Kentucky Weddings

We love photo shoots of all shapes and sizes, but rehearsal dinner inspiration from the lens of Chris Cornwell? Well, that’s something worth celebrating. Decked out in vintage glamour this garden soiree has no shortage of pretty-filled moments and Doug Smith Designs and Events was behind every last bit. Treat yourself to eye candy a’plenty in the gallery right here.

From Chris Cornwell Photographer… Jeanie and Daniel were amongst their closest family and friends one cool summer day in August… who came from afar to celebrate their union Kentucky Style. Horses, bourbon and touch of romantic, vintage glamour they were all decked out in the fanciest dresses, fascinators, and bow ties : )

Their wedding weekend began at the Woodford Reserve, a setting truly ‘horse country’ and bourbon making. They chose the site as a treat to their distinguished guests to tour and enjoy. They wanted an outdoor garden feel for their dinner gathering but also knew what Kentucky weather was like. Unpredictable. So, a clear tent was the perfect idea for their ‘garden’ vision. Emma, the groom’s mother had big dreams of a vintage themed event with lace, pearls, cream and blush. Old books, antique tea roses and cut glass vases came to mind as she researched for hours online. Yes, pinterest was largely to blame. For months Emma kept a folder with dreams, ideas and to do lists. She made ‘DIY’ framed pictures of the lovely couple to bring touch of personal to the tablescape. Multiple pillar and tea candles added to the warmth and romance of the event. Other ‘soft’ elements were nude table linens, sashes and ivory lace. Everything hard and harsh at the Dryer House was covered and draped. Bolts of cream and blush stretch fabric were used to make garlands.. carefully draping the black iron rails. No detail was overlooked. All these came together with the help (and magic hands) of Doug Smith and Glenn Blind of Doug Smith Designs and Events. Perfectly placed florals, bows and settings, everything came together more perfectly than Emma had imagined. Her dream of a warm and inviting but ‘from years gone by’ event came true. An appetizer to a spectacular wedding weekend.

Keeping with the southern charm of Kentucky, the guest tables were named after famous bourbons, instead of traditional table numbers.

Jeanie sparkled in her “Parker” beaded and feathered dress, perfect for dancing the night away. Here with her is Rachel, her Maid of Honor sparkled in a Sue Wong masterpiece. Oh how I love these fabulous dresses!! Sue Wong’s designs exudes sensuous Hollywood glamour and the mystery and romance of Paris. They’re made of soft silk… hand-beaded and embroidered with art deco lines and swirls. Jeanie and Rachel chose a classic silhouette with a flirtatious hemline.

Photography: Chris Cornwell Photography | Event Design: Doug Smith Designs And Events | Event Planner: Emma McCormack MD | Floral Design: Doug Smith Designs And Events | Bride's Shoes: Betsey Johnson | Catering: The Woodford Reserve | Venue: The Woodford Reserve | Bride's Dress: Parker | Desserts: Martine's Pastries | Furniture Rental: Purdons | Music: Ken Davis | Rentals: Chattanooga Tent Company

Coming from a former Bride who’s wedding was all sunshine and blue skies, I must admit, I super duper love rainy day weddings. They just seem so magical and romantic. Plus, they’re loaded with good luck or so the story goes. Now enter a vineyard wedding heavy on the color with blooms by Jaclyn Journey and images by Firm Anchor and tell me you don’t agree. Click here for more.

From the Photographer… This couple is SUPER in love and have known each other since they were kids! He was a family member of one of her best friends. They would see one another once in a blue moon but nothing ever came of it until their sophomore year of college. Fate happened when he was to take an internship in her hometown of Louisville. Chelsea said this about it “he would also be living with my best friends family during this time. My heart dropped to my stomach. Still to this day I’m unsure why I had that initial reaction, but I guess it ended up being quite significant.” It wasn’t much later when they connected via social media and became friends once he got to Louisville. ” Really, from that day on, our three years of dating began. In those three years, we went through many life changes. We were long distance for a year while we were both at college he moved to Louisville, he bought a house, and many more. So now, three years later, WE ARE MARRIED!”

