I went back and forth on how to set up this post– whether it should be one or two posts. I actually drafted this twice and I think it’s going to make the most sense to break it up into two parts. This part will have all of the details of our wedding… and the second part, which I’ll publish on Tuesday, will be more about the planning elements (which you were all so helpful with!). This is obviously a weird time to plan a wedding, but I want it to be encouraging for other brides switching plans or wondering if they should/could do a small backyard wedding. So up first though… our wedding:
Mike and I got married last Saturday September 5, 2020. It was the loveliest, happiest day. It was romantic and, honestly, perfect. I know it’s cliched for brides to gush about how “perfect” their wedding day was, but it’s so true. Looking back, I can’t believe it was real?
I’ve never felt so loved or so celebrated. Being in the spotlight like this in real life is not exactly my forte, but everyone really went out of their way to make the backyard wedding special for Mike and me and I will forever be grateful. It was truly beyond anything I could have dreamt up.
I’ll go more into this decision on Tuesday, but the short story is we sat down and decided together that we didn’t want to wait just to have a party. Mike and I just wanted to be married. I think that’s one positive about the pandemic– it made us really evaluate what we wanted most and what was most important to us. We couldn’t think of a venue more us than our own home. And we wanted our backyard wedding to have a “barefoot black tie” feel. Like, fancy… but also laid back. (This also is just how we are as a couple. Mike and I are both just as happy going to a Michelin star restaurant for a 14-course tasting menu as we are sitting in our backyard with pizza and beer.)
We will remember this day forever.
(Also… it was really hard to narrow down photos 😂)
Our Backyard Wedding
Since we were getting married at home, I really went crazy with the flowers. I had been introduced to Kerry Patel at the beginning of the pandemic when I purchased some bouquets she did for a fundraiser. I am OBSESSED with her work and even took a Zoom floral arranging class she hosted a few months ago. I told her I wanted flowers everywhere– on the mantles, down the stairs, on the porch, on my little library, down the dining table. And the pièce de résistance? A floral arch to wed under.
She took my vision and brought it to life in such a beautiful way. It ended up being better than I envisioned. I mean, there are 500 roses. It legitimately smelled like someone had sprayed rose perfume everywhere. It made our home feel extra special.
(Since we planned for a backyard wedding, I wanted to make sure we had indoor as well in case it rained.)
Mike and I started watching the weather for our backyard wedding like hawks. September is no guarantee, especially Labor Day weekend. Anything from cold snaps to oppressive heat/humidity to hurricanes are a possibility. A week out, my weather app labeled Saturday as “pleasant.” I had to cancel our backup tent Tuesday morning and the forecast still looked good so I decided to cancel it and cross my fingers. Miraculously the weather forecast did NOT change. When does that happen?!?! It was seventy degrees, clear skies, and no humidity. Absolutely glorious.
Mike spent the night at his parents and my sister and I bunked together on the daybed + trundle bed. It was so fun. We did what we do best… watched some of our favorite nostalgic movies.
To keep things completely safe, everyone did their own hair and makeup. Because our intimate wedding was at home, we actually spent most of the morning just getting the house and everything prepped and ready. I was glad to have the distraction because I was just so happy-anxious to get the wedding going!!
Finally it was time to finish my hair and makeup. I was watching everyone start to gather in the backyard from the window of my office. I had my best friend on Facetime while getting into my dress which was special in a very 2020 kind of way. Propped her right up on my desk and it was like she was in the room with us.
I also have to share the amazing story behind my dress. Back in 2015, I lusted over the J. Crew bridal collection even though I had no wedding on the horizon whatsoever. Just loved the dresses. There was one in particular that I loved named (!!) the Karlie. It’s pinned on a very, very early Pinterest board of mine– and I have always thought that if I got married I’d want to wear it. (I’ve definitely mentioned this at some point on my blog/social.)
Early in our planning, I found a never worn Karlie with tags in my size on Tradesy. I ordered it from my phone at 5:45am in the morning after waking up in a cold sweat from a wedding stress dream. BUT, the seller never confirmed the order so Tradesy refunded me and canceled the order a few days later. I was honestly pretty sad because I really wanted that dress. And I couldn’t find another one in a close enough size.
After I shared my first dress trying session on Instagram Stories, a reader emailed me saying she remembered that I had always loved the Karlie and her older sister was going to sell her dress. I bought it and she overnighted it to me! It was perfect and everything I wanted in a wedding dress. I wanted to feel myself. I wanted to be able to move around and not feel like I was tugging on fabric or uncomfortable in anyway. (Every other wedding gown I had tried on was so heavy– this was lightweight! And it’s actually a very warm ivory in person which I think worked so much better with my skin tone than a stark white.)
Danielle & Alexandra– thank you thank you thank you!
Mike’s dad officiated the wedding and it was so memorable.
My whole family drove up from Florida, including my grandma Charlotte– who turned 93 on September 1! I’ll share more about this in the planning post on Tuesday. It was obviously complicated by the pandemic, but it was really important to me that my grandma was included in the wedding. (She told me she would have walked– she wasn’t planning on missing it!)
Also, if you’re looking for flower girl dresses, I’ve got you covered. I searched high and low. It was an obsession. I knew exactly what I wanted in my head and had the hardest time finding something. (That wasn’t $500/dress… I found plenty of those, ha.) These are from Etsy and remakes of Pippa Middleton’s flower girl dresses. You can choose the sash/trim color– if you message Maria she can send you all the color options available. They are mini works of art. Trust me, you don’t have to look any further. (She also makes other styles for different seasons.)
