Megan + John Thomas' Alvaton Wedding

From the Bride: Our wedding planning actually began before the engagement. From our first dates, I knew he was the one. Since I was a young girl, I always dreamed of my wedding. One evening, while browsing Pinterest, I came across a picture of a wedding featuring beautiful blue and white chinoiserie jars. Their elegance captivated me, and I knew that they would become the centerpiece of our future wedding. My mom and I started collecting these vases, which was initially a challenge as they were mostly found at antique sales. At that time, John Thomas thought I was simply collecting these jars without any specific purpose in mind. Little did he know!

John Thomas and I got engaged on December 28th, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee, little did I know! The proposal took me completely by surprise.

With the engagement, wedding planning went into full swing! Taking a couple of snow days off, we embarked on a search for the perfect venue. Together with our families, we visited Cason's Cove and fell in love. We set the date for August 13th, 2022, giving us just eight months to plan for the big day. Planning our wedding alongside my mom was an absolute joy. She made sure that every detail we envisioned came to life, and she was an incredible and beautiful mother of the bride.

The evening before the wedding, John Thomas' family hosted our rehearsal dinner. It was a special and intimate evening, filled with stories, speeches, and toasts to our big day.

A few of the features that caught our attention at Cason's Cove were the beautiful arched doors and the European-style architecture surrounded by farmland. I wanted to incorporate the arched doors into our invitations. Luckily, my talented friend, Bethany, took my vision and brought it to life with stunning arched invitations. Speaking of the doors, the moment my father and I had our first look, and the doors opened, it reminded me of all the times I sought his opinion, asking, "Dad, how do I look?". This moment brought tears to both of our eyes.

We were incredibly fortunate to have a team of vendors who worked seamlessly together, making everything feel like it was meant to be. Our vision for the wedding was centered around pale pink and ivory florals, complemented by the blue and white vases with gold accents. The design of Cason's Cove provided the perfect backdrop, and our florists, Veach's Country Florist and C&P Design, went above and beyond to create stunning floral arrangements.

The weather was absolutely perfect for a Kentucky August wedding. The sun was shining, and we were surprised by the cool, 85- degree temperature.

The ceremony began with a string quartet playing our favorite love songs. Our processional music included "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, "Canon in D," and "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. After exchanging vows, sharing our first kiss, and walking down the aisle, we exited to "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. While we captured a few more pictures, our guests enjoyed appetizers before dinner.

For dessert, John Thomas and I had our favorites - assorted cheesecakes by Cocomo Confections and homemade apple pies by my friend Cynthia. We also enjoyed a three-tiered wedding cake, also made by Cocomo Confections, with chocolate, white, and strawberry flavors.

As our live band, Bueller's Day Out, played, the dance floor came alive with laughter, songs, and twirls. To cap off our day, we made our exit in a shiny red 1955 Imperial car, surrounded by our family and friends. The following morning, we departed Nashville to catch a flight to Cabo for our honeymoon. During our honeymoon, our incredible photographer, Paige, shared a few sneak peeks she had captured. Those beautiful photos and the video by Luke means the world to us!

Bride's Advice: Take a few moments throughout the day to soak in the special moments with your closest family members and your fiancé. The day passes by in a blur, and these cherished moments are ones you'll treasure forever.

Katelyn DaughertyNovember 30, 2023