From the Bride… The biggest inspiration for this wedding was the season of Fall. I LOVE the fall! Bryan & I have had some significant and sweet memories in the fall, and I’ve been in love with this season since I can remember. The season inspired our dessert bar – to serve home made pies. They all came from women who all are significant in some way to Bryan and I – we felt like this was a sweet way to include so many more people in our big day.

I always envisioned myself having my wedding reception in a barn. I dreamt of a simple, rustic, open space strung with many lights. Smith-Berry Winery encompassed every thing I wanted. Our ceremony was originally to be outside, looking onto the winery. Plan B came into play as October 5th ended up being a day for record rainfall – 8 inches to be exact. The barn turned out beautifully!

We both love a good Southern meal. Chuck Smith, owner of Smith-Berry, whips up a feast almost every weekend of the summer. Their property hosts concerts, and he is very well known for his food. People are said to come from surrounding cities just to eat!

Jaclyn Journey, our florist & local wedding stylist, made it easy to trust her to put together something I would love; she did not disappoint! My flowers may have been my favorite detail of the entire day. I loved the simplicity, yet vibrant colors of my bridesmaid’s bouquets and the way they made the navy dresses pop.

Advice for brides planning now: No matter the weather or any hiccups, this will still be the BEST day – you’re getting MARRIED!!

Fav Memories: seeing him for the first time & dancing with my siblings at the reception (somehow only ¾ got the good dancer gene, me not included)!

Photography: Firm Anchor | Floral Design: Jaclyn Journey | Wedding Dress: Rebecca's Wedding Boutique | Invitations: Jen Lenhart | Ceremony Venue: Smith Berry Winery | Reception Venue: Smith Berry Winery | Hair: Hali B & Co | Table Numbers: Katie Jury

I grew up loving Sabrina and wishing I could climb up into a tree and watch beautiful parties every Saturday night, but this bride got the real deal. She grew up behind this gorgeous mansion, which obviously meant she opened her bedroom windows to listen to the music coming from the grounds all wedding season long. The only thing more romantic than that is the grown up girl’s wedding, captured beautifully by Melanie Mauer. It took place on the grounds she grew up loving, and the gallery is almost like a peek from her window into the big day. Click here to see it all!

From the beautiful bride … I met Brent four years ago, when we were both living in San Diego, CA, at a Valentine’s Day party for all our single friends. I was immediately drawn to him, not only because Brent is always the tallest guy in the room (he’s 6’7″!) but because of his energy and free spirit, he just knows how to make people smile! We became fast friends after that night and after a month or so we decided to finally go out on a date, and we have been together ever since! A few years later we were living in Manhattan Beach, CA, and Brent proposed to me on the beach by our apartment on a perfect sunset summer evening!

Picking our wedding venue was a no brainer. Growing up in Louisville, KY, I have always loved the beauty and history of the state, and Brent, who grew up in Southern California, very quickly fell in love with Kentucky as well… so he insisted we get married in my hometown! Well, it just so happens that my parent’s home is located directly behind Whitehall, a gorgeous historic home in the older part of Louisville. When I was younger I used to open my bedroom windows so I could listen to the bands play at the weddings at Whitehall. So needless to say we just HAD to get married there!!

I knew I wanted the style of our wedding to be garden-chic, with a color palette of greens and ivory that allowed the natural beauty of Whitehall’s colorful gardens to be showcased. My amazing mom, with the help of our wedding planner, Carol, and some outstanding vendors in Louisville, made all my ideas come to life! We were able to transform our ceremony site and reception tent into a work of art! We also wanted to make sure all of our out of town guests had a true Kentucky experience so we had a bluegrass band play during our ceremony and cocktail hour, had guests sign a bourbon barrel lid instead of a traditional guest book, and of course kept the bourbon flowing all night!

