When Paula and Mark got engaged, they knew right from the start that they wanted to have a DIY wedding.  So they quickly began planning so they would be sure that no detail would be overlooked and they would have the wedding they had always dreamed of!  Thankfully, they have very loving friends, and were able to have their wedding in one of their friends beautiful historical home!  As their wedding day arrived, the countless hours that the couple had put in to planning this wedding was so evident!  While we were taking pictures of Paula getting ready, Mark was in the garage filling up all of the balloons with the led lights he had engineered to turn on when the sun went down!  Talk about a personal touch!  Once Paula was ready, we went to various parts of the house to get some stunning shots of the bride, utilizing all of the wonderful available window light!  After we captured some beautiful pictures of Paula, we moved outside to set up the first look.  You could not have asked for more beautiful scenery, the backyard was filled with gardens and ponds, and all of the pathways were surrounded by pink and white peonies bouquets!  The first look was a very special moment for Paula and Mark, there was not a dry eye afterwards!  The couple had a backyard ceremony under a tent, surrounded with their homemade balloons and flowers!  One of our favorite personal touches on this wedding was the butterfly release after the ceremony.  Guests were given butterflies, and the kids LOVED it!  We then were able to get some really great pictures of the newly weds with their butterflies!  After the ceremony ended, we were able to sneak away with Paula and Mark to some of their favorite places to get some very intimate pictures.  From the flowers, to the butterflies and the balloons, this DIY wedding was definitely one for the books!  Congratulations Paula and Mark, we are so happy we got to be a part of your magical day!