We still can't get over the awesome gift that this couple received from the mayor on their big day! Take notes, y'all!

From the bride: One of the best pieces of advice we got after getting engaged was to pick three things that were important to us for our wedding. Steven and I knew we wanted an outdoor spring wedding at a historic home with a garden, a live band, and an open bar. We did not know what flowers or colors we wanted, but we knew that we wanted our wedding day to be about spending time with family and friends. Because we invited families with children, we wanted a kid-friendly environment. We added small touches to the wedding, such as personalized coloring books to help create this atmosphere.

We fell in love with Farmington Historic Home because of the garden and all the different colors. We also really liked the flow of the venue. It was perfect to have the ceremony behind the house, a happy hour in the garden, and then the reception under the pavilion. After we picked Farmington, we decided to base the decor and colors to compliment the garden, greenery in the field, and the shrubbery around the ceremony space. For the bouquets, we used some of the same type of flowers that were in the garden and then other seasonal flowers in white and light pink with hints of blue. We kept the style of the bouquets structured but natural.

For the bridal party, Steven and the groomsmen wore bright blue suits from Jos. A Bank. The groomsmen had light purple and navy striped ties and Steven wore a green and navy striped tie – all colors that were in the garden. The bridesmaids’ dresses were different shades of blue – think a blue hydrangea. Each bridesmaid picked out her own dress to make sure they felt comfortable and beautiful. For my dress, I wanted something simple and elegant that would match the feel of the outside venue. Because I love to dance, for better or worse, I wanted a dress that would not hinder my moves on the dance floor. I picked an A-line dress, with a ballet tulle skirt, and lace bodice with a tattoo lace on the back. It was the perfect dress because it was easy to move in, not heavy, and also fit the classy-fun feel of the day.

For the happy hour, we set up a bar, high top tables, and yard games in the garden and field. One of our favorite parts, after the ceremony was, instead of having the bridal party stay with us and take part in the introduction, we asked our bridal party to go to the happy hour and spend time with their family and friends. Again, one of our goals of the day was for our friends and family to spend time with each other. It was also nice, because Steven and I got some time just the two of us to take in the ceremony that just happened!

For the reception in the pavilion, we wanted to use simple and classy decorations that complimented, but not overshadowed, how pretty it was outside. We strung market lights among the rafters in the ceiling and hung sheer white curtains along the pavilion posts. Then, we used natural wood chairs that matched the wood pavilion, white table clothes, and light blue napkins. The centerpieces were simple white candles and different types of white and blush flowers. For dessert, we decided to do a mix of types of desserts and flavors. We picked a three-tier caramel pound cake with white stucco icing, strawberry cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing, chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies. We decorated the cake with the same type of flowers as the bouquets. One of the coolest presents was a proclamation from Mayor Fisher that declared May 21st to be Kathryn and Steven Beck Wedding Day in Louisville, Kentucky.

Deciding on an outside wedding ceremony in May, in Kentucky, is always a risk. We had to make a back-up plan in case it rained during the ceremony, and as luck would have it, it did rain. It rained the week of our wedding, the day before, and on our wedding day. As time got closer to the ceremony, the rain turned to sprinkles, and it was a last-minute call to have the ceremony outside. We had white umbrellas for our guest and bridal party. However, just before I walked down the aisle, there was a delay to fix the microphone. During the five-minute delay, the rain stopped, and as I walked down the aisle, the clouds parted and the sunshine came out. It was truly a magical moment.

One of the best pieces of advice we got on our wedding day was to step away together to a corner of the reception for five minutes and take it all in. We stopped and looked at all of our friends and family laughing and dancing, taking in the joy and happiness that surrounded us on the best day of our lives. We could not have been happier.

Garden Wedding with a Special Surprise