Our entire day was filled with so much love and was extremely personal. I lost my maternal grandparents when I was younger, so I made sure they were there in spirit by wearing my grandmother’s ring and carried a fun gold purse that she had at her own wedding. We also used the cake knife that those grandparents used at their wedding, which has their wedding date, along with my parents and aunts and uncles, carved into it. Brent and I were also blessed to each have a set of Grandparents present at the wedding, each having been married over 60 years! (My 90 year old grandpa even cut in during my father-daughter dance!) My brother has a beautiful voice, so we were honored to have him sing an acapella version of “Till There Was You” during our ceremony. It also meant so much to me that we were able to utilize my parent’s gorgeous home for the groomsmen’s wedding prep and for our after party. As beautiful as everything was, it was those personal touches that made the day unforgettable!

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Photographer: Photography by Melanie Mauer | Venue: Whitehall Mansion and Gardens | Planner: Carol Grisanti | Weddings | Flowers: Wayne Esterle of In Bloom Again | Cake: Debbie Richter | Caterer: Wiltshire Pantry | Hair & Make up: Venedia Tingle | Dress: Watters | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BHLDN | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

It’s Saturday LBBers! And you know what that means – time for a little wedding film eye candy. Classic Pixels Films sent this one our way from Louisville – and it features the wedding of two adorable lovebirds. They had been together for nine years by the time he dropped to one knee, so the lovely bride had a long list of DIY projects to create the perfect wedding. That she did – and it was captured by Classic Pixels Films in a highlight that is sure to put a smile on your face!

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Marty and Kristina met over a decade ago when they were in high school through mutual friends. They met at an event called “Rock the Water Tower,” a fall music festival in Louisville. That was fitting because they have gone on to see over 100 concerts together since they met. Marty went to an all boy’s catholic school & Kristina was at an all girls academy. They instantly became friends and spent every bit a free time together that their parents would allow. They spent most of their “dates” playing video games with friends and at the gym working out. Marty & Kristina both spent a year at the University of Kentucky after high school where Kristina was on the dance team. They quickly discovered that the new city was not for them and moved back home to attend the University of Louisville. Kristina & Marty graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in Nursing & Marketing respectively. Kristina went on to work as a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a local children’s hospital and Marty attended the University of Louisville’s law school. Marty is now Assistant prosecutor for the County Attorney in Louisville.

Oddly enough, they never talked about getting married, or engagement rings, it was always understood that they would be together though. Marty popped the question on his mom’s birthday, their nine year anniversary, as a surprise to both of them. And boy was it! Kristina’s mom snapped the perfect picture as Kristina said, “YES”. Kristina’s whole family was there for the big moment and the rest is history.

Marty gave Kristina a gum ball machine ring he found in the junk drawer at his parents’ house, that we later found to glow in the dark. He figured he’d let her choose for herself what she would be wearing for the rest of her life. Kristina wore the hideous pink, glittery, glow in the dark ring proudly until she got the real thing. Now the ring resides in a shadow box in front of the photo captured by Kristina’s mom. They knew they wanted the wedding to be a family affair, so they incorporated as many family members as possible in the ceremony.

They were both raised catholic, so the wedding took place at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Louisville, where Kristina went to grade school. Marty’s uncle was the priest, his aunts were the cantors, both of their living grandmothers were lectors, his second cousins were the flower girl and ring bearer, and the bride and groom’s sisters were bridesmaids.

The Wedding ceremony was a modern twist on the catholic prayer service. The couple wrote their own vows and included a poem about the hands of the husband and wife and all they will do for another in the future. Their program included a “wedding map”, which mapped out placed in the city where they met, got engaged, where the ceremony, reception, and hotel was located. The program also included a list of 25 things the couple wants to accomplish before their 25th wedding anniversary, and a horoscope that went with the “earthy” theme, entitled, which Tree did you fall from?. 

