I’m willing to bet that Sierra + Derek’s guests remember the couple’s family-style wedding as one of their all-time favorites.  You can’t really go wrong with hotdogs, s’mores and a three-tiered red velvet cake, and the bride’s family farm leant an especially intimate and laidback feel to the Missouri celebration.   My favorite part, though?  The hundreds and hundreds of twinkle lights that make Sierra + Derek’s reception look positively magical. They were one of Sierra’s favorite parts, too — she even included Taft Electric in her vendor list!  (Twinkle lights are the reason I’d consider an outdoor wedding, folks… don’t judge!)  See more of the fun on Alec Vanderboom’s post, appropriately entitled “Married in the Forest.”

Describe your wedding cake: We served a three-tier red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and buttercream cream frosting. Not only delicious, but this was the aesthetic element that everybody said they loved most.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Figuring out the location was the most stressful part of planning. We wanted a destination wedding but some of our closest family and friends wouldn’t have been able to make it, so we looked for closer destinations.  Deciding to have the wedding at the farm was actually more of a “concession” for us, but it ended up giving us the most beautiful wedding we could have hoped for.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? That feeling of excitement and anticipation right before my dad walked me down the aisle.  Also, the overall feeling of joy and love Derek and I shared for each other and our families throughout the day.  We looked around in awe at everything our families had put together.  The wedding was such a labor of love!
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re looking forward to staying nestled in our new home for the next few years and then picking up and moving out west for new adventures. 

Congratulations, Sierra + Derek!  Sending you lots of love and warm wishes from the SW team.

I think photographer Alec Vanderboom was surprised by how quickly Emily returned his email asking whether we’d be interested in sharing Derek + Sierra’s wedding, but how could we pass up this shindig?  As someone who’s often thought she’d get married at home, this couple’s wedding, which took place on the bride’s family’s property, is right up Emily’s alley (though Sierra’s dress from Destinations by Mon Cherie is definitely more my pace!).  The mason jar lights everywhere, the funky bouquet (by Cabool Florist) and the delightfully rustic, looks-like-it-grew-up-out-of-the-ground altar arch also caught my eye.  The BEST part, though?  This wedding cost just $6,000.  That’s right, $6,000.  Stay tuned for the reception!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We met in our last years of high school and bonded instantly. We knew way back then that we wanted to be together forever.
Describe the proposal.  Derek proposed on Christmas Eve.  We opened our presents from one another and the last were our stockings.  My little ring box was in the bottom of the stocking and then Derek got down on one knee.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Surreal, rustic and laid back.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We loved the twinkly lights strung up through the trees. We knew we were going to have lights, but actually didn’t know how many and how beautifully placed they would be.  It was kind of a surprise from my parents!   And while this was not at all in our control, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.  We had no backup plan if there was rain, but the day was clear and  sunny. Such a blessing!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I didn’t want to spend a lot of time trying on dresses in different boutiques, especially because I knew I wanted a high halter neck line and those seem hard to come by. I scoured the Internet looking at the websites of designers my local boutiques carried and finally found the dress I ended up loving. I’m glad I looked online because the boutique didn’t actually carry the dress in store, but we were able to order it for me. I would have never found it if I hadn’t checked online first.
Describe your wedding flowers: Silk green hydrangeas, cream white dahlias, mustard yellow button mums and celosia wrapped in a piece of burlap that we trimmed from the runners from the reception tables.

You have less than 24 hours to bid on Lara Casey!

It’s an auction unlike any other. One lucky bidder will have the opportunity to spend an hour doing (almost) anything with Lara. Want to go snowskiing with Lara and then enjoy a feast of Luna bars? That might just be Lara’s dream date. Want to do something more reasonable and have Lara work with you on the design elements of your wedding? That is also a possibility!

Better yet, all proceeds of the auction will benefit Tents in Haiti and CHF International. Eighteen-year-old Spencer Brodsky has set out on a mission to help those in need and we are happy to lend a helping hand. Want to hear more about Spencer? Read what we had to say on this super kid here.

But wait, there’s more! You still have time to ask the SW girls absolutely anything. This is your chance to discover our likes and dislikes, our fears and our aspirations, our favorite movies and our pet peeves. Use your imagination! We will be answering your questions LIVE.

