Ari & Bryce’s wedding almost didn’t happen. 

A terrifying and near-tragic accident almost put the day on hold.  But, this resilient couple didn’t let anything, not even rocks, stand in the way of tying the knot!

Rocks have played a major role in Ari and Bryce’s relationship.

They met in 2014 at their local climbing gym. Despite their busy schedules (Ari as a nurse practitioner and Bryce as a law student preparing for the Bar), they ran to the mountains every free moment they had and fell more in love with each new adventure.

After Bryce passed the Bar, they headed out to Colorado for some serious rocks, adventure and a surprise proposal on top of Uncompahgre Peak!

With the mountains in their hearts and a new rock on Ari’s finger, the couple quickly jumped into wedding planning, and Ari fell in love with a special pair of J’Adorn Designs rocks! (Yes, yes… crystals are rocks!)

She saw the custom earrings we made for another J’Adorn Bride and asked if we could recreate a pair for her.  We were thrilled to revisit the design.  Her earrings are a custom twist on the Gold Crystal Vine & Opal Teardrop Earrings we carry in the Jewelry Shop.

Two weeks before the big day, with the details well in hand, Bryce and his groomsmen headed out to Smith Rock State Park for a weekend of climbing the rocks.

On their last climb of the trip, Bryce took a 40 foot fall and sustained injuries to all four of his extremities, which left him temporarily wheelchair bound.  Miraculously, he did not suffer any permanent spinal or brain injuries!

But, with just a handful of days to go before the wedding, his surgeon suggested they consider postponing the big day.

After a quick breakdown (because, of course, how heartbreaking!), Bryce and Ari decided that delaying their wedding just wasn’t going to be an option.  And their family and friends rallied around them to make sure their day would happen!

They held their rehearsal dinner at the skilled nursing facility where Bryce was recovering, and with the help of his brother, Bryce and Ari were still able to have a first dance… wheelchair and all! 

It really is so easy to get caught up in the glitz and minutia of a wedding and forget what’s at the foundation of it all.  We love the perspective Ari brings…

“Dealing with such a near miss just days before our wedding helped us to realize that our wedding wasn’t about all of the little details that I had been stressing over weeks before. In the end, all that mattered was that we had each other.” 

We feel so honored to have one of our pieces play a small role in the kind of wedding that reminds us all that weddings are about celebrating the beginning of a real flesh-and-blood life together.  A life of ups and downs, of betters and worses. And NOT about the details of throwing a party.

We are especially tickled to learn that Ari’s version of these Gold Crystal Vine & Opal Earrings were so loved by one of her best friends, that she will be using them as her “something borrowed” for her upcoming wedding!

If Ari & Bryce’s story captures your heart the way is has ours, go ahead and check out their wedding video. Bryce’s cousin (Kyle Vandever Productions) created it to share their beautiful story.

Photos of Bryce & Ari’s wedding by: BriAnne Elizabeth Photography

Today, we’re showing off the custom set of bridal jewelry we created full of vintage vibes and stunning raw crystals.

Bride Kylie found us on Instagram.  She fell in love with a post featuring our Deco Rose Gold Bridal Earrings, but the metal color wasn’t exactly right for her.  She reached out to us to see if it would be possible to get them in yellow gold.  

• And as a custom jeweler, our answer is (almost) always YES!

What started as a request for customized earrings quickly grew into a full custom set of bridal jewels.  The raw crystals paired with a vintage style came together in the most romantic way.

In the end, we created four elements for Kylie’s wedding look:

• earrings
• necklace
• bracelet
• hairpin set

Notice the vintage details in these pieces!  From the warm, yellow gold and deco-style embellishments inspired by the original earrings that caught Kylie’s eye; to the rough clear crystal quartz points and the more delicate clear Swarovski crystal “sprouts” (our signature element).

This set gives us all the romantic vintage wedding feels.  And we think raw crystals might be the most lovely wedding jewelry element since pearls!

We played with the contrast between rough + fine for a stunning effect.  The delicate chains on the necklace and bracelet set against the rough crystals give interest to the look.  And, the set ended up looking cohesive but not overly “matchy.”

Pure perfection!

And, in a time when rose gold is having a moment and white gold has been the standard, these warm yellow hues are refreshing (and just the right way to keep that vintage vibe).

Kylie sent us such a sweet message when her vintage wedding jewels showed up on her doorstep:

“I wanted to let you know I got all of the jewelry and it is even prettier in person! I love it all…and I can’t wait to see it all put together on the wedding day!”

This bridal set has got our design wheels turning as we think about the next bridal collection.

• Would you like to see any of these pieces make an appearance in the Jewelry Shop? Tell us in the comments!

Photo Credits: Bekah Kay Creative // Nichole Meredith Photography

Ally had a specific vision for her bridal accessories but couldn’t find it in any store. So, she called on us to create her custom floral hairpins! 

J’Adorn bride Ally wears a lot of hats. 

She’s an engineer, a fitness instructor, and a graduate student to name just a few of the roles she fills.

When it came to her bridal headwear, she knew exactly what she wanted.

But after searching high and low for those hair accessories in stores, she couldn’t find them.

Thankfully, Ally used to work with woman who had custom bridal jewelry from J’Adorn Designs for her wedding! (Remember Jamie’s custom rose gold jewelry from last year’s styled elopement? )

With Jamie’s referral, Ally reached out to me a few months before her wedding to ask if I could help bring her vision to life.

She wanted two very small floral hairpins with minimal embellishments, no wider than one inch per pin.

It was a very specific request that I embraced as a design challenge! And after two rounds of design revisions, Ally and I decided on the perfect custom floral hairpins design for her walk down the aisle.

To make Ally’s custom bridal hairpins, I used a combination of paper millinery flowers, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystals in my signature hand-wired sprout formation.

With a golden leaf and beaded ivory flower as accents, each pin represented delicate simplicity at its finest.

Ally was thrilled with the results of her custom floral hairpins.

She raved, “I love them so much!”

From the father-daughter dance until the last kiss of the night, Ally’s custom floral hairpins were the perfect accent to her half-up bridal hairstyle.

Wedding photos by Kate Dixon // Product photos by Nichole Meredith