Hamilton and Teddy had the time of their life– running round the backyard, getting love from everyone. Such a fun perk of having an intimate wedding.
Everyone 💙 (I feel like I have to note here that I did not tell everyone to wear blue, I swear.) Again, I’ll touch on this in the upcoming planning post but we did parents, siblings + their partners, one of Mike’s aunts who is like an big sister to him, and my grandma. It was really hard deciding not to have any friends, but we had asked everyone to lock down for two weeks and squeezed in the wedding before school started (multiple school administrators/students/teachers involved) so we could be as safe as possible. Nothing is risk free, but we eliminated as much risk as possible.
Mike’s nieces and goddaughter were our flower girls and I can’t tell you how amazing it was. The older girls are two but totally understood what was happening and what their role was in the wedding! They PARTIED.
Mike and I are so happy we had a backyard wedding at home! What a way to kick off our marriage right at home surrounded by our families.
I’m sure you’re not surprised that I used these plates. One nice thing about such a small backyard wedding is that you can buy exactly what you want instead of having to rent in bulk or just use what vendors have available.
For the napkins, I had Shuler Studio do a custom monogram for us and then I used my sewing machine and embroidered them all! Each one took about forty-five minutes and you have babysit the machine so it was a bit of a labor of love, even with a micro wedding. But… totally worth it.
After the ceremony and family photos, we moved into a little cocktail hour. We didn’t do catering– again to avoid outside people due to the pandemic, plus with a micro wedding we didn’t have to. Mike’s sister and brother in law put together all the seafood and it was such a fun transition. Big hit.
It makes my heart so happy that our families get along so well. The first time everyone met, my family had come up to visit me when I still lived in Connecticut… and we all spent the night at Mike’s parents’ house. The next morning everyone was sitting downstairs in pajamas for coffee and bagels and I just thought…. how lucky did we get?
At some point, the disco ball was pulled out. It’s Mike’s sister-in-law’s and was left behind at our Christmas party… it was a big hit with the girls who carried it around all night with flashlights to make the light dance.
Mike was in charge of the menu and, again, we did all the cooking ourselves. Mike smoked short ribs and then my mom made mac and cheese, corn bread, and arugula salad. I never really think wedding food is that great but a backyard wedding barbecue is the way to go!!
We sat down for dinner right at the start of golden hour and then… magic happened! As darkness set, the table came to life. Honestly, I felt like it was a movie. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful or more picturesque backyard wedding. Mike’s brother gave a best man speech, my dad gave a father of the bride speech, and my sister did a maid of honor speech. I kept taking mental snapshots of the night. Mike and I felt ridiculously loved. Now I can’t imagine not doing a micro wedding.
Then cake cutting and dancing on the lawn!! Lots and lots of dancing!
Linking to as many things as I can remember, but if I missed something and you want the source, leave a comment and I’ll respond and update! (Also, I feel weird even saying this but nothing is sponsored or comped. I really vetted all of these vendors/things because I wanted our wedding to be exactly what we wanted with no strings.)
Photography: Carter Fish
Florals: Kerry Patel Designs
Table/Chair Rental: Dovetail Vintage
My dress: J. Crew Collection “Karlie”
Veil: Bliss Wedding Veil (in Dark Ivory)
Flower Girl Dresses: Maria Platero
Custom Monogram: Shuler Studio
So so beautiful, Carly. You both look so incredibly happy. Congratulations on everything!
So beautiful! Congratulations to you&Mike! Literally the happiest I’ve ever been for a stranger! Thank you for sharing your special day with us! Best news of 2020 ❤️
Congrats!! You’re wedding was perfect from the flowers to the food! You both radiate happiness!
So thrilled for you, Carly!! Everything was beautiful, but I can’t get over how truly happy you all look!! I’m glad that you had the perfect day 💙
Perfect. You nailed it. I especially love how everyone wore blue 💙
Congratulations and best wishes! Your pictures and your Insta reel are just stunning. Every picture I see of you and Mike, you look so happy.
In particular I love the look of the candlesticks in the narrow hurricanes. Is that something you did, or your florist, or…?
Kerry brought everything from her own collection! She has all these amazing bits and bobs!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who waited up for this post ❤️. Thank you for sharing your magical day with all of us! I’m so happy that you’re happy!!!!!!
Congratulations Carly, it is amazing how happy and in love and perfect you all look. Really amazing and classy wedding, I wish all the best to you and Mike.
Congratulations Carly! I’m a longtime lurker but I have to post to tell you how PERFECT your wedding looked. I’m very much looking forward to the wedding planning post since I am planning on having a really small wedding myself. You looked beautiful and elegant in that Karlie dress!
Congratulations, Carly & Mike!! You wedding looked so charming and you both look so undeniably happy. 🥂
Congratulations!! I’ve read your blog for years and years! It’s so nice to see you get your happily ever after, Carly! ❤️❤️❤️
I was genuinely moved by your photos and story. What a lovely wedding and couple! Best wishes for many happy years together
Congratulations and thanks for sharing your beautiful wedding!
Absolutely stunning Carly!! Truly a beautiful wedding. The “barefoot black tie” is the aesthetic description I didn’t know I needed until I read it. Congratulations to you and Mike, and cheers to many years full of love and laughter!!
