Christina & Chris might be biologists, but we reckon there was chemistry between them from day one. Terrible joke? Okay, yes. But their wedding, shot by Regina as The Photographer, was anything but terrible. This real wedding comes all the way from their friends’ backyard in sunny (well, usually sunny) Florida. An unexpected thunderstorm may have caused this couple to abandon their plans for a laid back outdoor reception and rejig the entire schedule of their day, but that didn't mean their day wasn't packed with meaning, atmosphere and fun. If you need a lesson in how to be a laid-back bride or groom who takes it all in their stride, and doesn't sweat the small, or the big, stuff, look no further than Christina and Chris’ rustic, ranch wedding.

Danish bride Christina and her Florida born and raised groom Chris, crossed paths through their work as biologists, when Christina was presenting her PhD research plan, “So, there I was, quite nervous, fumbling with getting the projector connected to my laptop in front of all these professors… and then I hear “Hi, I’m Chris, do you need help?” and I look up and all my plans of never dating again (because men were scum) just vanished into thin air. Sparks were flying right there and then, and I am honestly surprised that nobody noticed (maybe they did?).  We went on our first date a few weeks later and we have been living together ever since…”

These boots are made for marryin', and that's just what they'll do.

The couple kept sentimental tokens with them on the day.

Chris’s proposal was like something right out of a film! “The proposal was not planned. It was very spontaneous and very perfect. We found ourselves on horseback at a very special spot in Florida around New Year 2014/2015. We got to a quiet area and all of a sudden, Chris just asked “Well, will you?” I was like “Wait….what?” And he said: “Will you marry me?  I don’t have a ring, but will you marry me?” I honestly don’t remember if I said “I don’t need no damn ring” or “Yes” first. I know for sure I started crying before I said anything though.” Oh wow, I'm welling up at the thought of it.

“Then we tried to kiss, but the horses were not being cooperative, so it ended up with us reaching for each other like in some bad movie…it was hilarious and we laughed, a lot, and rode back into camp hand in hand. It was perfect!” Christina tells us.

From the start,  the couple wanted a day that felt authentic, “It was very important for us that it was personal, that it was “us”. We stuck very true to what we wished for the day, and we were very conscious about only choosing to implement traditions if they were meaningful to us. We found that very few actually were – we did keep some but then made our own version of them.”

The bride and groom both agree they're so glad they opted for a first look, "We were both very nervous and emotional, and we decided it would be a good idea to see each other for the first time in a more private setting. It was the best decision we made for the day, and we got some of our best pictures from this moment. It did not take anything away any magic from the ceremony, on the contrary, I think it made us enjoy it more. I mean, actually being able to enjoy it. There were still tears and raw emotions. Lots, but we were there, we were present, not just struggling to keep it together."

Christina & Chris' wedding day was everything they hoped for, “Relaxed, informal, fun, spontaneous and so full of love. These emotions were far more important to us than the actual look of the day, because they very much represent who we are and the lifestyle we have”.

The couple say that nothing on the day when to plan - except for the fact that they got married - but some quick thinking, improvisation, and a laid back attitude saw them through, “It poured rain ALL day. Everything turned into improvised last-minute solutions: The reception was moved into a barn turned into an actual venue in a matter of hours by friends and family on the morning of the wedding, we were two hours delayed due to heavy rain and lightning, our wedding party rushed to the nearest Target and got see-through umbrellas for everyone (Regina, the photographer’s brilliant idea).”

The couple decided not to let the bad weather rain on their wedding day parade, “The rain made it so much more magical, we got photos we had never dreamed of, it was absurd, crazy and wonderful. The minute we realized that our whole time schedule for the day just had gone out the window, the mood changed… we simply just let it go; we were relaxed and were truly in the moment, taking in all the craziness, just going with the flow.” Christina was the ultimate calm bride and we love it!

“We embraced it, we loved it…and you know what? So did our guests. So many people said it was the best wedding ever, and that means a lot to us – we planned this wedding not just because we wanted to get married, but because we wanted to celebrate with the people most important to us.”

Christina & Chris' choice of wedding venue was a no-brainer, “We really wanted a personal wedding and we really wanted to get married outside. A very close friend of the family offered us her backyard only minutes after we told her we were engaged, and it was just the perfect solution for us”.

The ceremony was a particular highlight for the bride and groom, “The ceremony was very special to us. We got married outside under a big beautiful oak tree, full of Spanish moss, with our guest sitting around us in a half circle on hay bales. A very close friend of the family, and owner of our venue, was our officiant. As biologists we are both non-religious so our ceremony was very….pagan? Our officiant is a shaman and had made the ceremony script very personal…it was about us, the earth, the nature and the elements (especially water…ha!).”

