Jordan & Christyana's Timeless Fairytale Wedding Day

1. Christyana, thank you for allowing us to share some details from your special day on our blog! For starters, how would you describe your wedding decor and theme?

I always wanted a fall wedding and that’s exactly what we had! The decorations were mostly wood, glass, neutral colors, with some gold and greenery thrown in. Oh, and we can’t forget about all the pampas, of course! The best way I could describe it is a mix between boho and rustic (with a bit of classy thrown in). The bridesmaid dresses were champagne, and the guys wore black suits with black ties. I wasn’t exactly sure how it would all turn out, but it was exactly what I wanted!

2. What are some of your favorite memories or details from your special day?

We were running late pretty much all day, but what else would you expect on a wedding day? I tried my best to take everything in that day because it all went by so fast! One of my favorite memories was during the bridesmaid pictures. My photographer had me stand in front of all the bridesmaids and he had all of them describe me in one word and talk about our friendship. It brought lots of laughs, smiles, tears, ugly cry face pictures, and hugs. I will always cherish that moment.

Another special detail was my “something borrowed.” It was a Bible that belonged to my great-great-grandfather, Hebert Starr. After a few months of dating Jordan, my now husband, we found out that Hebert Starr actually performed the wedding ceremony of Jordan’s grandparents. So during the prayer portion of our ceremony my grandfather carried up the Bible and held it while he and my family gathered around to pray for us. It was a very special moment. At the end of our ceremony my dad presented us with the Bible. It is something that I will always treasure and one day pass down to my children.

3. During the planning process or your actual wedding day, were there any funny moments or times things didn’t go as planned?

There were a few things that didn’t go as planned on the wedding day (of course) but I tried my best to keep my cool. First off, at our rehearsal, Jordan brought me his shirt for the wedding day and needed me to wash it. (Boys…) So, the night before our wedding day, I was getting his shirt ready. Our photographer was supposed to take Jordan his shirt the next day, but since we were running really behind time-wise, we were behind with taking pictures and he couldn’t take it until later in the day. Jordan couldn’t even get ready until about an hour before the wedding and they still had to go take pictures and get back to the church. Luckily, they made it back with plenty of time!

Also, our wedding had to be delayed because there was a large line backed up in the foyer to sign the guest book, which put us a little more behind schedule. We were also an hour late getting to take our wedding party pictures. But if the worst thing that happened was being behind on time, I’ll gladly take that!

4. How did you find the perfect wedding dress?

I graduated from Indiana Bible College in May of 2021. So for the first 2 months of our engagement I was in school, away from my family, and extremely busy. After graduation, I had 2 long tours with the school, and I knew that I didn’t have much time to find a dress. Along with that, I knew that the alterations to make the dress modest would make the process take even longer to get it back and that made me very nervous. So, I did what any stressed apostolic woman would do…I simply prayed. I was very specific that God would help me find the perfect dress without a hassle when we looked. I finally set an appointment to look at dresses 2 days before leaving for a tour. I walked in the shop, sat down, and immediately pointed out a dress that I liked. Everyone else pointed out the same dress. I tried on 6 or 7 dresses and then finally decided on my dress. It was the dress that we all pointed out! It was also the first one that I tried on. (My mom’s wedding dress was the first one she tried on, too.) God provided the ram in the thicket, so to speak.

I was a little worried because it was a sleeveless dress, but they made it with the sleeves and neckline built up, just like I asked. It only took 2 months to make and ship to the US from India. The beading was beautiful and all hand stitched. They even hid my initials in the stitching for free. It was everything I wanted: long, fitted sleeves, buttons down the back on the sleeves, a high neckline, and a long, flowing train.

5. Is there any advice you would like to share with future brides out there?

As stressful as wedding planning or the actual wedding day may seem, just take everything in. Stop and take mental pictures. Things won’t always go as you planned (I had a color coded schedule and we still ran behind lol), but at the end of the day, all that matters is that you get to marry the love of your life. Also, I highly recommend giving your phone to your maid of honor or a bridesmaid. People will probably text you, but you should just relax and be in the moment. In addition, have them take pictures and videos with your phone. You will enjoy all the candids and have something to look back on while you wait for your wedding pictures. Besides, it’s one less thing for you to keep track of on your wedding day!

6. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding or love story?

I first met my husband the first week of my being at Indiana Bible College (also affectionately known as “Indiana Bridal College”). I knew of him before I came because he was a Sophomore, and I thought he was very cute. I had a crush on him my first semester even though we barely said anything to each other and never hung out. I was always raised with the mindset that if a man is interested in a woman then he will be the one to pursue. So I prayed that if it was God’s will that he would pursue me. Time went on and nothing really changed except for the fact that we were both placed on a small music group that travelled and ministered at different churches. We stood beside each other and still never talked (my husband is a man of few words unless he knows you pretty well). I finally gave up on any hopes of us being together and went on with life. About 6 months later, our music group went on a spring break tour. I noticed Jordan making efforts to talk to me, and we just clicked as friends, but I thought he was just being nice. It wasn’t until our group leader (who was also our campus pastor) asked if something was going on between me and Jordan that I realized that he liked me. In that moment I realized that I still had feelings for him, and everything seemed to fall into place. We started hanging out that next week and started officially dating less than four months later. Sometimes the timing just isn’t right, and you have to trust the Lord, but He always has your best interests in mind!

7. Thank you so much for your time, Christyana. Before we go, we’d love to know who your photographer was?

My photographer was Alex Perry. He and I attended IBC together, and he always does a first class job. I highly recommend him for your upcoming engagement shoot, wedding, or family pictures! 

(Follow him on Instagram @alexperryphotography)