So happy for you two! Everything looks amazing! Congrats! <3
Wow! How elegant and what a fun read! Thank you so much for posting this snapshot Carly, we’re all so happy for you (even my husband keeps tuning in for wedding content 🙂
Congratulations, Carly and Mike! This is so beautiful and you all look sooo happy.
Congratulations Carly! Everything looked so great and I’m so glad you had the wedding of your dreams! I’ve been a long time reader but I never comment, I’m so happy you had a great day, I absolutely love reading your blog and look forward to reading every day!
Beautiful Carly! All of what you described sound so you and I am incredibly happy for you! Such a beautiful wedding! That dress is so you!! What a beautiful thing that you actually got to wear the dress you envisioned for yourself. This all makes me so happy and I am really thankful that you shared a little glimpse of your special day. Thank you!
So happy for you Carly! Sounds like you had your perfect wedding! It is very inspiring to read all of the details and how you followed your vision ❤️
Did I wake up super early on a Sunday morning to read this!? Why yes I did. It was like Christmas morning. LONG time reader of your blog and this made me so happy. What a perfect day. I wish both you and Mike forever happiness. Congratulations!
This is SO beautiful and perfect. Way to make the absolute best of the less-than-ideal pandemic situation. I don’t even know you or Mike but my heart is singing for you! I just watched the IG video also and 😍💙😭. So so happy for you. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness. 💕
Perfect. Simple. Lovely. Perfect. Much happiness to you and your families.
I don’t even know you in real life but I am so, so happy for you! I shrieked when I saw your Instagram post. Congratulations and best wishes for a life time of love and happiness. Your day looks like it was absolutely perfect and I love that the focus was on you, your husband, and your marriage. So often that gets lost in the hubbub of a big wedding even though (duh) it’s the most important part!
Simply stunning, Carly. Congradulations to you and Mike!
How absolutely gorgeous ♥️♥️♥️ Congratulations! As a bride to be, this is so special to see! I was wondering where your napkins are from? I would love to do something similar for my own wedding. Thanks xx
I bought these plain ones and embroidered them myself with my sewing machine: https://shopstyle.it/l/bmq09
But Etsy has a bunch of stores with similar options you can customize: https://shopstyle.it/l/bmq2A
Would love a tutorial on this sometime! Congrats, Carly <3
Where are the flower girl shoes from?
Amazon! https://shopstyle.it/l/bmBPo
This is just beautiful. Been following you for so long and I am just so happy for you!
This is so ‘Father of the Bride’ like – BEAUTIFUL!! Thank you so much for sharing your special day <3
So happy for you and Mike! This looked like such a perfectly beautiful day! ❤️🥂
Congrats Carly! Everything is absolutely stunning! It looks like the most intimate celebration!
Random request- can you please link the silverware you used??
Thanks!!
I purchased from Target! https://shopstyle.it/l/bmq34
So so beautiful. It’s like a fairytale 🙂 God bless you and sincerest wishes for a happy married life to you.
Congratulations Carly and Mike!
Your day sounds as beautiful as it looks! I love how it felt like you guys and was exactly what you wanted. We just got married in July on our original date after a year of planning and we kept it immediate family only due to the pandemic. We literally couldn’t imagine it any other way. It too was hard not to have friends there. I actually FaceTimed one of my childhood friends who lives in Israel while I was getting dressed. Can’t say I was as relaxed since we had tropical storm rains when we got married. Early on in wedding planning, we had discussed “backyard black tie” for our food when we were still going to have a large traditional wedding. It’s so much fun! Why wouldn’t you want to eat bbq in fancy clothes?!
Lastly, kudos to you guys for doing what you want. It was really difficult, annoying and frustrating to justify to people why we still wanted to get married now. They’re like why not have a party in a year, it’s only a year!!! But that wasn’t what was important to us. We wanted to be Married. After 9 years of dating (some long distance), there was no more waiting.
Congrats!!!!!
Xoxo
This is straight out of a Nancy Meyer’s movie <3
Congratulations! You both just look so genuinely happy. I read the post with literal tears (of joy) streaming down my face. I feel like, pandemic or not, this is really the wedding that you should of had….it’s beautiful, personal and full of love. That’s all that really matters in the end. It all looks so beautiful and topped off with a honeymoon in Nantucket (my favorite place as well), it just shows that life is what you make it. So happy for you both ❤️
What an absolutely perfect wedding! Your wedding video made me cry…
I am so very happy for you! The photos you shared radiate love and happiness from every single guest. What a beautiful wedding. I love that you and Mike did exactly what was important to you. Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely gorgeous! I’m so excited for you and so impressed with how you and Mike made the best out of a less than ideal situation. What a wonderful way to start your life together!
Those flower girl dresses are exactly what I’ve been looking for! Do you happen to know where the girls’ shoes are from?
I’m 95% sure they’re from amazon- sister in law purchased!
I love that while it was simple; it was also classy. Really beautiful Carly. I wish you and Mike the best. Congratulations.
Congratulations! What a gorgeous wedding. You look so happy! All the best to you and Mike.
Such a gorgeous day!!! I’m not even close to getting married but my dream wedding!! I just joked to a friend i’ld be an ideal covid bride! So so happy for you!
This makes my heart so happy! What a simply beautiful day! Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!!!!
