Wedding photos—and DIY advice—from one of our favorite DC fashion designers

For the past year, Kristen Swenson has been crafting sustainable garments and accessories for her U Street boutique Ginger Root Design. So when her boyfriend of two years, Louie McCoy, popped the question, she knew her May 29 wedding in Barrett, MN (near Swenson’s hometown) would be a DIY affair to remember.

“Weddings can be pretty wasteful, and a lot gets thrown away after,” says Swenson. “We just decided to come at it from a different angle. Whenever possible, we recycled and shopped local so that money was going back into the community.”

Just about everything from start to finish was made using repurposed materials. Swenson stitched “Kristen and Louie” clothing labels on to each invitation, the wedding bands were melted from reclaimed family gold, and the programs were made of seeded paper. Even the savviest of thrift store shoppers would be envious of the groom’s dapper $3 suit, which was paired with a vintage blue vest, wingtips, and his grandfather’s tie. But no one outshone the bride, who glowed in a dress constructed from three gowns—one of which belonged to her mother…