A garden wedding with Mexican fare is my type of wedding! I absolutely love how Haley + John mixed elegant garden romance with casual cuisine – it's totally doable! From the bridesmaids' gorgeous bouquets to the Vandy groom's cake, their personalities were evident throughout their decor and details. Plus, Haley not only did a first look with John, but she did one with her dad! I love this trend and hope it continues – their close knit relationship is so clear in the beautiful photos by Andrea Hallgren. Keep scrolling to see more of their dreamy day!
Haley + John
Long Hollow Gardens
8.13.16
From the bride, Haley: Our wedding was everything I could have dreamed of, and it fit John and I perfectly! It was simple, very laid back, outdoorsy and still elegant and ethereal. We had the ceremony in a beautiful meadow with a rustic arch, lots of greenery and pops of pink flowers and hanging amaranths in the middle. After our first look and my first look with our dad, we had a great time with our wedding party! We grew up at the same church and fell in love through youth camps and Sunday mornings, so we had both our youth pastor and church pastor perform the ceremony! The cocktail hour was on the porch of the little, white cottage we all got ready in, complete with twinkly lights and of course, chips, queso and Mexican cokes in a bottle! The reception was held in the garden center’s greenhouse! My mom did the flowers, and each table had a botanical box with bright flowers or a terrarium with lots of moss, succulents and flowers. We had touches of a mint green from the napkins and copper from the candle votives! Everything was so soft, and light poured in from the roof. Behind the head table we featured the desserts: our delicious cake from Dulce that was buttercream with fresh strawberries and amaretto filling, and John’s groom’s cake which was the Vanderbilt Star! We also had a family friend make lots of mini cupcakes in assorted flavors. We planned to have a smore’s bar and fire pit outside, but it down poured the minute the reception started (thank goodness for an indoor option!) After the elegant, garden-y stuff was over, we just relaxed, ate fajitas and danced a lot! Some of my favorite parts were the “longest married couple on the dance floor” contest, our first dance to Amos Lee’s “Flower,” and seeing my new brother in law do the “worm.” I loved being able to incorporate little touches of our relationship like passing out the bubbles for the grand exit in a basket we brought home from a missions trip to Haiti a couple weeks prior, or playing Hall and Oates “You Make My Dreams Come True” as we walked back down the aisle. I’m so glad we invested in an amazing photographer to remember our day by! The wedding was sweet, classy, and just a pure reflection of the love we have for each other, God, our family and friends!
Sources
Andrea Hallgren/Long Hollow Gardens/Basket of Flowers/Dulce Desserts/Homestyle Bakery
