MacKensie + Kory
(July 20, 2019 in Mead, WA)
The author of todays blog post discusses the vision for their wedding and how they chose vendors for their special day. The couple's inspiration came from their love of Mediterranean colors, and they chose a venue that allowed them to incorporate these colors into their wedding. The day of the wedding went smoothly, and while there was a lot of work behind the scenes, the author credits their florist, decorator, and day-of coordinator for bringing their visions to life. The author also reflects on the special moments of the day, such as the first look and exchanging personal vows.
Our real bride MacKensie looked stunning in our Lucy gown by LAmour. This gown is a flattering sheath fit and features a bold sheet lace in a gorgeous bohemian-inspired pattern. It has sequin throughout that creates the perfect subtle sparkle. This dress has a plunging v-neckline with an illusion, dainty straps, a beautiful open back, and a lovely train.
By our real bride, MacKensie:
What was the vision for your wedding?
Kory and I love Mediterranean colors and knew we wanted to honeymoon in Portugal and Spain, so those were our inspirations. We initially chose deep teal, cranberry, burnt orange, and sage for colors. It transitioned a bit, with colors and little details, but it kept us on track to focus on our initial choices and stay as close to that as we could. Thats what inspired our choice of venue as well. We wanted a place that had somewhat of a blank canvas and a beautiful view... enter Schmidt Cattle Co! It was the perfect place to incorporate our inspirations but also had so much of its own magic. We were so grateful for that venue!
As for choosing our vendors, it was kinda kismet. We stumbled upon each vendor in a different way. Not that it was all an easy process... we looked at SO MANY venues that each had their own charm but we couldnt find a place that seemed like it could be ours. One day, my best friend searched Spokane wedding hashtags on Instagram and found a picture a guest had posted from Randi Schmidts wedding, at what is now Schmidt Cattle Co. I messaged her and asked if they would ever consider opening their property to outside weddings. It was already a dream of theirs that they were starting to make a reality, so we went and looked and fell in love. If it wasnt already perfect enough, Kory proposed to me on Mt. Spokane and the ceremony site is perched up on a hillside with Mt. Spokane as the backdrop. Every person that made Schmidt come together felt like family by the end. They are really special people.
At the time, I had no idea where to go for my dress. I found a designer I liked and decided to search for places that might sell their dresses. This place called Honest in Ivory popped up on that search. At the time, it was two or three months before this unknown dress shop was going to open, so I chose a random date to look at dresses before the official opening and hoped for the best. Little did I know, I was walking into an amazing bridal shop, dreamed up by an incredible woman. I almost cried just walking in.
The other vendors were all such a gift. Mango Ink is run by the most amazing and talented people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting back in my college days, so that was a no-brainer. My photographer and I played Ultimate Frisbee together in college. We met our videographer at a styled shoot and fell in love with her through that experience. My florals were all through this badass gal that I work with... she is so talented and worked her butt off with a team of ICU nurses to make our floral dreams come true. My hair was done by my longtime friend/hairdresser/therapist. Every person we worked with through the planning and creation of our day was just incredible. As if marrying Kory wasnt already enough of a dream, these people made it even better.
How did it go the day-of?
The day of was actually very smooth, but a ton of work behind the scenes and the days leading up. I think a big thing that caught me off guard was that I had dreamed up all of these ideas and had so many details planned out in my mind but realized I wasnt going to be the one putting them all into action on the day of. There was a lot of planning with Kali (my florist and decorator), Randi (at Schmidts), and Danielle (my day of coordinator). They really got to understand what my visions were and brought them to fruition. We had collected and made so many items/decor, so it was a lot of family and friend support in delivering and setting up.
The day started on a relaxing note! My bridesmaids all stayed at a beautiful Air BnB together. We woke up and drank coffee and just relaxed for a moment before the chaos began. It was such a perfect time (and the Air BnB was a barn converted into a beautiful home, set on this picturesque land so it was a dream). Hair and makeup were done at the Air BnB and then we headed to the venue and got dressed. The Schmidts drove us all over the property, let me get pictures with my pup, and made sure to keep us on time. The property was big, which was neat because it gave each part of the day its own space. The ceremony was up the hill, the dinner was back down the hill in a little grass field with lights strung up, and the dancing/evening was in an open-air barn with bonfires on either side. It gave each piece of the wedding its own setting and feel. It really was everything I could have wanted.
I really loved our first look (my friend, Sandy, had done this for her wedding and I just loved it). I wanted our first look to be as close to walking down the aisle during the ceremony as possible. Also, Kory and I wanted to write our own vows but didnt want to read them in front of everyone. So Kory stood at the end of the aisle, we turned on the song that would play during the ceremony, and I got to walk down the aisle to him. Just the two of us. It was so special and gave us time to just slowly take in everything that was happening. Once I got to the front of the aisle, we read our handwritten vows to each other. There wasnt any rushing or posing- we talked and listened to each other, and were emotional and raw without worrying about how it looked or what we had to do next. We celebrated our love with each other before celebrating with everyone else.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
Find meaningful moments. Throughout the entire process- during the planning, the week of, the day of, and even during the reception. Everyone knows the day will fly by and you will be standing at the end of your night happily dazed by all that has happened. But sitting here, months after, I remember those little pauses before and during more than anything good or bad that happened. Some of them were planned while others were not. Some moments were bliss, while others were full of nerves.
If you can plan to have a moment for just the two of you, try to plan it wisely. We had an hour break right before the ceremony which wasnt the ideal time for that. Guests were arriving and starting up the hill. I could hear everything going on, but couldnt see anything. My nerves kind of peaked at that point, making me want to chug a bottle of champagne (not the best idea before you walk down the aisle).
The best time for us was at the beginning of our day - our first look. Where it was just us. Sure, our bridal party was watching from a distance and we had a photographer and videographer. But we just got to be us. If the pictures from that moment werent great because of our tears and whatnot, it didnt matter. We would walk down the aisle again and say generic vows later. We had that moment where we got to speak to each other. We took as much time as we wanted. We hugged and cried and laughed and listened to the actual words in the song I walked down the aisle to (a Tina Turner cover- Of simply the Best by Noah Reid). We got to read the vows we wrote knowing the words were only meant for each other. We got to pray, hold hands, and stand and act however we wanted. We got to take in the view and notice the little details. I got to look at Kory and take in the person in front of me. Find those moments and dont rush through them.
