Real Wedding | Caitlin + Paul

Caitlin + Paul’s California wedding was youthful, fun, relaxed and sweet as apple pie.  The bride and groom look perfectly smitten and every detail from their day was a subtle, yet thoughtful reflection of their spirit and sense of family…flowers arranged by the bride’s grandmother, handmade bridesmaid dresses tailored by a friend, married in the church that Caitlin and Paul grew up in by their youth pastor, a backyard reception under the stars…and to top it all off, Caitlin and Paul were high school sweethearts. Perfect!

Caitlin + Paul | August 6, 2011 | Davis, California

The Ceremony
I married my high school sweetheart at the church we grew up at.  I still feel completely and overwhelmingly blessed thinking about our ceremony.  We wanted to keep things simple so all of our guests could just come and have a good time, relax and hopefully get a glimpse of true love.  The support and excitement from our family and friends made our day: my grandmother did all of the flower arrangements, our youth pastor married us, our friend played our ceremony music on the piano and another friend made all of our bridesmaid dresses by hand…

The Reception
My backyard was magical; from the barn to the twinkle lights in the trees, the sandbox for the kids, and the abundance of sunflowers, it fit us perfectly.  Our reception began with guests mingling and enjoying lemonade and homemade cookies, followed by a delicious meal, and toasts we will not forget for as long as we live.  Then of course we danced the night away under the stars in my backyard.  I was expecting it to be a pretty good day, but God blessed us, and our wedding far exceeded my expectations.

How Caitlin Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Beautiful, classy and sweet

Why Caitlin Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
I searched long and hard for the perfect dress.  I had almost given up on finding “The One” until I tried on this dress.  It was way out of my price range, so I knew when I bought it that I would have to sell it back.  You would not believe how many people complimented me on my dress, and I am excited for someone else to get to wear it.

Caitlin’s Wedding Dress | Melissa Sweet Fern / Photography | Photo So Bello