Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette?
I wanted our wedding to feel like an intimate backyard wedding but with 170 people. My goal was to create a magical, garden party that wasn't too structured. Our ceremony was the perfect blend of traditional and personal. We had friends and family read scriptures and lead in worship. It was super special that our favorite people participated in our favorite day! Our colors were green, pink, and blue. My bridesmaids' dresses and flowers were different shades of each of those.
Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
Our ceremony was in a church, and we kept it very simple. We framed the altar with two large, whimsical arrangements in urns by @meaganjenkinsflowers. Our welcome sign was a vintage mirror and we let the mid-century church speak for itself, with the lack of decoration elsewhere. Our reception was at the botanical gardens, and we set up our tables in a giant U-shape. In the middle was the black and white dance floor. We framed the space with string lights which added to the magical and cozy vibes of the night. Wireless lamps and bud vases dotted the tables, adding light and color all around. All of our signs were in vintage frames, and we reused the large flower arrangements from the ceremony for the food and dessert table. Also, pro tip: my bridesmaids' bouquets doubled as table centerpieces.
Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, traditions, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
Something personal and memorable that my bridesmaids did the morning of the wedding was creating their own bouquets. My florist dropped off all of the flowers and we spent the morning making arrangements together (I made my toss bouquet). It was super fun and they all loved it! For party favors, I wanted a memorable and practical gift for our lovely guests. I spent months thrifting glasses for our champagne table at cocktail hour. Guests picked out their favorite, filled it up throughout the night, and took it home with them. We also had some family friends DJ which was super fun and special because we didn't have a random stranger announcing things all night AND we made our own playlist. We're very picky with music and wanted full control of what was played and what wasn't played. One of my favorite parts of our wedding was when I did my first look with Cole. It was comforting to see him privately first and sweet to get his honest, raw reaction. Another moment that I loved is when our wedding party walked out of the ceremony and met us in the church lobby. Everyone was yelling, celebrating, hugging, and crying. It was a beautiful moment that marked the beginning of our new life together, surrounded by loved ones. I, of course, also loved breaking it down on the dance floor all night with our favorite people.
Let’s talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look?
I went into wedding dress shopping knowing I wanted something classic, comfortable, and unique. I tried on a variety of styles and surprised myself by liking a lot of different dresses. It made the decision difficult until I tried on the one I ended up choosing. I was at an off-the-rack store, Sunday's Bridal, and it fit me like a glove. I fell in love with the shape and the puff sleeves topped with long bows that draped down. For Cole, we wanted a classic black suit and a dark green tie to match our wedding colors.
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
The most special part of our wedding day was actually a moment that wasn't planned. At the end of the night during our last song, guests surrounded us arm in arm and swayed along to the music. As it ended, they all ran up to us and smuggled us in hugs and tears. I'll never forget the love I felt in that moment and the sheer joy shared between me and Cole.
Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
Wedding planning is fun, but also very stressful! I had multiple meltdowns because of the pressure I put on myself. My advice would be to remember the purpose of the wedding. No matter what happens or what goes wrong, at the end of the day you'll be married to the love of your life, and that's what actually matters!