The love and joy just radiate from these pictures! Congrats!!!
This makes me so happy! Everything was stunning and so very YOU! CONGRATULATIONS!
Your wedding looks lovely! And the photographs as darkness set in look like they belong in a Nancy Meyers film!
Wow so so so happy for you and Mike! A happy marriage is truly one of the greatest blessings in life!
Congratulations again, Carly! Your wedding looked absolutely beautiful.
http://alexagmarsh.blogspot.com/
Now it is real! I have goosebumps. Everything and everyone is beautiful! I swear there is a picture where your little dog is even smiling. I couldn’t be happier!
Congratulations! It was absolutely stunning! You looks gorgeous and so incredibly happy! I’m so glad your wedding turned out so well!!
I seriously teared up reading this. I’ve read your blog for almost 10 years and feel like I grew up with you. I’m so so happy for you and Mike and Honestly didn’t expect any other kind of wedding for you two. Congratulations and best of luck ♥️♥️♥️
Congratulations! You made a beautiful bride!
I bought my wedding dress on Tradesy pre worn and dry cleaned. People thought I was crazy but I loved my dress, spent the $4000 savings on other splurges (yes, I saved $4k+) and kept saying it had built-in “party experience”. 😉
Reading this made me wish I could go back and do our wedding again! Everything is gorgeous and everyone looks so joyous. Best wishes to you!!
This is just absolutely perfect. Congratulations, Carly! I am so thrilled for you and can’t imagine a more beautiful celebration of your marriage.
Carly, this is so perfect! Congratulations to you and Mike! I’m so glad to hear this it was such a perfect day. This last picture is the best kind of candid!
Oh my heart!! It looks beautiful and absolutely perfect for y’all! Congratulations!
Congratulations!! Everything looks absolutely beautiful and your love radiates in every picture. So happy for you both! Hamilton and Teddy look very handsome and happy!
Carly, thank you for sharing this big moment in your life with us! I don’t think I’ve ever cried tears of happiness for an internet person, but here I am at my kitchen table on a Sunday morning with very wet eyeballs. hahaha So glad your grandma was able to be there <3 You are so loved.
How wonderful! What a special experience but so “Carley”! Congratulations and best wishes!
Truly, a DREAM wedding. This couldn’t be more beautiful or more Carly! I’ve DM’d you this multiple times but I’m SO HAPPY for you & Mike. This is the sweetest beginning to your life as husband & wife. Congrats! 💖
This is absolutely the most beautiful wedding. I love it and I feel like it’s so you. Wishing you and Mike years of happiness.
What a beautiful wedding! Everyone’s faces positively radiate joy. So so happy for you Carly!
Hi! Congratulations! Such a beautiful wedding! (Were going through something similar) Questions on the tent – did you have a plan to decorate it in anyway? I find some of them are just so blah lol.
Thanks!!
Carly!! First of all, congratulations to you and Mike. So happy you got exactly what you wanted. Also, I have been saying I want a barefoot black tie style wedding for years! Praying I can bring it to life one day just like you! Thank you for sharing with us. I know you’ve mentioned that it’s a huge balance of keeping things private yet open. We appreciate it and are so happy for you!
Love this! You nailed what really matters and it shows in the love and happiness radiating from your families (including Teddy and Hamilton) and in both of you! Best wishes for long and wonderful lives together!
Your wedding looks absolutely perfect and SO you! Congratulations!!!
Congratulations! Your day looks like it was absolutely lovely. I love how everyone ended up in blue!
Absolutely perfect!! Love your blog and always look forward to it! This surprise post warmed my heart! So happy for you both!!⚓️💙
Oh, Carly! I am squealing with delight. Thank you for sharing with us. May you and Mike be this happy every day of your lives. You truly deserve it.
Congratulations Carly and Mike. This is such a heartfelt and beautiful wedding! Perfection! So happy for you:)
Congratulations!!! I am getting married next month and having a similar small wedding and this made me so excited for mine!!! Every detail looks like PERFECTION.
This is so so beautiful and perfect and you! You could feel the love through the pictures ❤️
Carly your wedding was beautiful and I’m so happy for you! I’ve been reading your blog and following along since 2012, and while I haven’t commented before I just needed to say congratulations! I feel like I am getting to watch a sweet friend experience so much joy! I hope your marriage is filled with lots of love and laughter along the way💕
Mazel tov Carly! You were a beautiful bride, he is an adorable groom, and you both look so happy and content. Wishing you all the love and happiness in the world!
So perfect, Congrats!
Carly and Mike, This is absolutely the most beautiful wedding and so happy for you. Congratulations! Loving you had it in your own back yard and surrounded by family. A special special day!
Love love love all the details Carly. Your wedding looked magical. Congratulations!
Congratulations, Carly and Mike! I’ve been a reader since your KS campaign at graduation. It’s been a delight to enjoy your journey and you’re an inspiration for living an authentic life. So happy this special day was everything you desired!!
This is beautiful & perfect. Very happy for you guys. Your dress and the flower girls dresses look stunning.
I’m so, so happy for you! What an absolutely lovely wedding!
This is honestly one of the most beautiful weddings ever. Seriously. I’m hoping my daughters choose something intimate like this one day. I looks like it meant so much to everyone. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness.
