Our Wedding: Getting Ready

It takes a village (or in this case, a tribe) to make a wedding run smoothly. So many different talented vendors and friends stepped in to help me execute the vision I had for our day and I'm so beyond thankful for their hard work, love and amazing attention to every little detail. Because I planned and designed our celebration myself, I spent the better part of a year (we were engaged in October and married the following September) DIYing, collecting details and dreaming of our wedding. For the things I just couldn't manage myself (the list was LONG ya'll... trust me, you can't do it all by yourself no matter how hard you try), I learned to let go and let the sweetest, most crazy-gifted vendors step in.

Our wedding day started EARLY on Saturday morning. My sister Hannah and I trekked to the farmhouse at 630 after a looooong night of rehearsal dinner-ing and partying (the night was SO MUCH FUN). I won't lie, the prospect of loading 300 wine bottles and five cakes into our minivan (which lost tire pressure and left us scratching our heads at the gas station for an hour) that early in the morning was not my favorite idea. We powered through, made it to Tennessee and immediately began setting things up. Careful to leave the delicate tasks for last, we avoided a few rain showers and managed to prep a bit before vendors, bridesmaids and family members started to arrive.

I set out thinking that I'd be able to do it all: be present on our wedding day and style everything 'just so' with time to spare. Man was I wrong! I couldn't have gotten through the day without our day-of coordinator Joanna (if you're planning a wedding yourself and on the fence about hiring a professional extra set of hands... do it!) and my sweet friends Meghan and Kami. They stepped in when I was needed elsewhere, executed everything more perfectly than I could have asked for and kept me sane throughout the craziness. Selfless friends are such a rare treasure and big life events really help teach you who yours are!

We spent the last couple of hours leading up to our ceremony getting beautiful and working hard to feel centered in the midst of chaos. The Transformation could not have been more accommodating, willing to listen to my vision or more talented. They pulled together gorgeous looks for all of my beautiful friends and I was so happy with the whole experience. Those girls know how to do a strong brow and boho braids! When hair and makeup were done, the girls were able to sneak in a quick smudging ceremony and it turned out to be one of my most favorite parts of the day. It's funny how much of a blur your wedding day is and it's so cool to look at photos and see all of the things you missed. Apparently, when the girls were running around and having small melt-downs, the boys were leisurely playing horseshoes and exploring the venue with time to spare. Ha!

Ainsoworth and I decided months ago not to have a "first look" and saved seeing each other for the moment I walked toward him down the aisle. Even so, we wanted to remember the reason we were tying the knot, be calm/centered and exchange little gifts that let the other person know we were thinking of them in the weeks leading up to the big day. I opened the most heavenly wedding day scent and gifted Ainsworth a notebook I'd written snippets in since the day we got engaged and a Daniel Wellington watch to mark the passing of time in our journey together. At the very last minute my dad brought in a pair of earrings (something blue and something borrowed) my grandma wore when she was alive.

My biggest advice for the getting ready stage of your wedding day: relax, delegate and check in with yourself. Remember what the day is really about and let all of the fretting over details fall away!

See more of our wedding here.

Credits:

photography: Sleepy Fox Photography // second shooter: M.Newsom Photography // venue: Hardy Chambers Farmhouse in Pulaski, Tennessee // event design + planning: Hazel + Scout (bride) // day of coordinator: Joanna White // florals: Old Frond // wedding dress: Rue De Seine // veil + headpiece: Fox & Hare // shoes + bridesmaid dresses: Free People // flower girl dress: Tea Princess // hair + makeup: The Transformation // groom + groomsmen attire: Asos // paper goods + calligraphy: Linen & Leaf // rentals: The House Nashville // bridesmaid gifts: Petal & Lux by Janna Park