Despite the rain during cocktail hour and a long wait to find “the dress” Kayla and Trent’s edgy yet timeless wedding went off without a single hitch!
The Proposal
Trent and I had been together for just over 2 years, and our 3rd Christmas together was slowly approaching. Like many girls, I began dropping little hints, or asking “do you think we’ll get married?” Little did I know, when Trent had been “working late”, he was actually designing and buying my engagement ring. One weekend my friend Ariel and I decided to go shopping. She asked me if I wanted to see Christmas lights at the Billy Graham Library (in Charlotte, NC), and I said sure, but only if Trent comes with us also. Ruined surprise #1. Trent had planned to be at the Billy Graham Library with a rose and ring and surprise me when we got there. My friend Ariel suggested getting our nails done after shopping (since she knew I would be wanting pictures with my ring later) but the wait was ao long. Ruined surprise #2. I wanted to leave, but she talked me into staying because they served wine. Finally, our nails were done, and now Trent was coming with us, so he had to think about how to “pop the question”. When we got there he suggested a horse-drawn carriage ride. Ruined surprise #3. I find horse-drawn carriages to be cruel to the horses and didn’t want to do it. I did not know at the time, but when he was ready to get down on one knee in front of the giant Christmas tree, I said I had to go to the bathroom and waited in the line that wrapped around the building. Ruined surprise #4. FINALLY, when I came back out, we walked over to the nativity scene. My friend Ariel, and her boyfriend Scott said they wanted to take a picture of us. As they were taking the picture, Trent got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was shocked and clearly had no idea. The champagne and roses were waiting for us at the house, and we celebrated the rest of the night!
Finding The Perfect Essense of Australia Wedding Dress
My bridal style was a mix of modern-day but also included timeless touches. I have a few curves, so initially, I wanted an A-line wedding dress and nothing form-fitting. However, as I tried on wedding dresses, I started to realize form-fitting dresses were actually the best for my body shape. Lily Rose Bridal in Cornelius, NC was the 4th location I had visited one Saturday. I found a dress I liked, at the 3 other stores, but was not “in love” with any. As the day went on, I noticed I liked lace, a little bit of bling, form-fitting, a pretty back, some sheer cutouts, and a fairly deep cut V on the front. Then…. came Essense of Australia Style D2322. This dress had everything I was looking for, it was PERFECT. When I walked out of the fitting room, my mom began to cry, my dad was smiling, and my friend Ariel said: “that’s the one.” It was everything I was looking for. The lace and the beautiful design on the back made it timeless, while the sheer material on the sides made it edgy. I generally do not cry, but could not stop the tears from flowing. I had to wait an entire year to wear that dress on my wedding day, but it was worth the wait!
The Wedding Details
We wanted a mix of modern-day wedding elements but also threw in a touch of the beautiful outdoors. Our wedding was held at The Arbors Events just 45 minutes outside of Charlotte, NC. The Arbors was a 112-acre tree farm, with a beautiful pavilion for the reception with floor to ceiling glass windows. The colors of our wedding were “earth-tone”. The bridesmaid dresses were a sky blue, and the groom’s party suits were a very pretty light shade of a royal blue. Since the outdoor ceremony was on a tree farm, green was the color all around, with pops of vibrant pink and purple flowers and over the top landscaping surrounding the pavilion. The welcome sign, seating chart, and table numbers were clear acrylic with hand-painted white lettering. The 20-foot brick fireplace was draped with a sky blue cloth, and silver mercury candles and floating candles placed throughout the venue. The centerpieces consisted of beautiful white peonies with pops of blush in a gorgeous silver vase. We both wrote and shared our own vows at the ceremony, and there was so much love in the air. The wedding favors were coffee beans in bags that said: “Let love brew” since we are huge coffee drinkers. Our cake was from our favorite local bakery, Amelies. We are from Ohio and Michigan but held our wedding in North Carolina where we first met. We wanted our families to see the beauty of the state, and why we love it so much. Despite some rain, during cocktail hour (which is good luck right?) we truly had the most perfect day.
Photos by Angela Tucker Photography
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