Sarah + Brian's Lancaster Wedding

From the Bride: As a little girl I would spend Saturdays watching bridal shows with my mom. We would plan glamorous weddings for my Barbies and I would daydream about my future wedding. I envisioned a day nothing shy of a spectacular, classic southern wedding full of sentimental touches; in reality, the day was more than I could have ever imagined.

My fiancé, Brian, and I immediately fell for the charm of the Ashley Inn after our first tour. To us, this beautiful antebellum mansion turned modern-day equestrian center, exuded southern charm. We maximized our use of the venue’s property: the twinkling lights illuminated the reflecting pond during our rehearsal dinner, the grove served as a picturesque background for our wedding ceremony, the shade trees gave cover to the front lawn for cocktail hour, dinner was served in the carriage house, and our friends and family danced the night away in the tobacco barn. The transition from each location was seamless thanks to the professionalism and experience of our day of coordinator, Heidi Crouse.

It was also important for me to incorporate sentimental moments in the day that honored family members who are no longer with us. The wedding dresses of both of my grandmothers were displayed next to our family tree - photos of each of our great-grandparents to our parents. My favorite part of my bouquet was using silk flowers from my mother’s wedding bouquet. Using some of the white roses and jasmine from her bouquet was an extra sentimental touch for me. The cocktail appetizers were served on silver platters my maternal grandmother spent years collecting. The flowers on the bird cage where our seating chart was displayed each signified the favorite flower of our family in absentia. For my something old, I carried the engagement rings of my grandmothers on my bouquet, my something blue were my shoes, something borrowed was the hairpiece my sister-in-law wore in her wedding, and my something new was a pearl and diamond ring given to me by my parents on the morning of the wedding. My uncle officiated our wedding, which was a beautiful full circle moment since his father had officiated my parent’s wedding.

We had 3 cakes at the wedding: the traditional white wedding cake, a groom’s cake that was chocolate, and my red velvet armadillo. For me, one of the highlights of the evening was cutting into my armadillo cake. I can still remember the first time I watched Steel Magnolias and falling in love with the idea of a red-velvet armadillo groom’s cake. This nod to my childhood was a dream come true. Our signature cocktails were The Mint to Be Mojito - a blackberry mojito and The Lancaster Lemonade - a bourbon based cocktail named after the city where we were married.

My favorite surprise of the evening was the transition from ceremony gown to reception dress. I had kept this secret with my parents, which allowed a fun moment just for us. I changed dresses while the wedding cakes were being served, and reappeared to make my entrance for my first dance with Brian. The sunlight fading in the background set the stage as our phenomenal wedding band, Kudmani, began to play. We danced our first dance to “At Last” by Etta James

Our wedding will always be one of my most treasured days.

Bride’s Advice: Everyone always says that the day flies by and to enjoy the moment, which is true. My advice is to also allow yourself to soak up the feelings on this day. This is your wedding day, and it can be a scary thing. For me, I was about to marry the love of my life, move out of my parents’ house, and move into a new home with my husband. I had a LOT of life changes happening at once. There were bittersweet moments during my wedding day thinking about my grandparents not being there. Having lost all of my grandparents before Brian and I met, I knew they would never get to meet my husband or be at my wedding, so I found as many ways as I could to honor their memory throughout the day. Of course there were sweet moments too, like the walk my mom and I took the morning of the wedding, my first dance with my daddy, and the prayer Brian said during our first-touch.

Photography: Dwayne Lloyd Photography (Second Shooter) Top Knot Photography | Videography: Katie Soler Films | Location: Lancaster | Venue + Caterer: The Ashley Inn | Florals: The Added Touch | Wedding Planner: | Event Designer: | Cake: (Wedding & Groom's Cakes) Sugar Forest (Armadillo Cake) Batter & Buttercream | Rentals: Purdon’s Rental & Sales, Mr. Linen | Music: (Ceremony) String Elegance (Reception) Kudmani | Transportation: Gold Shield | Stationery + Paper Goods: Zazzle | Hair: Wade & Co. Salon & Spa | Makeup: Makeup by Sarah Lynn | Bride’s Attire: (Ceremony) Mori Lee from Bridal & Formal (Veil) Bridal & Formal (Reception) David’s Bridal | Groom’s Attire: Geno’s Formal Affair | Jewelry: (Diamond & Pear Ring) gift from parents (Earrings) Bridal & Formal | Credits: (Day-of-Coordinator) Heidi Crouse of The Ashley Inn (Bridesmaids’ Dresses) Dessy collection from Bridal & Formal (Alterations) The Needle’s Eye (Dance Lessons) Arthur Murray of Lexington