Like so many other Covid-19 real wedding couples, Rachael & Marcellino (Marchie) faced countless restrictions and reschedules, ultimately forcing them to put their dream wedding at their dream venue on hold. Along the way, they realised that their newly-renovated home in Columbus, Ohio, might just be the perfect place to make the best of the situation. Their backyard offered the perfect intimate ceremony spot, as well as the most magical reception space for a bohemian-inspired dinner party for their 25 guests (and Rosie, the adorable Goldendoodle!) The pair got creative and filled the space with dreamy florals and decor to bring the boho vibes they love, and create their dream minimony (otherwise known as a mini ceremony) at home. The most adorable moment of all? Rosie’s trip down the aisle as honorary flower girl! Let’s take a look at the incredible imagery by Catherine Milliron Photography…

Bride Rachael hails from from Cincinnati, and Groom Marcellino from Columbus, and the pair met while working together. Rachael fills us in, “We both noticed each other but neither of us knew how to officially make the first move so we ended up being friends for about six months before finally admitting we liked one another! Marchie claims he saw me walking in the main hallway the first week I started working there and knew he wanted to meet me, but was too shy. It just so happens, I also noticed him and wanted to meet him as well but had no idea how to go up to a total stranger and introduce myself. It must have been fate because we ended up having mutual friends so we finally had a way to meet!”

She adds, “Soon after meeting we would go on walks at work every afternoon to get coffee and just talk about life and things we were interested in, and quickly became best friends. Around Christmas time a lot of mutual friends at work all went out for drinks, and finally, after a little bit of liquid courage on both ends, we were able to admit that we liked each other and wanted to go on a real date! So it was settled – we finally had a real date set, which was to go get some drinks and go see the movie The Revenant (interesting first date movie choice, we know!) After that date, we were pretty much inseparable and there was no more shyness!”

The proposal happened while the couple were travelling in Los Angeles and it sounds pretty epic! “We are big travellers and typically I do most of the planning because it is something that I truly enjoy!” Rachael says. “Marchie insisted on planning this trip (which may have raised a few flags) but regardless, I was excited to see what he would come up with. Fast forward a few months and we are on our way to Los Angeles for an extended weekend over the Fourth of July. He truly went above and beyond and made the entire trip so magical – I’m talking first class seats on the flight to and from, ocean view hotel room in Santa Monica… everything was pure magic!”

Marchie told Rachael that he had booked them on a group tour of a vinyard in Malibu. “The vineyard, called Cielo Farms, was at the top of one of the mountain peaks,” she recalls. “We walk into the vineyard and this so-called ‘group’ that we were supposed to have the tasting with wasn’t there. It turns out that Marchie had reserved the entire vineyard for just us to have a private tasting and tour. We sampled a couple of their delicious wines and then began a tour of the vineyard. We walked down a gorgeous path enclosed in vines and beautiful shades of greenery that opened up to a 360 degree view of the Malibu mountains. We were standing at the end of the path admiring the view, sipping on a glass of Champagne, when I noticed Marchie was oddly quiet… and that is when he started to get down on one knee and asked me the easiest question I’ve ever had to answer! After the initial shock wore off, I could hear clicking in the background. He had also hired a professional photographer to capture the moment which made it even more special. We wrapped up the night with a Leon Bridges concert at the Hollywood Bowl and it was the best day of my life (up until wedding day of course!)”

The couple’s dog, Rosie the Goldendoodle, was their honorary flower girl. She even had a custom-made dress for the occasion!

Rachael’s beautiful bridal gown is from Azazie, which she paired with nude sandals from Target and a romantic pearl-embellished veil. Marcellino looked sharp in a charcoal grey suit from Alpha Suit. 

Rachael and Marcellino originally planned for a black tie event at an art museum with 165 guests, but unfortunately, they had to postpone due to Covid. After multiple changes caused them to toss out their original location and plans, the pair got creative in their own backyard. Rachael says, “If you’d told me when I got engaged that I’d be getting married in our backyard, I would’ve told you you’re crazy. When we decided to go ahead with our Covid minimony instead of our big wedding, we realised that our small backyard was actually the perfect place to get married. This is the first place we have ever lived together and our first house together. We think it is so special that we got to get married under the tree in our backyard of our first house together. Not many people get that opportunity! It is a special memory we will think about for the rest of our lives.”

She adds, “We had only 25 guests, which made it really special and laid back. The wedding was the complete opposite of what we were originally planning… in a good way!”

Both Rachael & Marcellino have a little advice for other couples struggling with multiple postponements. Rachael says,”It is so easy to get caught up while wedding planning and always wanting more or wanting that perfect day. Every aspect of life these days feels like a constant comparison of what everyone else has, with weddings being no exception. My advice to couples planning their day is to take a deep breath and relax, and know that everything might not be perfect and that is OK Having our Covid minimony taught us that what matters most is that you are marrying the love of your life, and even if there are a few bumps in the planning process, I can assure you it will all be OK.”

“Ultimately, the most important thing was getting to marry each other,” Rachael adds. “At the end of the day, it didn’t matter if it was at the nicest venue in the city or at the courthouse, as long as we have each other, that’s all that matters. We feel very fortunate given the circumstances with Covid that we were even able to have a minimony this year. First and foremost, our biggest concern was our loved ones’ safety. Other than that, I like to think of planning a wedding from the guests perspective. I ask myself, “What would I like to see at a wedding if I was attending as a guest?” For me, I think this means good food, good music, and something that has wow factor!”

Marcellino’s words of advice? “Have patience, always be each other’s teammate, prepare for the unexpected, and do your best to remain positive.”

Now this is a backyard wedding! The couple used a wide range of colours that really popped against the green grass and incorporated a lot of texture to bring additional visual interest with rattan, wicker, pampas grass and linen. The natural textures, sunset palette and little floral vignettes spaced around the setting really bring those bohemian-inspired vibes to life!

Reminiscing on some of her favourite moments, Rachael tells us, “Our dog, Rosie, was able to be the flower girl and low key stole the show with her cuteness. My brother was able to officiate the wedding. My husband spent a few days building the arch we got married under from scratch. I got to assemble some of my own florals (which I wasn’t planning on doing for my big wedding!) We wrote our own vows. We had a piñata full of mini bottles of liquor (highly recommended!) And last but certainly not least, one of my dream jobs would be to design or plan events, so I got to live out that dream and set everything up ourselves with the help of my awesome bridesmaids.”

Rachael and Marcellino had originally planned to Honeymoon in Bora Bora but they unfortunately had to postpone that trip due to Covid-19. Instead, the pair enjoyed a fabulous week in Cabo before flying back stateside to Sedona, Arizona. “We stayed at Enchantment Resort which has an amazing destination spa and a lot of hiking nearby. We highly recommend both!”

Thanks so much to Rachael and Marcellino for sharing their stylish backyard minimony with us, and to Catherine Milliron Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! There are lots more images in the gallery below, if you fancy having a click through.