A Fall Fete

so beautiful!

This is a beautiful piece -- beautiful bride and groom...beautiful wedding. Congrats!

lovely vivid colors! congratulations on your new life together!

What a SWEET sweet couple. Their personalities are sprinkled on everything!

Wonderful and heart-lifting. After reading this post, I realize just how overlooked fall weddings are. Which is silly, because they easily have the best colors.

what a fun couple! Congratulations to the both of you!!!

Awesomeness! That's what I hope for in our wedding this summer. Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story!

So sweet! In preparation for my sister's wedding this summer I'm loving the ideas here and taking note! I adore the sparklers and color scheme.

What a sweet article. Thanks for sharing. Sorry about your illness.

great story and wonderful picks! many congratulations to you two! xox

Beautiful story and a beautiful wedding! Lucy, you have the pulse of what marriage is all about. Wishing you and Ben all the best in the future!

Awesome story! Congratulations on living life your way and having a wonderful partner to do it with. Continued success.

sweet story, fun wedding!

Thanks for sharing your story! I did a barn/country themed wedding as well & just love looking back at our casual photos. I love your quirky shoes too, I wore my gardening boots (wellies) & got plenty of compliments. For those looking for a similar look, my shop has plenty of rustic & western wedding items Thanks ~ Little Wee Shop~

Wow! Beautiful personal touches and a very beautiful story. Thank~you for sharing your special day.

What an inspiring story - everything was gorgeous!

What a great story and wedding! I love how people are breaking away from the more traditional weddings and being more creative and personal. Thanks for sharing and best wishes to you both!

my love my fashion http://welljordan.blogspot.com/

Maybe you go should go into wedding planning! Yours turned out beautiful. Very inspiring story!

Cute! :)

Wonderful story. And you did look beautiful!

I love all this stuff! Talk about original and completely beautiful! You are going places girl!

In the last month before my own wedding and reading this story has actually made me feel more accepting of myself being an "enduced" plus size too. And the bride pulled everything off with such awesomeness. Ten thousand kudos.

Such a lovely story and wedding! Congratulations!

Beautiful story! I love the movement toward weddings being more of an individual statement of a couple's love instead of a ritual/performance. Plus, weddings are getting craftier and more eco-friendly, including vintage wedding dresses. I love those! Just about to post a 40s one actually. Someday, hopefully soon, when I have photos that do it justice, I also have a 1920s flapper's wedding veil. I can't wait to see what kind of personalized wedding ceremony it ends up in!

Your wedding was so beautiful! Love your decorations and colors!

Beautiful story. I love all the little touches that made it so uniquely yours. Congratulations!

Gorgeous wedding photos!~

Everybody looks so happy. And the colors are so bomb. Love it!

What a lovely story of a lovely couple! Best wishes for you both, and thank you so much for sharing with us here!

Thanks for sharing!

Oh my goodness Im still crying!!!! I love your story, and yes I am planning a hand made wedding and your story just made me so happy I am doing it!

Beautiful Wedding! Congrats!

A very nice story Lucy. Congrats on your marriage. I liked the idea of commissioning other Etsy artists to create for your special occasion. Maybe Etsy should consider a special wedding section where artists can submit their work (or they could be commissioned for work) and engaged couples could shop. Take care, Gary

Congratulations! I love your story, and your wedding pictures. Good luck with everything!

What a thrill to see this published here! My necklaces looked so pretty with the orange dresses, I love it! Your wedding was gorgeous, and your photographer did a great job of capturing all your little special details too.

Looks like an amazing day! My husband and I got married outside on the property he grew up, I agree something about a special space really adds to the special day!

Delightful!

Congratulations to the both of you!

This made me cry...congrats to both of you!

Gorgeous colors! Congratulations!

You are beautiful and I shed simple tears for your union of beautiful! Thank you for sharing and being real.

How lovely, thanks for sharing

What a wonderful story, we`re also a computer geek and artist and also feel how commitment is more than a ceremony.

Lucy, you truly were radiant at your wedding!!! I kept thinking that even as I read your post and admired your creativity and the details that you put into your special day. My niece was diagnosed with Crohn's disease 2 years ago and I understand how hard it can be! I've found that the most important thing about your wedding day is being happy, and that definitely showed through in your photos! Thank you for sharing and being an inspiration! -arimarie

What a great story and a beautiful wedding. And I LOVE the orange.

Wow. The second paragraph about you and your husband completely resonated with me. My boyfriend and I have been together for over 5 years (we met in college and graduated 2 years ago). Like you, we have both been through a move together/new jobs/job losses/financial strains/unexpected medical events/etc. Friends and family keep inquiring about when we are going to tie the knot - But we both understand that we don't need to sport rings to demonstrate our love and dedication to one another. Thank you for sharing your familiar story and showing us that marriage can also simply be a celebration of making it through :) Sasha

who did the floral arrangements and table linens? very beautiful indeed, so was the bride, no question about it!

What a wonderful way to start your life together! Congratulations!!

I really like the idea of the glasses as gifts with your design on them, I think I may do that for my wedding :) Beautiful wedding, thank you for sharing your story

What a lovely wedding story, and inpirational ideas for a very personal wedding, wish I'd had some of these ideas for my wedding...

congrats on it all Fall is my most favorite time of year what a great natural setting for a wedding

looks like it was one f.u.n. wedding!