Tune in tomorrow at 4 p.m. for the live auction to find out who will be spending an hour with the one, the only Lara Casey. Oh, and you’ll get to find out how we respond to your questions. It is sure to be an adventure.

Love,

Whitney

I love this couple.  Plain and simple.  Love the bride’s classic Amsale gown (check out the fun bustling in the back!) and her loose, carefree up-do, love the groom’s smart silver-grey suit and sunny boutonnière, and la-la-love the intimate hand-holding shots of the happy couple.  Jennifer’s attendants wore slate-colored frocks from Melissa Sweet and Connie Alford designed the bride’s ultra-sweet bouquet.  Thank you to Nashville-based photographer, David Molnar, for sharing this dressed-up backyard wedding.  P.S.  Jennifer + Michael completed this interview via Skype while the groom, an Army sergeant, was stationed overseas.  Too cute!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  (According to Michael)  We’ve known each other for pretty much our entire life.  We grew up at the same church and went to the same high school.  According to Jennifer, we weren’t dating at the time, but I had other intentions for our future.  After several months of “just being friends,” we made it official.  That was almost nine years ago, and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing but it certainly has brought us very close to each other.  She is my best friend and the only person I can ever see myself with.  Life wouldn’t be the same without her in my life.
Describe the proposal. (According to Michael) The proposal came after we had been apart for the better part of a year.  I joined the Army in February of 2007, and we spent the next several months dating other people.  During Christmas of that year, we spent some time together and I even left a family holiday event around midnight just to drive over four hours and see her before I returned to my duty station.  During our visit, I told her that we were going to get married and that she should move back to El Paso with me.  She was speechless.  After several months of a long distance relationship, I proposed on a mountaintop in Texas. She was very surprised.  I set it up very nicely if I do say so myself!
Three adjectives that describe the day are:
(According to Jennifer) Laid-back, charming and surreal.
(According to Michael) God-Made, transcending and exhausting.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: (According to Michael) The bluegrass quartet that played our music
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  (According to Jennifer) My mom, sister and Michael’s mom came up to Nashville one weekend to dress shop. Our last appointment after a long day of shopping was with The Bride Room in Green Hills. They only carry a select number of dresses, so it wasn’t dress overload like most other salons. After realized I probably wasn’t going to find the dress I had in my mind, I decided to try on some unexpected beauties. A gorgeous Amsale dress snuck up on my and stole my heart. As soon as I put it on I began running around the room, carrying the train as if I were running through a field in a movie. (Totally ridiculous I know!)  When I found out the dress had pockets, I was sold!
Describe your wedding flowers: (According to Jennifer) Our color scheme was yellow and grey, so we went with yellow and cream flowers. Cabbage roses were my main priority. I love how puffy they are!
Describe your wedding cake:  (According to Michael) It was the coolest cake ever, especially for a guy.  We had an antique wooden serving tower filled with cupcakes and topped off with a custom-made cake topper in the likeness of me and my bride.  My groom’s cake consisted of an array of pound cakes.  I wish I could tell you what they tasted like, but I never made it to the table.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? (According to Michael) In the near future, we’ll be spending some much-needed quality time together after my yearlong deployment in the Middle East.  I’m looking forward to having a family with Jennifer in the next few years and traveling to all the different places the Army and God take us on our journey.

Congratulations, Jennifer + Michael!  Best of luck traveling and settling into your new life together.

Emily must have been on the prowl for some inspirational tablescapes and floral arrangements when she found Chandra + Matt’s Cedarwood wedding, and Phindy Studios definitely didn’t disappoint with their fun images.  (Fun fact: the newlyweds are a match.com success story!)  Chandra wore a slim-cut gown from the Bridal Garden and classic Stuart Weitzman pumps, and decked her maids in royal purple sheaths from Nordstrom.  The cheerful bouquets and bold centerpieces were offset by the couple’s clean and ultra-modern square confection from Patty Cakes.  Emily is training me to be more detail-oriented, so let me direct your attention to the couple’s fun playbill-inspired menus.  (Did I say that right, Em?)  Visit Phindy Studio’s own post about this wedding for a few more shots from the day!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We met on match.com in 2004.  Matt “winked” at me, which communicates interest without a formal email.  And, I, managing a flurry of winks, ended up sorting my inbox by height.  Matt (who is 6’5”) was first on the list, and that’s how it all started.  We corresponded via email and IM for five weeks before we met for the first time halfway between Manchester, CT and Tyringham, MA for a six hour dinner.  According to Matt, he knew from the moment he saw me that he wanted to marry me.  I, too, was equally intrigued by him, and secretly envisioned our future together, even from day one.

