Kaylie + Michael
(April 10, 2021 in Springbrook, Tennessee)
Welcome back to the Ivory Blog where we share stories of our real brides weddings! In todays blog post, we feature a couple who wanted a combination of rustic and simple elegance, with white flowers and greenery, a barn reception with farm table seating, and a fun band to keep the music going. Due to COVID, they had to pick vendors in an unconventional way and weren't able to meet some of them until the day of the wedding. Despite the forecast predicting thunderstorms, the day turned out beautifully, and the couple had a traditional walk down the aisle. They finished the night with a sparkler send-off and gave wood coasters as wedding favors. The #1 tip for future brides is to take a moment during the wedding day to stop and look around, remembering that everyone is there to celebrate the couple.
Kaylie looked stunning in our Harper gown on her big day. This sheath-fit dress is a crepe material for a sleek and fitted look that is still comfortable all night long. It has a plunging v-neckline with a high illusion to provide support. The back features a beautiful v-shape and the seams accentuate curves. Harper comes with dainty shoestring straps but Kaylie had thicker straps added to her gown and we are loving the way it turned out.
By our real bride, Kaylie:
What was the vision for your wedding?
I had always pictured a combination of rustic and simple elegance for our wedding. My Pinterest board was filled with pictures of white flowers and simple greenery, simple signage, and a barn reception with farm table seating. Michael LOVES dancing at weddings, so having a fun band was pretty much a non-negotiable. We wanted our guests to have as much fun as possible, so making sure we kept the music going and the bar fully stocked was important to us!
We got engaged right before the COVID shutdown, so we picked our vendors in a little bit of an unconventional way. We did a lot of asking around for recommendations on various vendors, and we toured our venue via FaceTime. We werent able to see our venue in person until about 6 months after we first booked it. And because of COVID, we werent able to meet many of our vendors until the wedding day. Luckily, it all worked out perfectly!
As far as what I had pictured for my dress, the one I ended up purchasing was pretty much exactly what I had pictured. My dress was only the 2nd one I tried on, and I knew immediately it was the one. The actual dress I bought had spaghetti straps, and I ended up having thicker straps made for it. I remember standing in Honest in Ivory with my mom, my sister, and my bestie, Jenni, while the stylist, Alex, told me to picture standing at the altar with Michael on our wedding day saying I do. As soon as I did this, I started bawling because I just knew this dress was the one.
How did it go the day-of?
04.10.21 was the BEST DAY EVER. It turned out more beautifully than we could have ever imagined. 2 days before our wedding, the weather forecast said 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms all day on our wedding day, so we scrambled to find a tent to cover the ceremony lawn. And of course, the day ended up beautiful and sunny with no thunderstorms or rain in sight. There was a LOT of wind though (which made for the most perfect pictures with my veil).
Our venue had the most perfect bridal suite with multiple hair and makeup stations and lots of couch seating. I spent the morning with my bridesmaids and mom hanging out in the bridal suite, listening to music, and getting our hair and makeup done while Michael and his groomsmen got ready in the groomsmen suite on the other side of the barn.
After I had gotten into my dress, I did a first look with my bridesmaids and then with my dad. The first look with my dad was so special. All of my friends and family know that I cry easily, and this was when the waterworks really started flowing. Michael and I chose not to do a first look, because we really wanted my walk down the aisle to be the first time that we saw each other that day, and I am so glad we chose to keep it traditional like that. I was so excited and filled with nervous anticipation all day knowing that my soon-to-be husband was getting ready right across the hall. I will never forget rounding the corner to walk out into the aisle and seeing Michael standing there. It was one of the happiest feelings I have ever felt knowing that I was walking down the aisle to my husband. My youngest sister, Ryan, sang a song during our ceremony, which was really special for me. Michael and I chose to write our own vows. It was the perfect way to stay true to ourselves as a couple, and I loved that we did this.
After we finished taking pictures with our bridal party and families, Michael and I were able to have a moment just the two of us in the bridal suite. Our wedding coordinator, Fran, was so great and had cocktails and appetizers ready for us. After we had this moment together, it was time to PARTY! During our cocktail hour, we had passed appetizers including some fun Nashville Hot Chicken bites served in mini waffle cones. Michael and I arent very fancy, and so we wanted the dinner to reflect that. We served a buffet-style dinner with the main course being multiple types of sliders.
Once dinner was over, The Downtown Band started playing, and the dance floor was packed for the rest of the night. The Downtown Band was AMAZING, and our only regret of the whole night is that due to noise ordinances, the music had to stop at 10 PM. We wished we couldve kept dancing all night!
One of my favorite special touches for the day was the wedding favors that we gave to the guests as they were leaving. Michaels family owns a woodworking shop, and he loves woodwork. He spent just about every minute of free time he had the month leading up to the wedding making wood coasters and engraving them in our basement. They were a huge hit! We finished the night with a sparkler send-off, and it was the perfect way to cap off the best day.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
Take a moment during the wedding day to stop and look around and think about how everyone there is there to celebrate you and your partner. I vividly remember Michael stopping me during the reception. He told me to look around and take it all in, and I am so grateful he did this. It was so fun to see everybody dancing and laughing and having fun and remembering that they were there to celebrate us.