What a beautiful wedding! “Mike and I felt ridiculously loved” – made me tear up. That’s what a wedding should be. A celebration of you two and your love with your favorite people. I think some good things will come of this pandemic, micro weddings, a slower pace, respect for our fellow man. Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
These photographs are so beautiful, Carly! You looked gorgeous and I loved all of the details. It looked like such a sweet, beautiful day! Congratulations!
Carly, everything looks so perfect and you look amazing!! What an absolutely beautiful wedding! Congratulations!!!!
I have been waiting for this post!! Absolutely incredible! Thank you so much Carly for sharing your beautiful day with us all!! You and Mike look so happy and so in love!! Congratulations to you both!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
How very beautiful! Congratulations, may you always be as happy as you are today.
I love this so much! The JCrew wedding dress is the cherry on top of what looks like a total dream of a wedding (I wore one too—so classic and comfortable!). Best wishes to you two for a long and happy life together 💙
This is absolutely gorgeous. You and Mike look so in love and so, so happy! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!
Congratulations! What a beautiful day. Your igtv video got me up in my feelings. You looked radiantly happy. I think you should share your wedding recipes. Reminded me so much of my sisters’ weddings in my parents’ backyard on San Miguel. IYKYK. My husband officiated both. He likes to joke he married all 3 Leckey sisters.
Such a happy day! You and Mike are truly blessed to have each other. You can feel the love throughout the pictures. Congrats and may this be the start of many happy memories together.
Congratulations, Carly! Such a beautiful and special wedding. I’m so glad it was your perfect day; you and Mike look so happy together! Best wishes!
The entire day looked beautiful – and so amazing that you could celebrate with your loved ones in the comfort of your own home! I am wondering – does the Karlie dress have pockets?!
YES!!!
Congratulations!!!!
We wore the same dress – it’s as comfortable as pajamas, right?
Congrats! Enjoy every moment. 💙
Beyond perfect!!!! Ahhh!! I squealed when I saw your insta post. The best and SOOOOOO y’all!!!
This is so unbelievably beautiful! You can just feel the love that was in your backyard that night though the pictures. So beautiful and so happy for you both ❤️
these gorgeous pictures made me cry! you are radiant. congratulations! <3
Congratulations to you and Mike! Thank you for sharing your photos and some of the details – I can’t wait to read Tuesday’s post! Your wedding day looked so special, and filled with so many beautiful details – I thought the napkins were so stunning, and I love that you took the time to do them yourself. The flower girls dresses were so beautiful. The fact that this was at your home was so lovely, and the flower arrangements were stunning. I love what a family affair this was especially with everyone pitching into to cater the reception. You looked so happy, and beautiful!
I’ve been reading your blog since you were in college, and I remember when you used to refer to Stacy as Sporty Sister – I’m so glad your family was able to come up from Florida!
I wish I could leave a more coherent comment but honestly I’m just so happy for y’all. Congratulations!
Wow I am tearing up as I’m reading this. Long time reader and I’m genuinely SO happy for you. I love the story about your dress. Everything looked elegant and perfect with your immediate family. Truly perfection all around. Also what a surprise! I’m so used to bloggers walking us through every single step of the wedding process that it was such an incredible shock to find out you got married. Again, so nice to see you focus on the things that are important.
You did up right. A simple wedding and so beautiful. I had a large wedding, I guess I just thought I needed one but when I see what you and Mike did I am envious. So much less drama not to mention EXPENSE. Wishing you the very best!
This is so perfect. Everything looks wonderful! Congratulations to you both 🤍
<3
Congratulations! Your wedding day looks so lovely. Wishing you and Mike many decades of happiness.
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! This is truly the wedding I envision for myself! So intimate and genuine.
What a dream. I was married 20 years ago. It was a very big, formal, elaborate event. If I were to do it all over again, I’d copy your intimate, beautiful and fun wedding. You nailed it. xo
Your wedding looks so dreamy! Congratulations to you and Mike!
I’m so excited for you and Mike! You look absolutely gorgeous, and you both look so happy. This definitely goes to show that you don’t need a big, expensive wedding for the day to be special and memorable; what matters most is celebrating with the ones you love.
Stunning! Thank you for sharing this beautiful and intimate look at a wonderful day <3
Dear Carly and Michael: I’m so happy for you. You give me good ideas. My partner and myself have been wanting to get married but it seems so expensive that we backed down a few times. We’ve been together for 23 years and we bought a new house 3 years ago, so we kept putting off our wedding for at least 5 years. I’ll show your blog and pictures to my loved one and we’ll take some ideas from yours. Many thanks. Soyez heureux (Be happy).
It looks just perfect. Congratulations
Your wedding is straight out of Father of The Bride, Steve Martin’s backyard BBQ dream! Gorgeous, laid back, warm + cozy. Congratulations!
This is absolute perfection! Congratulations!
Absolutely stunning. Honestly, I was so happy for you, but a bit wary of a pandemic wedding. I think you pulled it off perfectly. It’s exactly how I would have done it! I love that you took precautions to keep everyone safe, but still pulled off an elegant event full of personality and love.
Ugh. Carly, you make me want to have a small, intimate wedding someday just like this. Everything looks so beautiful, and I am incredibly happy for you and Mike. Congratulations!! 💙
Congratulations. Wishing you and Mike much happiness in the years to come.
Now you can be the Mrs. College Prepster!
Beautiful! Did you have a traditional first dance with Mike? If so, what was your song?
