Our Wedding & One Year Anniversary

This week, I'm reflecting. Last year at this time, my husband - then fiance - and I were finalizing a million details for our wedding and packing for our honeymoon. We live in Kansas City, but we were married in Nashville, TN, where Grace and my brother live. We chose Nashville because it’s just so beautiful and we knew it’d be the perfect city for our guests to enjoy.

My apartment was an absolute mess. I had wedding decor, clothes, documents, etc. spread all across the living room floor. I was calling my mom in Dallas multiple times a day trying to figure out what was still on our to do list and who was doing what, along with figuring out the logistics of transporting everything to and from. Whew, it was a hectic time! Although it was a bit stressful, it was also a ton of fun planning and pepping for our big day!

One year later, I want to share with you, and especially with our bride-to-be followers, some of the details, photos, videos, wedding party gifts, dress info, and advice I learned along the way. Feel free to skip around with the links below! 

Location

Dress

Shoes

Photographer

Videographer

Hair & Makeup

Bridesmaids

Groomsmen

Gifts

First Look

Flower Girl & Ring Bearer

Ceremony

Dinner & Dessert

Reception & Exit

 

Location
Homestead Manor
​Nashville, TN 

The Manor (below, left) was where the men got ready and the Schoolhouse Suite (right) was where the ladies got ready for the wedding.

We had the Schoolhouse for the entire day, so we arrived early, unloaded, went over the final details with our coordinator and settled into the Schoolhouse for a few hours of girl time and pampering. We started with a delicious breakfast that was provided by Homestead Manor and it was a great way to kickoff the day!

Our hair and makeup team joined us bright and early and the Schoolhouse provided plenty of space for them to give everyone plenty of personal attention.

About halfway thru hair and makeup, Homestead Manor delivered a light lunch and drinks and I’m so glad they did. I didn’t want to eat too much before the big event, but it was just enough to satisfy my appetite for several hours.

 

Dress
​Belle Vogue Bridal

I found my perfect dress right away...it was the second one I tried on and I instantly knew it was the one. Andy from Belle Vogue Bridal was wonderful to work with. He listened intently to what I wanted, he offered advice and he made me very comfortable. Of course, he patiently endured me trying on what felt like a million more dresses just to be sure, but Andy had nailed it from the get go. It was a fun day to share with my mom, my future mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, aunts and a couple of close girlfriends. We all had a lot of fun and the happy tears flowed.

Get more bridal inspiration or follow Belle Vogue on Instagram.

 

Wedding Shoes
Nigros Western Store

Our first dance was Head Over Boots by Jon Pardi (give it a listen to the right!), so it only made sense for us to sport boots and two step our way into marriage! It was such a relief to be wearing comfortable shoes that I could dance in all night long.

Nigros is a family owned store right here in Kansas City and they were wonderfully accommodating. When they ordered my boots, the vendor told them the delivery date was going to be cutting it close. They assured me they’d arrive in time, but I think I still called every day to check in and they were so understanding and even let me pick out a second pair of boots just in case mine didn't make it in time.

Follow Nigros Western Store on Instagram.

Luckily, as promised, they arrived on time and were absolutely stunning!

A few months later, one of my girlfriends purchased the same boots for her wedding and she loved them every bit as much as I did. ​I can’t say enough good things about Nigros, their staff and their boots. Love everything about them!

 

Photographer
Jessica Elle Photography

Oh my goodness, Jessica is the absolute best and she captured our special day in the most remarkable way. There were so many great photos, from the smallest details to the most romantic portraits. And, I should add, she worked her magic in spite of rain showers throughout the day. She is located in San Antonio, TX, so we flew her up to Nashville for the wedding and we are so glad we did. She was fantastic and I highly recommend her. Every photo on this post is from Jessica. Brides - an excellent photographer is a must!

​Follow Jessica on Instagram or Facebook.

 

Videographer
​Peerless Weddings

We were on the fence about hiring a videographer. They can be pricey and we weren’t 100% sure it was a necessary expense. Turns out, we are SO glad we decided to go for it! There were so many things we missed during our special day and things we thought we’d remember forever, yet we forget within a week. It is wonderful having our video to look back on and our videographer captured the day perfectly. We received this trailer video (above) as well as a full length video that is about three hours long. We have so enjoyed replaying this day over and over again. It is certainly a treasured keepsake.

Follow Peerless on Instagram.

 

Hair & Makeup
DeLaney Henry

DeLaney Henry is a true gem and a makeup artist extraordinaire. I was lucky enough to work with her while I was preparing for the Miss Kansas USA pageant a few years ago, and again, when I traveled to Nashville to cover the Country Music Awards for KMBC. I knew immediately I wanted DeLaney on my special day to make me look and feel like a princess. As luck would have it, DeLaney lives in Nashville.

Follow her on Instagram.

DeLaney also styled my hair perfectly so I could wear the same floral headpiece my mother wore on her wedding day. Our florist did an amazing job adding a few fresh flowers to give it new life and it meant so much to me to wear it on my wedding day. And, yes, I’ll be saving it for many more years in hopes that I will have the chance to pass it along one day to a daughter on her wedding day.

