Mike and Meredith’s Elegant, Rustic Wedding

From the Bride: I was never the little girl that dreamed about my future wedding and had it all planned; however, that allowed me to be open to all possibilities and the day evolved into something that was perfect for me and my husband. As wedding planning began, the only details I knew I wanted were those pertaining to my wedding dress. My vision was lace and long sleeves. Before I found my dress, the wedding took on a more typical November theme, white pumpkins, and a deep rust color for the bridesmaid dresses. However, when I found my dress, everything changed. With a champagne blush undertone, lace overlay, and the addition of the long sleeves, the vision of the wedding changed to match the elegance and timelessness of the dress. The color blush became my new obsession and we built on it from there. Rose gold chargers and candle motives, with white birch accents filled our venue. The bridesmaids wore a dusty rose color, which complimented the pop of a deep purple color from the chocolate dahlia flowers. I wanted elegance and rustic all in one. The venue helped provide that rustic touch with the white wash brick walls, the rustic wooden cocktail tables, and a wall of horseshoes. It was perfect for us!

Growing up in Kentucky, horses have always been a way of life. With my father’s career as a Farrier and a three time Derby Winner blacksmith, I wanted to incorporate something personal from my family to give to my guests. My dad began collecting shoes he pulled off horses and with the help of friends and family, we wrapped individual horseshoes worn by racehorses in the Fall Keeneland Meet. All the guests left with a little bit of luck!

Having attended many weddings, we knew we wanted to do some things differently, so it would be refreshing for our guests and for us. Instead of the traditional wedding cake or cupcakes, we had pie. Who doesn’t like pie?! And of course we had to incorporate my Granny’s baking. She is the most amazing baker and we chose to cut into her homemade bundt cake, so delicious! Nothing like homemade goodies!

Something I will always remember from our wedding day is our Unity Ceremony. As guests arrived, they were given a small stone to hold throughout the ceremony. Symbolically, the stones absorbed their joy, love, prayers, hopes and wishes for us. They represent the foundation our loved ones have helped build for us as individuals and as husband and wife. The stones were placed into a vase that we now display in our home to remind us of the strength we have as individuals, as a couple, and as a community with all our guests. We are reminded of the joy and love we felt for each other on that day. Our lives are intertwined and our love as strong as stone.

So many beautiful moments will always stick out in my mind, like the moment right before I walked down the aisle with my Dad, first dances, my best friend of 13 years officiating the wedding, and so many more. My advice to other brides is to get all your DIY projects done early that way you can enjoy the coming days of your wedding and not be stressing to get things done. Enjoy the excitement that builds in the coming weeks and days! The favors, unity ceremony, seating chart, menus, and chargers were all my DIY projects. I have some creative friends, so they helped in making wedding signs, spray painting, cutting, tying, and more! Leave all the details to your planner/decorator and focus more on the type of atmosphere you are building for your guests. I wanted our wedding to be one big party with all our friends and loved ones celebrating together. Make sure it is a fun night to remember for everyone! I would also give the advice to consider a sweetheart table. During dinner, my husband and I were able to take a moment to look around, feel proud of what we accomplished, and enjoy it together. It will forever be one of the greatest days of my life and I wish I could relive it over and over again, but luckily I have amazing photos to look back on!!

Timeless and Romantic Wedding

Mike and Meredith’s Elegant, Rustic Wedding