Rustic, Simple, Outdoor Autumn Wedding in Prospect, KY
Her Name: Olivia
His Name: Daniel
Olivia’s Gown: Laurence
Photographer: Sarah Katherine Davis
Venue: Gingerwoods in Prospect, Kentucky (USA)
Florist: Hazelfield Farm
Hair Stylist: Jules K Studio
Makeup Artist: Kelly Taliaferro from Authentique
DJ: Olivia’s friend Cas
Catering: Mirabelle
Musicians: Amy Allen playing the harp along with Abby O’ Bryan doing vocals
Videographer: Emily Harger
Dessert: Pies from Kentucky’s Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen and Indianapolis’s My Sugar Pie
Other Vendors: Laura Beth Barringer, created dreamcatchers that hung from our arch!
SM: Hello Olivia and congratulations on your wedding! You look gorgeous!
How and why did you choose your SuzannaM Wedding Gown?
Olivia: I had been so frustrated trying to find an affordable, elegant and simple wedding gown, so I started to search Etsy. I came across Suzanna’s bohemian, ethereal dresses and was smitten!
SM: How did you and Daniel meet?
Olivia: Daniel and I met in college through a mutual friend. The first time we crossed paths was in a coffee shop on campus.
Daniel wearing simple blue shirt and nice gray tweed pants
SM: What was the first thing that attracted you to him?
Olivia: He was outdoorsy, adventurous, genuine, and had the sweetest smile. Unfortunately, I was used to being around fairly crude college-aged boys and was surprised to find someone so kind-hearted and respectful. His soft nature was comforting, and I loved his vivid green eyes!
SM: Were you together for a long time before your marriage?
Olivia: We dated for about 2.5 years before getting engaged and were together for 3.5 years before our wedding date!
Dreamcatchers made by Family Friend, Laura Beth Barringer
SM: How did the proposal go down? How did you feel?
Olivia: We got engaged in a very unconventional way!I was about to embark for a four-month internship abroad, and to make my final weeks special, we went for a camping trip in Asheville, North Carolina—one of our favorite weekend getaways. While camping, we spiraled into deep talks about our relationship and how we were dreading our time apart. He ended up saying something along the lines of, “If only I had a ring right now, I would get down on my knee.” I won’t say the decision was impulsive, because we’d honestly been discussing marriage for quite some time, but we ended up spontaneously getting rings tattooed on our fingers the following day.
Less than two weeks later, I left for Cambodia, and we didn’t reunite until nearly four months later in Thailand. One day, while hiking on an isolated trail near the Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai, Daniel “re-proposed”, in a more traditional way. He hugged me, reaching into his backpacking (which I was wearing) and pulled out the most gorgeous yellow sapphire ring. He said quite a lot of beautiful, cheesie statements, before slipping it onto my finger. Mountains in Thailand, a sun-hued jewel, and the most perfect reunion?It was true magic.
SM: Which season did you choose for your Wedding and Why?Olivia: We chose to have our wedding in the fall, mainly because I’d always envisioned a fall wedding, with sunflowers and crisp air and pies and sunset-tinted leaves.
SM: How did the Wedding planning go? Do you have any tips or advice you’d like to share with future SM Brides?Olivia: In the grand scheme of things I think freaking out about wedding planning is kind of silly.My advice to other love birds? A wedding is a one-day event. But a marriage should last a lifetime. Focus on your love, and don’t sweat the petty stuff. After all, when the decorations are taken down and the cake (or pie, in our case) is all eaten, nothing really changes. It’s you and your sweetheart, hand in hand, without blemish-covering makeup and white gowns and twinkling lights. Rather than trying to plan a Pinterest-perfect wedding (which I’m guilty of having attempted in early stages), make plans for your future as a unit. Talk about travel and children and finances and heartache and God and dreams. Relish in your endless love. All will be OK!
SM: Did you choose a specific theme and/or colors?
Olivia: It was fairly rustic and simple. We kept to fall colors, implemented feathers into our decorations, and did quite a bit of DIY crafts!
SM: Where did you get your inspiration from?
Olivia: I started out looking on Etsy and a few wedding-related Instagram portfolios, but in the end, I think we mainly just stuck to our own personal tastes!
SM: How did you feel at your Wedding Day?
Olivia: I was so nervous! But the moment I reached Daniel’s side, all of my fears dissolved. The crowd disappeared. The anxiety lifted. And every bit of joy and hope and love flooded over me!
SM: What was the highlight of your Wedding?Olivia: Saying “I do” to my very best friend, my favorite adventure partner and my life’s greatest blessing! I love that we wrote our own vows. Sharing our promises, in front of our closest friends and family, was truly special!
SM: What about your Honeymoon? Where did you go? How was it?
Olivia: We traveled the coast of California! It was beyond our wildest dreams!We started in Crescent City, at the northern-most point and made our way south, eventually flying out of San Diego. Along the way, we explored coastal cliffs, redwood forests, camped in the rain, dined at incredible restaurants—including with the Napa Valley Wine Train, slept in quaint bed and breakfasts, frolicked through big cities, went streaking in Joshua Tree, rode dirt bikes in the desert, watched shooting stars from a tent (and on another night, from a hot tub), and fell in love all over again—with ourselves, with God, with each other and with life!
Leave a Reply