1. Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
When planning our wedding we thought about past times that we were wedding guests and used that perspective to make sure our guests were comfortable and had a great time. My husband is a 4th generation excavator (heavy equipment operator) so being able to incorporate his family and the machines they've used to build their business was so special to us. For my side of the family we wanted to do something to highlight my Irish heritage and did a Celtic knot tying ceremony while saying our vows.
2. Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
The decor for the wedding was very laid back and more natural than most. We wanted the surrounding area and beautiful view from our wedding tent to be the focus. Almost everything I used as decorations was DIY! There were a lot of signs that were made by myself or family friends- from welcome signs to the seating charts everything was recycled or hand made. My husband and groomsmen built our ceremony arch by hand along with the wood/ tree trunk centerpieces.
3. What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
Something that always upset me when going to other weddings was seeing all of the beautiful flowers get thrown away at the end of the night and thinking about how much money that wasted. This was the main reason I used all fake flowers for my wedding day and I am so glad I did. My bouquet now sits in a beautiful vase in my home that I can look at everyday and remember my wedding. The other florals used for the bridesmaids and decorations were able to be recycled or given to other people to use for their special day.
4. Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
The entire wedding was personalized to us and our families which was so meaningful. My husbands grandfather restores classic cars so he drove me and my bridesmaids for our "grand entrance" to the ceremony. My husband also drove one of their machines filled with his groomsmen up to the ceremony which the guests absolutely loved. One of my favorite parts of the wedding was when my husband surprised me with fireworks during the reception and all of our guests got to enjoy them with us.
5. Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
We both have jobs where we work outdoors and get dirty so dressing up is not something we get to do often. This was fun for us to plan our looks and get really dressed up. My husband wanted to wear a white tuxedo because his father and grandfather both wore white tuxedos when they got married so it was a tradition. It took a lot of trying on wedding dresses to find the perfect one which included sparkle, intricate designs, and a ballgown skirt. Of course I had to wear cowgirl boots to keep my horse back riding background a part of my outfit.
6. How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
I met my husband during my freshman year of college through mutual friends that lived in the same dorm and we started dating a few months later. We are both very laid back and don't like a lot of attention or fuss over anything and the proposal was exactly that. We were driving back from a friend's birthday party and were just singing along in the car having fun. He pulled the car over and just turned and asked me to marry him without even having a ring! I thought he was lying at first but he said he wanted me to be his wife and the next day we picked out my ring.
7. What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
The most anticipated and special moment of my wedding day was our first look at a horse farm near the venue. I wanted to share a special moment with my husband before the craziness of the wedding started. I was so nervous and emotional because it felt so surreal that after 18 months of stressful planning the moment was finally happening. It was so nice to take pictures of just us together without anyone watching or being pulled away to talk to someone. When we were walking back to the cars one of the horses came over to the fence and we got some of my favorite pictures together. It was one of my dreams to have a horse as a part of our wedding photos.
8. Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
My biggest piece of advice for couples planning their wedding is to create something that they would want to attend themselves. The planning is hard work and extremely stressful but when the wedding finally comes you get to enjoy the party you spent time creating! Take time to enjoy the moment with your new spouse because you're going to be pulled a million different directions the day of your wedding. It really is true that it flies by in the blink of an eye and I always wish I could relive that day.
Food: Hillbilly BBQ Food Truck
Tents, tables, chairs: Smith Brothers Tent Rental
DJ: Jaybird
Wedding Dress: Kleinfeld Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Radiance Bridal
Alcohol/Beverages: Wert’s Beverages
Photographer: Laurel Creative