This next sweet real-life couple chose an unconventional day to say their “I do’s” and the following beautiful event was the result. We are in love with its cozy family oriented feeling and the plethora of floral greenery we see simply everywhere at this wedding. From the sweet greenery inspired invites to the cascading chandelier over the sweetheart table, we even find it winding its way up the wedding cake, a subtle hint at the March’s greenest holiday surrounds this lovely day.
Keep scrolling to see more and as always you can find these photos as well as many more in the full gallery thanks to the talents of The McElmurrys.
Wedding Style
Our wedding style was clean, simple, and elegant. We got married on St. Patrick’s Day because it was the day my parents met (they got married 2 weeks later!). I wanted the greenery of the centerpieces, bouquets, and other floral arrangements to be the green for the day, as opposed to Kelly green or shamrocks. The greenery also connected with the beauty of the trees and pond in the surround setting, showing off how beautiful Arkansas is.
The clean white of the tablecloths and chairs and the blush colors of the napkins and bridesmaid dresses let the green be the focus and the few flowers really pop.
The Ceremony
Our ceremony was full of laughter and was very “us.” One of my close friends and mentor at work married us and she knew us both and knew our story. She helped set the tone so the day was fun and focused on love and joy. When it was my turn to say my vows, I got distracted thinking about which hand Brad’s ring was meant to go on and didn’t listen to her. I had to reply “I wasn’t listening” and everyone cracked up laughing. The day really represented the joy and fun in our relationship.
Favorite Moments
I really loved the morning getting ready with the bridesmaids – we stayed in a house together on the property and had breakfast together in the morning. I also loved the first look – during the pictures we got to be together and talk before all the craziness of the day hit. Finally, there was a moment when Brad and I were the only ones in the venue while everyone went outside to line up with sparklers – it was just us and we got to catch a breath and be with each other. It was lovely.
Budgeting
I focused on the items that were most important to us when we considered where we spent the most money. For example, the photographs were my top priority – I wanted beautiful images to remember the day. That meant our photographers, The McElmurry’s, they were the first vendor we booked and the place where I made sure we picked the package that best suited our needs.
There were some items that I can’t remember from anyone’s wedding – things like wedding favors or whether there was a full bar – that we chose not to have at all (we had one kind of beer and 2 kinds of wine and I can tell you everyone was happy).
We saved money on our invitations and postage by using Minted.com – we used their wedding website to collect RSVPs and eliminated an envelope and postage for RSVP cards and that also meant our invitations were light enough for regular postage. Our guests loved that the wedding website matched the invitations (and the escort cards, table numbers, and programs!).
Keeping Calm
I had a number of “big worries” that I assume most brides have – what if my dress doesn’t fit, what if there is an ice storm, what if the food ends up being terrible, etc. I kept reminding myself that if I was there and Brad showed up and we got married, it would be a success. That helped me focus on the real goal of the day.
