Lilly, 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?
Well, I don’t know if I could say I had a theme . . . but I was shooting for a vintage, bohemian vibe. I wanted the atmosphere to be both classy and cozy. I used a lot of pampas grass, glass bottles, vintage china, and vintage brass candlesticks (most of which I thrifted or were family heirlooms). With the carriage house not needing much decor-wise, I knew that I wanted to dress it up a bit with fresh flowers. So flowers, greenery, and eucalyptus were all over the place that day!
What are some of your favorite memories or details from your special day?
On the morning of my wedding day, my sister gave me a vintage hanky that was given to her by my grandmother to walk down the aisle with, which is something I will treasure forever. Another special memory was when my brother-in-law (my sister’s husband and my husband’s brother) came into the bridal suite to see me in my wedding dress. In a lot of ways, he was like a stand-in dad for me growing up. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room when he walked in and kissed me on the cheek. Also, my mother walked me down the aisle. Then she, my stepdad, and my father gave me away together.
During the planning process or your actual wedding day, were there any funny moments or times things didn’t go as planned?
Well, this certainly isn’t funny, but about a month prior to my wedding, I stopped by my florist to check in on things and was told by her assistant that she passed away the night before from a massive heart attack.
Truthfully, I didn’t really panic; I was more concerned about my florist’s assistant and family. Long story short, the assistant took on our wedding and did a fabulous job! Also, not really funny . . . but the day of our wedding, Josh’s wallet was stolen (it had his money, cards, and ID in it), and we were supposed to be flying out to Aruba early the next morning. I spent the morning at the bank, and he spent the morning at the DMV, but everything was worked out and eventually, our money was returned. . . . And we made it to Aruba, praise God!
How did you find the perfect wedding dress?
Truthfully, the dress that I bought was the first dress I ever tried on, and I just knew it was the one. Once I put it on, I just never wanted to take it off! I knew that I didn’t want a dress that would need to be modified a ton in order for it to be modest, and thankfully, there wasn’t much that needed to be done to this one.
Is there any advice you would like to share with future brides out there?
Invest in a quality photographer!! You spend months planning and preparing for a day that seemingly flies by, so make memories and take quality photos. Also, something I recommend is investing in a good venue. Because I loved our venue and the atmosphere it provided, there wasn’t much that needed to be done when it came to decor.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding or love story?
Well, something that is unique about our love story is that two sisters married two brothers. Aside from Josh and I growing up in the same church, my sister and his brother have been together for about 12 years, so I’ve been around his family and he’s been around mine for as long as I can remember! When Josh and I get ready to start a family, our kids will be double cousins with my sister and her husband’s kids. So, they’ll share more DNA than half-siblings . . . which I think is pretty cool. Especially, since my nephew is the cutest little boy ever! Also, for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a crush on Joshua. He’s actually a few years older than me, so I would joke about marrying him one day but never actually thought I would!
Thank you so much for your time, Lilly. Before we go, we’d love to know who your photographer was.
My photographer was Jose Hererra. He and his wife, Jana, drove in from Bloomington, Indiana. I actually found out about him through my sister who attended IBC with him. I haven’t seen all of my photos yet, but what I have seen has blown me away! Everything looks like it came straight from Pinterest! I loved that Jose and his wife worked together. Having her there was an added bonus because she was able to look at things from a bride’s point of view when it came to different poses. Also, the two of them just have the greatest personalities! 10/10 would recommend hiring them.