“It was the moment for Jay to see his bride. The first look. He waited patiently, clasping and unclasping his hands in expectation. Tanya peeked around the corner, and then tip-toed up behind him, her smile growing bigger and bigger. She gently tapped him on the shoulder. Jay turned. Then the adorable part: she literally jumped with excitement as they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day! It was the cutest thing! Sometimes the most rewarding part of being a photographer is being able to capture those moments that make the day precious. The joyful smiles. The couple’s love for one another, their family and friends. Thank you so much Tanya and Jay for letting us capture those memories for you. We wish you all the best!” – Lukas & Suzy VanDyke
What is your favorite wedding day memory?
It’s so hard to narrow down one memory from the most wonderful day ever… I think I have to say that one of my favorite memories is walking down the aisle with my father. Lukas VanDyke captured the moment when I was giving my dad a kiss on the cheek at the same time that he was shaking my groom’s hand right before giving me away. I love that photo because it highlights two of the most important men in my life.
What did you DIY for your wedding?
It was my DIY dream wedding and I couldn’t have done it without the help from awesome friends and family. The wedding decor was a mix of “pinwheels and grade school charm”. Being an elementary school teacher, there were so many little school related touches that I wanted to incorporate. There was a handmade fabric backdrop for the ceremony along with the aisle decorated with homemade pinwheels. Brightly colored cupcake liners were strung all around the cocktail hour area. I handmade all of the wedding parties pinwheel boutonnieres as well as my pinwheel hairpiece and birdcage veil. Ribbon wands were handed out to our guests to wave as we took our processional as husband and wife. They were later used again for our getaway! (Teachers love being resourceful and being able to make the most use out of things!)
For the reception, the dessert bar was set up to be reminiscent of an after-school bake sale. All of the treats were bite-size and provided a fun dessert option for our guests. I made the pinwheel cake toppers to top our two-tier carrot cake wedding cake. Vintage books, table numbers designed like vintage flashcards, mason jars and apple juice jars with yarn pom-poms that served as vases were part of the centerpieces. We also brought in the pinwheels from the ceremony and put them in the mason jars along with flowers. Our ceremony backdrop was brought in and we added giant yarn wrapped letters to serve as the backdrop for our sweetheart table. More examples of multi-functional wedding decor!
Something old, new, borrowed and blue?
My wedding dress something new, my wedding shoes were navy blue and my wedding jewelry was vintage.
Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?
As early as you can, start ORGANIZING! With less than 3 months to plan the wedding I lived by my wedding Excel sheets. I made them on google drive so that I could share and edit in real time with my husband. I had just about everything documented, from schedules to guest lists/seating charts, to ideas for decor. Wedding websites were super helpful with organizing our budget and guests as well. We went with wWeddingwire.com. Also, make sure you write personalized thank you cards to everyone who helped make your dream day possible! – Tanya, the bride
Event Credits
Photographer: Lukas & Suzy VanDyke // Venue: The Turnip Rose Promenade and Gardens // Day of Coordinator: Melanie Wong // Officiant: Thomas Nixon // Dress: David's Bridal // Jewelry: vintage // Shoes: Lulu Townsend // Hair and makeup: e2beauty // Bridesmaid dresses: picked their own // Men's attire: Men's Warehouse // Videographer: Christopher Lee // Decor, pinwheels, ribbon wands, hair piece, bouts, table numbers, fabric backdrop, yarn letters, seating cards, and more: DIY by the bride // Photobooth: Mobile Photo Booth // Invitations: WetInk Printing
