The details of the day’s authentic wedding are gorgeous – and before I go on further, I suggest you add the entire event on the top of your Pinterest board (you have been warned! ).
Brittany & Stephen tied the wedding by having a romantic outdoor ceremony followed by a stunning wedding reception in the beautiful barn at Ironstone Ranch in Pennsylvania.
As a wedding planner, Brittany has an eye for the finer details and every little detail from her gorgeous Katie May gown (our favorite dress for dressy wedding gowns with no back!!) as well as mixes and matches bridal gowns and rustic signage, the garland of foliage and furniture with flowers (I also love the stationery!) The decor was thoughtfully planned.
Photographed by Hay Alexandra and organized by Geomyra Lewis. Weddings and Events This wedding is elegant and timeless yet brimming with stylish personal details and a great look.
As I said, it’s going to be difficult not to keep the entire thing in your mind…
Our Love Story
Stephen and I first met in college, just before the time I graduated (he was one year younger).
I attended James Madison University, and Stephen attended Radford University. I was with some of my girlfriends over the weekend, and we got together.
It’s definitely love at first sight; as soon as we first saw one another, we were unbreakable. Stephen and I decided to spend the entire summer together and remain together ever since.
Stephen proposed to me during our time on vacation. Stephen is often on the road for work, and I decided to join him on an excursion for a visit to Salt Lake City, Utah.
We’re really outdoorsy and enjoy hiking, so we decided to spend some days at Arches National Park. On the day he proposed, we began the day walking through the canyons and valleys of the park. We then decided to eat lunch on the cliffside with views of the mountains and dessert.
It was shortly after lunch, as we were about to walk back onto the trail, that I stepped back, and Stephen was kneeling. It was beautiful and intimate. It was, to put it mildly; it blew my breath off my chest.
Our Wedding
I am part-time as a wedding planner, and I’ve seen and helped create my fair number of weddings. It was very important for me when planning my wedding that I stay in my way and get what I think is the core of Stephen and mine’s personalities.
The goal was to make it beautiful, obviously; natural and pure is exactly my goal. Therefore, I chose an array of colors: gold, white, and cream, and lots of lush greenery. My bridesmaids and flower ladies wore white and cream.
In terms of our venue choice, we were looking for an event that “had it all,” and Ironstone did not fail to please us. It’s not just an amazing venue, but it also has many facilities (back-up barn in the event of rain, horse-drawn cart and carriage, stunning fields of green to take pictures, and a home that is on the property for both the groom and bride to live in horses and donkeys who roam the property, etc.) The staff exceeded our expectations to satisfy our requirements.
Furthermore, all earnings go to Brittany’s Hope, the non-profit that helps kids with disabilities to be adopted. Being a professional in the field of fundraising for non-profits was a very memorable experience for me.
More than the desire for the day to look beautiful, we wanted it to be packed with love and to be a fun celebration for our loved ones and our family throughout the day (not just during the wedding reception).
We greeted our guests with refreshing beverages, then delighted them with our carriage drawn by horses, played amusing games to take part in during cocktail hour, and even got to touch the steer, horses, and donkeys that roamed.
In order to keep the evening lively and engaging, our DJ performed “Sing for a Kiss,” where each table was able to join in and sing a fun tune to Stephen and me. It was fun!
The event kept everyone entertained throughout the meal, and some were dancing in the evening before the dance floor officially started.
In the end, we wanted to have fun and be a part of a celebration with our most loved ones. Everyone says that (which is a good thing!) however, it was the most wonderful day of our lives.
Favourite Moments
I would say that the entire day was a lot for Stephen and me.
However, I must say that “Sing for a Kiss” was among my favorite aspects. As I said, I have attended a lot of weddings, both as a guest and a wedding coordinator, but I’ve never seen anything like this before.
Based on my own experience, guests get anxious for the dance floor after having sat through a formal dinner and ceremony, so it was a great opportunity for guests to come into their world for dinner and keep the atmosphere lively and exciting.
My favorite moment: I am a believer in the power of the signs of the times and have always felt butterflies were a part of my grandma. I was extremely close to both of them. Unfortunately, both of them passed away.
It wasn’t easy to accept that neither of them would be in attendance to celebrate my special day. But, just as I was boarding the carriage with my dad to take us towards the wedding, two butterflies in white were seen dancing in the carriage.
I was certain at that moment I knew it was a message from my grandmas, that they were along with me, in spirit.
