Last feature of the year, wow. Time really does fly when you’re having amazing wedding, engagement, styled shoot, etc. photos to look at regularly. We enjoyed our year with you dear readers, vendors, brides and grooms and we’re looking forward to another year of awesome and romance.
Coral and orange is a bit unheard of when it comes to rustic weddings because usually this type of wedding makes use of subtle colors or at least, those that resemble nature (brown, yellow, green). So it’s a cool deviation to see these stand out colors in Rachel & Jeff’s rustic wedding. For me, this palette really made some details pop out nicely in photos. And the fact that it looks tropical to me – because they’re the color of some known tropical fruits – made me feel refreshed and warm. Congratulations Rachel & Jeff!
Bride:
What inspired the wedding day outfits?
We envisioned a day of celebration, love and beauty within our hearts that mixed well with the natural beauty of the fall season among us. “Rustic Romance” summarizes our wedding, as we wore cowboy boots, embraced the outdoors with cornhole and s’mores yet remained true to some intimate details such as my wedding gown, a picturesque setting, and complimentary flowers. The planning was easy as we thought more about the overall experience for the guests than each and every detail we needed to sign off on. We wanted to have a fun night with friends and family on a bigger scale, so we kept the stress low and expectations high. We, as a couple, both love the country yet seek out the big lights, soft music, and unplanned but very much expected memories. Therefore, our wedding was inspired by our own personalities. We came together to create something unforgettable for our guests and ourselves, and our love for each other allowed us to preserve an immensely meaningful night worthy of reminiscence for a lifetime.
Was there any Do it Yourself (DIY) projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?
We made our posts of wooden arrows that had our names, date, and wedding and/or reception in order to guideguests to our location and add a creative touch to our big day. We also made a “directory” like pallette…we took an old wood pallette used normally for stacking freight and used each piece to direct guests where all the festivities of the event were. Third, we made a “S’MORE LOVE” sign to go above our s’mores station. 4th, we made our own wine labels making each wine bottle unique for our event. 5th, we made our “guestbook” a print that had the state of tennessee on it and had guests sign it instead. 6th, we made and personalized mason jars with burlap and velvet letters and filled with moonshine for the groomsmen. 7th, we personalized flasks for the groomsmen. 8th, we took mason jars and made burlap bows around them for the vases of flowers to serve as centerpieces for the reception tables. 9th, we did all of our own planning. 10th, we personalized totes for the groomsmen. 11th, we personalized our rehearsal dinner menus to say our names and date. 12th, we used sparklers for the guests and a chalkboard in which we wrote “let love sparkle” beside them to use as our send off for the night. 13th, we made a slideshow of pictures of us throughout our time together and had it play throughout the reception. 14th, we incorporated our BRIDE and GROOM shades we got at a bridal show for a couple pics taken by Julie Crawford. 15th, we arranged our own flowers for the centerpieces on the tables for the reception.
Anything else you would like to add ?
I would suggest not trying to plan everything at once. Take it in stride and be on the same page with your fiance throughout. Include the most important people in the planning process and do not try to please everyone b/c it’s impossible and stressful. Remain true to yourself, as the event will be that much better and memorable as a result. Try to make the planning as fun as possible, whether that means taking along your fiance, friends, family or narrow your selections of vendors before you get overwhelmed. finally, do not let it consume you all day everyday bc then you lose focus on other important things in your life.
Photographer:
What is the overall story for this album?
The details of this wedding were astounding. The couple included many personalized touches throughout the wedding. Custom printed wine labels served to all the wedding guest at the reception, each groomsman received a custom engraved flask and jar of moonshine, and all of the bridesmaids were gifted with an embroidered bag filled with goodies. Rachel added a little country feel to her bridal party all adorned in cowboy boots including herself and Jeff as well. They added a little spunk to one picture by wearing heir Pink Bride sunglasses they bought when they met me and booked their wedding at the bridal show in Knoxville, TN. The bride and groom glasses served as a great prop in their photo booth provided by Sound Force.
After getting ready at the clubhouse, we took photos of the bride and bridesmaids before the first look between the bride and groom. It was a day forecasted to be a little wet, so we were dodging rain showers throughout the duration of the photos. When it was time for Jeff to see his bride for the first time, the rain passed long enough to capture this sweet moment between the two. We continued in golf carts around the neighborhood to capture a few quick pictures on the bridge and then the rain poured. Always love to have great sports who deal with getting a little wet for the sake of captivating pictures! The entire wedding party gathered for the remaining pictures before the ceremony.
The rain had cleared and the radar remained clear right before the ceremony… let is rain — again. Needless to say the radar was wrong. Plan B. Everyone scurried bringing in the chairs from the outdoor ceremony to under the porch where the reception would later take place. It was a beautiful ceremony that nonetheless joined the two in matrimony. Rain or no rain, these two were husband and wife!
The reception was uniquely set up in a way I really liked that gave formality and a good time. Since all the pictures were done prior to the ceremony including family formals, everyone went directly into the restaurant in the clubhouse for a buffet styled sit down dinner catered by the chefs at Black Creek Club. The guest enjoyed an open bar along with their delectable dinner. Toasts were provided by several members of the wedding party and both families – completed with a toast by Jeff. The couple cut their wedding cake and UT Vols grooms cake. After ceremonial pieces were completed, the newlyweds and guests proceeded outside to the porch and enjoyed their first dance with couples joining in.
The crowd was entertained by DJ Tanner from Sound Force throughout the remainder of the evening. They enjoyed dancing, the amazingly delicious smores table, and some competitive corn hole. A photo booth was provided for the guest to have a unique, fun take home memory personalized from their wedding day. I can agree that photo booths are the best thing you can do at a reception — sure to be a hit! The day ended with a wonderful reception celebrating Rachel and Jeff’s marriage and the two departed with an array of sparklers and that final kiss.
What was your favorite part of the day?(photographer words)
My favorite part of the day was overall feel and vibe of the entire wedding day. The day went very smoothly with everyone keeping in mind what the day was really about — a celebration of two people that share a love that shines bright!
Was there a theme for the ceremony and reception?
Rustic Romance
What part of the ceremonies do you think was the most memorable for the bride and groom?
I feel the most memorable part is at the end of the day, they were married. This couple seemed to be crazy about each other, remaining true to themselves and not getting lost in what they were there for.
Vendors
Photographer: Jewels Photography
Caterer: Black Creek
Event Venue: Black Creek Club
Bakery: Publix
DJ: Sound Force
Photo Booth Equipment: Sound Force