“I’ve always known I wanted a Christmas wedding, so when Doug proposed in June, I immediately knew I had six months to pull it together. I’m a sucker for themes, and let’s be honest, what’s more magical than Christmas? Doug and I share the same rustic/vintage style, so an outdoor wedding was a given. We fall in love with old things because of their story, so we wanted our wedding day to do just that. We decided to get married at Doug’s parents house because it was the perfect location, the perfect style and it held so many special memories with Doug growing up there. My bridesmaids and I got ready in Doug’s old bedroom, while him and his groomsmen got ready in the airplane hanger outside. I sat and wrote my vows on the fireplace that we open gifts on at Christmas. All of those details were so special to me. We were so nervous about the weather because that entire week it had been just awful… cold, rainy and nasty. All of a sudden when I was getting my make-up done, the sun came through the windows and I just knew that God was blessing us, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day in the middle of December! We were married by Doug’s uncle and he truly made it that much more special. For dinner, one of my bridesmaid’s mother made all the chili for the reception, and we ordered pies from a local Farmhouse Restaurant down the street. Amazing. All of our friends and family came together and made our day what it was. All of the details that I had in my head really came to life, it was cozy, magical and our most favorite day ever.” – Britni, the bride and wedding invitation designer behind Paper n’ Peonies

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My dad and I had a long walk across the field to reach Doug and the rest of our guests. That walk was the best 90 seconds ever. My dad held my hand, told me how beautiful I was and made me breath. Doug waived like a kid at Christmas at his first glimpse of me and never took his eyes off me the entire time. He had tears rolling down his cheeks and the look on his face I’ll never forget. The world had never been more right than in that moment.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

I’m a DIY girl, so the majority of my wedding reflected that. My lovely Bridesmaid, Whitney, and I made all the bouquets the night before and the flower arrangements for the reception. For the bridesmaids gifts, I bought wooden boxes from Hobby Lobby, stained them and painted their names on top. Then filled them with champagne bottles, a personalized Christmas ornament and other little necessities they might need for that day. The boys boxes were a bit more simple; whiskey glasses, whiskey stones, and mini bottles of Makers Mark = happy guys. I made my own wedding invitations, although that might not count since that’s what I do for a living. The food and beverage signs were all made the day of the wedding with cardboard letters from hobby lobby, twine and good ole gold glitter. The silverware was one of my favorite details; I bought wooden silverware, and wrapped them in red ribbon tied cute little favors to them. The 6 months leading up to the wedding, Whitney and I went to Canton Trades Days EVERY MONTH gathering little vintage details to use for decor and display. The whole wedding was filled with sentimental details. For example, I got ready in my husband’s old bedroom that he grew up in, I loved that. All the food (5 different kinds of chili) was made by one of my lovely bridesmaids and her mom, which was a huge hit!

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

My something old was a very special ring that was my grandmother’s and these fantastic vintage green gloves that I found. My something borrowed ended up being my flower girls socks since I forgot mine at home {haha!}, my something blue was my garter and the new was my dress and veil.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Plan early. The more you get done ahead of time the more you can relax when your big day gets closer. I had everything done early so the whole entire month leading up to the wedding I had a chance to really enjoy that time and relax and not over-stress about tiny details. – Britni, the bride and wedding invitation designer behind Paper & Peonies

Event Credits

Photography: Morgan Gauntt Photography // Venue: Groom's Family Home // Invitations: Paper n' Peonies // Florist: Garden Style Floral and Design // DJ: Chris Suttle // Pies: The Farmhouse // Rentals: Pursuing Eden // Brides Dress: David's Bridal // Veil: My Rakim // Brides Necklace: Indigo Black Jewelry // Brides Hair: Megan Kennedy // Brides Make-Up: Maria Dalton // Men's Attire: Joseph A. Bank // Bridesmaid Attire: Lydress // Bridesmaid Flannel Shirts: The Bearded Bee // Bridesmaid Dresses: Lydress // Flower Girl Dress: Wots New Pussy Cat