Today we're sharing the summer picnic-themed and ultimate handmade DIY wedding of Vancouver crafter Siobhan Rich of Magpie and Cake and her husband Chris. The mix of red and white checks, wicker picnic baskets and natural woodland surroundings makes for adorable and personal nuptials.  Here's Sioban's description of their special day held this past July.

Chris and I were married this summer, in July. We live in Vancouver, but chose to get married at Linden Gardens in Kaleden, in the Okanagan. The gardens are lovely, and when Chris suggested we have our guests sit on picnic blankets, I was sold.


Our whole wedding was DIY and handmade with love, from the picnic blankets our guests sat on, to the 200 or so feet of bunting that I sewed. I'm a maker/crafter, so I was really excited to make our
wedding look and feel just how we imagined. It was a truly magical day. We got married in the garden, and after the ceremony our guests enjoyed lemonade while playing a game called cornhole (bad name, great game). We then went inside for a delicious barbeque dinner, pie, and dancing.






Besides the picnic blankets and bunting, some of the other DIY elements that I made included the invites, programs, a selection of 1" buttons, a book-safe for our rings which our little ringbearer could
carry, and flags for our guests to wave at the ceremony. As I walked down the aisle, it was an amazing feeling to see all our friends and family sitting on the picnic blankets, smiling and quietly waving
flags. Not to mention my husband-to-be waiting for me at the end of the aisle!


I had the help of talented friends and family: my dad sawed birch slices for the centerpieces, and we bought our flowers from a vendor at the local farmers' market which my amazing bridesmaids arranged for the tables and bouquets. My necklace and earrings were handcrafted by talented
Etsy vendors. One of my favorite things that I made was the cake topper (pie topper). My husband is a climber and I am a crafter (though we both also do a little of the other) so the cake topper is us sharing a climbing rope that's also knitting yarn.

Location: Linden Gardens in Kaleden, BC
Dress: My dress was actually a bridesmaid's dress in ivory. Lela Rose Bridesmaids Style LR149 from Frocks in Vancouver
Caterer: Chef Martin Laprise, aka The Chef in Stead, from Kelowna, BC. Chef Martin brought his portable BBQ rig to make slow-cooked pulled pork and roasted chicken, plus an array of sides and salads. The pies were from Just Pies in Penticton, BC. (No link.)
Etsy Shops: My necklace was from Simon & Ruby in Nashville, Tennessee and etsy.com/shop/SimonandRuby
Flowers: We ordered the flowers from Lisa Yang, a flower vendor at the Penticton Farmers' Market.
Photographer: Bella Johnson Photographer

The ring bearer is my nephew, who was 2 1/2 at the time. He did such a great job. And of course he is super adorable, and totally stole the show -- he even ran over to give me a spontaneous hug just as I was putting the ring on Chris' finger! It was hilarious and made the moment even more full of love. :)