Tiffany + Jess- DIY Purposeful Wedding (with 4 Rules!)

Tiffany and Jess are a very special couple.  Rarely do I get to actually meet with the fellas, but since Tiffany broke her ankle and had to be transported to all of her fitting by Jess, we all were able to spend some time together and I now feel like they are old friends. 

Tiffany has shared a bit of their story and key details that they incorporated to create a homey atmosphere at their wedding. The "rules" (below) that governed each of their decisions show their ethical commitments, and are steal-worthy.

"Jess and I had been together for a long time before we actually ever got engaged. We’ve both been married once before and so we had a little different perspective on the whole process than most.  We got married on Friday the 13th a little over 2 years after we got engaged. And it was perfect.

We wanted a theme that reflected who we were as a couple and that shared our passions and interests with our guests, creating a homey feel that was not overly “kitschy”... it was sleek Art Deco style crossed with the rustic charm of early American primitives.

When it came to the theme and what we used in our wedding and reception, we took a unique approach and stuck with 4 “rules.”

1) Every item we used had to have a purpose before, during and after the wedding.   
2) To utilize small, local businesses wherever possible.
3) That our wedding have as small a carbon-footprint as possible.
4) To give back to our community wherever possible.

Sticking with these rules shaped how our “theme” came together.  It also made for a fun process for the entire family and forced us to think outside of the traditional “wedding” box.

We found the perfect venue AND it supported our 4 rules. We chose to get married and have the reception at Arts Tech-KC, which provides free art programs to at-risk youth.  This old warehouse turned arts school has a wonderful second floor warehouse space with big windows and brick walls, old wide plank flooring and exposed beams.

As a family, we collected more than 200 old salt-glazed crocks from all over Missouri to use as our table décor.  The crocks were also the favors we gave our guests, with a crock picked out for each guest.

I love to create things, and the fact that I crushed my ankle a few months before the wedding and was unable to walk (I actually only learned to walk again without crutches about 2 weeks before our wedding) allowed me a lot of extra time to focus on the little details.

Even my dress supported “the rules.” Made by Janay A. Handmade, it was created from tea-dyed eco silk hemp, and tied in the Art Deco flair by added rows and rows of twirly fringe.  To support the ‘purpose after the wedding’ rule, I was able to have it cut off and dyed by Janay to make a fun party dress, and the scraps were used to create throw pillows for our bedroom."