From the Bride: Having our wedding in Lexington was a no-brainer. It is our favorite place and where we met and lived until about six months before our wedding when we moved south to Georgia. Luckily, we already had lots of wedding planning accomplished and had picked out our perfect venue: Spindletop Hall. Now, I would say "we", but it would be much more accurate to say, "I" wanted a timeless, elegant day with some of the warmth of the holiday season. With its ornate design and old-world feel, Spindletop was just the right fit. You are greeted in the grand foyer by a thirty-foot-tall Christmas tree, which was left undecorated except for a large, gold bow on top, and a grand staircase decorated with swags of garland that curves down both sides of the two-story high room. Luckily for us, it was a gorgeous (I would say unseasonably warm, but y'all know Kentucky weather) fifty-five degree December day without a cloud in the sky. The light spilled into the upstairs rooms of Spindletop Hall as our photographers captured getting ready photos, which heavily featured my "something blue": the Jimmy Choo Cinderella shoes. Once we had captured plenty of photos of my mom and me, "the shoes", and a very emotional first look with my dad, I walked downstairs to meet my soon-to-be husband dressed in his classic, black tuxedo on the front steps of the mansion for our first look. Since our ceremony was not until 6:30, we took almost all of our photos outside in golden hour light. The most perfect way to capture our bridal party in their green, velvet gowns and black tuxedos.

While many parts of our day were special, what truly made the day was the ceremony held in the grand ballroom. The mantel, which was the backdrop of the service, was decorated with greenery, flowers, candles, and the cross from the altar of the church in which I was raised. A live, string trio beautifully played our classical selections, and our service was performed by the pastor who was once my youth leader. We both wanted to make the ceremony personal but knew we would be unable to get through vows we wrote, so we chose to have our officiant read "the three things we love most", which we had written about each other. (Thank goodness for water-proof mascara). After the ceremony, we were whisked upstairs to take a few more of my favorite photos from the day while the sounds of Sinatra and company filled the cocktail hour and guests mingled, drank, and munched on hors d'oeuvres.

We made our entrance into the reception down the grand foyer stairs as our friends and family cheered and "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" played. When we walked into the grand ballroom, which had been transformed into the reception space, we were blown away by the ambience created by the pillar candle centerpieces and the candelabras that ran the length of the head table. The reception quickly moved through a delicious dinner, unforgettable speeches, and cake cutting to first dances. Our first dance was to "Then" by Brad Paisley. The party of a lifetime then began complete with large, flashing glow sticks and the perfect early 90's kid playlist Clay and I spent many hours crafting. So, when someone asks me about our wedding day, sometimes I'll get into all of the details and say it was a magical day filled with so much love. But usually, I just sum it up as "the best day ever".

Brides’s Advice: Start as soon as you can when it comes to selecting vendors, and make sure the ones you know you want to work with are available on the day you choose. Working with great, reputable vendors who communicate well will help your day run smoothly!

Kathleen + Clay's Spindletop Wedding