And because I know you're all dying to hear more about Hannah and Shay's love story, we have more!

HOW SHAY PROPOSED
On August 9^th of 2016, Shay told me we had reservations for an early dinner at a nice place in town. I got all dressed up and when we set out on our way to 'dinner' Shay began to stall. He told me he got the reservation time wrong and we needed to kill some time. So, we took a back road in to town. However, the further we went, the farther away from town we headed! I suspected a proposal was coming so I just laughed and let him take me wherever we were going. I never could have dreamed where we would end up, though. As we turned into a narrow, tree lined, drive, Shay's song "From The Ground Up" came on the radio. We both began to cry. At the end of the drive we came to a stop in front of a stunning stone chapel (still wiping our tears as the song ended).
Ivy climbed the rock walls and in each diamond pane window, there was a candle lit. It looked like it came straight out of a fairytale. We got out of the car and Shay led me to a spot in the lawn where he dropped to a knee. I don't think either of us remember exactly what he said in the moment, as we were both so overcome with emotion. I heard the clicking of photographers in the background as I said YES! (My one proposal request had been that there be a photographer present to capture the moment). He then led me around the front entrance of the chapel and asked if I wanted to explore a bit. He opened the ancient European doors and there, in the chapel, were my parents and his own family along with a handful of friends. I cried like a baby. The whole evening was a dream.

WEDDING PLANNING
The easiest parts of wedding planning were: A.) choosing the venue and B.) choosing the cake!
We had both always wanted to get married at home and Shay is not a big cake person so he let me go with some of my girlfriends to pick whatever I wanted for our cake flavor! The cake was (almost) naked with touches of gold foil throughout and a trail of blush roses up the 3 tiers. Every cake tier was a traditional vanilla cake. However, every other layer was iced with either buttercream filling or strawberry filling.
Since the wedding was in Arkansas, and Shay and I live in Nashville, it was a bit difficult to schedule appointments with vendors. Not only did this require 16 hours of driving per trip (8 hours both ways) but it also meant sifting through Shay's crazy work schedule to figure out date availabilities.
Once Jessica and I narrowed down the look and feel that Shay and I wanted for our wedding, Jessica worked her magic with the rest. She referred contacts in the wedding industry she thought may be a good fit for us. She also provided vendor options and quotes. Basically, she was my wedding fairy godmother!

WEDDING GOWN SHOPPING
I went shopping with both of my sisters-in-law. (I had a background in pageantry and have been known to be a little picky {ha!}. I had tried on all I was going to try on for the day and finally the girl assisting my search asked me "What do people expect you to wear?" I had specifically mentioned to her that I liked to keep things a little different. So, once she posed this question, I answered by saying I was sure people would be expecting me to where a form fitting gown. And for that very reason I told her I was open to trying on a fuller skirt. She ran and pulled a dress and brought it in. It was designed by Rita Vinieris and was nothing like I had tried on before. The top of the dress was sheer with lace forming a V up the front. Cream buttons were the only adornments on the back, rising from waist to nape over the sheer fabric. The girls thought I was finishing up to leave so when I came out in the dress, they both turned and gasped. Once they put the veil on, we all started crying. It was the one. My momma was unable to make the trip so we Facetime'd her for her thoughts/blessing and that was it! At the end of the day, I wanted to feel like a bride.

JEWELRY and FASHION ACCESSORIES
Since we were married on the farm, I saw no point in wearing heels. I knew they would be sinking in the ground all day. So, while I gave the photographers nude heels to photograph with our other items, I actually wore cream high-top vans under my gown. They made my life easier that day and have the added bonus of being able to be worn again! I love practicality. My jewelry, as well as my bridesmaids' was from Haute Bride. My sweet friend, Lindsie Jones, who owns this company reached out and offered to adorn me for my special day! She was so patient and thoughtful in sending me samples for everything! I made my selections and more importantly made a connection with a sweet momma friend in Lindsie.

DIY PROJECTS
Per usual, I was scrambling around last minute to find just the right guest book. (The one I wanted to order wouldn’t arrive on time). So, I ended up purchasing one of those books that have been carved out to form a letter... Specifically, the letter "M". I didn't love the burgundy cloth covering the book, so I bought gold leaf and adhesive spray and voila! A golden "M" that looks decorative but now holds all of our guest's signatures and well wishes on a shelf in our home!

OTHER TIDBITS FROM THE DAY
Music: We used A Thousand Years – Instrumental Version for the processional and Multiplied by Need To Breathe for our recessional. (All recorded)
At the reception, we had a DJ with a preselected genre of music for the mood. Our First Dance Song was Then by Brad Paisley. The Father-Daughter Dance was to Butterfly Kisses. Shay sang a song he wrote for me, which was completely special and brought me to tears.
Menu: We had bbq chicken, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls. We had maple bar donuts for dessert for those who preferred it to cake!
Honeymooon: We honeymooned at Breathless Resort in Riviera Maya

ADVICE FROM HANNAH & SHAY
Shay and I both felt pressure to please our families and guests. We wanted to make sure everyone else was taken care of and everyone had something they would personally enjoy about the wedding. But, at the end of the day, our family only wanted OUR happiness and we recognized we were adding a lot of stress that was unnecessarily. Easier said than done, but, do try to remember whose wedding it is. This is your daI was never the girl who knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding. I won's say don’t stress, because you will. But, at the end of the day, you will have a memory as perfectly unique and beautiful as your own love story.