Tonner + Zach's Louisville Wedding

From the Bride: We always said we wanted our wedding day to encapsulate us, and every single detail and moment absolutely did. Exactly one month before our wedding, we buried a bottle of Elijah Craig bourbon where our reception would be held. And luckily, we were blessed with the most beautiful 70-degree day. On the morning of May 20th, we spent some private moments together digging up the bourbon bottle, which was a sentimental moment as we reveled in this day that was the beginning of our lives together. Then off our separate ways, the guys spent the morning down the street at the groom’s grandparents’s house while the girls stayed at the groom’s family’s house where the reception would be held. It was an emotional time full of love and excitement as we spent time with friends, recounting stories of our relationship and all the friendships that have led to this day.

We were married in a tear-filled ceremony in the church the groom and his family grew up in, by our pastor who was a very close and dear family friend. We were reunited with our golden retriever, Charlie, shortly after the ceremony for some family pictures. Thankfully, he is very photogenic! We wanted our reception to embody our relationship, so we plopped a tent in the groom’s family’s backyard, where we’ve made so many memories over the years, and welcomed over 150 of our closest friends and family for a night of dancing and celebration. We could not have imagined this evening without our dog Charlie – he ran around the field and played and danced with everyone for hours. Our DJ, Kenny Sauter, was also a family friend who was the DJ for the bride’s parents’ and most of the bride’s aunts’ and uncles’ weddings.

For our rustic/bourbon themed reception, we opted for simple decorations that echoed our Kentucky roots, love of bourbon, and the groom’s next-door neighbor’s farm on which the reception was held. All aspects reflected the days we’ve spent out in this backyard – spending time with family, playing with the dogs and horses, sitting around the bonfire, and sharing meals and bourbon together. We had bourbon barrels around the space along with a wood dance floor, chairs, cake stand, and bar, with our long farm table for the bridal party as the focal point. We recruited the help of family and friends with saving empty bourbon bottles over the months leading up to the wedding for the vision we had for our tables: white linens, greenery, candles, and a wide selection of bourbon bottles with simple white flowers placed inside. It was beautiful. Our bar menu of signature drinks was a hit: a Cranberry Mule for the bride, a Whiskey Coke for the groom, and a mix of the two for Charlie, a Kentucky Mule. A hearty spread from City BBQ for dinner left guests raving about the food and energetic for a night of dancing. We danced our first dance to “Dance of a Lifetime” by Drake Milligan. The groom and his mom also debuted the two-step they had been learning throughout multiple weeks of dance lessons, and guests enjoyed taking a dancing break to play cornhole in the field or to snap a photo in front of our greenery wall embroidered with “The Geoghegans.” The night ended with donuts and bourbon balls, all of which were gone quickly!

Bride’s Advice: Don’t get caught up in the stress of wedding planning and trying to perfect every little detail! Your wedding day is a celebration of you and your partner, and the love you both feel is what you’ll remember at the end of the day.

Photography: Macey Wilcox at Macey Joy Photos | Videography: Noah Wilcox at Anywhere Films | Location: Louisville | Venue: (Ceremony) Middletown United Methodist Church (Reception) Private | Florals: Zachary Brady Designs | Wedding Planner + Event Designer: Kaitlin Kilcourse with Christina Burton Events | Caterer: City Barbeque | Cake: Heitzman Bakery | Rentals: (Tent, Guest Tables, Linens, Dance Floor) Rental Depot ( Lights, Greenery Wall) Pizzazzle Events (Head Table, Bar, Chairs) Southern Classic Rentals | Music: Kenny Sauter, Masters of Music | Transportation: Louisville Presidential Limo | Stationery + Paper Goods: Minted | Hair + Makeup: Beauty Patrol | Bride’s Attire: Rebecca's Wedding Boutique | Groom’s Attire: Generation Tux | Jewelry: (Wedding Bands) David Jewelers (Engagement Ring) Brilliant Earth (Bride’s Earrings) Untamed Pearls | Credits: (Restroom Trailer) Moon Portable Restrooms