As some of you may know, Alex & I tied the knot in my parent’s backyard on 10/24/20.
I’m sure it might seem fast to some of you (seeing that we just got engaged on 9/26/20) but this pandemic has taught us what’s really important in life. Do we need to have a huge, fancy party to get married & start our lives? No. We just wanted to be married, start our lives together as husband and wife and not feel like we’re putting our lives on hold. And for those of you wondering/asking me- no I’m not pregnant!
The day was absolutely perfect.
I’m sure every bride says that, but the day was truly magical & everything I could have ever imagined. It was like my Pinterest boards came to life! Our wedding was laid back & just so us. There were fifteen people total in attendance, our immediate families mostly & then other family and friends were able to join via Zoom. The amount of love Alex & I felt that day was incredible and so appreciated.
And the most special part- the sound of cardinals chirping during the ceremony. My grandparents have passed & since then we have always seen cardinals in our yard (cardinals are a universal symbol of deceased loved ones). During the ceremony there was such a strong chorus of cardinals chirping & it was so magical. I know my grandparents were there looking down on us all & sending their love.
So planning a wedding in 4 weeks is no easy task!
I’ve always loved the rustic, farmhouse vibes so I knew that was the feel I was going for. The good thing about having a super small wedding- I didn’t have to use rental services for all the flatware, tabletop items etc. I ordered the majority of the tabletop items from Amazon & was able to curate a tablescape that is exactly what I wanted.
I was able to get a dress from A Step Ahead (a local boutique that specializes in formal gowns & dresses- I have purchased every prom dress/formal dress from here) in a week! I wanted something super comfortable, casual & white. Since we plan on having an “I Do Re-Do” in 2022, I didn’t want to wear a typical wedding dress & wanted to wear something a bit whimsical. Out of the norm for me & out of my comfort zone.
And thank God for having talented friends to help bring that vision to life. My friend William, made this lace cape for me. With no pattern might I add! It totally made the look & kept me warm as it was a tad chilly that night. It’s truly a keepsake & something I’ll treasure forever.
The florals were another aspect of the day that I absolutely loved. My super talented friend Terrance is a floral extraordinaire & created this amazing vibe from the little direction I gave him. I told him my colors were black, grey, white & blush & he created the most amazing arrangements. It was better than anything I could have ever envisioned.
We had the food catered with the exception of the smoked brisket that Alex made. I was out of this world good & I love that he had a special way to contribute to our day. He LOVES his smoker & he’s always experimenting with new recipes (making pizzas on it are our favorite thing ever). PS a smoker makes a great gift for the holidays!
I got a lot of questions as to whether or not we feel we got screwed out of a traditional wedding experience.
Yes and no. We absolutely loved the stress free wedding day we had & how it was exactly us. Do I feel sad that I didn’t get to have a shower, bachelorette party or even get a traditional wedding dress? Yes. I really missed out on those experiences, however….like I said before, we are having a larger wedding/I Do Re-Do in 2022 or whenever it’s safe to gather in large groups again. But all that matters to us is that we were able to get married, in a safe way, during this crazy pandemic.
It was honestly one of the best days of our lives. It went by way too fast but it will be a day that we remember forever.
None of my vendors who I worked with were sponsored. I literally had a previous connection with everyone who had a hand in making our wedding day extremely special.
Photography: Mindy Briar
Hair: Sara Burns (owner of The Parlour)
Makeup: Beauty by Nicole
Dress: A Step Ahead
Catering: Garden Catering
Florals: Florals and Scape Design by Rhodes
Cake: DiMare Bakery
