September 12, 2020
Best. Day. Ever.
After a whirlwind year of COVID-19 wedding planning, re-planning, and planning again, I FINALLY got to marry my best friend (and spoiler alert... he's kind of a stud). The planning process was frustrating, difficult, but beautiful. I've said it a million times, but being a COVID bride has given me the upmost respect and empathy for my past, current and future wedding clients.
BUT, I'm not here to talk about COVID. I'm here to talk about our magical day and some of the incredible people who helped us pull it all together. That's right wedding vendors; this blog is an ode to you. (As you read through, each vendor website has been linked for your convenience).
Venue
Colby and I got married at my mom & dad's country home that I grew up in, which was so extra special for me (and for my parents, considering I'm not only their "little girl," but also the only child). That being said, in terms of location, we pulled a pretty huge DIY. I have to shout out my parents for working night & day for 8 months to turn their backyard into a beautiful rustic oasis, however, making it a wedding venue was a one-time-deal (sorry folks).
Food
Green Door Catering handled our dinner & dessert for the wedding. They also served h'ors devours during our cocktail hour & provided us with serving staff for the evening. Now, you must understand that trying to handle the safe & responsible serving of food during a pandemic is not easy... UNLESS you're working with Green Door. The food was absolutely phenomenal, however, the service was even better!
Florals
While we tried to DIY as much of the decor as humanly possible, florals was one thing we chose to delegate. And WOW, am I ever glad we did. Emily Jeaninne Floral Designs turned our wedding into an actual fairytale. Colby and I (along with our family & friends) set up the venue the two days prior to the wedding. We were happy when we finished, don't get me wrong. But walking down the aisle and seeing not only the STUNNING work Emily did with our arbour, but also all the little touches she added to the rest of our decor, was breathtaking.
As for the bridal bouquets and boutonnieres, I will let those speak for themselves, as my words won't do them justice. I will however mention that the morning of the wedding, Emily went out of her way to drop everything off watered, perfected & perfectly arranged - including a flower crown that was made for my reception hair.
Beauty
Who could make 8 girls that wake up feeling impatient, nervous and overwhelmed look like perfectly put together boho-chic goddesses? I will tell you.
Makeup
5 words to describe Makeup By Britt: "Van-Gogh with a makeup brush." Efficient, detail-oriented, and passionate. Everything you would ever want in a makeup artist is in Brittni. Not to mention, she's so light hearted and easy to be around. In other words, the exact person you want playing with your face mere hours before your ceremony.
Hair
Since there were 9 people getting their hair done, we had two hair stylists: Hair By Britt, and Hair By Becki. Let me start by saying Becki was so dedicated she drove 3 hours one-way the morning of the wedding to help with our up-dos, and that between the two of them, the whole hair process was done in 3 hours. These two are truly a Dynamic-Duo: fast, efficient, and an absolute joy to spend time with. Brittany's work on my bridal up-do was more than I ever could have imagined.
Nails
When we booked Sierra Nails It, we were absolutely expecting beautiful nails. I mean, have you SEEN her work? However, what we were not expecting was her to transform her whole studio into a bridal-party oasis, complete with snacks and beverages. As a small business owner, I truly thrive being in the company of those who are passionate about what they do. And let me tell you, Sierra is just that.
Lashes
A special round of applause must go to Nadia at 21 Beauty Bar. Not only did she rock my lash extensions 3 days before the wedding, she also FIXED my lashes when I chose to stress-rub them all off less than 36 hours before. Go ahead... Ask her how calm and collected I was/how well I was able to lay still on her table by that point. Still, she nailed it (again).
Etc.
Now, I might be bias, because The Spa Room reception desk was my second home for a year in 2019. However, if you're looking for a place to relax & be pampered for your wedding, or any sort of occasion, this is the place to go. Myself, my (new) sister and my mom went for any combination of waxing, manis and pedis, and we all came out feeling like Queens.
Coordination
I'm not sure if there's anyone on this planet that loves love more than Ever After Emma. She might just be as excited as you for your wedding day. We had Emma help with coordination 3 months prior to the wedding, and execute the ceremony, along with most of the reception on the day-of. I don't know what it's like running a rehearsal dinner & ceremony with a bride, groom, their entire families, and 7 bridesmaids and groomsmen is, but I can't imagine it's the piece of cake Emma makes it look like.
I could go on and on about how Emma has been a close friend of mine and Colby's for the past 10 years. I could go on about how she kept us sane. How she helped us plan about 10 different versions of our wedding day, based on any regulation that COULD arise before September 12. How she offered not only her opinions, but her hand and her heart whenever it was necessary to get us through.
But instead, I will say this: do not think twice about hiring Ever After Emma.
Photography
Last but not least (and certainly far from it) is Taylor Rebecca Photography and Roberta Scott Photography. I've worked with Bobbie and Tay many times since becoming a Wedding Photographer myself. These girls have taught me so much of what I know, and they've become great friends along the way. So, naturally, the first thing we did when we got engaged was message them. I can't say enough about these two, so I'll leave it at this: great photographers, better friends. Know that with either of them you are in the best hands ever.
And that's a wrap! It takes an army to plan and execute a successful wedding day, and I'm certain we had the most amazing people standing behind us (wedding party, family, vendors & all). Now go ahead, scroll down to see more of the photos you've all been wanting to see.