I had 'brides men' too. I was so touched when my former military, law enforcement, manly men brothers said they would be glad to stand at my side. One of my favorite things about my wedding.

love the color combinations! Congratulations!

Congrats! Sentimental. Beautiful. Heartfelt. And filled with love, family, and friends. It doesn't get better than that! Cheers, ANNiE

Beautiful wedding! Congrats to the both of you! We are planning our May wedding and we're doing things a bit differently too. But why shouldn't you. It's your day!!

I was married the same day as you, except the previous year. Congratulations to you both! Sounds like the 4 years previous to your marriage taught you what being in a marriage is all about, already. I see beautiful things on your future! <3

i love the rustic-fall-outdoorsy-handmade theme! you guys all look wonderful!

Actually, the comments about "When are you two going to tie the knot then?" start dying down after about 10 years... maybe everyone just assumes they'd missed the wedding! Me & my better half are still together after almost 27 years. Looks like you made a fantastic days for yourselves &I wish you many years of joy together.

I love your story! All about it! It makes me believe in love again... Thank you for sharing it with us!

Wonderful! That is what a wedding should be all about - yourselves and what you mean to each other and why you are together & want to stay together. It's not all about dresses, suits, smart venues and fancy meals etc... Those are just one of the ways to celebrate. Life doesn't begin and end with your wedding - So it is fabulous to see an article by such a great couple, who had "got the point" of their wedding and had such a lovely day. I love all the golden yellow and orange - wonderful fall colours, so warm and happy! I would have loved to be at that wedding! I hope they will always be happy together. Now I'm off to look at those featured Etsy shops...

Congrats, Lucy & Ben! You did an amazing job! I'm currently planning my own handmade hobo-themed wedding. My cartoonist fiance, Brian "Box" Brown, and I are joining hands and entwining bootlaces so soon! - May 29th, 2011. Read more about our big day here: http://ahobowedding.blogspot.com/ <3 Sarah

Lovely story.

I LOVE everything about yoru wedding Wow- congratulations!

Such a beautiful wedding. Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story with us!

Fabulous story and wedding!

Wow!! Congratulations Lucy! Lovely!!!!

this is my kind of wedding! congrats!!

What a wonderful story!! My son, Reese and his "Chynna" doll are hoping to get married next fall here in Vermont - what great ideas you've given us for making their day special too! By the way, Congratulations! Joan

Thank you for sharing your beautiful memory with us. So moving and gorgeous colors and photos, congratulations to you both!

:,)

I was really touched by your story! Congratulations!!

The photos are lovely and full of life and your writing was very eloquent. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations!

an absolute joy to read, thank you :)

That's what happen when creative people got together. Congratulation! Your story is beautiful, and your wedding was awesome!

Your story is so realistic & beautiful.

yay for love and commitment! love that you did it all with so much personal touches. makes for quite a beautiful event :) congrats & may you be blessed with many many years together

love the flower arrangements, congratulations, everything looks so special...

:) i just reaf your story.... got a bit teary eyed and my body became filled with goosebumps! what a lovely and extraordinary story !!!!

read*

What a great story. Thanks for sharing it. Some really lovely ideas. Congratulations and all the best for the future.

=O I'm blown away...

So touching....tearing up a bit too!

What a wonderful story. Congratulations! Your wedding was beautiful, and so unique and memorable!

I have tears in my eyes...thanks for openly sharing. I love the mixture of formal and casual on your wedding day but most of all I love what your day was about. Congratulations!!

Thanks for sharing that - I love weddings and I love when people do things Their way. Way cool!

Beautiful! What a gorgeous wedding and gorgeous couple! Many wishes of years and lifetimes of happiness to you both!

So beautiful! I love how both personalities were highlighted in the wedding! And you're right, when you are in love and been through so much together a wedding seems pointless, but it is still a fun party to plan and attend!

What a joyful, wonderful story! Your special day was a beautiful day. Congratulations to you both and best wishes for a memorable, fun life together.

Wonderful story! I too had a handmade wedding which led me to my Etsy business... such a wonderful experience! Congrats to you and your husband.

Reading this made me smile, because I think so many people miss the point of weddings these days. I want to say how beautiful you look in your dress, and how much I love the orange! Congratulations to both of you and I hope you're very happy in married life <3

I love it. I think you should always express yourself in your wedding. At the end of the day your married and all those little things you worried about don't matter. Have fun! I wish you both health and happiness for years to come.

There is only one way to do it... your way! Congrats!

Love it!

What a sweet article ;) Thanks for sharing.

What a beautiful wedding story. The Pez dispenser bride and groom cake toppers are so fun and quirky! Thank you for sharing your very special day.

How beautiful and inspiring - love is the biggest gift we can ever give and receive. x x x

those bursts of colour are amazing, they really do "Zing & Pop". Its so much fun being a part of a wedding, Well knowing your item is going to be part of a wedding! I do wonder how those buntings looked! I often wonder will those weddings be featured on Etsy too! Thanks for letting us peek in on your gorgeous love filled day :)

I loved this story. My husband and I also had a long engagement because we too felt we were doing it more for other people than ourselves...we already had made that commitment to one another long ago. It's wonderful that you were able to create a day that was unique to the two of you. We ended up eloping and it was fantastic.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH makes me want to get married all over again... just kidding... Congrats. Mixed Metal Mimi

What a beautiful story and beautiful couple. My sister is getting married this summer, I wish I could talk her into adding some handmade goods. I feel it's so much more personal that way. But she won't hear any of that. I think it will be her loss

such a lovely story and lovely wedding. best of luck to both of you!

