Outdoor October Wedding with a Sunset Ceremony at Mint Springs Farm

Lauren + Sam
Wedding Date: October 18, 2014
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Mint Springs Farm
Guests: 150
Budget: $50,000 – 60,000

Wedding Team

How would you describe your style as a couple?
Sam and I are a very outdoorsy couple. When we first set foot on Mint Springs’ grounds, we knew this was the venue for us. It allowed us to have the intimate outdoor ceremony that we wanted, combined with the most elegant reception I’ve ever attended.

Where did you get your inspiration?
For our colors, I was inspired by our favorite color, navy blue. Take that with its seemingly natural metallic pairing of gold and charcoal gray, and you have a sublime color palette. We also had our immediate family members wear colors that were in those tones. Our pictures turned out amazingly because of it. For the style, our wedding was an evening wedding, so everything had to be elevated to a classier affair. We wanted every candle that Mint Springs Farm owned to be lit. We also wanted a backdrop of lights behind the sweetheart table.

Sam and I wanted to include artifacts from our grandparents to use on our wedding day. We used his grandparents’ server set and my grandparents’ cake plate (their only surviving wedding gift) to cut our cake. This was extremely special to us.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We wanted everything to feel cohesive. We spent a large portion of money on our paper goods because it really allowed us to infuse as many details as possible. We worked with Designs in Paper to come up with the monogram, patterns, and wide selection of paper goods that we would use for everything. Sam and I even customized our stamps on Zazzle.com for that added detail.

What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
We heard several favorites from our wedding.
Sam and I chose to have a sunset wedding and it couldn’t have been more perfect. We even went out to the venue a year before to the day so we could see what the light would be like. It paid off. Our guests loved that aspect of our ceremony.

Our guests also loved the food. Sam and I worked with Chef Penelope to create a menu that perfectly suited our tastes.

Probably one of the other most raved about aspects of our wedding was the flowers. Mint Springs Farm does an absolutely amazing job with floral arrangements. Everywhere you turned, there was another beautiful overflowing arrangement.

Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Sam and I splurged on pretty much everything. The best splurges were the videographer, the photographers, and, of course, the venue. We saved on the chargers for the table settings. Sam and I were able to purchase most of what we needed on craigslist and we sold them after our wedding to break even. We also saved on the large monogram. I had a local sign shop cut it for me and I put gold leaf on it myself.

Who were your favorite vendors and what made them exceptional?
Wow, this is a hard question. Everyone made our wedding night incredibly special. We loved having our friend, John Hilley, as our officiant. He made our ceremony special and filled with laughter and love. We love Mint Springs Farm and their willingness to create the wedding of our dreams. Chef Penelope was amazing. Our guests raved about the food. Matchless Transportation provided excellent transportation for us all weekend long. J Clark, of Snyder Entertainment, knew how to read the crowd and play the music that kept them dancing. Nyk & Cali exceeded my expectations. They were super easy to work with and I would recommend them to anyone. Matt G, our videographer, is also super talented. I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I decided to invest in a videographer, but I’m really glad I did. Now we have an incredible highlight reel that will outlast our lifetime.

Designs in Paper was my absolute favorite vendor. They worked with me to make sure I loved every aspect of the paper goods. They even helped me make custom welcome bags for my out-of-town guests, create our signature drink names, and our monogram.

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
There isn’t really anything we would have done differently. We were engaged for almost two years. Sam and I knew how we wanted to celebrate our day with our family and friends and it was truly unforgettable.

In two sentences, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Don’t rush your engagement. You will be able to really enjoy every step and plan out every moment if you take your time.

Other notes:
Also, my best friend and matron of honor, Valerie, could not make it to my wedding due to a family tragedy. I love her with all of my heart and completely understood why she couldn’t attend. Thankfully, I had agreed a few months ago to let my Mom wear the same color dress to my wedding. I asked my Mom to be my honorary matron of honor and it was one of the best things I could have ever done. In fact, I’m not sure why I didn’t even consider asking my Mom in the first place. It’s such an incredible feeling standing up there with your mom by your side and I know it meant a lot to her to be a part of it.

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Lauren & Sam’s October, Outdoor Wedding Wows Guests With Food, Flowers, and A Sunset Ceremony

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