Rustic Summer Wedding at The Ranch at Little Hills
I have officially found the cutest, most adorable, kindest couple ever. From their beautiful unity tree ceremony to these melt-your-heart smiles, these two radiate the kind of love and connection we all crave. Shaun Menary captured it all in full force and our VAULT is sprouting some pretty good vibes thanks to these precious pics. Get ready to get grinning right this way!
From the Bride... As Jeffrey and I started wedding planning, we reflected on God’s goodness and grace in our lives: our loving families, amazing friends, our circumstances, and each other. Since we started dating, both of us grew so much as individuals and as a couple - and we knew that after we got married, we wanted to continue growing together in our love, deepening our roots in faith, and hopefully inspiring others to do the same. So we incorporated this theme of growth into our wedding day, added some rustic touches, and had the goal of making this a joyful, fun celebration for everyone.
One big way we incorporated this theme of growth was during our ceremony. Jeffrey and I had picked up gardening while dating and decided to water a unity tree together. It visually represents our commitment to continually nurture our relationship and over time, see it grow. Another big way we incorporated this theme was through our wedding favors. In lieu of a small gift, we wanted to share our joy by blessing those in need through a donation. We picked three charities that were dear to our hearts and set up three plant containers. Each container had a sign describing the charity it represents and its significance to us. We gave each guest a seed satchel for them to “vote” for a charity - they did so by taking their satchel and pouring the seeds into a container of their choosing. This symbolized planting seeds of faith and hope for those in need and we were excited for our guests to join us in blessing others!
While dating, Jeffrey and I had the privilege of being youth group counselors so another fun tidbit for us was having our youths (some actually now in college!) help us throughout the day - setting up, ushering, singing during our first dance, playing the guitar, teaching us new dance moves, and/or tearing down. It has been a joy for us to see how much they have grown, too and for them to share in the day with us.
We also wanted the décor to add to the mood of the day: fun, relaxing, and joyous. I am super thankful that Jeffrey was really involved throughout the planning process - I loved his ideas, input, and much-needed edits. Once we had a vision, I was excited to DIY most of the décor. Luckily, we have incredibly supportive bridesmaids, groomsmen, family and friends who jumped in on designated “craft days” and helped with the coordination. From staining all the wood items, spray painting, dyeing coffee filters, sewing, to writing out all the signs and names tags, it was a big effort! Some highlights of the many projects are the lawn games built by the groomsmen, the backdrop behind the couch, and the “JY” piece made with chickenwire frame and tissue paper. Also, we had amazing vendors who really listened to our ideas and helped bring the day to life! We could not have pulled the day off without everyone's help and we had a blast celebrating the start of our marriage with family and friends!
From Shaun Menary Photography... This is the sweetest bride and I can recall a number of sweet and special elements. They had sort of a "seed" and "plant" theme. The bride gave her girls little gold branch necklaces as bridesmaids gifts. During the ceremony, the bride and groom together watered a small potted tree that they have planted at their new home; the signage for that said "Let Love Grow." The place cards were small bags of seeds, and in lieu of gifts, the couple had each guest put their seeds in a bucket representing one of three charities chosen by the couple. They donated a monetary amount to each charity, relative to the amount of seeds in each charity's bucket. Seriously, just the kindest people!
One big way we incorporated this theme of growth was during our ceremony. Jeffrey and I had picked up gardening while dating and decided to water a unity tree together. It visually represents our commitment to continually nurture our relationship and over time, see it grow. Another big way we incorporated this theme was through our wedding favors. In lieu of a small gift, we wanted to share our joy by blessing those in need through a donation. We picked three charities that were dear to our hearts and set up three plant containers. Each container had a sign describing the charity it represents and its significance to us. We gave each guest a seed satchel for them to “vote” for a charity - they did so by taking their satchel and pouring the seeds into a container of their choosing. This symbolized planting seeds of faith and hope for those in need and we were excited for our guests to join us in blessing others!
While dating, Jeffrey and I had the privilege of being youth group counselors so another fun tidbit for us was having our youths (some actually now in college!) help us throughout the day - setting up, ushering, singing during our first dance, playing the guitar, teaching us new dance moves, and/or tearing down. It has been a joy for us to see how much they have grown, too and for them to share in the day with us.
We also wanted the décor to add to the mood of the day: fun, relaxing, and joyous. I am super thankful that Jeffrey was really involved throughout the planning process - I loved his ideas, input, and much-needed edits. Once we had a vision, I was excited to DIY most of the décor. Luckily, we have incredibly supportive bridesmaids, groomsmen, family and friends who jumped in on designated “craft days” and helped with the coordination. From staining all the wood items, spray painting, dyeing coffee filters, sewing, to writing out all the signs and names tags, it was a big effort! Some highlights of the many projects are the lawn games built by the groomsmen, the backdrop behind the couch, and the “JY” piece made with chickenwire frame and tissue paper. Also, we had amazing vendors who really listened to our ideas and helped bring the day to life! We could not have pulled the day off without everyone's help and we had a blast celebrating the start of our marriage with family and friends!
From Shaun Menary Photography... This is the sweetest bride and I can recall a number of sweet and special elements. They had sort of a "seed" and "plant" theme. The bride gave her girls little gold branch necklaces as bridesmaids gifts. During the ceremony, the bride and groom together watered a small potted tree that they have planted at their new home; the signage for that said "Let Love Grow." The place cards were small bags of seeds, and in lieu of gifts, the couple had each guest put their seeds in a bucket representing one of three charities chosen by the couple. They donated a monetary amount to each charity, relative to the amount of seeds in each charity's bucket. Seriously, just the kindest people!