The bride has always enjoyed crafts, so she decided that she would coordinate, design, and organize the whole event on her own. She was obsessed with bridal inspiration websites throughout the engagement and handmade every decoration used at the wedding and reception with the help of her lovely bridesmaids. The décor was fall themed – earthy, and vintage all in one. Music has always been a huge part of their lives together, so they had a string quartet, harp, and trumpet at the ceremony, which sounded beautiful in the old church.

Upon arrival to the reception, guests found their place cards which were rocks with their names on them. The tables were named after concerts that Marty & Kristina had been to. While the guests waited on the bridal party to arrive, they made themselves busy with the photo booth, and the local art work at the reception site. Kristina painted a bare tree on four separate canvases, and had ink placed next to each one that corresponded to the seasons. Guests used the ink to make thumb prints on the canvas. After the wedding Marty & Kristina were left with four beautiful pieces of art for their home.

Kristina collected wedding photos from parents, grandparents, great grand parents, and even beyond that for a memory table that doubled as a family tree.

On the head table, Kristina made frames for each of the bridal party members with a short biography in them for their place cards. The night was filled with dancing. One of the groomsmen did a Michael Jackson tribute including props. The limbo stick made an appearance, and during one of the DJ sets, glow sticks were handed out to “light” up the dance floor. Overall, the night was full of love, happiness, and just plain fun. A night that no one in attendance will soon forget!

Florist: The Blossom Shop / Ceremony: St. Elizabeth’s of Hungary / Reception: Mellwood Arts Center / Caterer: Rolling Pin Catering  / Entertainment: Fusionary / Cinematography: Classic Pixels Films / Photography: Miller Photography

This vintage chic Louisville wedding is just what the doctor ordered this Thanksgiving Eve. It’s sweet, it’s simple, and it’s full to the brim with adorable ideas that you can recreate for your own big day. Whitney Rae Photography captured all the details of the day, including the gorgeous florals in vintage bottles and mercury glass that were designed and created beautifully by Jaclyn Thomas Design. Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Zach and I were high school sweethearts and on the day we wed, we had been together for over 6 years. As far as the wedding goes, I’m not even sure where to begin. I remember every thing, every detail as complete perfection. Almost the moment after Zach proposed I began my search for the perfect venue. I had a distinct vision in my head of “simplistic beauty”. I wanted to be married outdoors, I knew that detail was for sure! After a lot of searching my mom found this lovely place located in Prospect (about 15 minutes outside of Louisville) called Gingerwoods. It was a newer, mostly unheard of venue located on a windy road lined with trees and fantastic views of grazing horses every direction you looked. It had been a church at one time, and when the church moved elsewhere, someone bought Gingerwoods and “re-touched” a few details, but they were still sure to leave loads loads of charm.

As that detail was crossed off the list it was time to think about decor. I was so afraid my simplistic touch and small budget may be mistaken for unfinished, and that is when I remembered a distant friend of mine had just started a small design company. I asked if she would be willing and she dove right in! Believe me when I tell you, she did everything! I call her my fairy god mother because she made my dream a reality. She did complete design of the reception flowers, our bouquets and boutonnieres, she even did the arch we were married under (which she surprised me with on the day of). We were inspired by table numbers that we had seen on SMP months before and even did a DIY project of our own to re-create!

After all of these details were put together, the day finally arrived. I had never seen the sky so blue or so crisp, it was a perfect day for our wedding! One of the most special things about that day was getting ready at the salon I work at, surrounded by all my co-workers that I know and love. They surprised me with mimosas and took such great care of me, being with them for that portion of the day was truly special. Once 6 o’clock arrived it was time to marry my best friend, we were surrounded by only our closest friends and family. After our ceremony, guests were escorted up to a tented deck for cocktail hour while Zach and I took pictures. Right before it was time to head into the reception, a video played of Zach and I through the years, after that was played, we were announced in. This by far, was the best moment of the night. People stood and clapped, some even with happy tears, and welcomed us in. We had never felt so much love in one room!

