerton’s Cakes provided a vanilla raspberry cake with Swiss meringue buttercream, a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache pour-over, and delicious salted caramel macaroons. As you can imagine, Megan McStevens, owner and baker of Pinkerton’s Cakes had us all hovering around the cake table drooling.”
“We know it can be overwhelming to plan a wedding –especially a destination wedding. We wanted to feature some of the best vendors from the area, who we also knew from experience they care deeply about their couples. There are over 2 million visitors to the Hocking hills area every year and we want couple’s and their families to know the incredible potential that this region has to offer for their special day. The other big take-away from our event is the color inspiration – very often for weddings, we tend to see couples constrain themselves to just one or two “main” colors. Although this is typically the traditional approach to styling, it can really restrict the potential of your end product. Colors are complex and the success of the overall effect depends on the use of well-chosen and artfully featured transitional colors in addition to the main selections – this brings an added dimension and prevents the final project from looking “forced”. Above all else,whether you have a bright and bold palette as this elopement showcases, or a more neutral and elegant palette, it is important to trust your team of vendors to tie it all together!”
Coordination/officiant: Run to an Elopement I Bridal skirt: Wedding, etc. I Grooms Attire: Hawk’s Nest I Cake: Pinkerton’s Cakes I Flowers / Decor: Shaffer Creative Co. I Photography: Elizabeth Nihiser Photography I Venue: Cedar Grove Lodge and Events I Hair and Makeup: Ultimate Look Salon I Models: Megan and Phillip Russell I
