Lauren + Andrew
(September 30th 2022 in Spokane, WA)
In this blog post, our very own Assistant Manager Lauren shares her experience planning and executing her dream wedding. From the initial vision to the day, Lauren takes us through the journey of bringing her and her fiance’s fairytale hobbit wedding to life. They share their tips and insights, including the importance of having a designated space for alone time on the day of the wedding. With personal touches like a homemade cake and a heartfelt speech, the wedding was a magical and sentimental celebration filled with love. Read on for more details and inspiration for your own special day.
By our real bride and Assistant Manager, Lauren:
What was the vision for your wedding?
Honestly, our wedding was pretty close to my Pinterest board. I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted from the start. I wanted lots of greenery with gold accents, and bridesmaids in jewel tones and knew I had to have some dramatic sleeves. I wanted the wedding to feel like a fairytale, but not one where I am the princess. More like a hobbit wedding? We just wanted our wedding to feel like a warm, inviting party. The Glover Mansion was the perfect venue to fit with the vibe of our wedding! Catering is included in their wedding packages which made things easy. I had originally planned to bake all the desserts myself because I used to work at a bakery. I way overestimated how much time I would have so using Just American Desserts was a last-minute choice. But our beautiful cake was made by a friend.
How did it go the day-of?
I was very calm on the morning of the wedding. I listened to friends’ advice and only had two drinks at the rehearsal dinner to avoid being hungover for the big day. We didn’t have access to the venue until 2:30 so I had all the girls and some of my extended family come over to my home to get ready. Shoutout to my cousins Tessa and Molly though for making sure I ate breakfast. When we arrived at the venue, I was crying because I was feeling so stressed out. Denise couldn’t even start my makeup because I just kept crying. Eventually, somebody fetched Andrew and immediately everything turned around for me. He really is my best friend and knew exactly what to say to calm my nerves. Our ceremony started at 5 and our processional song was Infinite Trees by Nick Mulvey. Andrew’s Uncle Jeff officiated our ceremony and that was one of the best choices we made, it was such a personal touch and his words were so special. Our recessional song was All You Need Is Love by the Beatles. :)
Something we did differently is rather than writing our own vows, I insisted that we both write speeches. Little did Andrew know, it was because I was planning to sing to him at the reception and didn’t want him to feel bad for not preparing anything! Andrew’s speech brought most of the room to tears, and I sang Can’t Take My Eyes off of You by Frankie Vallie, accompanied on guitar by Andrew’s best friend Jaden. The rest of the night was pure magic. I danced with my dad to the song from my favorite childhood movie, The Last Unicorn. The night was so sentimental and full of love. I remember dancing at our reception and asking Andrew if he was also having the best night of his life and he said “Without a doubt. Obviously. The best night ever.” We danced until the venue kicked us out, and then went to Zola and kept dancing.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
Honestly, if you have anxiety, make sure you have a space you can go to be alone while getting ready. I was so overstimulated and overwhelmed that this part wasn’t fun for me at all. I had thought since it was such a special day that I would want all of the important women in my life with me. Be picky about who you allow into your space during this time.
DRESS: FINN BY ALL WHO WANDER
VENUE: THE GLOVER MANSION
PHOTOGRAPHER: HANNAH HIGEL
HAIR: HAILEE HIERONYMUS
MAKEUP: DENISE AZURE BARR
CAKE: FRIEND HALEY
FLORIST: FRIEND NOELLE