What a wonderful story. congrats!!!

So beautiful, and it looks like it was a blast. congratulations!!

Just beautiful. Love the part about the rug. Congrats!!

so sweet. love. :)

As a fellow Crohnie I know how important it is to have a supportive partner, as I have experienced it both ways. Luckily like you, I now have a man that has proven that he'll by my side no matter what. Congrats on your Wedding :)

Wow, stunning dress! Love the little button details on the favour bags :) Congrats and wish you well in the future!

Meaningful story, tent & wedding decorations were so enchanting & lively and what a happy ending for such a lovely couple!

Loved your story. I wish I had a girl so I could help design such a great wedding, as I have 2 boys I will only be able to create the rehersal dinner. But I'm getting great ideas, now they just need to get old enough to get married and find their true love! Enjoy your lives together you certainly had a great start!

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have a great friend with Crohn's and I know it is a struggle. Your wedding looked like a gorgeous event--congrats to you and your family!!!

What a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing. Wishing you the best for years to come!

i thought the chalkboard with the "its a nice day for a white wedding" was a totally adorable touch. i also liked the favors and the bags... such attention to detail. bravo!

This is the MOST beautiful wedding I think I've ever seen. No BS. You are so talented and clearly so richly blessed. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful and happy, as I hope your lives together will be:) I had a brides man too! Best Wishes!!

I love your story! And you look beautiful.

Congratulations! What a Beautiful Wedding!!!

Wow- what a delightfully FUN wedding. The colors came together perfectly. I really LOVED those gift bags. I am gonna have to try the silk screen thing now. All the best to you both!

Best. Wedding. Ever.

what a lovely couple. congratulations.

You are beautiful!!!!!!

What a beautiful story. Congratulations.

Wonderful!

Way to go!!!!! I always say do it your own way no matter what. Congratulations.

Just beautiful!

So beautiful! There's something charming about a wedding that is formal yet fun. My groomsmen and bridesmaids are going to dance down the isle! :) Lovely story and beautiful told.

Thank you for sharing your wedding with us, it looked absolutely beautiful, and I love the colors! My fiancee and I will be getting married in two weeks, and we were also engaged for two years for similar reasons. I have relied on Etsy (and worn out my Paypal) so much for my wedding, from reception decor to my headpiece to clothing. It's great to have access to and support all you talented artists, and to be able to find exactly what I'm looking for.

this is beautiful. i love your story, i have family and friends diagnosed with Chron's disease so I know that it can be life altering and constantly challenging. I admire you for persevering and staying positive. You looked beautiful and I love love love the fall colors and the gift bag idea. Congratulations!

How wonderful and inspiring you are! Definitely an "awww" moment, and so heartfelt. Love all the autumn shades, makes me wish I would have had mine in the fall 21 years ago :)

What a beautiful story! Being there for each other, celebrating your strength and your love... this is what weddings and marriage are really about. Congratulations.

What a beautiful story for a beautiful couple on their beautiful day!

love - love it all....your story, your love for each other (which is so there) and love for having a beautiful wedding!

I have to admit that I am not one for wedding stories. But I read every word of this (and even got a little emotional). Your wedding and your amazing relationship are both so beautiful. Congratulations to you guys on being so awesome.

An adorable story. Kudos for doing your wedding, your way! Unique and creative. Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

LOVE! :) beautiful wedding!

Congratulations! thanks for sharing your beautiful wedding.

Congratulations! thanks for sharing your beautiful wedding.

such a beautiful story and lovely wedding! You both look so happy together!

Congratulations! thanks for sharing your beautiful wedding.

what a beautiful story! thanks for sharing!!

charming wedding - congrats! luv the pez dispenser cake toppers!

Lucy, your wedding was like mine. My way. High five sister! Simple & elegant = classy. I had about the same amout of people as well and we had a blast. Less is always more. You rocked it. Thanks for sharing. Glad I'm not alone in my thoughts on how it should go.

What a beautiful wedding and story!!! I love all the little details. Congratulations and best wishes!!!!

This is so beautiful and inspiring! Congratulations!!!

Your beautiful day created your beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it! Much Happiness and love!

thanks for sharing, your photos told the story. happy wedded bliss!

Viva l'amour! Love the way you did it!

God bless you both! What a sweet story! Your wedding looked beautiful. Loved the colors - much happiness to you both always.

so gorgeous, i love it! xo

so gorgeous, i love it! xo

truly a touching story of real~genuine~unconditional love...everything about your special day was beautiful!♥

truly a touching story of real~genuine~unconditional love...everything about your special day was beautiful!♥

I love your cake toppers! Beautiful unique wedding!

A beautiful story! xoxo

Your joy is so very obvious. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and good health.

Beautiful! I love all the personal touches! So great! I had what I like to call "bridesmen" as well. They are just as much my best friends as the ladies! ;)

tears of joy 4 U both. A touching reminder that a wedding is personal, special, unique.

This is the coolest wedding I've seen yet here! This is the first wedding posted on Etsy that I really felt that for you it was less about the stuff and all about your permanent partnership. So many of these I've seen are cloyingly pretentious and so "thing" filled that any meaning is lost. You've managed to include meaningful items that genuinely reflect you both that add to the celebration of your partnership. Kudos to you and my favorite wedding post on Etsy by far!!!

What a beautiful story!

