Hannah + Jase
July 14, 2023 in Deer Park, WA
Welcome back to the Ivory Bride Blog, where we share stories from our real brides about their real weddings! In today's post, get ready to be inspired by a garden-themed wedding with a diverse pastel-colored bridesmaid dress palette and unique teacup settings. The venue's owner coordinated the event, providing everything, including the DJ. The day-of experience was described as magical, with the morning going smoothly. The only hiccup was forgetting to walk down the aisle with her bouquet, a moment she later appreciated for the special memory of hugging her father. The wedding incorporated a unique "witness lottery" where two guests were randomly chosen to sign the marriage license. The author advised future brides to not stress over small details, focusing on the significant moments and reasons for getting married rather than pleasing everyone else. The post highlighted the importance of personal choices and staying true to the couple's desires on their special day.
By our real bride, Hannah:
What was the vision for your wedding?
I wanted it to be like a garden party. Now I did not have a ton of time to plan our wedding. We got engaged at the end of January and set our date for July. So I had to be reasonable with a lot of things. All my bridesmaids wore a different color pastel and different types of dresses (they got to pick their dress to make them feel their most confident) and it came together perfectly. There were all different types of flowers and all the tables had their unique teacups picked out by my mom and me at thrift stores. I honestly knew from the beginning that I wanted lots of color but the venue was what pulled it all together. The owner/coordinator of the venue was fabulous and did all of the work herself in terms of styling and gardening the venue. She provided pretty much everything, even the DJ. The whole thing exceeded my expectations. I’m just so thankful for the help of my mom, my mother-in-law, and the coordinator because I wouldn’t have been able to have my dream wedding without them.
How did it go the day-of?
The day-of was magical, that’s the only way I can describe it. Everyone says the morning of can be stressful and full of tears but I was so overjoyed and I truly believe god gave me a blanket of peace because the morning-of was so smooth. I was not stressed out once and had no tears. I was even able to eat a whole plate of food! Everything else went just as great. The only hiccup we had was I forgot to walk down the aisle with my bouquet. But here’s the reason why. I never did a first look with my dad so the moment I saw him when we were getting lined up for the ceremony we both bawled like babies and I grabbed him with both my arms and never let go. So when it was our turn to walk I didn’t even think to pick up my bouquet. At the end of the ceremony when I noticed, I was upset at first but then I realized it was such a special moment hugging my dad that it meant way more not to have it. Also when the pictures came back I even liked it more because you could see my whole dress. And ironically, people magazine two weeks later released that it was now a trend to not walk down with one so now it’s a big joke/memory with my family and friends. I would say our wedding was on the more traditional side. The only thing we added to our ceremony that everyone loved was a “witness lottery”. My husband and I were torn between having a small wedding or a big wedding. The reason why we ended up having a big wedding is because the Bible talks about having witnesses. Especially to hold the couple accountable when times get hard. So we thought it was important to hold every person there accountable by placing them in a lottery. We printed out every guest's name that attended which was around 280 and placed it in a basket. My husband and I then each drew a name out of a basket at the ceremony and those two people came up on the altar and signed the witness line on our marriage license for us. It was a super fun way to have everyone involved and also realize how important they are to us being there. We also included a lot of opportunities for my grandparents to be involved. My grandpa said a prayer before everyone ate and my other grandpa at the ceremony read his favorite Bible verse when it comes to marriage. We also did a separate area to remember the ones we may have lost that were important to us. So we honored any family members we lost and included any of the bridal party's family members. It was a very sweet and emotional touch. There’s not a thing I would change.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
To not stress the little things. Especially because the little things can be where the cost is. No one is going to remember what silverware you have or what color your linens are. I had to remind myself of this a lot. Because the little things can stress us out to the point where it takes away the joy of the big things, like simply getting married to the love of your life. I know as girls we dream of this day, but I think it’s more important to focus on the reason why you’re getting married and everything else will fall into place. So don’t hyper-fixate on the small details that no one will even remember and that may cost you way more money. Focus on the things that YOU want and that matter to that day. In the end, it’s only about you and your partner. Not about anyone else, so why try to please everyone else?
