This Irvine Ranch DIY wedding is beautiful! Kelsey and Robbie were married last June at the Katie Wheeler Library and surrounding ranch in Irvine, California. Their wedding has plenty of DIY details, a wonderful story, and amazing photos. Read their story and check out all of the photography captured by Peterson Design & Photography…

Irvine Ranch DIY Wedding

Their photographer Marisa tells us, “We had perfect weather, a gorgeous venue, and a wonderful couple! Our day started out with Kelsey getting ready. We documented all the beautiful details including her stunningly beautiful wedding dress, to which she had elegant lace and sleeves added. After Kelsey’s mom and twin sister had helped her get dressed, she took a peek outside to see Robbie who had just arrived. She was overwhelmed with joy and shed happy tears upon seeing him! Next was their first look near the side of the historic ranch house (now a library) where there were some more happy tears. As the sun set, the party danced the night away until Kelsey and Robbie were sent off in style, driving Kelsey’s heavily decorated yellow Mustang. Most of the wonderful details and personal touches at this wedding were DIY by the bride and groom and their family and friends. They filled the wedding with many sweet personal touches.”

What was your something old, new, borrowed, and blue? She told us, “New: My wedding dress. Although my mother would have liked me to wear hers, it would never have fit me. But mine did end up resembling her dress! Something old & borrowed: my mom’s pearl jewelry. Something blue: I had my seamstress add a blue button to the back of my dress! I also had a sixpence in my shoe given to me by a friend of my grandmother.”

“What is your favorite wedding day memory? Seeing Robbie from my bridal room arrive at the venue all dressed up and ready to go when I was all dressed up ready to go. That made it all finally seem real for some reason.”

“Ceremony & Reception Decor: All of this was pretty much DIY stuff. We bought decorations from Michaels like tulle and flowers, then decorated away. The gazebo had small heart doilies hanging from it that were from my great grandmother’s craft collections.”

“After we took family and bridal party photos, it was time for the ceremony. Kelsey and Robbie exchanged vows of love in front of the gazebo in the middle of the property.”

“After the ceremony, we spent some time with the bride and groom in the ranch’s lovely orange groves.”

“When the bride and groom entered their reception, they went straight into their first dance. Next we all enjoyed a delicious barbeque dinner, followed by sweet toasts by the bridal party, the father-daughter and mother-son dances, the cake cutting and the bouquet/garter tosses.”

Did you DIY anything for your wedding? If so, what? She told us, “We did a bunch of DIY stuff. Our invitations were printed at home, we bought and painted all the bird houses and various bird decorations around the venue, as well as put together and arranged the decorations for the gazebo that we stood under. All the flowers were arranged by the flower girl’s mom.”

“Each guest table at the reception had a wooden bird perching in the flower centerpiece, which was also an item from my great grandmother. We bought a bunch of small bird houses and painted them as a part of the love birds theme.”

Other Wedding Vendors:
Videography – Charles Amante
Flowers – Tucker Floral Design
Musicians – Da Capo Players
Food & Beverages – Tulsa Rib Company
D. J. – Peter Kunstt
Rentals – Create-A-Party Rentals
Invitations: Self-printable invitations from Michaels
Wedding Dress, Veil, Shoes, Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Dress Alterations: David’s Bridal would not put a bodice & sleeves on my dress, so I had a friend of a friend custom make the sleeves and top for me, just the way I envisioned!
Hair/Makeup: Remedy Hair Shoppe
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: 3 Mens Suits 129 in Corona.
Jewelry: I wore my mother’s jewelry that she had worn on her wedding day. The Ivory pearls complimented my Soft White dress perfectly!

If you loved this Real Wedding, then check out Peterson Design & Photography! You can also visit their preferred California wedding photographer listing in our wedding vendor guide.