Jackie + Andy's Lexington Wedding

From the Bride: Our wedding day was centered around downtown Lexington on a beautiful July day. After a torrential downpour in the morning, we were blessed with a sunny day in the 70s. Our ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Christ the King and included reading and vocals from some incredible family members. After a bit of time for guests to explore Lexington and some pictures around town, cocktail hour and reception were kicked off at The Carrick House.

Aside from the stunning details in the Carrick House mansion, my favorite décor item was our seating chart, which was a large display that when escort cards were removed, revealed a few of our engagement photos. Andy had seen a small version of it on social media and was really excited about it. Our planner had an idea to make it a statement piece in our reception, found an incredible vendor to create it, and it was a huge hit! While we primarily focused our planning on things that would add to the experience of our guests, some of our favorite details were highlighted here. Our venue came through with some of our favorites including passed margaritas during cocktail hour for me, and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy for Andy. I also designed a wedding “logo” that was featured on the venue waterfall and embossed cocktail napkins. We couldn't decide on just one flavor of cake, and thankfully we didn't have to! Our main cake had tiers of lemon cream cheese, dark chocolate champagne, and cookie dough. The groom's cake was a huge highlight of the night though. It was designed to look like the Ohio State Football Stadium for Andy, but I surprised him when the inside was maize and blue vanilla bean cake (go blue!).

We got to enjoy dinner and speeches (not a dry eye in the house) from our cozy loveseat, and I changed into Air Force 1’s (with pearls of course) for ultimate dancing comfort. Our band got the party started right away with Mr. Brightside and never once stopped playing. They were such a highlight of our night and multiple guests got their contact information! Our first dance was to “I'm Yours” by Andy Grammer.

It took no discussion for us to decide on Chick-fil-A as our late-night snack, which is where we spent on of our very first dates. The only time during our reception we weren't together, I looked up and Andy was returning to me with a spicy chicken sandwich. I found a real winner!

The thing we reflect on most of all is the people that surrounded us on this incredible weekend. Our family, friends, and vendors could not be more uplifting, supportive, and fun! They allowed for us to soak in every moment together, and truly experience the best day of our lives.

Bride’s Advice: Stay true to yourselves as a couple. It is so easy to get swept away in wedding-related social media and easily lose what matters most to you. Discuss your priorities before starting wedding planning, and allow this to guide where you allocate your budget. Your day should look and feel like YOU, not your favorite influencers.

Katelyn DaughertyAugust 1, 2024