Hannah and Mike planned a special wedding day that focused on the details that mattered most to them!

A small guest list and intimate ceremony, pizza for dinner and a lack of tradition throughout.  At the end of the day they created a wedding day that they will forever look back fondly on.  We asked Hannah a few questions about her day and planning experience, so read on for more on this intimate DIY wedding at The McLean House!

We met through my sister and her boyfriend unexpectedly at the pool one summer’s day!

Proposal story?

My (now) husband planned an evening for us in downtown Portland, we went to dinner, got drinks, and then went on a nice romantic walk alongside the Portland waterfront. I could tell something was up, because he was more relaxed than usual. Both of us are typically always on the go, and ready to move on to our next destination, but Mike was waiting patiently to get a photo with the water fountain. We asked a stranger to take a photo of us in front of the fountain, and Mike got down on one knee and proposed! The kind stranger managed to capture some fabulous photos of that special moment.

I had such an amazing experience at Charlotte’s, I felt like my stylist was respectful of my vision, she listened to me, and she provided helpful feedback! I felt so comfortable with her (and all of the staff at Charlotte’s) and I left knowing for certain I made the right choice in both the dress, and the bridal boutique. Very early on I knew the exact dress I wanted, in fact, I had picked out almost an identical version to the dress I ended up getting months before my appointment.

As an extreme planner, I called all of the salons around Portland asking if they had carried that specific dress and style, and Charlotte’s was one of the only places that had one in stock! A few weeks before my appointment, Charlotte’s e-mailed me that they no longer carried that designer or that dress, but they did let me know they had a designer from Lillian West coming into the store that same day as my appointment. Immediately I went online, and found the perfect version of the dress I had dreamed of by Lillian West! I called Charlotte’s to confirm they did in fact carry that dress, and they did. During my appointment I tried on about three dresses but, knew that the Lillian West was the one weeks beforehand.

How was the wedding planning process?

My mother and I decided to plan the wedding on our own without a coordinator. Early on, we thought it would be such a simple task seeing as we thought we were having a low key wedding (less than 100 guests). Little did we know, there is no such thing as a little wedding if you wish to have both a ceremony and a reception! While it was extremely stressful and overwhelming at times, I’m still so happy I decided to do it without any outside help.

What was your favorite part of wedding planning?

Choosing the music playlist!

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

Knowing that our wedding was exactly as we wanted it. We really wanted the day to be about us, our love, and who we were as people and as a couple, and I think we nailed it! The photo booth was also one of the highlights!

Do you have any general advice for future brides?

Do what is right for you and your fiance, even when it can be challenging, and possibly cause chaos in other areas of your life. At the end of the day, you should do what is best for you two!