My Grandma always said that all weddings are beautiful, it's the living together 'beautifully' that's difficult. You two have done and will continue to do that and that's what makes your story so beautiful. The very, very best of everything to you both. May you grow old together, on one pillow. Phil & Lisa

What a gorgeous and unique wedding!! I love it. :D

Damn you for your sweet story bringing tears to my stoic eyes!

This makes me so happy! Congrats to the pretty couple with the great style!

yay! congrats

Best wishes to you .I wish you great health & lot's of love in the years to come:)

LUCY Your dress was very pretty and quite appropriate for you outdoor nuptuals. The bouquets were stunning and the caketoppers were so CUTE. It looked like a GREAT EVENT. My husband and I just celebrated 15 years and nobody would have expected that either ( that being a referance to the doing it your way ). He was the Harley riding leather guy and me the straight laced one BUT the REAL twist is that he was (and still is ) 20 years older than me = ). Keep doing it YOUR WAY. Best of Luck

So beutiful! Congrats!

Absolutely love the rug idea! Enjoyed your feature, thanks for sharing!

congratulations!

Thank you for sharing your story!

Lovely and down to earth. What a celebration!

Much happiness always!

Your story is incredibly sweet and REAL. Thank you for sharing and best of luck to you and your husband...your wedding pics rocked!

Thank you for sharing your sweet story. And I have to say, you do look beautiful in your dress/pictures.

Great story, lovely weddings!

That was incredibly gorgeous! You are a terrific writer. Congratulations on your wedding- looks like it was beautiful in every way!

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your beautiful story.

I love the idea of silk screening the favor bags. Beautiful wedding.

Lucy, I don't know if you'll see this, but I wanted to write nonetheless and let you know that your article has made a difference in my world. I've been struggling with some difficult issues this year, and my wonderful fiancé has been there for me every hop, skip and belly-flop of the way. I've been avoiding dress shopping (or as I was referring to it, the great sausage casing hunt), and now with just 4 & 1/2 months until our wedding, you've managed to motivate me. Tomorrow I will make dress appointments and, armed with your perspective, will close my eyes and leap into action... or at least into some chiffon. Thank you for sharing your story. It means a lot.

Lucy, that is just perfect!!! All the best to you both!

Congratulations! What a lovely, lovely day. And yes you do look beautiful. I am getting married next month so I realliy enjoyed reading about your wedding.

What an awesome story. I wish you and your family all the best.

Thankyou for sharing your story with us and we wish you all the very best for the future.

I love your story and the unquiness of your wedding, I am sure the rest of it will be filled with as much fun and love. Thank you for sharing.

What a beautiful wedding! All the priorities in place - it's about the two of you, not all the other stuff. And you look stunning in that dress! xx

Stunning pics... I love how all the boys are wearing sneakers! My kind of wedding! Wishing you a happy and long life together!

Aw, what a beautiful, touching story! Your transparency and real-life story is refreshing - I even had to wipe away a tear... The very best to the both of you!

I love the group photo, a wedding should be fun and you all look like you are definitely having fun. I love your colour scheme too, thank you for sharing your story. All the very best to you both.

GO LUCY AND BEN! Just LOVE the center piece on the tables. Whoot whoot!

Individually styled weddings are the best!

Sounds like it was an amazingly beautiful wedding! Congratulations! My son and his fiance get married next month, and she is making theirs very handmade and unique as well---it adds to making it even more special doesn't it:-))

this article brought a tear to my eye. it is everything a wedding should be personal and filled with love. congratulations.

I only hope I can make my wedding as beautiful and full of meaningful touches as yours - wishing you both a wonderful life together!

amazing.

Fantastic colors- and so much inspiration! Love it! And happy ever after!

Ah this story brought me to tears. Beautiful.

What a beautiful story and absolutely gorgeous wedding. Cheers to you both.

Lovely story! I LOVE all the details and your dress is gorgeous!!! Thank you for sharing your story for us untraditional brides to be! Cheers to you & Ben! :)

So Beautiful, You are a lovely Bride!!

Terrific! Love the tent when tables set... My husband and I were both riding instructors, so we married on our matching palominos. That's why I offer so much handmade farm stuff now for weddings, 'cause there's nothing like a good old-fashioned country wedding! Good on ya! Wishing you blessings...

I feel like this story is exactly what I needed to hear. I am in a similar situation and feeling like dresses are the enemy. Thank you for celebrating your love and triumphs on Etsy as it has given this bride-to-be a little more confidence to tackle the days ahead.

Creative, unique.....absolutely beautiful!!! Congrats!!!

Oh...it looks spectacular! So nice to see so much handmade in one spot. Congratulations you two!

I love your writing! You are fantastic.

So vibrant and beautiful, and making me tear up a bit. I adore the gift bags! We did our own thing also and are told often how much people enjoyed it. Cheers to you!

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful...i love it ALL from the jeans & sneakers to the tiny handmade table number animals to the LOVELY dress that makes you look like a vintage movie star to the pint glasses to the buttons stitched on the favor bags to the fall flowers and curly willow dancing on the tables at the reception! EVERYTHING seemed perfect and i love your story. thank you so much for sharing!

I am a little late reading this but I adore this! You are a fantastic writer and your wedding was a piece of you! I am sorry to hear about your disease. My hubbies cousin was put on steroids and I have never seen anything like it. He is off them and back to his tiny size. I am sorry you had to go through that but girl you are gorgeous!! I wish you and your husband an eternity of love!

