Fishtail plaits, flowing dresses, sunglasses, flip flops, a host of DJs and some fairly epic floral crowns in gorgeous outdoor surroundings beautifully captured by Lucy Rice. No, no, I'm not talking about this summer's festival season - although Carmen & Logan's wedding looked like just as much fun! Today's real wedding is awash with bright colours and an essence of laid back fun. Carmen and Logan look a-m-a-zing, and totally unique and their guests are just as fashionable (my god wait until you see the little fashionista kids!) A New Zealand wedding meant these guys were blessed with the sun and they really made the most of it, having their entire wedding out in the open at McLaren Falls Park. I can promise you it will fill you with summery inspiration, and maybe just a little bit of envy...

Just like their outdoorsy wedding, Carmen and Logan first met in the great outdoors when Carmen was working at a summer camp and like lots of our real wedding couples this romance was all with a little help from their friends "Logan’s best friend Blair was working at a summer camp in Canada at the same time I was, we hung out at camp and when we came home to NZ we all hung out in a big group and we went on a few weekend road trips showing a Canadian friend around NZ and that’s when it all began!" 

Like their wedding Carmen and Logan's proposal story is as if it's right from a magazine (...or maybe an indie alt rom com) "It was a beautiful sunny October day and we drove up the coast a couple of hours to surf at Whangamata beach and after dinner on the beach, I thought something was going to happen that day so by now i was a little bit bummed there was still no ring on my finger. But we started to drive to what i thought was home but Logan took at different road… this is when my heart started to race, he said he had something to show me. We pulled up in the dark to a camp ground in the Karangehake Gorge and Logan suggested we go for a walk. As we walked down the grassy path lit with colourful lanterns, all the trees in the forest lit up with fairy lights! It looked magical! In amongst the trees was a hanging basket chair and a big projector screen. I sat down in the chair and on the screen came a video Logan had made the week before saying all these lovely things to me and asking my parents permission to marry me! This was so special as i didn’t know when he’d asked them, i definitely shed a happy tear or two! Then he said he had one more question to ask me, he stood me up off the chair and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I said yes of course! He gave me the most amazing engagement ring, the one i’d been eyeing up for a long time! We then walked down another bush path and came to a clearing with a bonfire and there was a group of our closest friends waiting to congratulate us! It was perfect! We ate food and hung out around the fire til late, I couldn’t stop looking at my sparkly ring! And to top it all off he had one of our friends film the entire thing, so now it’s on record forever."  What a proposal!

Now time for a very sweet and increasingly popular first look....

As a photographer herself the imagery was always going to be a big part of Carmen and Logan's fun festival wedding. Choosing Lucy Rice they got the photos just as they wanted - relaxed but capturing each moment of the day and the lovely atmosphere between the chilled couple and their friends.

Once the pretty portraits had been got Carmen and Logan hopped in a friends swanky retro car and joined their friends and family for an outdoor and almost entirely handmade celebration.

"Majority of the details were handmade by us or our family. Logan’s dad made 7 big wooden tables out of recycled timber, we had wooden rings for table setting with soy wax candles on them that a friend made. Logan made the Surfboard welcome sign and we brewed and bottled all our own alcohol. We bottled honey from our beehive as favours for our guests and our ceremony backdrop was made by a friend and i decorated it with frames and flowers. We loved creating all the details for the day as they were a reflection of who we are and the things we love." 

Carmen and Logan said their vows in the great outdoors with friends to serenade them and a glorious day as the cherry on top.

Love the handmade wooden ceremony backdrop! Plain and simple but just enough to act as a focal point for the ceremony. If you're planning to get married outdoors be sure to check out our ceremony backdrop ideas which has lots of great options for outdoor wedding ceremonies.

Always time for a quick Insta...

Now lets pause for just one minute to talk about the fashionable little guests at Carmen and Logan's wedding. Just check out the fab style of the adorable flower girls in contrasting peach and mint with sweet little floral crowns, not to mention the equally stylish kiddie guests!

To treat the younger guests Carmen and Logan had a massive candy bar and lots of ice cream - a sure winner for guests young and old.

With lots of their guests coming from afar Carmen and Logan wanted to make sure they had as much fun as possible, and that the whole day felt more family BBQ than formal affair. "Our day was about all the people we love, being in the same place at the same time and celebrating us getting married. It was relaxed and very ‘us’, all the details reflected us and the things we love. The vibe was very people focussed we wanted everyone to feel like they were part of the day not just spectators. It was very fun but relaxed at the same time."

They managed the balance of fun formality by keeping things simple - no head table, no assigned seating and a venue that felt more like a big garden than a hired space.

To top off this fab outdoorsy day the entire wedding party not only looked great, but super relaxed and comfortable in a style you know they emulate in their every day lives.

The bridesmaids look pretty in pale short dresses and colourful sandals, and I adore their fishtail plaits! Plaits and braids are a great wedding hair style option, they are youthful and relaxed but at the same time change things up in comparison to the way you might wear your hair day-to-day.

Not to be outdone by the girls Logan spruced up his casual attire with a wooden bow tie from Etsy.

Keeping to the natural accessories theme Carmen opted for a plush floral crown with an equally sumptuous bouquet. Go big or go home...

After pulling off their wedding day with such effortless style the happy couple have some great advice "Do what you want to do! It’s your wedding and even if people think you’re idea is crazy or too different, do it anyway, people will love it! Planning a wedding is as stressful as you make it so don’t go overboard with the details, do things that reflect you as a couple and don’t be afraid to personalise it completely, after all it is your wedding. Have a spreadsheet online where everything is recorded that way you can access it from anywhere and everything is documented. Take time during the day to stop and soak it all in, otherwise it goes by too fast."

Big big congratulations to Carmen and Logan on their wedding - we wish you all the best!

A big thank you also goes to Lucy Rice for capturing the day with such style. Based in New Zealand, Lucy is available for weddings worldwide in both 2014 & 2015. If you like her work check out more over at www.lucyricephotography.com

 The Wedding Details

• Dress: Custom design by Anthea Ramohitaj
• Bridesmaids: ASOS
• Shoes: Hannah's Shoe Store
• Flowers: Heather McCall, Design Touch Flowers
• Groomsmen outfits: ASOS shirts & Grace chinos
• Suspenders and Bow tie: Etsy
• Accessories: Lovisa Jewellery
• Invitations: Kyle Keogh
• Make Up: Martelli's at the Mount and Hope McConnell
• Hair: Justine Sutton
• Wedding bands: Michael Hill Jeweller