Today’s #weddingwednesday feature is extra special and not just because it’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous… but because Shea the bride is my new assistant! So not only do I have the pleasure of officially introducing her to all of you, but I get to share her amazing wedding too! She’s currently in charge of the Something Turquoise Pinterest and also regularly comes over to help me craft/shoot, as you scroll through her wedding you’ll see why. I’m so grateful to have found someone like her that lives so close and is so incredibly talented. I’m surprised her Cricut didn’t break after all that she made with it for her special day, lol. To learn a little more about her, you can check out her blog at NoSoCliShea.com. Sam + Shea’s sparkly Palm Springs affair was a DIY masterpiece and I know you’re going to fall in love with her just like I have… enjoy! – Jen

From the bride…

Sam and I never have quite pinpointed the moment or even the day, month or year that we officially met. We started attending the same Jr. High in 1998 and continued to attend the same school through high school. At some point in high school we started hanging out in similar groups, even having two of our friends get married. Little did he know, I used to refer to him as my “husband” to my friends. It wasn’t until a Facebook conversation in June of 2011 that our real story began… The rest, as they say, is history.

After our engagement and MONTHS {13 to be exact} of wedding planning, crafting, spray painting, e-mailing and stressing Sam and I were finally married!

On the most perfect day in beautiful Palm Springs, California I said “I do” to the man that stole my heart over ten years earlier with his puka shell necklace, his bleached tips and the real deal-sealer… the baseball uniform. We couldn’t have asked for a more special day and more important than how gorgeous everything turned out, was getting to share it with all the ones we love.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

I started telling people that wedding planning had become my second job and that I should be getting paid to do it {my mom joked that I was getting paid to do it, the final payoff, of course, being a wedding}. I spent countless hours mod podging, spray painting, Cricut-ing and every other sort of crafting that you can imagine, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I crafted our Save the Dates {using what should be a familiar inspiration}, elements of our invitations, every escort card and favor, every table number, every banner and every piece of painted and/or glittered piece of glass on every table. The amount of hours spent removing labels from glass is something I’d like to block from my memory, but every minute that was spent was all worth it in the end.

I, like most, am currently obsessing over all things gold. That was the main inspiration behind our Golden Estate Wedding. My main goal {and I say “my” because my husband Sam really gave me free reign over all wedding decisions. All he asked to be a part of was cake tasting and food tasting, fair enough!} was to keep things somewhat gender balanced. What I mean by that is, for every girly element, I wanted to try to have a masculine one. So, even though I had glittered glass on all of the guest tables, I also had succulents, which, to me, are a more masculine element. Even though I had gold flatware for each guest, there was also a bold, masculine black and white table runner on a dark rustic table. Even though our arch was covered in ribbon and lace, it was a rustic wooden arch. Finding a balance was very important to me. While I tend to be quite the girly girl, a wedding is really a joining of two people and should be a representation of both the bride and groom. Nothing makes me cringe more than a wedding that is nothing but pink and sparkles. To me, that is a sweet sixteen, not a wedding. That is just my opinion, but, it is why it was so important to me to find a balance. Because of Sam’s love of guitar, our “guestbook” was a guitar. Our cake topper was a quote from a Beatles song. Sam loves the Beatles so much, he as a Beatles tattoo! I found little ways to incorporate elements of both of us.

Favorite Wedding Day Memory?

I don’t know if I could pinpoint a favorite memory of the day, the whole day was so incredible. I have never felt more like a celebrity in my entire life. Honestly, just the idea of having all of the people we care about in one place all at the same time was such an overwhelmingly incredible feeling. Walking down the isle was definitely a highlight, not just walking towards my groom, but scanning the crowd and seeing so many familiar faces smiling back at me (and some tearing up), it was indescribable. Getting to share the day with them all was so special, and hearing all of the feedback was amazing as well. Our guests could really tell the amount of time and love that I put into every little detail and it was so wonderful to know that it wasn’t only noticed, it was appreciated. Sam’s moms best friend even came up to me and said “I know I don’t know you that well but I can see you in every single detail” which, honestly, is all I wanted. I wanted people to see me, see us, in all the details.