So beautifully written! The story of your love gives me goose bumps! Thanks you so much for sharing!

Beautiful! Truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing :)

Hi Lucy. Your story touched me on so many different levels. My wish for you and Ben is that you have a long and happy life together that is filled with lots of love and beauty and creativity. You certainly started it with all of that!! Namaste ~ Wendy McDonagh-Valentine

The greatest benefit to one's life and true love comes by staying close to your inner self. I'd say you've both got that down pat. Congratulations & best wishes for a long, bountiful life together!

What a beautiful story, congratulations! I love the bright colors and handmade touches, but especially the expressions on everyone's faces in the photos, you can see how much fun everyone was having :) How wonderful to get married in such a special, meaningful place, too. Yay!

Love that pez on the cake, super cute!!! Congratulations!

This is what a wedding should be, personal to the couple. I also have Crohns and totally get the steroid "ballooned" feeling, however you look beautiful regardless, the fact that everyone is Happy and comfortable, makes it the day it should be. The best wedding I ever went to the Groom just wore jeans and a t shirt, the bride said "if he was in a suit he would just feel uncomfortable and not himself, why would I want to force that on the man I am in love with, just so the pictures look nice". Beautiful story. Best wishes for your life together.

Such a lovely bride and handsome husband. Your special day was so beautiful and unique. It's easy to hire someone to put together a wedding, but it takes something so much more to put together a day that no one will forget, and you succeeded, as the photos show. BTW, my sister was diagnosed with Crohns at the age of 15, and like you was put on steroids. I've taken steroids for asthma, so we both can co-miserate over that annoying side effect. :) All the best to you and your husband! Wonderful article!

So beautiful! I myself am planning an entirely handmade wedding, set in October. I won't be the bride, but my beautiful little sister will be tying the knot! She asked that I head the planning. "Make it pretty, make it handmade" were my only instructions. I can't wait to put it all together!

What a beautiful story, and by the way you did look beautiful...I find it interesting that you used folks from etsy....have a very happy long marriage...congratulations....judy

love the pez dispenser cake topper....

home run! everything looks amazing!

Lovely story...my eyes watered while reading it. So beautiful!! Thanks for sharing...congrats!

Awesome story and awesome wedding! I collect Pez dispensers and we had the same toppers on our cake when we got married 5 years ago :)

Love your glasses and your pez cake. From a hippie that married a cowboy, you will keep each other well balanced. God's Blessings in the upcoming years!

Very sweet sharing! Thanks a lot... and Congratulations!!

That is just the bestest love story! Congrats on doing the wedding your way! Yay for 'being different'! I love that the groom wore jeans & sneakers and that the bride was comfortable. The handmade touches and the 'boring' vanilla cake totally make this a wedding I would want to be a part of. :)

i love this enchanting story and your wedding decorations. Very well done

That is the cutest wedding ever! I love those pics :)

Lovely! Congrats!

<3 Beautiful wedding, beautiful story! <3

What a beautiful story!

Love your story & love your wedding. It's exactly what a wedding should be about - two people. I love that your personalities and your story comes through in everything you did.

Lovely and fun. It's rare to see bright colors at a wedding, fantastic!

That got the waterworks flowing :) And you were a beautiful bride. A thousand years of happiness for the two of you!

maybe the most stylish wedding i've ever seen. you are beautiful & i love every little detail. if only everyone had the wisdom & good sense to create their weddings with this kind of personality. ♥

Wild & Imaginative ~ have a fun life together!

Fun! I've been engaged for almost 6 years and just can't get to actually having the wedding. (I'm 49, he's 54) I love the orange bridesmaid dresses, btw. I may have to "borrow" that idea!

My fiance and I have been exactly that for a while now..."my fiance and I". The more that I think about our wedding, the more that I see it as you see yours, as a celebration of what we've already been through together, as a lamp post on a very long road that we've already started walking. We've also had health and financial bumps thrown onto our path that have kept us from a wedding, but in the meantime, we are working on all the things that make a marriage last so that when ours really does start, it will have a firm foundation that has already been tested and proven to stand. Thank you for your point of view, and may your marriage be a simple extension of the life you've already started together.

beautiful!

beautiful!

I want to remarry my husband again just to plan a fun funky wedding like this (well not LIKE this, of course, but inspired by this!) Well done, and congrats!

I love...love...the colors!

I loved reading this. I am planning a handmade wedding for this July and my fiance and I have been together for 10 years. Reading Lucy's story felt very familiar to me. When you've been together for a long time and been through a lot together, the wedding is really a celebration of that more than anything else.

WOW! I love your floral arrangements. I sale corkscrew willows in my Etsy store and it's always fun to see them desplayed in someone else's arrangements other than my own. Very inspiring!Best of luck!

Congratulations on an absolutely beautiful wedding, you look like such a happy couple and I wish you many many years of joy!

Wow! What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it with us. Love all of the handmade gifts and accessories. Congradulations!

very unique wedding and beautiful colors. I love it because you stepped out of the traditional box of regular weddings. I love to see someone take a different approach.

What a perfect wedding! And I do believe your dress is the one I wore on my September wedding day! I wish you both the best!!

LOVE the wedding vow rug! What a special gift. Such a sweet wedding!

This article was enjoyable and delighting and satisfying on so many levels. I guess I was touched by the celebration of what the couple had been through, plus what was to come. Loved the creativity, the authenticity of the choices and the outcome. Great story!

