Elegant Fall DIY Wedding in Ojai: Caitlin + Colin

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For all those of you currently planning a wedding for this fall, don't miss today's stunning autumn celebration, which is chock full of visually gorgeous, unique DIY details! Caitlin + Colin knew just how to craft a day that was fun + beautiful but still had such a personal spin. Ready to take on the task of crafting a myriad of handmade details, C + C also loved how family + friends jumped in throughout the process to lend a hand where they could. It made for a day that was totally memorable + one-of-a-kind!

Caitlin shares, Since our first official date took place on Halloween, it seemed fitting to have that be our wedding anniversary. However, we didn't want it to feel like we were trying to steal a holiday. We wanted to focus first and foremost on the ceremony and then have the evening progress into a masquerade. We kept the décor centered around fall, with lush, warm greenery and flowers, accented by gray pumpkins and candles, which anchored the tablescapes. The masks were designed by an amazing artist out of London and printed off his site Wintercroft. They were painted in similar tones, with burgundy's, golds, blacks and silvers unifying the palette. I definitely went Pinterest crazy and used my own background in design to sculpt the event.

Big thanks to Hannah Arista Photography for the photos and congrats to Caitlin + Colin on such a beautiful day!

We're starting off strong with THIS bouquet, a new favorite of ours, by Archive Rentals. Archive also provided all the pretty prop, furniture and linen details, along with the reception florals you'll see in just a sec!

Gray + blue bridesmaid dresses FTW!

There are just so many it's hard to choose! Our ceremony was written entirely by our friend and officiant Becky Wright, which made it so specific and special to us. Friends performed the music during the ceremony, and at one point Colin grabbed the mic and belted out his love! My father surprised us with an antique car, which had starred in a Bond film; I have never felt more like a movie star. Plus our son adored the vehicle and we got to have a special family moment in the warm headlights before entering our reception as an official family. My father's toast was, as one friend put it, what little girls dream about. And my brothers, who were my bridesmates made me laugh so hard I cried.

Subtle nods to the fall season graced the beautiful tablescapes - think pomegranates and pumpkins - and stunning autumnal blooms tied the entire reception setting together beautifully.

Colin is a musician and music is super important to him, so he curated a lot of the day. Having our friends be able to play our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception was out of this world! Our friend brought his band, Cory Beer Cimbalom Band, whose music was so perfect during dinner that even I forgot it wasn't recorded. A major highlight for me was This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads cover band that hailed from Chicago. They played straight through to the end of the evening and kept the party moving and dancing.

I think it's really important, when picking music, to remember that there are people of all ages who should all have the opportunity to dance, because what's a wedding without dancing?!

What served Colin and I really well on the day of was that we focused on every moment as it came. It's easy to become caught up by details (our wedding favors were never delivered!) but what truly matters is that your friends and family have come together to support you in this enormous leap. And you've been planning forever and working really hard and you have to trust the people you've chosen around you to make everything happen. On that note, definitely get a planner! We were blessed to have All You Need is Love coordinating the details; I never had any doubts that everything was going to turn out great. And finally, for those days and years and forever after, having gorgeous photos and a video that capture the day are truly irreplaceable.