 

Bridesmaids
Robes: Amazon
Dresses: ​David's Bridal

Aren't they gorgeous?! I loved everything about my bridesmaids’ looks! Since none of them live in Kansas City and are spread out across the country, I needed to pick a shop that everyone had easy access to. I chose David's Bridal because they have a large selection and a wide price range. I asked the girls to chose chiffon, floor length dresses - two in plum and two in lilac. They were able to pick their own style and what fit their budget. I think they made marvelous choices!

 

Groomsmen
Shirts & Ties: Dillard's
​Socks: The School of Sock

We asked the groomsmen to wear black suits with black shoes or boots. Luckily, they all already had a black suit. Yay! We supplied the matching shirts, ties and socks to pull it all together and it coordinated beautifully with the bridesmaids dresses.

 

Gifts

For our mothers
We went with Kendra Scott jewelry because it never disappoints. Plus, pro tip, if you shop during your birthday month, you get 50% off one item.

I also had a hanky embroidered for my mom. It read, "Mom, If joyful tears begin to fall, wipe them away and then recall, the love and laughter we share together and how much you mean to me forever." I was very pleased with how beautifully made it was and it came in handy during the ceremony.

For the bridesmaids
When the girls visited Kansas City for the bachelorette party, I gave them each a KC heart t-shirt from Charlie Hustle. It’s one of my favorites.

On the big day, I gave them each a robe and big cozy socks along with homemade “survival kits”. I snagged some cute makeup bags at Target and filled them with essentials like lotion, tissues, Advil, mints, etc. And before the ceremony, I gave them each pearl earrings in a cute box with this note - “I couldn’t say ‘I do’ without my best girls by my side”.

For the groomsmen
My husband put together a box for each groomsman that included their tie clip, socks, a customized set of cuff-links and a small bottle of liquor.

For my dad
One of my bridesmaids made a frame etched with some sweet words and I added a photo of me laying on his chest when I was just a few weeks old.

For our little flower girl & ring bearer
My mom had cute little t-shirts made for the flower girl and ring bearer to wear at the rehearsal and dinner the night before the wedding. The flower girl’s said “Flower Power” and the ring bearer’s said “Ring Security.” They were really sweet.
​
We also had a special hanky made for our flower girl to carry in her basket down the aisle and one day, hopefully, it will be her “something old” when she’s a bride.

Our ring bearer carried a football instead of rings down the aisle and we gave it to him to keep. The unexpected bonus was that it also entertained him all evening!

Also, we purchased a few items to keep them busy at the reception - coloring book and crayons, a toy truck, etc and at the end of the night, they got to take them home.

 

First Look
With my father, brother & bridesmaids

My husband and I opted not to see each other before the ceremony. We really wanted to savor the walk down the aisle and I’m so glad we did. It was everything I ever dreamed of!

However, I wanted to have a special first look with my dad and my brother beforehand. It was a vary special moment. We all shed a few tears, my brother wrote me a letter I’ll treasure forever, and I presented my dad with a special framed photo. It's a memory I will forever cherish.

I also had a first look moment with all my girls! My bridesmaids turned to face the wall while my mom and future mother-in-law helped button me into my dress. Once I was ready, we had the girls turn around for the big reveal! I just love the look on their faces!

 

Flower Girl & Ring Bearer

My husband's niece was our flower girl and she wore the same dress I wore when I was a flower girl in my aunt's wedding. These little sentimental touches get me every time. She was so proud to have her own matching floral headpiece too.

My husband's nephew rocked boots like his uncles, suspenders and a bow tie. How cute?! Instead of carrying the rings, he carried a Chiefs football down the aisle. If you don’t already know, my hubby and I met when we both worked for the Chiefs so, of course, it was a special way to represent where it all began.

 

Ceremony

Homestead Manor was such a dreamy and magical setting! As my dad and I walked down the aisle, my father-in-law played the trumpet and a local artist, Lindsay Latimer, accompanied him on the piano.

It truly was one of the happiest moments of my life. Seeing my groom waiting for me at the altar and knowing this was the day we’d finally be joined as one, made it especially hard not to let the happy tears fall.

During the ceremony, Lindsey played piano and sang while we took communion (photo above), prayed together and worshiped remembering none of this would be possible without our Heavenly Father guiding us every step of the way.

After sharing a kiss, we joyfully waltzed down the aisle as husband and wife and stole a few moments alone with each other before our wedding party joined us outside for photos.

 

Dinner & Dessert
Homestead Manor

 

Reception & Sparkler Exit

Time for first dances, hitting the photo booth, playing games - Jenga and bags, speeches from the best man and matron of honor, plus tossing the bouquet and garter, and then grabbing some sparklers for the grand exit! There are about a million amazing photos of all of this, but these are some of the highlights.

Oh my goodness, I want to do it all over again! Such a special day!

We are so thankful to everyone who traveled to Nashville to support us and celebrate with us. It meant the world to us to have all of you there!

Of course, a very special thank you to our parents, our families and our wedding party, we truly appreciate each of you. We couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you!

A huge shout out to my mom who helped me plan, organize, and get every single detail just right. Thanks for letting me call you 24/7 and text you a million times. Love you, mom!

To my bridesmaids - I am so thankful you are always by my side, not only on our wedding day, but through all of lives ups and downs. I truly treasure my friendship with each of you and am so thankful for your love and support.

- Rachel