Yes! Beyond by Leon Bridges 🥰
Everything is perfect! What a loving setting and family. You and Mike nailed it! Bravo!!! So happy for you!
BEYOND beautiful!!!! And as a longtime reader – and public health professor – I so appreciate your attention to everyone’s health and safety!
Beautiful!
Congratulations!!!
Coming out of long time lurking to say you and Mike look so so loved and in love. Really, what a wonderful wedding. Sincerest congratulations to you both. <3
Everything is so beautiful! Congratulations to you and Mike :D!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations. You look beautiful. It looked like a wonderful intimate day.
What a gorgeous wedding!! I am incredibly happy for you both. CONGRATS! (And getting your dress via a reader is such lovely kismet.)
Absolutely stunning! I love how simple it was, but stunning. Congratulations Carly
What a dream wedding! You’ve completely transformed my idea of what a backyard wedding could be! Cheers to the beautiful couple!
Best Wishes and Congratulations! As long time reader, will love to see this next chapter of your life! Beautiful wedding and so happy for you that everything fell into place.
Can tell some from what you mentioned, but something new, old, borrowed and blue? I think you had even if you consciously were trying to. 🙂
Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing photos that didn’t make “the cut.” And, if family won’t mind, a who is who for photos.
Congrats Carly, it all looked beautiful! Can you share more details on how you used your sewing machine to make the monogram napkins? And where did you buy the actual napkin fabric from? Thanks!
Absolutely stunning, Carly! So happy for you. It looks and sounds like such a magical day!
Congratulations, Carly and Mike!!! The photos and the details {those napkins!} in this post, PLUS your wedding video, are truly special. You can honestly feel all the love between you both and your families. It looked magical and classic. And the photos as night fell ~ ahhh. SO happy for you and wish you a lifetime of happiness and blessings!
SO glad to hear of a COVID wedding where everyone took the risk so seriously. Looks like it was LOVELY and memorable!
Every detail is perfect. So glad you were able to celebrate with your families (and especially your grandmother). The photos are beautiful! I don’t think it could have been more perfect if you had tried.
Looks like a wonderful day! Best wishes as you start this new chapter in your life!
This is all so stunning and beautiful! The best weddings are ones that are personalized. Congrats! 💙
I am so so happy for you and Mike! You both look so happy and in love! Everything was gorgeous and it sounds like you got exactly what you wanted. I always say if I had to do my wedding over I would do something smaller and more intimate like this. Congratulations!
Congratulations!! Everything turned out so beautifully and y’all look amazing 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us!
Congratulations Carly & Mike! Thank you for sharing your special day with all of us and letting us in, it truly looks like a magical beautiful day!
Did Meesh transition her Toll House cookie and cake pop skills to make the cake?
Beautiful! Would love to know where your mother’s lovely dress can be found?
It’s from Etcetera. But funny enough, she actually borrowed it from my best friend’s mom who wore it to Nicole’s rehearsal dinner!
So beautiful! It makes me happy that you all did exactly what you all wanted to do, all things considered, and both families supported everything! Congratulations!
Carly & Mike: Congratulations and Best Wishes!!
I knew your wedding would be special and you pulled it off with style!
– I love the dress
– I love the kiss on the cheek on the porch (great pic!)
– I love the pic of you holding a beer – so casual!
– I love the colors and candles and the dogs!!
I’ve been following you for a couple years now and I am truly glad for you. You are a self-possessed woman with is comfortable with where she is in life. And it was time to marry that handsome man, Mike!
I literally have no idea why this is making me so emotional im 23 and am not getting married anytime soon but I have read your blog FOREVER and am just so incredibly happy for you. How weird is that, we don’t know each other at all and im literally tearing up reading about your wedding because it just brings me so much joy that my internet friend Carly is so incredibly happy and in love and had the cutest most “on brand” wedding I could have ever imagined. Anyways I just want to say I have been rooting for you forever and I am so happy you are so happy.
What a beautiful day! So much happiness and love. Thank you for sharing it with us. Congratulations and best wishes for many many years of health and happiness!!!
Magical! The most beautiful wedding ever. You are radiant!
Absolutely beautiful- you and the wedding. So classy and classic. xx
Congratulations to you and Mike, so happy for you!! You look absolutely beautiful and I can see everyone’s love for you both in the pictures. My backyard wedding is coming up on Saturday and I can only hope it goes as well as yours!
Everything about you wedding looks perfect! From your dress, to the men’s floppy bow ties, the flower girls dresses and shoes. Love the table and chairs. The plates and napkins. The flowers are breathtaking. Love the arbor. Cooking you own food is brilliant and looks delicious. Who made the cake? What kind is it? Were the dipping bowls mini Le Creuset Dutch ovens? Most of all — everyone looks relaxed, having fun and the bride and groom in love.
What a beautiful and classic wedding 💙Wishing you all the love and happiness!
Your wedding was beautiful! I love a home wedding – it always reminds me of Father of the Bride! Congratulations to you both!!!!
Congratulations, Carly! What a truly beautiful wedding. So happy that everything turned out perfectly for you. Cheers to a life of joy ahead!
Congratulations on your wedding. It seems you had a wonderful day.
You two look so happy together, you deserve all the love that comes your way! -Can’t wait to follow you on the next leg of your journey and I’m glad you have crafted the life youhave always wanted for yourseld. Congratulations to you and Mike! (And my God Mike has a ton of siblings, they will all make fantastic aunts!)
