Jul 8, 20204 min read

Neely and Patrick

Neely & Patrick’s beautiful summer botanical garden wedding at the picturesque Yew Dell Botanical Gardens was captured by one of our favourite photographers, We Choose the Moon Photography and was a relaxed gorgeous affair. The couple purposefully planned a long engagement so they could plan at their own pace without getting stressed by the usual wedding rush. With such a stunning venue they kept things rustic and minimal with the help of wedding planner and designer, L&M Detailed Events.

Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

We went with a more natural, rustic, outdoor Kentucky wedding theme. Purple is our color so we had lots of lavender, from the florals to the bridesmaid dresses. We were honored to have Patrick's cousin, John Kilbury, marry us. He did a phenomenal job of incorporating love, commitment, and community into the ceremony. He was also able to keep it short, which I know our guests appreciated because it was hot!

Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

Since we snagged the beautiful Yew Dell Botanical Gardens for our venue, the scenery alone would have been decoration enough. We tried to keep the rustic and floral touches in the table settings, and used some Kentucky bourbon barrels for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Patrick made monogrammed leather suspenders from scratch for himself and all of his groomsmen. They looked fantastic! Patrick also rigged up the seating chart display (with a little help in the end from his new Father-in-law).

What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?

Thistles, peonies, lavender freesias, roses, and lavender caspia were all used for the bouquets, aisle accents, arch, and centerpieces. Having the natural branch arch was the perfect touch in keeping with our style.

Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

We have some of the best family members we could ever ask for, so we decided to incorporate them into our special day. After the ceremony, we had a private family champagne toast where we thanked them for all their support, love, and encouragement. One special touch of the ceremony was when Neely walked down the aisle, her uncle Gene, played Trumpet Voluntary just as he did for Neely's mother when she walked down the aisle.

Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.

Neely knew the minute she tried her Lillian West dress on, that it was the one! It was the perfect amount of simplicity yet very romantic with delicate lace and a long train. The dress did have sleeves, which she cut off (gasp)! Only making the dress fit more to her style. Patrick went with more of a "cooler" style, and found the perfect suit by Ted Baker. He wanted to stand out from the groomsmen, but didn't want to be too formal in keeping with the rustic theme.

How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

We met through a mutual friend on New Years Eve 2013. Patrick moved to Portland, OR for a great job opportunity about six months after that. We had a long distance relationship for almost a year, which helped us clearly see we were meant to be :) We started our new life together in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where Patrick proposed on a hike at Bridal Veil Falls.

What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

The first look. We have never been so excited to see each other, and as I mentioned, we did long distance for a year. After everything that went into the wedding planning process, in that moment when we first saw each other, we were able to relax and really enjoy the night together.

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?

The best gift we gave ourselves was having an 18 month long engagement. Things never got too hectic or stressful-although we did have the most amazing event planners! When your special day finally rolls around, embrace the celebration of your union and the love and support of those who surround you-don't sweat the small stuff!