Elegant Garden Wedding
This, my friends, is the epitome of elegance. A stop-you-in-your-tracks type of affair worthy of your full and undivided attention. Think one part sophisticated, one part traditional and all parts pretty with Lauren Kendle Event Production (the gorgeous bride) behind every jaw-dropping moment. In other words? It's complete perfection. See it all captured by Raya Carlisle Photography right here.
From the Bride... We are very traditional and wanted a very classic garden wedding ceremony. We wanted to add to the beauty and not distract from the already beautiful estate gardens. We went with an all white garden party theme.
We wanted our guests to walk from the ceremony down the gravel path into a tent on the polo fields and have an "oh wow" response. Trey came up with the tent decor theme of Rat Pack black, whites and silver decadence, but still classy. We also added in hints of Paris where we got engaged on a bridge.
Our wedding flowers were variations of different types of white flowers with hints of silver and light purple. The flowers consisted of hydrangeas, white O'Hare cabbage garden roses, white polo roses studded with pearls, gardenias, white phalaenopsis blooms accented with dusty miller.
Our wedding was special and unique because of the unique venue and the details. Our venue was a perfect venue for us as a couple. When we originally decided not to get married in a church, we wanted to find a venue that allowed us to have a traditional ceremony then be able to bring our guests into an area where we could create a more elaborate reception.
The estate set up perfectly for this. Our guests all said they felt like they were transported into an entirely different place upon walking in the tent. However, what really made it special was the details. The one thing I always tell a client is no matter what your budget is, make the wedding about you and your fiance. It is all in the details. It is more important than the venue, dress, etc. Your guests want to feel like they are there to celebrate the love between both of you. We incorporated this philosophy into ours by having lots of little details that pertained to us as a couple. Here are a few examples:
1. Guest Book Puzzles (made by Peaceful Wooden Puzzles) the guests took a wooden puzzle piece and signed it. We love puzzles and will have something that maybe someday our kids can put together and see what our friends wrote us years ago.
2. We had Eiffel Tower cookies as guest favors because Trey proposed on a bridge called the Ponte Des Arts in Paris with an engraved lock that we hooked onto the bridge while looking at the Eiffel Tower.
3. I had Jimmy Choo shoes - 3 pairs! Anyone that knows me knows I LOVES Jimmy Choo shoes. My husband told me before we got married that he thought I was maybe a bit confused, the words I needed to say during the ceremony were I DO... not Jimmy Choo.
4. We had a flip-flop bar so that our friends could take off their shoes and dance the night away.
5. Bow Tie Napkins - we wanted a napkin to enhance the table setting and anyone that knows Trey knows that if he has an opportunity to wear a tux, he will take advantage of it.
6. We hired Entourage from DeBois Entertainment. They were incredible and our guests loved them! Everyone knows how much Trey loves music and the band played music choices that was exactly what we wanted.
7. Cigar and Whiskey Bar - going along with our Rat Pack theme and we had a cigar and whiskey bar that our guests loved. It was located right outside of the tent and you could enjoy a cigar while looking into the tent watching people dance.
8. We had a very close family friend officiate our wedding. Our officiant (and his wife) are people who we look up to as husband /wife, father/mother and friends. They took us to countless dinners and acted as our pre-marital counselors. They asked us tough questions and shared with us the ups and downs of a real life marriage. The advice and support is something that we are so blessed to have. It was truly a highlight of our wedding to have our marriage ceremony performed by someone so special to us.
We have two favorite memories from our wedding:
1. We did not see each other before the wedding. A lot of times couples do first glance photos, but we decided against them and we are so thankful we did. When I saw him for the first time and he saw me; it was an incredibly emotional moment. It was simply perfect. There were 350 plus guests in attendance and it seemed like no one else was there except for us.
2. The speeches. We were so touched by our mothers, maids of honor and best man speeches. We were laughing so hard at points and in tears at others. It truly was so special to us.