The couple chose to have an intimate guestlist so everyone would feel included,  “Why else would we invite our guests, right? We had a rather small wedding of 45 people, and that was the perfect size for us. We wanted our guest to go home that night with the feeling that this was the best party ever. They did. Mission accomplished!

A humble pallet and some chalkboard paint make the cutest menu board for the drinks reception.

The couple went for what they describe as a boho/backyard/country feel for the look of their day, “It ended up being even better than we had imagined. We had tons of stringed lights, white lanterns, candles, hay bales, lace, we used horse troughs as giant ice buckets to keep the beer and wine cold, the welcome drink was served out of the back of an old truck and we had mismatched flowers, plates and glasses.”

A little touch that made the wedding all the more personal (not to mention more budget-friendly!) was that each piece of décor was owned or made by a loved one. “Except for the flowers, all these things were borrowed from friends and family. One of our friends made the most beautiful dream catchers for us and those really made the whole decoration even more personal. Everybody was part of creating this special day and therefore everybody knew each other before hand, though people came together from all corners of the world. We really loved that.”

How much do you love the music festival vibes of the dreamcatcher and vintage truck? Tailgating at its finest!

Christina & Chris, who had originally planned an outdoor wedding, did a lot of DIY to prep for their day, "It was going be a relaxed backyard wedding with and outdoor ceremony, lawn games and outdoor sit-down dinner and then dancing all night. And we loved how things came together! However, reality was that a severe thunderstorm hit us on the day (so much for choosing to get married in Florida because of the weather, eh?).”

The couple say they couldn't have pulled off their day without the help of friends and family, “The most personal thing was that friends and family all came together and made this happen. It was truly a joint effort in the weeks before and on the day. We were surrounded by so much love, so many smiles, so much support and so many helping hands. It was completely overwhelming.”

Christina & Chris' wedding day turned out even better than they'd imagined, despite all the last minute changes, “We got married outside (as we really wanted to) in pouring rain, none of our planned lawn games happened, our seafood starter got lost in the in the confusion, as did the red wine, we could not do any of the photos we had planned for in advance, we ended up only attending an hour of the dinner ourselves…and the list goes on. But you know what? It was absolutely perfect. Even with unlimited time, we could not have planned for a more perfect wedding. We would not change a single thing, especially not the rain. Our wedding was so much more special because of all of this.”

 “We had a ring warming ceremony were all our guest wished on the rings, and a dear friend read the poem “The Invitation”. We had written our own vows, and though it was very tough getting through them, it was very important to us. The rain (see below) just made the setting so much more magical (and we were stressing over how to place the guests so they wouldn’t get exposed to the sun during the ceremony. How ironic.).” Christina says.

“Very few things at our wedding went according to plan…and we loved that about it!” says Christina.

“I guess many of us have a vision of our wedding, whatever it might be. It is really hard to perceive exactly how your wedding day will actually be, but this vision (likely pumped up by amazing catalogue worthy weddings with every little detail being a shining unique snow flake of perfection, shot by a high-end photographer in the most perfect light possible in the greatest location possible) might also be your downfall. If you are striving for perfection, that is. Because, in reality, I think few weddings go exactly according to plan. I know ours didn’t.”

Chris & Christina say it was their friends and family who really made their day for them, "Our wonderful supporting guests, who just embraced the chaos and had a great time celebrating us no matter the circumstances. All our guest were so present and so happy for us. The whole atmosphere that day was just something we have never experienced before, love was really in the air everywhere we turned. It was so precious and magical.”

While the couple chose to avoid too many traditions, there was one Christina stuck with - but hadn't told Chris about! "The Danish one where the groomsmen pick the groom up immediately after the traditional Danish first dance and take off his shoes and clip off the tip of his socks. The saying is, that he then will have to stitch up his socks, and it will be evident to everyone that he is married once he takes off his shoes. Thus, he cannot be unfaithful.” Well then! That oughta do it!

This laid-back pair opted for a totally chilled out honeymoon, “Close friends of the family gave us a week at their vacation home on Little Gasparilla Island. It was perfect! After weeks of decision making and a lot of socialising, it was just us and the biggest decision we had to make that was which bottle of bubbly we should drink next.” Now that sounds pretty perfect!

It's so important not to let weather dictate your day - even when your plans are for an al fresco affair! We want to give huge thanks to Regina as The Photographer for sending this fab wedding our way. Christina and Chris, your story is so lovely and we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

The Wedding Details 

• Wedding Dress: Verliefd Bruids Couture
• Shoes: Corral Boots
• Bridesmaids Bouquets: Palm Coast Florist & Gifts
• Groom(smen)’s suits: Jeans-True Religion
• Accessories: Ege Art

• Cake: Detwiler’s Farm Market, Pie cookies-JJ Gandy’s
• Wedding Favours: Big Lots
• Hair: Yellow Strawberry
• Photographer: Regina as The Photographer
• Reception Buffet: M-N-M BBQ Inc.