Our Wedding Day: 04.27.2019

On a beautiful yet windy April afternoon on a countryside hilltop in Missouri, I ditched my wind swept veil (like it literally last 5 seconds, blew off my head, and smothered my Dad) to marry my best friend in front of friends and family who came from across the country to celebrate with us. (We counted 19 states that were represented amongst all of our guests!!) When deciding on where we wanted to get married, B & I knew that we wanted to start our next chapter in our new home of Kansas City but even more, we wanted to share our new city with all of our friends and family. I'd spent the morning hanging with my bridesmaids and getting all glammed up while the guys got ready just a block up the street. I knew that one special moment I had to have was a first look with my Daddy...through the whole wedding dress shopping process, I wanted his input and couldn't wait to show him my final bridal look. I truly wasn't prepared for how touched he was (the tears!!) but to be honest, I was WAY too excited about the day to cry! Actually saying my vows and hearing the reception speeches were the only two times this girl shed a tear!!

I think my absolute favorite moment from our wedding day, with the exception of the part where we said "I Do" was our first look. To be honest, we almost didn't do a first look but after careful reconsideration, knew we wanted that intimate time to ourselves to just take in the day and the last year and a half of planning that got us to that moment. As I walked up behind B to tap him on the shoulder in my customized Emily Hart Bridal gown, he turned around to get his very first look and handed me my bouquet of stunning Spring blooms. I chose to have my bouquet wrapped in a necklace that my Nana had bought for me when I was very young, maybe 8 or 9 to keep her close on our big day. He looked SO dapper in his suit and yet every time I think of that moment I remember a line from Father of the Bride, "I knew ..." We wanted the whole day to be a representation of who we are.

As an avid outdoorsman, Brad was represented in the stunning hand-built Timber Barn made entirely of repurposed materials. I've always be described by my friends and family as an "old soul" and was represented in the beautiful, handpicked antique details of the day surrounded by a muted pastel color palette. My mom and I oversaw every single detail from the hand filled lavender sachet favors to the mix and match china that Brad's mom and grandma helped us find over months of searching everywhere from the Facebook Marketplace to rummage sales. It truly was a family affair! Our ceremony was performed by a dear family friend and included a scripture reading by one of our dearest and most cherished friends and a guitar solo surprise by my little brother who spent MONTHS learning a song for our big day.

Immediately following the ceremony, we were joined by our wedding party to dig up the bottle of bourbon we buried a month before as a nod to where we first met in Kentucky and as an omen for good weather on our wedding day. The weather wasn't perfect BUT it didn't rain and we laugh now at how windy and how cold we all were standing up there!! Guests were welcomed into the reception which included an antique seating lounge, hanging flower installation, and the lovely glow of flickering tapers lining the farmhouse tables. It was such a joy to see my ideas and vision for the day come together! We had the most incredible plated dinner accompanied by a playlist I handpicked as another nod to who we are and the things we love. As the sun set on the barn, we were showered with adoring toasts made by my Daddy, our maids of honor, and our best man before I got to surprise B with a special serenade by a dear family friend. So much of our early beginnings included us sending songs back and forth to one another that we thought either represented the other person or said all the things we wanted to say to one another so it was only fitting that I found a new song that so beautifully embodied everything I feel for my husband.

Then it was time for the us to share in our first dance to a beautiful rendition of "This Magic Moment." If you hear that song and immediately think of that pool scene in The Sandlot then you are definitely our kind of people. It was one of the first movies we ever watched together and it was B's idea, years before we got engaged, to make that our song one day.

The rest of the evening was filled with dancing, photo bus fun, and midnight sliders before our guests headed back to Kansas City to join us for a farewell brunch Sunday morning. It was a weekend steeped in celebration and love and we still are so grateful to everyone who helped us celebrate! If you're in the Kansas City area and planning a wedding, you can check out our full list of vendors below.

Hotel: Hotel Indigo

Venue: Weston Timber Barn

Photographer: Love Tree Studios

Videographer: Byler Media

Hair & Makeup: The Pretty Bride Co

Wedding Gown: Emily Hart Bridal

Suits: Slaboskys Menswear & Tailoring

Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids

Coordinator: Nellie Sparkman Events

Florist: Blue Bouquet

Bar: Cordial Craft

Caterer: PB&J Catering