Need DIY wedding inspo? Look no further than this DIY masterpiece

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Tim and Mia met in 2021 when Mia was a guest on Tim’s Christian podcast for young adults. When it came time to plan their wedding, Mia knew the kind of iconic vibes she wanted for their big day, and the Club Continental was the perfect location. The wedding was extra special for them because so many of the vendors were family and friends of the bride and groom, offering to help with DIY, decorating, baking, and officiating services, making it a collective masterpiece by all the people they love most. It also featured many hidden details captured by Berkshire Wedding Photography that you wouldn’t notice at first glance, but that made the day that much more special for the couple and their families. Keep scrolling to see how this timelessly sentimental day came together.

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Featured venue: Club Continental

The venue, Club Continental in Orange Park, Florida, was the winter estate of the famous Palmolive Soap family. With such rich history, gorgeous architecture, stunning foliage, and ceremony placement along the St. John’s River under a 300-year-old oak tree, the couple knew it would be the most gorgeous and memorable place to say, ‘I do.’

The perfect sentimental bridesmaids gifts

The sentimental details began with the bride and her bridesmaids. The bride's “getting ready headband” was made from her mother’s veil, and the bridesmaids wore gold lockets with the bride’s favorite picture of her and them in it.

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Bridal style: bubble sleeves

Mia's satin dress was designed by Sonthai Gai and purchased at Bridal Gown Studio Orlando. It featured a modern sweetheart neckline and off-the-shoulder bubble sleeves, creating a uniquely timeless yet still trendy look.

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Classic groomsmen style with a twist

The groomsmen wore classic black suits with light pink ties to complement the bridesmaids who wore light pink satin dresses in a variety of styles.

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Planning a uniquely custom ceremony

For the ceremony, the bridal party walked down to “Le Festin” from Ratatouille played live on guitar because the couple had first said “I love you” right after watching that movie. During the ceremony, the bride’s talented matron of honor and sister-in-law sang “Here I Bow” by Jenn Johnson accompanied by live guitarist Deron Baker. During the song, the officiant (the groom’s dad!) asked the guests to pray in their seats over the couple as they entered this union before the Lord, while the bride and grooms’ parents came up to lay hands and pray over them aloud. In order to add an element of surprise, the marriage license witnesses were randomly selected by young cousins randomly taping pens under the guest’s seats!

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Flowers by Trader Joe's

All flowers were purchased from the local Trader Joe’s and Costco, featuring white roses, hypericum berries, ranunculus, clusters of green moss, and the brides’ one nonnegotiable: chamomile. The tablescapes were made with thrifted and hand-polished vintage silver pieces, floating candles, ribbons, and the selected florals. The centerpieces were created to reflect the old-fashioned charm of the venue, while not being too tall or dominant.

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Featured favors: scratch-off lottery tickets

At each place setting, every guest received a scratch-off lottery ticket and penny with the words “for richer or for poorer,” as well as a menu/thank you note with watercolor paintings of the venue’s iconic koi fish and architecture, done by the bride’s mother.

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DIY ideas to entertain your guests

Just a few of the many DIY projects for the day included a unique guestbook experience, where guests were met with a vintage record player playing Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits, and a DIY sign saying, “For the record, tonight wouldn’t be the same without you. Please sign our guestbook.” During cocktail hour, there was also 4x6 foot dry-erase crossword puzzle for the guests to collaboratively fill out, with each question pertaining to the couple’s story and experiences. This was made with wallpaper, electrical tape for the lines, Plexi glass, gold screws, and a permanent sharpie all from Lowe’s.

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Customized cake topper

Instead of signature cocktails, the bride and groom had “His and Hers” dessert shooters - carrot cake for the bride, and chocolate Oreo for the groom - alongside a 6-inch chocolate pistachio cake for cutting. The cake featured a vintage cake topper thrifted in Alabama, with the tiny bride’s sleeves glued on to look like Mia’s dress!

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