“Home is definitely where the heart is.” Yep, I’m starting out today’s glorious wedding with a quote from the beautiful bride, because, well… we couldn’t agree more. Especially because this beautiful bride’s home happens to be set against a stunning forest paradise and was built lovingly by her father, aka, the perfect backyard wedding locale and an amazing place to layer one DIY detail after another, including a cake she baked all by herself. Kaylynn Marie Photography captured every moment beautifully and it’s all making for one uber-gorgeous (+ heartwarming) gallery. Join me there for more.
From the Bride… I am, and always have been, head over heels in love with weddings! When it came time for me to start planning my own in July of 2011, I was so excited to begin working out all of the details to make our day the very best. My fiancé, Jacob, and I wanted our special day to reflect the things most important to us, including our faith, family, and love for one another.
For me, home is definitely where the heart is, and I couldn’t think of a better place for our location. We decided on the church that I grew up in as our ceremony location and my parents’ backyard for the reception. My parents own a beautiful home (built by my dad) that we have a lot of cherished memories in. It meant the world to me to have our reception with family and friends at a place so near and dear to my heart. As for our photographer, that was another easy pick! We knew from the day we got engaged that we wanted Kaylynn of Kaylynn Marie Photography to shoot our wedding. She is a very sweet friend of the groom, and she always captures the most beautiful images. We couldn’t wait to begin working with her!
When creating that “homey” feeling for our guests, we wanted everything to be beautiful, yet comfortable. I have always lived in Georgia, while the groom calls Louisiana his home. To bring a little Louisiana flair to the reception, we had a friend cook a pot of jambalaya and surprised the the groom with a king cake instead of a traditional groom’s cake! With the help of family and friends, I spent many months working on all the little DIY details, including the wreaths on the church, bridesmaids’ jewelry, table centerpieces, fingerprint guest book and the favors. With inspiration from the internet and my love for baking, I made our wedding cake and a few desserts for our guests to enjoy. The morning of the wedding was crazy, but with the help of some dear friends and family, we were able to get everything put together just in time to enjoy a wonderful evening of romance, happiness and love!
Wedding Photography: Kaylynn Marie Photography / Ceremony: First Baptist Church of Lilburn in Lilburn, Georgia / Reception: The Home of the Bride’s Parents in Lilburn, Georgia / Floral Design: Gerald Spivey / Catering: Carolyn Yelton of First Choice (carolynyelton@yahoo.com) / Wedding Cake: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Invitations: Lady B Paperie / Rentals: Atlanta Rental / Kid’s Wedding Activity Book: Lovely Indeed / Favors: DIY by a Cousin of the Bride / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee via Formally Yours / Bride’s Ceremony Shoes: kelly&katie / Bride’s Reception Shoes: ALFANI / Hair: Gerald Spivey of Southern Styles Salon & Day Spa in Snellville (770-979-2168) / Makeup: Beth Ashworth of Southern Beauty Skin Care in Snellville / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal / Groom’s + Groomsmen’s Suits: Men’s Wearhouse