I found myself in a unique position in 2020 as I watched the traditional large scale wedding industry most of society is familiar with, be devastated by COVID-19 and the impending lockdowns. Since I have been offering elopements and intimate weddings (traditional weddings, but with 50 or fewer guests) since I started this business in 2013, I was already prepared for what I knew lay ahead. Couples that had been planning big weddings all of a sudden had a choice to make: get married anyway, or hold out until they can have what they’d already been working toward.

Marcela and Nicole went for option A and got married anyway at an intimate Houston backyard wedding. And these two amazing women were absolutely determined to have a full celebration experience and to make it dreamy, heartwarming and personal, while still including all their loved ones, even if it looked different from their original vision.

Intimate Houston Backyard Wedding

They looked out into their backyard at the two large trees and started dreaming about getting married right where they live. Already building a life together in their new home it felt right to share their vows in the space they looked forward to sharing and hosting family and friends for years to come.

They enlisted some help from family and friends to gather what they needed and planned the whole event in just a few weeks. They built their arbor together (feel free to cry at how beautiful that is) and set in between those two strong trees in their yard. The day of the wedding they decorated it with gorgeous white florals and greenery.

A guest designed and assembled their bouquets which had hints of pale purple for the most delicately perfect pop of color. Each bride wore a unique jumpsuit which they looked both beautiful and comfortable in.

They set out round tables with wooden folding chairs for ceremony and reception seating. Each table was topped off with white linens, a white and purple floral centerpiece, a very special numbered mailbox, and a place card for each guest.

The Mailbox Centerpieces

We need to talk about these mailboxes before we move on. These mailboxes were used in their proposal! Marcela wanted to make their proposal extra personal so she had these mailboxes painted with scenes and references from their relationship story and added a love note to each one for Nicole. I LOVE that they were able to repurpose these as table numbers and make them even more special keepsakes.

Here’s what you’ll notice on each one. Mailbox 1 has landmarks from Paris and Rome harkening back to a European adventure they had. Mailbox 2 features quintessential Texas details and that oh so popular “I love you so much” mural in Austin, as Texas is where they met and began their journey together! Mailbox 3 has imagery from their adventures in Australia and Peru. Lastly, bringing us full circle, mailbox 4 memorializes their new home and their sweet pups Piper and Sadie.

Livestreamed Ceremony

Since much of the couple’s family lives both out of state and out of country, they utilized Zoom to livestream their wedding ceremony. They wanted all their loved ones to be able to attend while still being safe and the livestream option was best.

Marcela’s sister served as the officiant while Nicole’s sister managed the livestream and presented the rings. Each bride’s father walked her down the aisle. The ceremony was full of laughter and some tears as the couple’s proposal story was recounted and their personal vows shared.

As they recessed back down the aisle, they headed straight to their laptop to greet the guests that were attending from afar. They were met with a screen full of joyful faces they hope to hug at a celebration some day soon.

The Backyard Reception

Following their goodbyes with their Zoom guests, champagne and wine were poured and individual plates of charcuterie were served for each guest. Nicole’s sister gave a toast and the rest of the evening was spent celebrating under cafe lights over an artisanal catered dinner from Gotham Eats. (It was literally one of the best wedding meals I have ever eaten.)