Wedding Photography: Whitney Rae Photography / Event Design, Planning + Floral Design: Jaclyn Thomas Design / Ceremony + Reception Location: Gingerwoods / Invitations: Hello!Lucky / Bride’s Shoes: Ann Taylor / Wedding Dress: WTOO via Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique / Hair: Christy Young, Hair by Bennie and Friends / Make-up: Jamie Todd, Hair by Bennie and Friends

Talk about a cute story. This Bride and Groom were set up by the Bride’s grandparents and the culmination is this fabulous Louisville Wedding. Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Thomas Designs crafted this gorgeous affair with a ballroom that is ever so pretty in pink, a beautiful blushing Bride and maybe even a few Greek crowns. Yes, this is indeed a stunning display of indoor nuptials done so, so right. Whitney Rae Photography shot all the pretty images you see before you as well as the surplus of fabulousness to be found in the gallery. See it all here!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Nick and I met the old fashioned way: we were set up by my grandparents! When we got engaged in September of 2010, I had just moved with my immediate family from my childhood home of Louisville, Kentucky, to Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, because of my daddy’s recent cancer diagnosis. The only decision we didn’t make was that we would get married in Louisville! There was no decision to be made, it will always be my home and I’m so glad we started our life together there.

Part of the reason we got married in Louisville was St. Michael’s (the church we got married in).  My daddy was the priest at St. Michael’s for 30 years when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and the orthodox christian faith is something that Nick and I both share (my grandfather is the former priest and my uncle is the current priest at the orthodox church Nick grew up attending in New Jersey!). We were lucky to have 15 priests and one bishop serve at our wedding.

Nick and I, unlike most of the couples on SMP, had no idea what we wanted our wedding to be like when we got engaged. So, we each picked something we loved: books (me) and travel (him). We ended up with a quite unintentionally vintage, “pride and prejudice” wedding.  All of the cookies on our “sort of viennese” table were made by friends and my wonderful aunts. Our favors were half traditional Greek bombonieres (5 jordan almonds signifying health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life) and half bar soap made at an orthodox men’s monastery in West Virginia (they make the soap themselves!).  We used vintage postcards as our guest book and a vintage suitcase as a collecting place for them.  Our wedding crowns (another greek orthodox tradition) were made by ann clough of orthodoxweddingcrowns.com–the crowns have special significance as they are kept by the bride and groom until death, then the ribbon connecting them is cut and the crown is buried with the deceased.  Our cultural contributions continued with Greek, Arabic and Russian dances at our reception, starting with the traditional greek wedding dance oraia poy ‘nai i nifi mas!

Wedding Dress: Custom by Alana Sheldahl / Bride’s Shoes: Sam Edelman / Bridesmaid + Flower Girl Dresses: J.Crew / Flower Girl Headbands: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Bracelets: Stella & Dot / Groom + Groomsmen Ties: Cyberoptix Tie Lab / Floral, Event Design + Planning:Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Thomas Designs / Wedding Photography: Whitney Rae Photography / Cupcakes: Chelsea Stevens / Catering: Jonny V’s Catering / Chair Rental: Fifty Chairs / Hair: Ashley Wise via Bennie and Friends Salon / Make-up: Amanda Baker via Bennie and Friends Salon / Ceremony + Reception Location: St. Michael The Archangel Orthodox Church / Favors (soap): Holy Cross Hermitage / Wedding Crowns: Ann Clough of Orthodox Wedding Crowns / Music: Advanced Entertainment Solutions

This Kentucky wedding, captured beautifully by Christina Carroll Photography, is the perfect way to get your Thursday off to an inspirational (and pretty) start. Combine a sentimental bride with quite the knack for DIY, and a romantic color palette of pink, copper and gold – and the result is an affair that is just as pretty as can be and creative to boot. An overlying theme of being “lucky in love” welcomed all of their guests throughout the day, and we are lucky to have a full gallery of images to gawk over so the pretty doesn’t have to end!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… From the moment we got engaged, Jon and I knew exactly what kind of wedding we wanted to have.  We have such close relationships with our family and friends, so we wanted to create a welcoming, warm, intimate event that really celebrated who we are and where we come from while giving our guests an opportunity to participate in the fun rather than just observing the day.

