Kelli + Spencer's Romantic Southern Wedding

From the Bride: Spencer and I met 7 years ago at Union College, where we both played collegiate golf. After several months of Spencer trying to get me to go on a date, I finally gave in and he asked me to be his girlfriend by carving our initials into a tree. Five years later, Spencer built a dock on the pond beside that tree and asked me to marry him. I knew that he would have my heart forever!

When we were deciding on a venue for the wedding, we both knew we wanted something simple but breathtaking. From the black picket fence lining the entire property all the way to the bridge that crossed over water to an island, we couldn't help but fall in love with the setting. We worked closely with our florist/coordinator to make every dream of mine come true. Because the venue was so beautiful, having a back up plan in case of rain was not an option. There is an old myth that if you bury a bourbon bottle upside down on the property where you are planning to get married, there will be no rain on your wedding day. A month prior to our big day, Spencer and I buried the bourbon on the island where we had our ceremony. The weather was gorgeous and our wedding day was nothing short of a fairytale.

The morning of the wedding, my bridesmaids and I started out getting ready at Spencer's grandparents' house. I had each bridesmaid and my flower girl a blush pink robe monogrammed and I wore a sequined "Wedding Day Vibes" robe. We spent the morning reminiscing and drinking mimosas. The groomsmen went to a local barber shop to get fresh haircuts, where they enjoyed 15-Year Pappy VanWinkle. When it was time for mine and Spencer's first look, he drove up to the house at the venue in a skyline blue 1955 Chevrolet Impala. I have never been so excited to see my handsome man!

Our wedding colors were navy and charcoal with splashes of pink. The groomsmen stood at the end of the island wearing dark charcoal suits with pink ties. My bridesmaids walked down the aisle in one shouldered navy blue dresses carrying bouquets of pink roses, hydangeas, and eucalyptus. My flower girl/niece also wore a halo of spray roses, Italian ruscus, eucalyptus, and sweet unique roses. She tossed rose pedals that mine and Spencer's moms had dried from previous anniversaries.

At 5:30 when guests were seated, my dad drove me around the lake in the Chevy Impala before walking me over the bridge where I could see Spencer standing at the end of the island. I walked down the aisle wearing a Madeline Garner lace dress with a cathedral veil. My bouquet consisted of sweet unique roses, hydrangeas, stock, blue eryngium, green trick dianthus, seeded eucalyptus, medallion eucalyptus, and variegated aspidistra with a perfect crown broach from my late grandmother.

Spencer and I wrote our own vows and my uncle, Mark Miller, sang his new single "This Ol' Ring". We were thrilled to have Spencer's uncle, Fred Garmon, marry us. Spencer and I are overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we received during the ceremony.

We had not seen any details from our reception prior to the wedding day, but we knew our florist/coordinator would knock it out of the park. When I walked under the tent, it was hard for me to pick my jaw up off the floor. Each table was overlain with 1940's vintage style table linens, wooden planter boxes, Churchill Blue Willow dinner plates, and gold utensils. The center pieces consisted of trumpet vases and cut crystal. Our florist/coordinator made sure to include several heirlooms including Spencer's grandmother's perfume bottles, crystal decanters, and our favorite, Spencer's great uncle's 1927 Packard Limousine, which was used as a gift table.

Our cake, which was a three tier strawberry filled Tahitian vanilla wedding cake, sat on a Duncan Fife style accent table. This cake made for an EPIC cake smash. The groom's cake was a red velvet and chocolate bourbon barrel and Woodford Reserve bourbon bottle. We also did a unity ceremony during the reception, where we tied "The Cord of Three Strands", which refers to Ecclesiastes 4:12 in the Bible. This was special to us, as our faith is a significant part of our relationship. Our party favors included pepper jelly made with love by me and my Aunt Penny, a candy bar, and color changing cups.

The day was filled with tears, laughter, dancing, food, and tons of memories that Spencer and I will never forget. Although our southern style dinner was a hit, our favorite part of the night was the taco bar, which consisted of walking tacos, a queso fountain, churros, a chocolate fountain, and frozen margaritas. We also got to sneak away for sunset pictures on the bridge as well. We were surrounded by all of our family and friends during our send off where we lit Chinese lanterns and let them go above the lake. Our day was truly unforgettable and it was more than Spencer and I could have ever imagined!

Photography + Save the Dates: Krystal Jones Photography | Videography: Mitchell Dyer Productions | Location: London | Venue: The Island at Bended Knee Farms | Florals + Wedding Planner + Event Designer: Glen Farmer of The Flower Shop of Barbourville | Caterer: LaDonna's Catering | Cake: A Pretty Penny Custom Cakes and Catering | Rentals: All Seasons Tent Rental and Inflatables | Music: (Ceremony) Mark Miller - Guitarist & Singer and Brooke Way - Violinist (Reception) DJ Randy Carpenter of Digital Jukebox | Hair + Makeup: Alicia Hinkle of AMH Beauties | Bride’s Attire: MoriLee by Madeline Garner from Bridal & Formal | Groom’s Attire: Logan's of Lexington | Credits: (Bridesmaids’ Dresses) JJ’s House (Bride’s Robe) Hayley Paige (Bridesmaids’ Robes) LeRose