This Lake Geneva rustic backyard wedding was simultaneously one of the most intimate and most boisterous celebrations we have ever photographed. The wedding was held in the backyard of the bride’s sister’s house — you can see the tent in the background, and just beyond that, the shore of Lake Geneva.

It had a wonderfully relaxed and cozy feeling because both the bride and groom’s families were so deeply involved in the planning and design of the wedding. The venue belonged to the bride’s sister and brother-in-law, as I said. The grounds were landscaped by the bride’s father, who owns a landscaping business in Lake Geneva. The flowers were chosen and arranged by the bride’s mother. The groom’s mother sourced and designed the tabletop decor. The bride and her friends stayed up until midnight before the wedding hand-making silkscreened tiles to give their guests as wedding favors.

In addition to the DIY elements at this wedding, the bride got lots of great Pinterest and Etsy inspiration, including the cute sign posted on the tree in this photograph. If you can’t read it, it says, “And then one day love comes and steals your heart away.” That’s exactly how the bride and groom felt about each other (they met in a sports bar and immediately bonded over their fanatical enthusiasm for Chicago sports teams).

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The bride is wearing a Monique Lhuillier wedding gown from Glamour Closet. The groom’s suit is from Kenneth Cole. The tenting is from Lakes Area Rentals.