A Backyard Wedding Complete With ShuShu/Tong, Antique Plates, and DIY Details
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Katy Shayne; Sam Hylton"As soon as I saw Brad, I was in love," shares Hannah Anderson as she reminisces on the beginning of her relationship with her now husband, Bradley Mackeson. A group road trip to Joshua Tree prompted the couple's initial meeting in addition to a little scheming from mutual friends and a shared career in music. "I lived in Texas at the time," recalls Anderson. "Our mutual friend Tyler kept telling me about Brad and all the cool work that Brad was doing. We're all musicians, so that was our common thread. Tyler, Brad, a few friends, and I took a road trip to Joshua Tree. Brad only had one seat in his truck, so of course, I jumped into the seat as fast as I could. On the three-hour road trip, there was never a moment of awkward silence. We flowed." After a couple of months of visits between Texas and L.A., moving in together, and a proposal, the rest is history.
Mackeson proposed six years later near a natural spring on Makalawena Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii. "It was an impromptu proposal with some cute little rings I had found at a vintage shop in Hilo a few days earlier," shares Mackeson. "I kept the rings on my person knowing a time would present itself, which it did!" Although the couple had been together for quite some time, Mackeson recalls that the two of them hadn't extensively discussed the idea of getting engaged, "so there was some real suspense there." Anderson adds, "I think we both went into shock, and after I said yes, we just stood there holding hands and shaking."
The two decided to get married in Mackeson's parents' backyard in Troutdale, Oregon—a property that backs up to the gorgeous river where the ceremony was held. The day was filled with the true personality of the couple, hands-on support from their community, and tons of creative details that really set this wedding apart. Scroll down to read more about the day from the perspective of both the bride and groom, including the antique plates, outfit details, and more.
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Katy Shayne"The night before, we had an intimate rehearsal dinner with just immediate family and whoever was in the ceremony."
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Sam Hylton"We did a walk-through of the ceremony, and then Brad's parents provided dinner for us."
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Katy Shayne"I wore a Hill House dress, and my shoes were from Hereu. I wanted to keep it really simple and easy! [My friend] Anica gifted me the bow at my bridal shower, so I thought that would be fun to wear for the rehearsal. [She] also helped me coordinate the day of the wedding [and] threw a beautiful bridal shower for me the week prior to the wedding for the L.A. girls. It was perfect! One of her best friends, Alana Jones-Mann, made a vintage-style wedding cake that said 'Mrs. Mackeson' on it. I wept when I saw it."
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Sam Hylton; Jonpaul DouglassWWW Weddings tip: "Go with the flow!"
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Katy Shayne"I got ready with a few of my girlfriends. We didn't have a bridal party or groomsmen, but I at least wanted the experience of getting ready with my girls! My friends Caileigh, Carly, Emma, and Anica all helped me prep tablescapes and décor and then stayed to get ready with me. It was so much fun!"
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Katy Shayne"I wore a vintage yellow slip dress that I thrifted. It was so chic and delicate! Unplanned, a few of the other girls wore vintage slips too! It was meant to be."
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Katy Shayne"I wanted the beauty to feel kind of '60s mod but didn't want to feel like I was in a costume. I did my own makeup and hair and felt really good. I felt the most me I have ever felt."
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Katy ShayneWWW Weddings tip: "There is a lot of pressure when it comes to planning your wedding. Choose your battles! Find things that you're willing to be more relaxed with, and find the things that are the most important to you and stick with them. For me, that was my dress and my guest list!"
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Katy Shayne"Being that the wedding was going to be outside, I wanted something shorter. I have been obsessed with ShuShu/Tong for a while and started scouring the internet for a white piece from them and ended up finding this piece on Ssense. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one."
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Katy Shayne"Since the dress was cropped, I almost went with an extra-long veil until I saw this cropped veil on Etsy and loved it."
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Katy Shayne"My outfit came together so perfectly—it was meant to be. I had tried on more traditional gowns, but they didn't feel like me."
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Katy Shayne"The shoes I got online at Pêche. The floral, the jacquard—what more could you need? I paired the shoe with a sheer white knee-high sock. I made my earrings! My pearl mini purse is vintage. I thrifted it in Palm Beach the week after my Miami bachelorette trip this summer."
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Jonpaul Douglass"How we dress and our fashion choices are a form of nonverbal communication to the exterior world," says Mackeson as he shares the details of his look. "It's a way we can subtly communicate our values to others. As an artist and person, I'm especially inspired by the people and art of the mid-'60s the early '70s. Peace, love, freedom, and open-mindedness. I also love the sophistication and clean lines of late '50s and '60s mod."
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Jonpaul Douglas"Another defining aspect of my person is a resilient 'never say die' independent attitude and gusto, so I knew I wanted to get a little Western grit in the mix. I'm all about peace and love, but I still want people to take me seriously. You know what I mean? A distinguished gentleman who likes his LSD and isn't afraid to rough it when he has to.
"With that in mind, I went to work browsing used vintage suits on Etsy and eBay. I knew I wanted something a little big for me so I could tailor it to my needs. After much searching, I ran across an ivory '90s zoot suit that had a mod vibe to it! After taking a considerable amount of length off the jacket (if you've seen a zoot suit, you know what I'm talking about), I had the tailor add a subtle flare to the pants. Not enough to be the focal, but enough to let you know. I also knew this would pair well with my boots and link the Western aspects of the look."