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

My something old, was a photo of my Grandmother that one of my Bridesmaids surprised me with {and made me cry} for my bouquet. My dress was my something new. My something borrowed was a bracelet from my Mom and my something blue was my little blue undies!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My advice for brides planning now is to enjoy it! As stressful as it may be and as annoying as getting the checks in the mail and responding to all the e-mails might be, this is a once in a lifetime thing. Just remember soak to it all in because eventually it will be over and then you’ll think to yourself in the words of Monica Geller, “I’m no longer a bride. I’ll never be a bride again. Now, I’m just someone’s wife!” Haha!! But seriously, enjoy every moment!

Also, find a happy balance of splurge and save. Most brides have a budget they are trying to stick to {Those of you who don’t, I envy you} and while it’s great to find DIY’s via all of the wonderful sources that we have at our fingertips like Pinterest and Something Turquoise, it’s also okay to have a certain area {or a few} that you allow you to splurge. For me, photos were the most important thing, so I allowed my photographer to be my splurge.

Speaking of our photographer, I could sing his praises until I’m blue in the face. I found him while researching other Palm Springs weddings and from our very first e-mail exchange, I knew he was our guy. Sam and I planned a weekend in Idyllwild {where Roger was living at the time with his insanely adorable family} to meet Roger face to face and take our engagement photos. It was pure magic. It’s like when they say “when you meet the one you just know”, that’s how this was…but with our wedding photographer! I was concerned with Sam being uncomfortable posing for photos, but Roger made everything so natural and organic, it was easy to forget he was even there. We ended the evening over some pizza at a cute Idyllwild pizzeria while discussing our childhoods and life in general; it was like we had been friends for years. Having Roger photograph our wedding just felt right, it was like a friend was following us around to capture our day. I look forward to hopefully getting the chance to work with Roger again in the future.

Lastly, don’t fool yourself into thinking that DIY’ing will save you money. Don’t get me wrong, if done right, it absolutely can, but if you are just having weekly trips to your local craft store, all the little incidentals start to add up quick! Your lifesaver will be to get on the mailing list and get all the apps for all of your local craft stores and USE COUPONS! Stores like JoAnns, Michaels and Hobby Lobby all have great coupons that can be scanned straight off of your smart phone, it’s just a matter of using them. So, listen to your friend Shea and use them! -Shea, the bride

Want to see more of this gorgeous Palm Springs wedding? Check out Sam + Shea’s stunning highlight video!

Event Credits

Coordinator: Tamara Bolton with Sensorium Event Productions // Venue: Sand Acre Estate // Photographer: Roger Ellsworth with EPlove // Photo Booth: The Booth by Kylie Chevalier // Videographer: Nathan Prince at Prince Productions // Officiant: NW Vows - Terry Barrett // Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas // Cocktail Napkins and Sparkler Tags: For Your Party // Graphic Design of Paper Goods: Print Punch // Paper and Printing: Cards + Pockets // Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Entertainment: V!BE Entertainment // Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Entertainment: Trent Hancock with Vibe Entertainment // DJ: Kane with Fortune Entertainment // Florist: LeeLina Martin // Catering: Fusion Flair // Bartenders: Shake Bartenders // Rentals: Signature Party Rentals // Vintage Rentals: Party Pieces by Perry // Valet Parking: Resort Parking Services // Power Needs: Brudvic, Inc. Rental Division // Cake: Over the Rainbow Desserts & Cupcakes // Cake Topper: Better off Wed // Corn Hole Game: Style My Corntoss // Bride's Attire: Mariposa Bridal Boutique // Bride's Reception Dress: Rent the Runway // Bride's Shoes: Nordstrom // Bridesmaid's Attire: Macy's // Bridesmaid's Jewelry: Kate Spade // Hair: Karen Lipka Sinclair with Shear Madness Salon // Make-Up: Kristy Bradvica // Groom's Attire: Friar Tux Shop // Groomsmen's Attire: Friar Tux Shop