I’d like to think that if this wedding were an inanimate object, it would be a beautiful handmade quilt. It’s full of vibrant color, adorable horsies, and such great DIY details, that I just want to wrap myself up in it all day long! And it just so happens to be designed by Cedarwood Weddings and photographed to perfection by Krystal Mann, so you know you’re gonna wanna pin these pretties! There are just so many adorable ideas to take away from this one so grab your cup of coffee and stay awhile, won’t you? I’m sure your boss will totally understand that you just had to, had to, hit up the gallery to see every last inch of this wedding in lieu of getting to work on time!
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It was important that our wedding have a relaxed elegance, that our guests felt comfortable and personally connected to the celebration, and most crucial, that it expressed our personalities. Finding a historic venue with both a stately plantation house and a vintage red barn was perfect for us. Ever since childhood I’ve been obsessed with horses. Thanks to my grandfather I was able to enjoy horses even though I never had my own. When Aaron promised to buy me a horse on our second date, I knew he was ‘the one!” Aaron and I wanted our wedding to be personally unique, and when I mentioned my passion for horses and my horse memorabilia and folk art, Cedarwood designers incorporated my collection into décor and even arranged for real horses to be on the property on our wedding day! It was my dream come true and added so much excitement to our day. Our favorite wedding memories are taking photos with the horses after the ceremony, and our guests feeding them apples during our cocktail hour in the barnyard.
Our ceremony was a natural rustic wonderland set in an open meadow surrounded by a sea of emerald green and wildflower styled florals and beautiful Monarch butterflies. To enjoy the outdoor beauty of this historic farm, we set up a campfire styled lounge area for guests to gather at sunset. Aaron’s family traditionally surprises each bride and groom with home baked cookies from secret family recipes, and our cookie buffet took up two rooms! We made cookie bags featuring the vintage Howdy Doody horse show advertisement, so the cookies represented both our families. We incorporated other unique vintage pieces in our decor, like my flash cards, an antique stencil garland and a vintage horse figurine my mother found for our cake topper!
Our time capsule ‘guestbook’ is something we are so excited about opening on our five year anniversary to enjoy the notes and well wishes guests gave us on our wedding day. Reception styling was country chic – a bit vintage/rustic using milk glass, burlap and fabric napkins hand made with retro tablecloths, yet elegantly pulled together with sophisticated florals. I adored my bridal bouquet by Cedarwood designers – a free styled mix of French lilacs, peonies, Queen Ann’s Lace, Ranunculus, Freesia, cream stock and Asters. Heirloom pearls (handed down from my grandfather to grandmother to mother to me) and my Great Grandmother’s cameo locket on my bouquet kept me focused on the new branch Aaron and I were adding to our family tree, and getting to dance at my wedding in cowboy boots was a childhood fantasy fulfilled. The day was simply magical and even though a random cold front moved in for one day that dropped the temperature 20 degrees, our hearts were on fire all night long. Our wedding was a perfect fit for us, and a perfect day.
Wedding Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Flowers, Design and Event Planning: Cedarwood Weddings / Wedding Photography: Krystal Mann / Officiant: Mary Griggs / Ceremony Music: Rob Higginbotham / Caterer: A Dream Come True Catering / Wedding Cake: Patty Cakes / Wedding Invitations: Designs in Paper