Describe the proposal: Matt and I were living in Chicago and he persuaded me to take a bike ride to the lake.  He had packed a picnic of snacks, so we sat on a blanket staring at the lake, nibbling and chatting about our highly-anticipated future in Nashville, TN (iwe were moving in two months).  Matt was in the process of editing videos – one of his many hobbies – so I didn’t think anything of it when he gave me his iPod and headphones, and told me he had a video he was working on that he wanted to show me. The video was a six minute overview of our 3.5-year relationship that ended with white text on a black background that said, “Our Future.”  I was in tears, and took of my sunglasses to find an engagement ring in Matt’s hands and tears in his eyes.  I was completely surprised.  Our wedding save-the-date was electronic and included the video Matt created to propose to me: http://www.mattandchandra.com/savethedate.html
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The Hatch-show print cards announcing our marriage tucked in the napkins at each guest’s seat.  Behind the Hatch-show cards were ten different cards corresponding to the ten guests seated at any given table.  These cards gave guests extra details about our wedding and provided an opportunity for guests to interact with each other.  Here’s the list of card topics:

1. First Dance Lyrics, Ben Folds “The Luckiest”
2. Explanation of the Beer & Wine selection
3. Specialty Drink Menu
4. Dinner Menu
5. How well do you know Chandra & Matt TRIVIA: The Early Years
6. Details about the cake flavors & the surprise late-night snack:  empanadas & fondue
7. Part of Matt’s Match.com profile
8. Our first email exchange

10.  Comments card

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Every Thanksgiving, we visit Matt’s family in Greenwich, CT.  On black Friday, my mother-in-law and I ventured into NYC to find my dress.  I had an appointment at the Bridal Garden, which is NYC’s only bridal boutique whose proceeds benefit education for NYC children.  I loved the concept, and the fact that all their designer gowns are up to 75% off retail prices. The first dress I tried on at the Bridal Garden ended up being “my dress.” It was a fun-filled afternoon with my mother-in-law who was an incredible support throughout all phases of the wedding planning.
Describe your bouquet: I carried a hand-tied bouquet with green mini hydrangeas, green roses, plum dahlias and mini calla lilies wrapped in green moss satin ribbon with copper satin ribbon crossed on the stems.
Describe your wedding cake: We served a four-tier square cake with dark brown ribbon and marzipan green apples, plums, acorns and leaves with a fresh plum dahlia and berries. The entire cake was covered in white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?  My favorite memory of the day was our ceremony. It was written by us, but still full of surprises and filled with humor.  We had two friends pick and share readings, one of which was personally written.  Others shared photos that symbolized something about us, resulting in lots of tears and comic relief.  We also had a close friend officiate the wedding. As this happened, our rings circulated the crowd to be touched and ”blessed” by the hands of our guests. Since I am from Oceanside, California and Matt from Greenwich, CT, we blended sand from the east and west coast to symbolize our past, present and future.  It was beautiful in every sense of the word and VERY memorable.
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? A week before the wedding, we talked about what we wanted from each other.  Those requests became “promises” and we each said 3 promises as our vows. Here’s mine:

Chandra: “I Chandra, choose you Matt, to be my lifelong partner. I promise to be the healthiest version of myself I can be; to support you, and all of your interests and endeavors; and to prioritize our family, friends, and loved ones amidst the day to day business of my life. These things I promise you, my partner and best friend, on this day, the next day, and every other day, for the rest of our lives.”
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We’re excited about buying a home, traveling before kids and enjoying each other’s company in Nashville.

Congratulations, Chandra + Matt!  We wish you all the best as newlyweds and beyond.

Want gorgeous wedding photography? Be sure to enter the Brion Hopkins giveaway by March 1 for a chance to win a wedding photography package!