Wow, what a beautiful wedding!!! Come help me do mine! hahaaaa

So Awesome!

soo beautiful your story is as your wedding.. Felt so good reading it...

It's ALL so cool! I love the personalized glasses!

not the most eloquent comment but... <3

Gorgeous couple with a gorgeous story and a gorgeous wedding! Congrats!

Love, love L♥VE this story! The guys outfits are the best, esp the chucks! I wish I was getting married again, I'd hire you to design it! :)Congrats to you both! :)

Love the pictures, story, decorations,dresses pretty much everything. I love that shade of orange. Really beautiful pictures. Congratulations!

Love, love, love this story.

Touching story; beautiful, romantic, and personal wedding! Best of luck to you guys!

Very nice story. Love the casual look of the groomsmen. Wish I would have thought of it 29 years ago! And...you looked beautiful in your dress!

I just stumbled along toybreaker the other day! So glad I did, we purchased a bow tie for my groom from them :).

Lucy and Ben...what a beautiful and wonderful story... Absolutely adored reading it and all the wonderful things you made and did..congrads

Congratulations Lucy and Ben and thank you very much for sharing. A very beautiful story :)

most perfect wedding ever.

I love the Pez Bride and Groom on the cake. So cute!

I love the colors and neat touches you chose Lucy. It is all beautiful and very festive. Everyone looks so, so happy! Thanks for sharing your day with us! I had a small, less traditional, DIY wedding too (12 years ago last Monday!) and found it to be much more personal and completely suited my husband and I. My step-dad was my "Man of honor" and my husband's best friend is a gal! Best wishes to you and Ben!

What a beautiful wedding - love the orange!! I live in upstate NY too and totally agree about the beautiful autumns. :)

Now THIS is a cool wedding. Wow. The bride's bouquet is to die for! Looks like a fun time.

Great story. I hope you guys stay together for a very long time.

beautiful story! thanks for sharing

Tears! Really....what an awesome celebration for the two of you! You looked stunning! Best wishes for your life together.

Cool story. I kinda welled up at points.

Your colors were as beautiful as you. I LOVED the creative, unique "tradition" that was your own personal wedding. So many people worry about what others consider tradition that they forget to have fun with what is probably the most magical day of their lives. Thanks for a beautiful story!!!!

I love your story!! So very sweet...Great colors, great wedding! Thanks for sharing

Oooooh, I just LOVE this!!!! I'm so happy for you two! :)

Fantastic story and wedding! Thanks for sharing!

Great story, gorgeous wedding, gorgeous bride (even on steroids you looked amazing!) and a big MAZAL TOV to you both!

I love this story! Thank you so much for sharing. I loved my wedding but I always say I wish my husband and I had really thought more about making our wedding more about us and what we wanted then what was the tradition, norm. I love how you made it unique to your relationship! Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing!

Truly, you are fabulous! Extraordinary Photos...they tell stories - just lovely!

So impressed at you making your special day all your own! Great job and thank you for sharing it with us.

Such a lovely article!!! Love everything you made and how it all came together. Congrats to you guys and cheers to lots of success with your work and life together!!! :-) Maria

Beautiful story! You couldn't of chosen a better wedding date - it's also my b-day! Congratulations!

Wow, I'm touched and heartened to know about this real dream wedding, and life really.. thanks for sharing.

God Bless You Both! Inspiring and Wonderful! Thank ya'll for sharing !

Great story, beautiful wedding.

How wonderfully romantic and beautiful. Inspiring. Congratulations!!!

What a beautiful story and a gorgeous wedding! Congratulations! Happily ever after!

Oh, goodness. Now I'm all teary. Pass the Kleenex! What a lovely story--& such a pretty wedding. Congratulations to you both. dahlila xo

awwww, this is just lovely. I have tears in my eyes...what a beautiful story!

So gorgeous, and what a memorable day. Really neat story!

This is beautiful! I'd never thought of orange for a wedding...but wow, I really, really love it. Also, I've bought a couple of ties from Toybreaker (for my boyfriend and his brother for Christmas), and they are just fantastic! Highly recommend. :)

How different! I wish I had this instead of all white white white

How different! I wish I had this instead of all white white white

Just love the whole thing!! Thanks for sharing!

This is fantastic, thanks so much for sharing :)

Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful story ^^

Inspirational and lovely, good luck with every blessed minute of your life! Thanks for Etsy too!

so happy!! love it!

What a beautiful story. Many, many years of happiness!

BEAUTIFUL!! Weddings always make me cry!! I am tearing up over here!! Just beautiful!!

BEAUTIFUL!! Weddings always make me cry!! I am tearing up over here!! Just beautiful!!

What an inspirational story & amazingly creative wedding set up! <3 <3 <3

Amazing story and Wedding!

Oh my goodness, that was so beautiful! It almost made me cry! Congrats and thanks for the inspiration!

Ahh, a toast to how special every wedding should be!

A beautiful story to go along with an awesome wedding. Congrats!

What an amazing wedding you had, and you did look absolutely beautiful. It was the start or better yet a reaffirming of what a wonderful and sometimes trying times you had, will have (it's normal, love will get you through anything) and you did it your way, the best way. Lots of luck, health and happiness to you both. Liz

Such an inspiring story, May your life together be blessed and may you always have each other to lean on.

How adorable and very inspiring! Congrats!

