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What do you get when you cross a gorgeous couple with a major dose of wanderlust? A DIY weddingand a destination wedding that hits all the right travel notes. Jimmy and Steph of St. Louis, MO packed up their hand-written wedding vows, handmade wedding accents and a handful of their closest friends and headed out West for a week-long celebration on the banks of Lake Powell in Utah. Read on to see how they incorporated all their DIY wedding ideas into one breathtaking setting.

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1. Lakeside (and Cliffside) Location: It really doesn’t get anymore dreamy than this. Jimmy and Steph fell in love with the dramatic brick-red cliffs and blue water of Lake Powell on a random trip out West, and both knew that this was the perfect spot for their big day. Since there is not much accommodation out there, they hired houseboats to serve as accommodations for the week. The wedding party ended up at this prime (and totally private) waterfront spot on Lake Powell’s Padre Bay.

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2. Bloom-Free Bouquets: Having a wedding on a desolate stretch of beach in a Utah canyon has its challenges, including how to decorate with flowers. Steph skipped live flowers (which would pretty much wilt instantly in the heat) in favor of these super chic DIYed bouquets of paper flowers. She cut up maps and pretty craft paper to form the petals and then added lace and rhinestone accents for extra pizzazz. The best part? The bouquets lasted long after the wedding!

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3. Travel Trunks: Since the St. Louis, MO couple and their guests had to travel so far to get to the wedding location, a travel theme seemed to make perfect sense. Steph rifled through thrift stores and antique markets to find accent decor like these vintage gray suitcases.

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4. Vintage Vibe: Steph imbued the long reception table with that same old-school travel vibe with these easy peasy DIY burlap and lace table runners. The antique cameras add another playful nod to the past.

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5. Twinkling Lights: Once the sun went down, the incredible blanket of stars in the sky provided almost enough light to keep the party going, but not quite. Strings of twinkle lights stretched over the reception table and the sandy dance floor meant Steph, Jimmy and their guests could shimmy and shake all night long.

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6. Maps to the Max: Maps, maps and more maps! A simple decoupage DIY turned old wine bottles into on-theme travel trinkets, while more map and craft paper flowers added an extra dose of pretty.

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7. A Family (and Friends) Affair: Jimmy and Steph wanted to keep their wedding small, but they weren’t sure if they could convince their close friends and family to make the trip out to Utah. But the destination gamble paid off: “It was so exciting to see their reactions as they arrived,” said Steph, “And now they all want to go back!”

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8. Firework Ending: Jimmy and Steph first met as fireworks filled the air on the Fourth of July, so it only made sense to end their wedding extravaganza on the same explosive note. A sandy beach, lots of s’mores, fireworks and good friends and family made for one incredible night.

The creative couple also runs a videography studio out of St. Louis, so they put their mad skills to work and created their own super inspiring wedding video. Check it out below:

Congrats, Jimmy and Steph!

VENDORS:

Photography: Miller + Miller Wedding Photography

Videography: Captured in Frames

Caterer: Antelope Point Marina

Houseboats: Forever Resorts

Do you have a DIY wedding that you’d like to share with us? Leave us a note in the comments, or email us at hello@brit.co.

Emily Matras
Emily is a word nerd and design addict living in Washington, D.C. When she’s not chastising her cat Oliver for ripping her stack of shelter mags to shreds, she’s trying to finish writing that dang novel (it’s going very slowly).