Are you currently in the process of planning a dream backyard wedding? Well, get ready to take note from Erin and Adam’s celebration on how to achieve the perfect farmhouse celebration. Step one: ask Morgan Trinker to be your photographer. Steph two: Marry your sweetheart in a seriously sentimental ceremony. Step three: Share it with us at SMP so we can drool over every detail in THE VAULT!
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From the Bride… Once I began thinking about my wedding, I imagined an outdoor event at my parents’ home, where I grew up. I wanted it to feel farmhouse familiar, but with a modern, beautiful twist. We have an outdoor spring on the property, a horse barn, and my dad is a history buff- all elements we wanted to incorporate into our wedding. The day after Adam and I got engaged, I shared this vision with my father and he responded, “Well, I need to go home now and start working.” This statement turned out to be pretty true…he almost worked himself to death and ended up in the hospital a couple of days after the wedding (while we were honeymooning and my parents kept this secret from us and social media for two weeks!). Thankfully he was ok, just pure exhaustion.
We had so many helping hands, from Adam’s brother designing our invitations exactly as I envisioned, to my grandmother hand making our strawberry preserves for our favors, my uncle marrying us, and my brother and cousins shoveling horse manure on the day of the wedding (thanks guys!). My mother is a saint for handling my daily calls and running any and all local errands as I was doing all the planning from St. Petersburg, Florida. My wedding planner, Courtney who is a long time family friend, said this may be the first wedding she has ever planned completely over FaceTime.
The biggest sigh of relief came when the rain held off! This was my biggest worry during planning, especially getting closer to time as it rained every weekend in May and almost flooded our ceremony site. The week of the wedding, there was a 90% chance of rain on Saturday and it poured during our rehearsal, but when I woke up that morning the forecast read sunny with a ZERO percent chance of rain. I couldn’t have been happier. Adam had already text me saying, he couldn’t WAIT to marry me on this beautiful sunny day! It didn’t seem real.
I wanted our color palette to be soft, only blush and neutral tones, and everything natural and organic. Our flowers went along with this design theme with a variety of garden roses, peach peonies, silver dollar and seeded eucalyptus; very woodsy and whimsical arrangements. The florists also designed garlands for the tables of the same varieties. I love that so much had a personal touch to it. We were able to use mostly all local vendors from my very small hometown, every furniture piece came from inside our family home, and my dad built a small bridge and waterfall near our ceremony site. A friend commented that the waterfall was “so good” that the sound was slightly overbearing the ceremony (oops!).
For my gown, I ended up finding it only after a couple of appointments. I wanted something soft and with lace. I liked the illusion necklines and the idea of a statement in the back. When I first tried on my dress, it wasn’t a quick yes. I don’t know why, but this seemed like too big of a decision to make on the spot. My sister-in-law was there and pointed out that it was soft, all over beautiful lace, illusion neckline, and backless. If this wasn’t my dress, then what would be?? I didn’t have an answer for her so I got the dress and couldn’t have been happier. Adam told me it was similar to what he envisioned, but I threw him off with my hair in a braid. I told him I liked to be a little spontaneous. Once I chose the palette, I wanted the bridesmaids to choose dresses that they loved- expressing their own personal style. The guys’ suits were completely picked out by Adam! He travels weekly for work, which added to the difficulty of planning, and was running a little behind on picking these out. He called me one night while he was in NY and said he got a great deal and went ahead and bought them. Just glad he has great taste!
The details were what made our wedding uniquely us. We “gussied up” a friend’s arbor and used as our altar, we had champagne waiting on our guests as there ceremony ended with a sign that said- dinner and dancing up the hill! Fried green tomatoes, a biscuit bar, farm tables with brass candlesticks borrowed from my mom’s family and friends, chandeliers made out of buggy wheels my dad had collected over time, signature drinks and even fish food for the pond… all of these added to the day and atmosphere.
I had a hard time getting Adam to decide on a cake, (ok that’s not true… I had a hard time agreeing with a cake that Adam liked). He wanted a Reddit themed Auburn cake but I didn’t see a feasible way to pull this off. I kept suggesting other ideas that he didn’t want. About a week before the wedding, my planner pointed out we STILL hadn’t decided on a groom’s cake and it was (past) time. Adam showed me an American flag sheet cake, which looked like it could be at a 5 year old’s birthday party, and we ended up compromising on the round flag cake. He has a big heart for America. My planner AND the baker thought it was a joke but I told them that’s what he wanted and I was out of other options. It ended up being really cute with Courtney’s detailed touch of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, popsicles in a cooler, American flag sunglasses, and many pictures of us dressed up in red, white, and blue.
My biggest piece of advice is to remember the bigger picture. Yes, you want your wedding day to be perfect, but preparing for your marriage is more important than what kind of groom’s cake you finally decide on (I promise). Adam said he’d be happy to marry me in the courthouse any day, any time; and on stressful days, I started to consider that option…. but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It was our perfect day!
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Photography: Morgan Trinker | Cinematography: Timothy Reid | Floral Design: Daisy Dreams | Wedding Dress: Anne Barge | Cakes: Beth Bakes Jackson | Invitations: August Blume | Bride's Shoes: Sam Edelman | Catering: Hale Koa phineas Estate | Makeup: Hale Koa phineas Estate | Hair: Shear Elegance | Lighting: T.B Lighting | Band: Moon Dance | Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Bride's Bracelets : BHLDN | Bride's Earrings: Jenny Packham | Ceremony Quartet: Jackson Four String Quartet | Farm Table Rentals: Busylad | Flower Girl Dresses: Zara | Planning + Design: Courtney Goolsby | Programs: August Blume | Save The Dates: Daley Ann ~ Merry Maps, Party Calligraphy, Social Stationery | Signs: Sweet Carolina Collective | Tent + Chair Rental: Erics Rentals