3. Our top favorite moment is probably the last dance. At the end of the night the band announced the last dance and everyone rushed to the dance floor. Our groomsmen had gone to the bar and taken all the champagne bottles they could find and started popping them. Champagne was being sprayed everywhere and we were on on the shoulders of the guys being lifted into the air surrounded by almost every single guest young and old at 11pm!
We wanted our guests to walk from the ceremony down the gravel path into a tent on the polo fields and have an "oh wow" response. Trey came up with the tent decor theme of Rat Pack black, whites and silver decadence, but still classy. We also added in hints of Paris where we got engaged on a bridge.
Our wedding flowers were variations of different types of white flowers with hints of silver and light purple. The flowers consisted of hydrangeas, white O'Hare cabbage garden roses, white polo roses studded with pearls, gardenias, white phalaenopsis blooms accented with dusty miller.
Our wedding was special and unique because of the unique venue and the details. Our venue was a perfect venue for us as a couple. When we originally decided not to get married in a church, we wanted to find a venue that allowed us to have a traditional ceremony then be able to bring our guests into an area where we could create a more elaborate reception.
The estate set up perfectly for this. Our guests all said they felt like they were transported into an entirely different place upon walking in the tent. However, what really made it special was the details. The one thing I always tell a client is no matter what your budget is, make the wedding about you and your fiance. It is all in the details. It is more important than the venue, dress, etc. Your guests want to feel like they are there to celebrate the love between both of you. We incorporated this philosophy into ours by having lots of little details that pertained to us as a couple. Here are a few examples:
1. Guest Book Puzzles (made by Peaceful Wooden Puzzles) the guests took a wooden puzzle piece and signed it. We love puzzles and will have something that maybe someday our kids can put together and see what our friends wrote us years ago.
2. We had Eiffel Tower cookies as guest favors because Trey proposed on a bridge called the Ponte Des Arts in Paris with an engraved lock that we hooked onto the bridge while looking at the Eiffel Tower.
3. I had Jimmy Choo shoes - 3 pairs! Anyone that knows me knows I LOVES Jimmy Choo shoes. My husband told me before we got married that he thought I was maybe a bit confused, the words I needed to say during the ceremony were I DO... not Jimmy Choo.
4. We had a flip-flop bar so that our friends could take off their shoes and dance the night away.
5. Bow Tie Napkins - we wanted a napkin to enhance the table setting and anyone that knows Trey knows that if he has an opportunity to wear a tux, he will take advantage of it.
6. We hired Entourage from DeBois Entertainment. They were incredible and our guests loved them! Everyone knows how much Trey loves music and the band played music choices that was exactly what we wanted.
7. Cigar and Whiskey Bar - going along with our Rat Pack theme and we had a cigar and whiskey bar that our guests loved. It was located right outside of the tent and you could enjoy a cigar while looking into the tent watching people dance.
8. We had a very close family friend officiate our wedding. Our officiant (and his wife) are people who we look up to as husband /wife, father/mother and friends. They took us to countless dinners and acted as our pre-marital counselors. They asked us tough questions and shared with us the ups and downs of a real life marriage. The advice and support is something that we are so blessed to have. It was truly a highlight of our wedding to have our marriage ceremony performed by someone so special to us.
We have two favorite memories from our wedding:
1. We did not see each other before the wedding. A lot of times couples do first glance photos, but we decided against them and we are so thankful we did. When I saw him for the first time and he saw me; it was an incredibly emotional moment. It was simply perfect. There were 350 plus guests in attendance and it seemed like no one else was there except for us.
2. The speeches. We were so touched by our mothers, maids of honor and best man speeches. We were laughing so hard at points and in tears at others. It truly was so special to us.
3. Our top favorite moment is probably the last dance. At the end of the night the band announced the last dance and everyone rushed to the dance floor. Our groomsmen had gone to the bar and taken all the champagne bottles they could find and started popping them. Champagne was being sprayed everywhere and we were on on the shoulders of the guys being lifted into the air surrounded by almost every single guest young and old at 11pm!