Oh wow! I love a good romance story and this one is tops! Well done you, and you both look fabulous.

just one word... Chills! Thanks for sharing such an awsome Love story! ~All That's Pretty...

First let me congratulate you both on your wedding ! What a fantastic idea to order loads of Etsy items for your wedding and guests ! Love the 'goodie' bags and the picture of the venue shows what a beautiful place this must have been ... seeing these pics wants me to get married again :^)

Congrats from Hong Kong :) What a beautiful and romantic wedding. May you have a blessed and happy life together :)

oh

Congrats to you! Lovely and completely unique!

Congrats to you both - it certainly looks like your day was a special one.

Beautiful and perfect wedding!! Looks like you and your guest had tons of fun!! You looked beautiful!! All the handmade touches made it your own and unlike any other wedding anywhere!! Love it!!

What a beautiful wedding story. It makes me want to marry my BFF all over again. Warm wishes for a bright future for both of you.

I can feel the happy from this wedding- you all look like you had so much fun. Congratulations on your marriage, and on all the things you overcame to be able to celebrate your love.

What a beautiful story! Soon after my husband and I got married I was diagnosed with Crohn's and can completely relate. In the end, it made me realize just how precious he is :) Heartfelt congratulations!

good for you for bucking the traditional wedding, the pictures are awesome as is your work. Congratulations and I hope your health is as good as new!

This blog post makes my heart sing!

What a lovely wedding & beautiful story. Many blessings!

Beautiful love story, CONGRATS!

Oh hunny you did a great job on your wedding! I love the colors you chose.

That was seriously one of the cutest, sweetest wedding stories I've ever heard. Love the orange, love the men of honor,and love your choice of "dork" husband too. Oh, and you looked stunning as a bride, regardless of what steroids think they can disgrace. Thanks for the great post.(www.theperennialpast.etsy.com)

This brought tears to my eyes...so sweet! Such a lovely wedding...love the colors, the beauty and the whimsy! Thank you for sharing your story, it's so inspiring and you looked absolutely gorgeous! :)

What sweet love and a down home, personal, comfortable wedding. Bravo for making it your own!

you folks just rocked my socks off. its so nice seeing a couple that really loves each other! oh, and i'm loving the orange ties and dresses. i also love the brides dress. its so beautiful and she looks great in it.

Love the Men of Honor and love the orange, what a fantastic wedding, congratulations!!!!!

lovely everything was just toooo cute!! congrats :-)

What a wonderful memorable day you created. As the mother of a Computer Geek my wish for him is to find a bride as fabulous as you are! Best wishes to you both.

I love the wedding favours... beautiful photography and it looks like it was such a special day. Congratulations!

Such a great story. Thank you for sharing. And I love all of the handmade touches.

what a fun couple!

What a beautiful story...congratulations to the both of you on your new life together. And LOVE LOVE LOVE those necklaces!

It is so nice to see people who don't fall into the trap of commercial wedding and make the special day their own.

Definitely one of my absolute favorite Handmade Weddings tales. Beautiful!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64985271/blue-birds-charm-pendant

Lovely LifeStory, Lucy! Congrats to you both!

Beautiful work~

What a beautiful story- thank you for this. Meaningful, satisfying, and it of course brought tears to my eyes. Also- what amazing photos! Hooray for your handmade wedding.

Lucy...you are beautiful

I love everything about this post and this wedding...thank you so so much for sharing. Lovely.

cool wedding. thanks for sharing. http://www.cna-test-coach.com/ah

Your wedding reminds me of mine. My husband and I designed and made so much stuff for our wedding including a flowered arch, invites, wedding favors (live seedling trees), centerpieces (2-3 yr old evergreen trees), bridesmaid dresses and my wedding dress. It is so fulfilling to create your own stuff and it helped make for a very unique and wonderful day!

:) I love that your focus wasn't necessarily on the flashiness of the day but that you considered it special because of your S.O. So sweet.

Beautiful wedding & photos. Thank you for sharing. Your lace wedding gown was gorgeous!

Beautiful! The rug idea is so unique and special!

How beautiful and unique!

I'm very inspired. Thank you for sharing your creativeness.

very beautiful

Handmade Etsy weddings are my favorite articles! The group photo rocks!

what a story! fantastic wedding, I like every bit of it! I wish you both all the happiness in this world!

wonderful story

this was the first thing to make me smile today ^_^ congrats!

I really seriously love the cake toppers. so adorable!

that is just amazeing & truely inspireing :) i will be married in 11 day's and have somewhat of the same "hand made" our style theme :D

I love the vibrant orange you used and that you were just who you are and didn't fall into the traditional trap! Very nice!

I loooove your story, and your dress was beautiful!

What a wonder story!. I just love the color mixture. Who said that tradition is the only way to go.. Love it! Mulch "coupon organizer"

Beautiful story! I loved seeing the pictures from your wedding day and all the unique touches. Congratulations!!!

Love the Pez cake topper!

And I am sniffling back the tears...at the office! And I love the idea of your rug gift that you said your vows on!

Loved this story.

Congratulations guys!!!

You all looked *so* amazing! Thanks for including me in your post - congrats on your celebration and it was an honor to make the set of Oak Tree ties for you! <3

Congratulations!!

Heartwarming! Well done!

