A DIY Disney Themed Wedding with Cats, Glitter, Tattoos & Elvis: Paco & Lacey

Stephanie Kaloi Photography

May 19, 2014

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If someone were to ask me to list all of my favourite things, nearly everything in this wedding would feature: cats, tattoos, Disney, ears, pink, 80s tunes, glitter… I mean goodness, what’s not to love?! The wedding was held at Union/Pine in Portland, in December.

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“Early on in the planning process we struggled with whether we needed a theme or not”, explained Lacey. “Ultimately we decided that the theme should be ‘us’ and the decisions came much easier after that. We didn’t feel any pressure to choose things that would fit snuggly in to a strict theme. Instead our ‘us’ theme meant that we included any and all of the things that make us happy including Disneyland, Elvis, our loved ones, tattoos, sprinkles, our favorite cocktails, photobooths, our cats, hearts, zombies, incredible food, 80s music, balloons, confetti, sparklers and so much more.”

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“Our biggest wish for our wedding was that it would feel like ours”, she continued. “We wanted every detail to reflect our personalities and our journey as a couple. We kept that in mind every step of the way. We looked at the wedding as more of a milestone, rather than a new beginning. Because we’d been together for 7 years before the wedding, for us, it was a big celebration of that chapter of our lives and the future that lies ahead. Even the date had special meaning to us – it was the 7th anniversary of the exact day we met!”

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“One of my favorite ‘us’ inspired elements were our temporary tattoo wedding favors. We are both tattoo lovers and our artwork has often been a conversation starter in our families. We asked the tattoo artist that we both go to, Jerry Ware, to draw us and had his art made into temporary tattoos. Guests put them on at a temporary tattoo parlour that was set up during cocktail hour and they were a huge hit. Even my parents got ‘tattooed’ that night!”

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“As far as a Rock n Roll attitude… we didn’t dismiss any of our crazy ideas! We wanted to get tattoos on our wedding day – so we did! We wanted an Elvis impersonator to serenade us for our first dance – so we hired one! We wanted a big heart sign at the altar to light up while confetti cannons exploded as we kissed – so we made it happen! We incorporated a few of the more traditional wedding elements that we loved, but otherwise if it felt right we did it… no matter how crazy it seemed. Even our most conservative guests loved the off-beat elements because they so perfectly represented our personalities.”

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“Our wedding day tattoos defined the day perfectly”, she said. “During a romantic dinner just before the big day we each drew a small heart. Then during the cocktail hour just after our ceremony, our awesome photographer, Stephanie Kaloi, drove us to see the tattoo artist. I got the heart that Paco drew tattooed on my ring finger and he got the heart that I drew on his. I like to say that we carry each other’s hearts… literally. We didn’t have any doubts about getting them because we believe so fully that our love is just like a tattoo – forever. The quiet moment we spent together admiring our new tattoos before heading back to the party is one of my favorite memories of the night.”

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The wedding also had a lot of DIY elements including paper lanterns, the tattoo parlour and the stationery. “We wanted to incorporate as many DIY elements as possible for a personal touch, so we each took on a few projects. Paco created beautiful paper lanterns to hang above us during the ceremony. They were inspired by a favorite Disney movie, Tangled. He also built the wooden ‘tattoo parlour’ booth from scratch. It looked a little like a lemonade stand with a handmade ‘TATTOO’ sign and heart detail on the front. It was awesome! Guests put on their temporary tattoos there. I designed the programs, menus and all other signs. I also hand painted a ceramic teacup card ‘box’, another Disneyland reference. We also did many smaller projects like gluing napkin rings, spray painting picture frames and tying plenty of bows.”

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“Patience is key”, she advises in conclusion, “with each other and throughout whole planning process. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by it all. On wedding day the things that are really important will stand out and the things that aren’t ‘perfect’ will be the last on your mind. Paco’s advice is to make time NOT to plan. Set aside a date night once a week to be with each other without any wedding talk. That quality time helps remind you why you’re getting married in the first place.”

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