I believe the saying goes... if something seems too good to be true- it probably is, unless it's Mary Lynn and Phil.

We are a year + out from their wedding and I am still wondering if the shoe will drop. But it won't. Everything about this event, about this couple, is just too good and definitely TRUE!

When I met Mary Lynn and Phil it was obvious that working with them was a must! Our conversation was easy, our connection immediate and our respect and admiration for one another- undeniable.

But don't worry, it gets even more grotesquely perfect.

When we got into the early stages of our planning they told me they were between two venue choices, their family's McCall lake house or their own backyard. As any wedding planner would do, I assumed McCall would be the nobrainer. But then I saw their backyard and Oh My Good Golly...it is pure magic... and I don't use that phrase lightly.

Their home had everything you would ever want in a wedding venue; a manicured grass area for the ceremony with trees to shade guests, a guest house with extra bathrooms and roll up garage door for our cocktail hour, a garage bay for our back of house, and a perfectly leveled paved backyard with the backdrop of a beautiful modern/rustic workshop large enough to hold all of our guests in case of rain.

But wait... it gets even better, turns out that Mary Lynn and Phil not only had the perfect house for a wedding, but were also my neighbors. My commute was the total of a 2 minute bike ride at a leisurely pace. When I found this out, I figured someone was playing a trick on me.

But as we got into the thick of the planning process, things just got easier. During all of our planning sessions, it was clear that Mary Lynn and Phil were just so excited to get married that it made working with them such a joy. Thus, we wanted their wedding to embody that ease and effortlessness they exude as a couple. As a result, my goal was to make their wedding feel relaxed, heartfelt, and fun. No pressure, no fuss, just love, laughter, and a whole lot of color.

For the ceremony, Mary Lynn walked down the aisle with her adorable elderly neighbor peeking through her top floor window, which made it feel so real and lovely.

With pipe and drape we sectioned off the ceremony from the reception to allow for an element of surprise for guests. Walking into the reception space, guests were met with their own ski lift tags as an escort card to play off of their couple's love for the slopes.

For dinner and dancing we outlined their driveway (if you can call it that) with king size tables, elevated wishbone chairs, and white linens. Everything felt elevated and unfussed. We positioned the dancefloor amongst the center trees to make guests feel like they were being hugged by their natural surroundings.

Thinking and writing about this wedding, it still does seem like a fever dream. But it wasn't, it was real and every aspect of it felt like home.