Congrats on your wedding!!!!!!!! Your story was so touching. On your wedding day you did the best thing you should do in order to succeed : being you :-)

My fiancee and I dated for three years and have been engaged for three years. Lucy, I hear you - it seemed to bother other people more that we had a "long engagement" then it ever has bothered us! We made a deal that we would buy a house before we planned the wedding and that's what we did. I am now starting the wedding planning for a 2012 fall wedding and my head is fairly a-buzzin' with ideas for "handmade." Thanks for the great article, it's already given me some more ideas! P.S. Congratulations!!

AbSoLuTeLy GoRgEoUs! I'm inspired!

Lovely wedding! My sister is getting married (I'm the "matron" of honor) so this will be great inspiration to send along! You looked beautifull too! That dress comment broke my heart because my dad has been on steroids for 35yrs and I know how awefull that is. However, the truth is as you said, the people that love you love you no matter what you happen to be going through. My parents have been happily (and very much in love even now) married for 30+ years now.

oh and of course - CONGRATS!!

I want to be married just like this! First I need a man, though, but not Crohn's Dis-ease. Happy Day, Happy Life!! Cacilia

I love the feature photo of your entire bridal party! Looks like it was a fun wedding! Thank you for sharing your story and may God bless you with many more years of life, laughter and learning!

You guys are precious...what a beautiful wedding. May you have a long happy life together!!!

Life is messy, but LOVE is perfect! How wonderfully ... right.

I loved your diy wedding! Now that I'm engaged I've been looking around for ideas and your story has inspired me to personalize every aspect of my wedding! Regarding Crohn's, my fiance's best friend has had Crohn's for a little while now and was also put on steroids at one point. Then he found a doctor that didn't recommend medication, instead told him which foods to avoid. Although he doesn't always stick to his doctor's orders, he's said that this is working the best and it's nice not having to be on meds anymore. I know every case is different, but feel free to convo me if you would like me to get more info from him about which foods agitate Crohn's :)

the wedding giveaways are so cute! love this kind of wedding <3

the wedding giveaways are so cute! love this kind of wedding <3

I dig handmade weddings. They're so adorable and make the day so much more personable <3

I wish more couples understood that a beautiful wedding doesn't have to break the bank, it just has to be something that is comfortable. God Bless you both.

very beautiful. http://natalyboutique.blogspot.com/

I love your awesomeness! This wedding was full of spunk and warmness with all the bright smiles and sunflowers. Congratulations!

I'm teary after reading what you wrote (happy tears, of course!) . You have a wonderful husband. Congratulations!

wao.. your items are really nice. please check out http://www.etsy.com/listing/73042192/coat-of-arms?ref=pr_shop

What a sweet story!!! Thank you for sharing!

so beautiful http://natalyboutique.blogspot.com/

Love that this is being featured again, it was so personalized and pretty!

Beautiful story and wonderful wedding!! Made me tear up! Thank you for sharing!

Beautiful wedding and thanks so much for sharing your special day with us.

I absolutely LOVE the fact that you got married on that rug and now it's a part of your everyday life. There are very few things from a wedding that you get to keep as memorabilia especially things that will have an actually function after wards so that is wonderful idea! I'll be jotting that down for future wedding planning. :-)

I handmade my wedding just a few days ago, how can I do for be featured here?

What a great story and a beautiful wedding! Congrats!!

beautiful, romantic and perfect! best wishes Ben and Lucy :)

absolutely lovely! Best wishes and I hope you feel better!!!

I absolutely LOVE the fact that you got married on that rug and now it's a part of your everyday life. There are very few things from a wedding that you get to keep as memorabilia especially things that will have an actually function after wards so that is wonderful idea! I'll be jotting that down for future wedding planning. :-)

Woops, didn't mean to post that twice, I hit the refresh button on my browser.

This was beautiful! Thank you so much for your story Lucy. Love your ideas!

Love the color theme!

Such a fun happy wedding.

I loved reading about your wedding~ your courage to follow your spirit was truly inspiring! Fall is my favorite season as well and we were married last year on Thanksgiving weekend.

Lucy! You did an amazingly fabulous job of putting together a personal, unique and perfect wedding for you and Ben! And isn't that what every bride tries to do?It isn't about how much money you can spend, it's about you and your husband and your family and friends. Period. You couldn't have made better choices, and it's obvious from the photos that it was a beautiful and happy day for all of you ... may you celebrate many happy years together as husband and wife. You're most definitely a match made in heaven ...

I think your color scheme was amazing - just so striking and yet so inviting! Your happiness as well as the love that your husband, friends and family have for you really comes across in the photos - very intimate and personal. Many blessings on your marriage! KristinGholson~ Rew Elliott Jewelry

Fantastic job!!! What a romantic wedding, I absolutely LOVE all the little details and that you really made it your own day! wish more wedding planners were this creative. Congratulations and many years of love and happiness to you both... Chelle

Wow, That was a fun read. I was smiling all the way. I've gotta say I love the pez dispensers. They Rock. Everything about your special day looked fabulous. Enjoy many happy years together.

What a wonderful day, totally your own flavour. It only serves to emphasise what a bland and personality-free affair the 'Traditional White Wedding' is! congrats

Beautiful wedding and a beautiful couple! ;D Congrats.

Hey Lucy! We met just over a year ago at Jenn & Brian's wedding. Today your story just randomly popped up on my Etsy home page. Crazy. Beautiful story and beautiful wedding. Congrats! :)

simply said, you have great style. congratultions on your fabulous wedding.

beautiful wedding! lucy, you look absolutely stunning.

...at work. tears in my eyes. so beautiful. love! :)