With a goal to create an experience rather than an event, today's real wedding couple used warm earthy tones, a relaxed outdoor setting and dreamy details to create a wedding full of special moments! You would be forgiven for thinking that this was actually a styled shoot it looks so darn good, but it actually is a real life wedding! Dressed up in warm summer sunshine, Olga & Alexey's rustic real wedding in the Russian countryside is seriously sweet and we've got Anna Kozdurova Photography to thank for every gorgeous snapshot.
Olga & Alexey are both from Russia and met while they were working together at L’Oréal Russia. Olga says, "A lot of business trips, endless meetings and hours together helped us to realise that we should be together forever!"
We adore at home proposals and Olga & Alexey's story sounds so sweet! Olga fills us in, "One day when I came home from a party, I suddenly realised that our front door was open. When I entered, I saw that the room was lit only with candles, there were flowers everywhere, our joint photos with funny inscriptions were on the walls. All other doors were closed and only our dog Lexus was running around me. One note on the wall said: “Lexus wants to show you something”. I looked at Lexus more closely and I saw the dog tag with a sign that read, 'Will you marry my dad?' Then the door opened, and I saw my dear on his knee with a ring…Of course I immediately said yes."
When it came to the wedding planning, Olga & Alexey knew exactly what they wanted. "From the very beginning we both wanted to have an outdoor wedding," Olga says. "We also wanted the most relaxed atmosphere on our wedding, so that all guests feel at ease. At the wedding, decor was one of the main important things for us. We really wanted to create a truly fabulous place where you want to experience and photograph and every corner!"
The couple's wedding took place at Park Hotel White Alleys, an outdoor style wedding venue full of rustic charm about 40km from Moscow. It was the perfect spot to suit their laid-back boho wedding style. "We really wanted to celebrate our wedding day at open air. At the same time, the weather in Moscow even in August can be very unexpected that is why we needed a place with a good verandah from rain. When we saw our venue first time, it was winter and there was a lot of snow around, but we quickly realised that it was the one! We imaged future summer, greenery everywhere, a decorated veranda and a lot of lights"
The couples' dog Lexus was a V.I.P. (Very Important Pup!) with a very important job! "At the ceremony, our rings were carried out by our dog Lexus. It was very touching and very sweet," Olga reminisces.
Along with their wedding stylist, the couple sourced vintage rugs, chairs and wooden signage for their outdoor lounge spaces, accenting them with arrangements of dried grasses and peach and cream blooms.
Olga & Alexey's advice for engaged couples? "Relax! Of course, it is very important to provide all the details, discuss everything, plan everything in the best possible way! But you need to get as much pleasure as possible from the preparation process (this is really a magical time) and, of course, relax as much as possible on your wedding day."
We're so in love with Olga's backless boho wedding dress, how stunning does she look!?
The couple also had this to say about planning their wedding during a pandemic, "Despite such a difficult year, our wedding took place! It was the best day in our life! It was fun, cool and touching at the same time!"
What an insta-worthy set-up!
Possibly one of the cutest drinks stations we've ever seen!
The reception space was filled to the brim with rustic decor elements in warm, earthy tones.
A quick outfit change and the couple took to the floor for the night!
When asked to choose a highlight from the wedding, Olga recalls some special musical moments from the reception. "Our first dance which was a combination of a slow dance to Christina Perri's A Thousand Years and Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody! This was the best combination! Our friends prepared a surprise song about us, which they had previously recorded in the studio. The guys sang it all together, accompanied by a funny dance! The evening then ended with the groom's song, which he prepared secretly!"
The couple haven't yet headed off on their official honeymoon, but they are hoping to visit the United States when it is safe to do so. They did however head off on a staycation mini-moon. "We spent a week in the beautiful resort of Sochi (Russia), combining a vacation in the mountains with a beach. We will definitely go to the USA as soon as it will be possible!"
Thank you so much to Olga & Alexey for sharing their truly stunning Russian summer wedding with us and to Anna Kozdurova Photography for capturing the unique celebration so beautifully.
