When two people who first bonded over a shared birthday finally said “I do,” they made sure every detail felt personal—starting with a ceremony led by the groom’s brother-in-law, whose officiating struck the perfect balance of touching and hilarious. Private vows exchanged just before the ceremony, with only their photographer as witness, set the emotional tone for the day: Yaro’s vows made Emily laugh, and Emily’s made Yaro cry. Under an archway wrapped in cascading autumn leaves, in a backyard that family had spent weeks transforming by hand, the couple exchanged their vows surrounded by the people who mean the most to them.
The reception carried that same intimate, handcrafted spirit into the evening, with strings of twinkle lights overhead, tables set with thrifted antique china, and a rich autumnal palette of burgundy, gold, and rust. Each place setting held a custom wooden coaster—handmade by the groom through his own Etsy shop, engraved with a guest’s name on one side and the couple’s ceremony archway and wedding date on the other, doing double duty as a keepsake favor. The night’s most memorable moment came during the father-daughter dance, when the groom’s daughter unexpectedly joined in, spinning in circles with her new stepmom and grandfather-in-law for an entirely unplanned, joy-filled moment that left the whole party in happy tears.
We’re thrilled to feature their love story in the Summer/Fall 2026 issue of Real Weddings.
Read on to see more of their love story, their wedding vendor dream team, plus more details, tidbits and wedding photos by Erica Baldwin Photography.
