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Sara + Jim’s Travel Themed Wedding by Kayla Ketner Event Planning

If you love to travel, this wedding is for you! Oh my word, when I saw these photos of Sara + Jim’s travel themed wedding from Zach & Sarah Photography, my heart went pitter-patter! Jim is a pilot and let’s just say, the couple’s entire wedding theme revolved around airplanes! From their photo shoot in front of a vintage plane, to the “pilot” and “co-pilot” chair signs, to the “Come Fly With Me” cake topper, and more, the theme was perfect for this travel loving couple! Nashville Bride Guide planner, Kayla Ketner Event Planning helped the couple plan their day and make it the best it could possibly be! Keep scrolling to read more about their day from Kayla!

Sara & Jim

6.19.2021

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

Upper Cumberland Regional Airport

The Saltbox Inn & Stables

Tell us about the couple.

Kayla: Sara is a licensed chiropractic physician and chiropractic acupuncturist with a heart for helping heal people, and Jim is a pilot, who loves passing on his knowledge of the skies as a flight instructor. They are two of the sweetest people you will meet. I wasn’t a vendor for their wedding; I was a welcomed member of their family for the day.

Tell us about the couple’s vision.

Kayla: Sara and Jim wanted the event to be something for everyone to enjoy. They wanted everyone to be able to celebrate with them while also crafting the day around what was most important to them as a couple. After the Catholic ceremony, there was a two hour built in break before the reception started. Sara and Jim provided out of town guests with a list of places to explore in the area, allowing guests to go enjoy a coffee or beer at one of their favorite local spots before heading to the reception location. During this time, the couple headed to the airport for photos, incorporating Jim’s career as a pilot into their theme. Sara and Jim hired a live band they loved for the reception, so guests could enjoy them from their seats or join the party on the dance floor.

What was their theme and what inspired it?

Kayla: Sara and Jim are Catholic, so the ceremony followed a traditional Catholic order. The reception theme centered around aviation highlighting Jim’s career as a pilot. They also incorporated many personal details around their dog, Bella, who served as the flower dog.

What details were used to create their theme?

Kayla: Guests were seated at “gates” instead of tables with personalized airplane table numbers. Pilot and Co-pilot signs were used for the sweetheart table instead of traditional bride and groom signs. The cake topper said “Come Fly with Me,” which was also their first dance song, and other personalized aviation décor could be spotted around the reception space. These details were complimented with greenery, simple florals in white and hues of blue, and a hint of rustic charm thanks to the venue. Sara and Jim’s dog, Bella, also had an important role, not only in her role as flower girl, but as the guardian of the cake with a mini Bella statue actually crafted into the bottom layer of the cake. Guests could also enjoy a signature “Bella-rita” at the bar.

Can you share any special moments or highlights of their wedding day?

Kayla: Bella, Sara and Jim’s dog, served as the flower girl, and it was a definite highlight to see her walk down the aisle of the Catholic church. Sara and Jim built in a two hour window between the ceremony and reception, giving them time to go with the photography and videography teams to the airport to capture and enjoy that “just married” feeling. While there, they also used the runway as a dance floor to get in a last minute practice of their choregraphed first dance.

Did they have any special requests or unique challenges that you had to work together to overcome?

Kayla: The florist was locked out of the church, and no one could get a hold of anyone to come unlock it. The florist had to end up leaving her décor outside, and I had to quickly place and set it up inside once the church was finally unlocked less than hour before the ceremony time! Other than that hiccup, the day ran smoothly because Sara, her mother, and I had worked through every detail together in the days leading up to the wedding.

Thank you so much to Kayla Ketner Event Planning and Sara & Jim for sharing all about this beautiful travel themed wedding day! You can check out more on Kayla Ketner Event Planning for your wedding here!

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