Curated for Romance: European Wedding Inspiration

Bethany and Adam met their Freshman year together at BYU, but stayed just friends for a long time; they reconnected at school mid-pandemic, and it was then that Bethany realized that Adam was the reason she looked forward to spending time with their friends so often.

“It was funny, too, because on my mission and when I was coming home from my mission, I would use him as an example of the kind of guy that I wanted to date and eventually marry.”

And eventually marry they did! After graduating and living long-distance from each other, they “sealed the deal” and started planning their stunning late summer wedding. It had an “old-world European garden feel,” with modern touches of elegance throughout its design.

Prioritize Presence

Bethany knew going into her wedding that, above all else, it was her main priority to be fully present during the day. Luckily, after having friends and a sister whose weddings she had attended before, she was able to pull inspiration from the women in her life!

“I’m the youngest in my family. I have one older sister, and she’s six years older than me. I’ve always had the benefit of being able to hear from other people and see their experiences. That’s always been a huge treasure for me.”

“The best advice I got was from a friend; she said to visualize the wedding day for the months leading up to it, and visualize every step of it. Not to be scary or cynical, but imagine all of the little micro things that could go wrong, or imagine these little hiccups that inevitably happen on a wedding day, and envision how you, as your highest self, would want to react to these things.”

“It was such good advice because I feel like I walked into the wedding day having already practiced how to be fully present. I didn’t have to keep reminding myself to be present. It was just already part of my daily practice.”

European Wedding Inspiration and Chinoiserie Antique Decor

And beyond practicing patience during the wedding planning process, Bethany knew going into it exactly what she wanted to do for their design. Every moment of their wedding day was just as beautiful as it was sentimental, with a European wedding inspiration palette of rich colors and ivories brought in from fruit and flowing linens; proof that anything can be used to create a romantic and artfully curated celebration. A wedding like this belongs in an art museum.

“Chinoiserie has been a design motif I’ve obsessed over for years and years, so the gorgeous illustrations of botanicals, birds, and fruit were the backbone of our look. I also wanted there to be a ton of emphasis on texture throughout. We layered many different ivory fabrics on tables and on my dress to create a textural look that wasn’t overwhelmed by any one thing.”

Speaking of her dress, it was a completely custom gown that she designed and had hand-made by the same seamstress who made her sister’s wedding gown! Every fold in the fabric captures the romantic yet seemingly effortless inspiration found in all the perfectly curated details of her day.

According to Bethany, their wedding colors were “mostly ivory everything,” with the florals and mixed media bringing in the colors: light pinks, purples, greens, browns, and butter yellows.

“I didn’t fully realize this until after, but the whole color scheme matched my childhood bedroom perfectly! Pinks, greens, and browns!”

“Since the wedding was at the end of the summer, we wanted a transitional color palette and look. We had a lot of grounding pieces like dark brown wood chairs and velvet napkins that we paired with organza and chiffon to bring that summery, airy feel.”

Finding Inspiration at Home

Bethany knew that, along with the colors and antique floral inspiration, she was going for a wedding that felt “organic, artistic, and effortless.”

“We brought in a lot of contrasting elements to balance each other out: mixed metals, fabrics, and styles. We wanted moments of lush florals and other moments with structural ikebana arrangements. I antique quite a bit, so we used a lot of frames, candelabras, and things that I’ve antiqued over the years and use to decorate my home.”

Speaking of decor from their homes, Bethany and her mom both brought elements from their houses to make her wedding vision come to life. The huge gold frame at their wedding entrance had been hanging in Bethany’s apartment for years.

“I’d pin pictures and mementos throughout our time dating and getting engaged within the frame, so it already had a storied past. It was fun to see so many of my friends recognize some of the pieces and comment on them.”

Who says you can’t start collecting decor for your wedding years in advance? Especially when it turns out this beautifully.

Other elements, like their table linens, were directly from her sister’s wedding; another sentimental family tie-in.

Big Love, Big Wedding

The day of the wedding finally came, and according to Bethany, “It was beautiful and perfect and magical.”

Bethany had never planned on having a big wedding, but it was ultimately one of the highlights of their whole day. The love that was shared was magnified by their loved ones.

“I was always kind of against a big wedding. But we had so many people we wanted to celebrate with. Something I didn’t expect to experience was the overwhelming love and support from our family and friends, and that was just so beyond touching to me. The love I shared with my husband was so prominent, but then, it was magnified by all of the love from the people who love both of us. It’s so rare because you never have all of those people in the same room at the same time, other than your wedding day. It was an honor to have everyone there loving on us and celebrating with us. I ended up being very happy we had a big wedding because the love was so big.”

Revel In the Joy

Bethany’s favorite moment from their wedding was taking a moment to revel in their big celebration with her new husband during their first dance.

“Everyone and everything else just melted away. We didn’t really rehearse or choreograph anything, but the dance just felt so natural and comfortable. I didn’t need to worry about anything other than enjoying the moment with him. Our first dance was truly the perfect expression of our love and relationship.”

And that wasn’t the only moment of reflection for both of them. Adam’s favorite moment was driving from their LDS temple sealing to their reception together.

“It was the perfect interlude because we still had the reception to enjoy and get excited about, but it was our first opportunity to be alone and debrief the day so far. We got to drive a convertible, so we had the top down, wind in our hair, singing and dancing to ‘Going to the Chapel’ by The Dixie Cups on repeat.”

When the newly-married vibes are this high, it’s impossible not to feel the bliss along with them!

“When Adam and I were leaving the reception, he stopped us and said, ‘Take a minute. What are you feeling right now?’ And, the word was joy, of course. That was really special to me.”

More Than a Wedding Vendor

Looking back, one of the biggest things Bethany loved about her wedding was getting to know each of her wedding vendors as close friends.

“I was extremely lucky to already have a close relationship with our wedding planner. It was really touching to see her love and friendship flow through the planning process and be on display on the wedding day. It was important to me that all of our vendors were personally excited to work with us. I didn’t want it to be just another wedding for them; I wanted them to know we trusted them, they were free to dream big and get creative, and that they were appreciated for their talent and effort.”

As much as Bethany’s dream wedding came to life thanks to her amazing vendor team, her wedding was really a dream come true for the vendors, too!

Above all else, whether you take inspiration from their summery European wedding inspiration ivories or the colorful natural decor that adorned their reception, don’t forget Bethany’s advice: “Practice being present so that when your wedding day comes, it’s second nature.” It will make all the difference in creating the wedding of your dreams!