Oh Carly, I get happy tears every time I see these moments from the day. What a beautiful, intimate, and perfectly ‘you’ wedding! And I can’t help but think of Father of the Bride, which of course only makes it more adorable.
Honestly my *only* regret about our wedding is that I wish we’d invited fewer people – only so that it could have been more special and intimate and so we’d had more time with the people who really mattered to us. So this is honestly the perfect excuse to do exactly that and have it be just about the two of you and the people who love you both the most.
So, so happy for you both! Sending lots of love from Cambridge.
Briony xox
Gorgeous all around. I love how much the families came together to help plan/cook/design, it’s so special and genuinely sweet. Congratulations to you and Mike!
What an incredible day. Congrats. And it was a THRILL to see the dress I wore to my own wedding. I’m hoping JCrew sees how amazing you look and brings back the whole line.
You look so radiant and beautiful!!! Congrats Carly, your wedding looked perfect💙
That last picture made me audibly sigh! Amazing. Thank you for letting us into such a special event in your life. <3
Congratulations Carly! I’ve been following your blog for 10 years and I am so so so happy for you! These photos just made my heart melt. Blessings to you and Mike!
So incredibly happy for you and Mike! Your wedding looked gorgeous. I just love that you guys kept it intimate.
I can’t believe I’m tearing up a little bit here but it feels a little like watching an older sister get married. You look like a royal family! So beautiful, Carly. And I love how your blogging community was serendipitously incorporated via connecting you with your wedding dress, of all things! Now, who is going to play you in the movie version of this fairytale?
Couldn’t be happier for you both! Such a beautiful and joyous wedding 🙂
PS: Can we please talk about your sister’s dress? It’s gorgeous!
Agree I love her sister’s dress!
Carly do you know where it’s from? <3
Laura – just checked Carly’s IG stories and her sister’s dress is from For Love and Lemons 😍 Here it is, but mostly out of stock unfortunately: https://forloveandlemons.com/products/reese-jacquard-midi-dress-powder-blue. <3
This is a gorgeous wedding! I want a backyard wedding now! So happy for you two!!!
You looked absolutely stunning. This is Father of the Bride material:)
This is amazing. You both look SO happy!!
Also – Mike’s dad looks like Steve Martin.
Right?!!
So beautiful! I’d love to know where you had the custom matchbooks made?
Etsy! https://shopstyle.it/l/bmsV9
So beautiful and so “you!” I love it all! Congratulations!
Congratulations to you and Mike! Your wedding looks like a dream <3
I’m crying reading this. I’ve been following you for 8 years and to see your wedding feels so special. I cannot think of a more Carly perfect wedding than this. I’m so happy you found your happy! Congrats to you and Mike <3
Carly, I am SO happy for you! Looking at all these photos and seeing how happy you are genuinely brought tears to my eyes! I’m such a long time reader and have rode the rollercoaster with you through it all and you deserve all the happiness and love! Congratulations on finding your other half. I can’t wait to continue following along your journey together. Xx
Carly! I’ve been reading your blog for 7+ years and kid you not, this post brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing your special day with us, it’s amazing how a the joy for someone you’ve never met can be so genuine. Many congratulations <3
Everything about this seems so perfect! My heart is just so happy for you and Mike! A big congratulations!
Where did you get the matchbox printed from?
Just beautiful. Congratulations on your marriage.
Congratulations, Carly!! My smile grew wider after every photo. What a magical day and night. Just perfect.
Carly, I’m soooo happy for you! I legit teared up reading this post and looking at all the photos. I’ve been reading for a long time now, and your wedding seems like it was the most “you” event you could have planned! Wishing you and Mike a lifetime of love and happiness!
Congrats! Looked like a beautiful day – so happy for you! Curious what your wedding shoes were?
I wore these Margaux heels: https://shopstyle.it/l/bmty1
I remember you said on the Bad on Paper podcast how you were just going to post about the wedding after it happened and I’d been patiently waiting 🙂 it all makes sense now after seeing your backyard updates!! Lol. Love the J.Crew dress, my parents had a simple wedding too (in a church, but had a morning reception with cake + dessert then had everyone over at their house with a keg in the yard, LOL). I’m an INTJ and this seems like the perfect type of wedding where I wouldn’t get exhausted trying to talk to everyone!! Love it + best wishes.
Playlist please
Congratulations! This honestly looks like such a dream, pandemic or not. It looks very much like “you’ (well the you we know anyway!)
I got married in January and had 12 people (my grandma was the witness who signed our marriage certificate and she calls me once a week to tell me what an honour it was). Having something small made it so I can remember every detail. I wish I could relive it! With one less martini…lol.
Congrats again!
Congratulations!! Your wedding was perfection from beginning to end!! I am so happy for you and wish you both a marriage filled with love and wonderful adventures together!! Thank you for sharing your special day with us and for always providing such wonderful ideas and inspirations.
Congratulations and may you both have a long and happy life together .
I almost cried reading this. So beautiful! I love all of your carefully chosen details. Congratulations Carly!
I love the candles you chose. I am planning my wedding for March 2021 & would love to have candles like you had. They are STUNNING! do you have a link for these by chance? Thank you for your help! Your wedding was gorgeous!
Candles were from Kerry Patel! If you DM her she may have a source!