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Katy Shayne"My favorite part of the look, other than the snakeskin boots, is the vintage Western ribbon tie. I found both the ribbon tie and boots on Etsy. In 2020, my wife and I founded our record label SlickPony Records as a place to release our music. The tie has a hand-stitched mirrored image of two horses. For me, this represents the duality of our feminine and masculine energy coming together and joining in union."
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Jonpaul Douglass"Our venue was Brad's parents' backyard. They live on a river, and it felt like the perfect setting."
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Katy Shayne"Brad's parents, Dean and Shireen, did a lot of work to prepare the property. Shireen planted this wonderland garden that bloomed perfectly for the wedding."
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Jonpaul Douglass"We had gone between doing a Joshua Tree wedding (where we first connected) to a Hawaii wedding (where we got engaged) and ended up landing on the river."
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Jonpaul Douglass; Katy ShayneHannah and Brad at the venue.
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Katy Shayne"Because we didn't use a venue, we had to source everything from tables to kitchen gear for our chef to tables and chairs. Brad's mom sourced all of our vintage dishware from estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, and thrift shops."
WWW Weddings tip: "I didn't hire a planner for my wedding and think it would've actually been amazing to have a third-party mediator for details, seating, etc. Tensions may get high during planning, so whatever you can do to alleviate those tensions I highly recommend."
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Katy ShayneWWW Weddings tip (from the groom): "Weddings can be very overwhelming—not only for you but also your parents and family. At some points, it may not even feel worth it. My advice to you is that it is worth it. Once the ceremony starts, it's all love. Stay present and enjoy the beautiful moment with your loved ones."
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Katy Shayne"Although we both grew up in religious families, we aren't religious in any way now. We have done things quite differently from our families, and in planning the wedding, my friend Emma sent me this quote from Bert Hellinger called 'The Black Sheep.' When I read it, I wept. Brad and I both agreed this would be the theme of our wedding, which is why we put the black sheep illustration on the invitation.
"'The black sheep, those who do not adapt, those who cry rebelliously, play a basic role within each family system. They repair, pick up, and create new and unfold branches in the family tree. Thanks to these members, our trees renew their roots. Its rebellion is fertile soil. Its madness is water that nourishes. Its stubbornness is new air. Its passion is fire that reignites the light of the heart of the ancestors.'"
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Katy Shayne"Jonpaul, who officiated, also wanted to photograph throughout the night. He asked if he could shoot photos during the ceremony. It was so sweet and playful."
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Sam Hylton; Katy ShayneThe couple celebrating post-ceremony.
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Katy Shayne; Sam Hylton"My nephews were the ring bearers, and I had three flower girls. The boys wore matching baby-blue plaid vests and trousers with little patent black-and-white schoolboy oxford shoes. The girls wore white puffy dresses with knee-high navy socks that I embroidered baby-blue flowers on."
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Katy ShayneThe bride's and groom's families.
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Katy Shayne"The overall vision was an end-of-summer garden party. I knew the garden and outdoor scenery would really make the night, so apart from that, I didn't want to have too much additional décor."
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Jonpaul Douglass"Everyone got an embroidered napkin for dinner. This was the take-home keepsake from the evening. I spent weeks and weeks embroidering these! Thankfully, a friend let me borrow her embroidery machine so I didn't have to do each one by hand."
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Katy Shayne"I made paper flowers and paper-mache vases to put throughout the dinner tables. I realized at the last minute that I didn't buy sign holders for the table numbers, so we propped up the numbers with river rocks. It ended up being a nice natural touch."
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Jonpaul Douglass"I hand-painted the entry sign and the seating chart with watercolor."
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Kaiman Kazazian"I also made this paper-mache angel that I hung at the entrance. He was the guardian angel of the night."
WWW Weddings tip: "Remember why you're doing this when it gets stressful! There's a lot to plan, so many details, so many things to juggle. Just remember that this is about you and your partner and about sharing the love you have for each other with the most important people in your life. So special!"
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Sam Hylton"For us, this whole wedding felt like a time and opportunity to showcase everything we are about—love, creativity, and community."
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Jonpaul Douglass"For our first dance, we danced to 'Out the Blue' by John Lennon. Our dog, Rufio, danced with us the entire time!"
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Katy Shayne"[Something] that was really important for us was a family-style meal. Our friend Natalia Pereira of Woodspoon came to cook for us. We created a makeshift kitchen in Brad's dad's barn for her. My friends, Julie and Lori, and a couple of Natalia's friends all rallied to make it possible for us. We had salmon, lamb, seasonal vegetables, Natalia's signature potato salad, rice and beans with crispy pork, Asian pear salad, yucca fries, and more. It was phenomenal."
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Katy Shayne"For our cake, we had a GF chocolate cake with a whipped coconut cream icing and loaded with seasonal, local fruits. I made the cake! We got all of the produce from Burns Farm in Troutdale. They grow some produce and work with local farmers to supply other meat and produce. It's the cutest place ever."
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Kaiman Kazazian"The main vision I had for the reception was the dance party of the century, and I think we pulled that off."
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Sam HyltonGuests dancing at the reception.
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Sam Hylton"I kept the same look on through the night—I just removed my veil and added my little grill. I had it custom-made for a video earlier this year and always love wearing it for parties! Brad's mom had given me this antique floral crown that I had revamped and added gingham bows to, but I forgot to put it on!"
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Kaiman Kazazian"Me and a few of the ladies ended the night with an icy river dip."
Photographers: Katy Shayne, Sam Hylton, Jonpaul Douglass, and Kaiman Kazazian
Officiant: Jonpaul Douglass
Caterer: Natalia Pereira of Woodspoon
Produce: Burns Farm
Rentals: Arden Event Collective