Caroline + Zach's Richmond Wedding

From the Bride: Saying yes to spending our lives together was an easy YES! The next easiest decision was choosing our wedding date. We planned our special day for the 6th anniversary of our first date, June 11, 2022.

Our next big decision was the venue. We wanted the ceremony and reception to take place all at one location, however, my goal was to have a separate area for dining and dancing. The Keen Johnson Building which sits in the center of Eastern Kentucky University’s campus, where my parents met and fell in love provided all the essentials and more.

We were able to incorporate many special details throughout the wedding process with the inclusion of several family treasures. The one heirloom that I didn’t know about came before the wedding day. Zach went to extra lengths to have my paternal grandmother’s engagement ring restored and surprised me with it as he proposed. I was in literal shock! Even though the ring was nearly 70 years old, we found the perfect wedding band to go with the vintage engagement ring. Note, there was a slight mishap with the wedding band during the ceremony, when Zach dropped it. This made for a light moment and plenty of laughter from the friends and family who gathered for our special day. For the rehearsal dinner, I carried my maternal grandmother’s wedding purse. A light blue ribbon and pearl heart was “borrowed” from my mom’s wedding garter to add a special touch to my custom-made garter. Zach and I used a special Lexington, Kentucky themed plate as we cut our beautiful wedding cake, paying homage to the city where we met and fell in love. Our first toast was made with a set of my grandparents’ champagne glasses.

Prior to the ceremony, “My Old Kentucky Home” was played on the bells of the nearby bell tower as a tribute to my late grandfather, “Don Don.” The bridal party entered from each side of the building and lined the stairway of the large porch area. My groom, Zach, along with his best man and the officiant made their entrance from the main door of the building and were greeted by my brother, who was also a groomsman. In the meantime, my dad and I were secretly moved to the back of the aisle via golf cart. Once the bridesmaids and groomsmen were in place, we made our grand entrance. Being the only ones coming down the main aisle, lined with beautiful white flower arrangements, made for a very special moment with my dad – a part of the day I will always treasure.

Following the ceremony, guests were treated to passed appetizers of mini hot browns and cocktails in Walnut Hall (inside the main lobby of the Keen Johnson Building). Guests then moved upstairs to the ballroom for dinner. In the meantime, Zach and I enjoyed a private dinner. This is a part of our day that I will always remember and recommend to future brides, as it gave us time to catch up and debrief before the reception as we chose not to have a first look. We then made our entrance to the ballroom on the second floor, cut our cake, toasted with champagne, and were able to go table to table greeting our guests as husband and wife. Once dinner and cake were served, everyone moved back to the main floor where Zach and I had our first dance together. We danced to “Can't Help Falling In Love” by Kina Grannis. Zach then danced with his mom to, “You’ll Be In My Heart,” by Phil Collins. My dad and I finished out the dances to “Sweet Child O’Mine,” by Guns and Roses. This was the perfect segue for The Jordan English Band to begin the live music for the night. The dance floor stayed packed, and each guest enjoyed a light up tambourine to amp up the party. There were several special songs that included “Mr. Brightside,” “Sweet Caroline,” and “Don’t Stop Believin” in which the band interacted with the crowd, and even pulled Zach and me on stage for the final song. Everyone had a blast! The night ended with everyone lining the walkway for a beautiful sparkler sendoff; a perfect way to end a perfect day.

The entire day was timeless, classic, relaxed, and filled with love – past, present, and future. We will forever treasure this beautiful, exciting time in our lives as we look forward to creating new memories together and with those we hold dearly.

Bride’s Advice: The best advice I can give is to spend your wedding with your spouse. The first time I saw Zach was when I was walking down the aisle, and we were both crying. From that moment on, whether we were taking pictures, having dinner, greeting guests, or hitting up the dance floor, we didn't leave each other’s side. It sounds silly, but I truly cherish spending the majority of my wedding with my husband.

Katelyn DaughertySeptember 7, 2023