Meghan Hicks was my go-to girl for all of my alteration and accessory designs.  She is absolutely brilliant, and she hand made my belt, veil, garter, and my maid of honor’s belt.  I am a sentimental gal, so Meghan hand-sewed lace from my mom’s wedding dress onto my mom’s original veil to showcase the lace in my dress.  In addition, Meghan used lace from my mom’s wedding dress in my garter.  Our wedding party looked stunning in Lula Kate dresses and ties.

We had a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony at St. James Catholic Church in Louisville, KY.  For the ceremony, I designed and printed the programs, and Jon’s mom sewed them together and tied the bows.  After the ceremony, the wedding party traveled by trolley for pictures at a house-front in Louisville.  For the bridal party pictures I wanted to give everyone a taste of our humor, so I bought pink mustaches for the girls to wear in several pictures.  We  then traveled to Gingerwoods to start our party.

The underlying “theme” of our wedding was “lucky in love.”  Since we started dating, Jon and I have always told each other how lucky we are to have each other, and we wanted to carry that theme through our event.  To pay homage to my southern upbringing (I’m from Texas) and Jon being from the home of the Kentucky Derby (he’s from Louisville) while still maintaining the theme, we decided horseshoes would be the main design element of our wedding.  In addition, I chose the color scheme of pink, copper, and gold to give the event a light, romantic feel, and I wanted tons of flowers and detail throughout the reception venue.  I also incorporated accent colors and patterns to really give a vintage, “in-love” mood. Last, we brought in some of our own furniture to use for the guest sign in, cake table, and photo booth to give the event a true sense of our style.

Mike from Lloyd’s Florist delivered flawless florals and linens for our event.  We had our guests sign a huge “S” (that we now have hanging in our living room) for our guest book, and name cards and “lucky” tags were tied to horseshoes to escort guests to their tables.  The horseshoes were placed in a dresser to carry on the “homie” feel, and they also doubled as guest favors.

The placecards were handmade by me with the guest’s name and a bell tied to the corner for guests to ring to have us kiss. Also at each setting was a fill-in-the-blank card (also made by me) and a pencil with the quote “Gettin’ lucky in Kentucky” for guests to tell me and Jon their hopes for us.

We wanted our guests to really feel like they were at a big party, and our DJ definitely made that happen.  Guests were up and dancing before Jon and I even had our first dance.  It was awesome!  To give the guests another chance to be involved, we provided a home-made photo booth complete with vintage doors as a backdrop, a vintage suitcase to house props, and mine and Jon’s own camera for guests to take each others’ pictures.  It was definitely a highlight of the night!

We had so much fun planning our wedding.  Jon’s mom and I handmade all personal details of the wedding, a friend designed my invitation, and I designed and printed all of the paper goods used at our event.  It was definitely DIY, and I would do it all over again!!

Wedding Photography: Christina Carroll Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: St. James Catholic Church / Wedding Reception Location: Gingerwoods / Floral Design: Lloyd’s Florist / DJ: Yancey Entertainment Service / Wedding Cake: Gallery Cakes / Trolley: Miller Transportation / Hair & Makeup: Applied Cosmetic Services / Catering: The Catering Company / Wedding Gown: Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique / Bride’s Shoes: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lula Kate via Bella Bridesmaid / Groomsmen Ties: Bella Bridesmaid / Groomsmen Suits: Rebecca’s Black Tie / Flower Girl Dresses: J.Crew / Letterpress Printing: Hound Dog Press / Seamstress: Meghan Hicks of Beautiful Bustles