There’s no denying it, fall is officially upon us. And with the cooler temps and changing colors also comes some of the prettiest weddings you will ever have the privilege to lay your eyes upon. Weddings that are rich with meaning and beauty, weddings that scream flawlessly chic. And if you think I am talking about this gorgeous day captured by Britt Croft, you are right on the money. Because this is a day that is chock-full of all of the aforementioned with a big ol’ dose of amazing. See it all right here in the full gallery.
From the Bride… Matt and I first met in the 7th grade. We weren’t friends until we began dating towards the end of high school, but who knew that over seven years later we would be getting married!
When Matt proposed in the most romantic way possible (in Paris!) we knew we wanted to share a heartfelt wedding day with all of our friends and family. Our engagement lasted over two years, which left plenty of time for planning! Since we had been dating for so long, our families were already really close. Both my mom and Matt’s mom were highly involved in the planning stage. We couldn’t have done as much as we did without their help!
We wanted the day to be personal, casual and fun. We chose an outdoor venue because we both love natural beauty. Belle Terra was so beautiful without needing much décor. The ceremony was held outside between the lakes and the reception was held in the conservatory. It had the outside feel but the comfort of knowing we were covered if it rained.
Our dog, Mufasa, is a large part of our life. We’ve had him for most of our relationship and knew he had to be included in the photos. He just looked so handsome in his bowtie!
My Pawpaw passed away about a year before the wedding. We wanted for him to be there in spirit and wanted my Nana to know he was there, too. My mom had the original wedding cake topper from their wedding in 1956 so we surprised her by having it on a smaller cake at the reception. The look on her face when she saw it was priceless!
We also wanted to make sure we had some time to ourselves amongst saying hello to so many friends and family members. Since we did a first look, we had some time before the reception to eat at a table outside. It was just the two of us, if only for ten minutes, and it was so worth it.
One of the best decisions we made was getting a wedding planner. Holly was so helpful throughout the whole process and allowed us to focus on bigger things than what time the cake was arriving. It’s so important to have some help especially if you are a stress ball like I am. We trusted Holly and the vendors she worked with. Our flowers turned out more beautiful than I could even imagine even though I couldn’t tell the florist my exact vision. The DJ worked it on the dance floor to make sure none of our guests were wallflowers and we also included a photo booth, which everyone loved!
If there is one tip I would give to another bride….. don’t be afraid to enter contests! I won my dress for FREE from Moonlight and Val Stefani as well as some other smaller items.
Photography: Britt Croft Photography | Cinematography: With This Ring Wedding Films | Event Planning: The Season Events | Floral Design: Bussey's | Wedding Dress: Val Stefani | Cake: Honeymoon Bakery | Bride's Shoes: Nine West | Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal | Catering: Harvest Moon Cafe | Hair + Makeup: Collette Eubanks | Groomsmen Attire: Savvi Formalwear | Wedding Venue: Belle Terra | Bridal Boutique: La Raine's Bridal Boutique | Music: The TC Show | Photobooth: ShutterBooth | Veil: Erica Angeline