From the Bride: No two weddings are alike. Just as every couple has a love story that is uniquely their own, the same can be said for every wedding. For me, I wanted our wedding day to be a reflection of us as a couple. The words I use to describe my vision for our wedding include romantic, soft, and classic. For our reception area, I was inspired by a neutral palette. From sweeping white drapery and all white florals to gray linens and taper candles to gold flatware and ornate frames and centerpieces, I strived to create a classic look by mixing timeless neutrals. Our neutral palette was paired with exposed wood in our venue, the Arling. The Arling has gorgeous wooden support beams, a vast farmhouse table that we left exposed, and wooden interior walls. Once a working tobacco barn but now turned wedding venue, we believed the Arling and its wooden accents would pay a beautiful tribute to our rural Kentucky roots. We also paid tribute to our Kentucky heritage by using a bourbon barrel lid as our guest book. A vibrant mixed greens table runner and seeded eucalyptus in the centerpieces helped to bring our reception venue to life.

Outside, the Arling is just as beautiful. The gray barn sits on a lush green golf course. Our ceremony site sat in the perfect spot, as the sun streamed through the trees for gorgeous lighting during our ceremony.
But more than just romantic and timeless, we wanted our wedding to be personal, for both us and our loved ones. I strived to create a personal experience for our guests by handwriting each and every guest a letter that they would receive when they signed our guest book and received their program. Though short, these letters were intended to be a quick and personal message thanking our guests for coming and describing what their presence in our lives and our relationship has meant to us. Weddings can be so busy, and there isn't always enough time to spend with every guest. The letters were a way that I felt I could express my gratitude to each guest.

My husband's favorite moment of the day was our first look. He said he felt so much suspense leading up to this moment, and it was a special moment that just the two of us were able to share. During our first look, we also exchanged handwritten vows to one another. My favorite wedding day moment was our entire ceremony. Having my dad walk me down the aisle to the man of my dreams was so special. Also, getting to promise each other forever in front of our closest friends and family was such a sweet moment. During our ceremony, we also tied a cord of three strands and did a blessing of the hands ceremony, which both were moments I will cherish forever.

We had several DIY projects. My grandmother made the wooden arbor and florals that we were married under. It also had a detachable swing that we decorated with ivy for our flower girls. We hope to keep this piece in our yard for years to come, as a reminder of our special day. In addition, the menu boards, table numbers, and flower girl baskets were all made by my stepmother. In addition to our DIY projects, I also added other personal touches by having a custom portrait of our wedding venue painted to be used for our programs, sewing a button from my mother in law's wedding dress onto mine for my "something old," and having memorial bouquet charms made from photos of my grandparents who had passed away so I could carry them with me on my wedding day. I believe these projects make our wedding uniquely our own and so special to me. We ended our day with a sparkler send-off, which we thought was the perfect ending to a summer wedding.

Brooke + Ethan's Romantic Franklin Wedding