STUNNING!! I agree with the other comment – very Father of the Bride!! Do you happen to know where Mike’s mom (at least I think it’s Mike’s mom) got her sapphire earrings? They look exactly like my engagement ring!!
Keeping life simple and beautiful! God Bless!
Congrats to you and Mike! Your wedding looked so sweet and perfect. Wishing you both nothing but the best in the years to come!
So beautiful! Congratulations 💕
I’ve been following you since you were in college and it’s so amazing to see how far you’ve come and how happy you are! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Carly and Mike! What a beautiful day, thank you for sharing with us. I’ve always thought I’d want a big wedding, with a band and fanfare, but this just seems so intimate and personal, which I love! Every detail is so thought out, and I’m sure it was appreciated by every member of your family. Best wishes and congrats again!
Congratulations, Carly! I agree about using the word “perfect” but it really does look like it was a perfect day! I keep thinking about your beautiful details and wishing I had done something similar for my wedding (I always said I didn’t want to look back and say I wish I had done it differently but here we are :)). You really did a wonderful job! Wishing you and Mike a lifetime of love and happiness!
Could you please share the cake details? I love the simplicity <3
Been reading your blog since high school, never commented before but this post just made me so happy I had to! This post brought tears to my eyes! I am so happy for you and Mike!!! Wishing you all the best <3 <3 <3
First of all, congratulations!! Your wedding was stunning! I think I saw a photo on Instagram, but was wondering where you got your personalized cake knife/server?
What a beautiful, beautiful wedding this is! It sounds so full of love, homeliness and happiness. I wish you all the best and many many happy years surrounded by your husband and family!
Reading this post melted my heart.
Julia x
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Carly!! oh my gosh, this wedding… is gorgeous!! I love how with it being so small and intimate you could focus on all the
details and have something that is just so personal, congrats to you guys 🙂
Congratulations!! Everything about this is stunning and it just looks like you guys are radiating happiness. I’m so happy for you two and wish you guys a long life filled with happiness and love!
Sarah
https://sarahandherdogs.com
A perfectly magical wedding! Congratulations!
Congratulations! Beautiful pictures of such a precious and sweet memorable time. Blessings for both of you on your future and all of the blessings that will grace both of you in years to come.
So incredibly happy for you Carly! I’ve been following along your journey for a long time and met you at the Smart Girls Summit YEARS ago! I’m so excited for your life journey with Mike and to see your life evolve. Such a beautiful wedding!!
Carly and Mike – congratulations! Wishing you endless happiness and love, you deserve so much.
This wedding was so perfect–the joy and love were evident on everyone’s faces. Wishing you a lifetime of love to come!
Utterly happy for you! This wedding is so elegant and warm but not stuffy. It’s so Carly & Mike. Can’t believe you did the napkins yourself, what a great thing to have on your table for years to come. Congratulations 🎉
Beautiful!
I love your wedding! And also love your house. I wish mine could look like that.
So beautiful and sweet. Made me cry. Congratulations!
This is all so stunning, Carly! Congratulations to you and Mike and thank you for sharing all the beautiful photos and details. Wishing you both many years of happiness!
Congratulations to you both!! Your dress is stunning and I couldn’t agree more – a small intimate wedding at home is perfect and the food looked amazing! Carlie I’m truly happy for you – wishing you many years of happiness for you and Mike!!!
So lovely! Congratulations!
Found this post through Grace and even though I don’t follow your blog (yet) reading this made me cry! It sounds like the most perfect wedding of magical memories, pandemic or not!
My heart is exploding with joy for you, Carly! Congratulations on this huge moment in life, wishing you, Mike, and your families all the best.
Congratulations! Such a beautiful wedding. I teared up reading this- thank you for sharing your happiness with us in a time we all need it.
Beautiful! Congratulations Mike and Carly!!!
You’re the most beautiful bride. Everything is so on point! Very, very, very lovely!
Please take care!
Pandemic or no pandemic, this wedding seemed unbelievably perfect and honestly what I want for myself! I’m so happy for you! I’ve been reading your blog since maybe the start, and I feel like my friend just got married! Loved your wedding video too. So happy <3
This looks absolutely perfect, Carly. Congratulations on your big day, your marriage and cheers to the start of a great life together! 💙 I wish you both nothing but the best for the future! 🙂
Congratulation curly..you both look stunning in all the pictures..happy married life to both of you
all the love and good wishes for you..more love..
Carly, this is beautiful. I love how you got married at home. Every detail is just beautiful. Congratulations!
blessing and good wishes…
Hi Carly! Beautiful photos! Planning a wedding for late April in WI. Any suggestions for affordable bridesmaid dresses? I’m looking at a similar color palette to what you chose!
OMGGG Carly, your wedding looks absolutely PERFECT!!!! I’m so happy for you and Mike! I loveeee all of your blue and white details and those flowers everywhere?! OBSESSED.
What a gorgeous wedding! I wore this exact dress when we got married in 2016; I saw your photos on social media and had to head to your blog to check, because I knew it was ours!! I genuinely wish I had excuses to wear mine again in normal life; I loved it. Loved hearing the story behind yours!
Hi Carly!
I’m so glad I found this!
I so missed any blogs or vlogs as I guess you took a break from doing that. I was great to trVel with you, meet your friends or share your interests.
I hope we see you again….I know I only one of many many followers!
Great to read something about you and Mike’s special day💕