Most weddings take place late afternoon or early evening, as guests dance the night away. Because of postponements and cancellations related to COVID-19 restrictions, engaged couples are quickly learning that their preferred dates and times are booked up—even a year or more out. Take a cue from this couple who held a brunch wedding in the groom’s parents’ backyard, with personal details the guests loved. One guest favorite was incorporating the couple’s cute dog into the event in every way they could think of—more of this, please!

Most couples don’t hatch plans to open a roadside motor lodge on their first date. And if they did, most couples wouldn’t actually go through with it. But Kaitlyn Canfield and Philip Sterling aren’t most couples. Their first endeavor as a couple was renovating a circa-1950s roadside motel in Salida, Colorado, they named the Amigo Motor Lodge. Their second project? A wedding. The aesthetic was subdued and rustic, but elevated. They chose the grounds of Philip’s parents’ elegant, lush Fort Worth home as the venue for their brunch-hour May 2017 wedding. A glass-top tent with flowers hanging from the ceiling and natural lighting set the scene. The couple’s dog, Moffett, strutted down the aisle as their ring bearer. (She also graced the invitations, cocktail napkins, koozies, and more.) The couple selected a passage from The Alchemist and a poem by Frida Kahlo for readings. Bridesmaids wore nontraditional white, and Kaitlyn and Philip recited original vows, with Philip promising not to store his outdoor gear in their living room, and Kaitlyn vowing not to spend all their money on expensive candles. Get all the details here: https://dweddings.com/story/kaitlyn-canfield-philip-sterling/