I am so happy to have had the opportunity to capture Crystal and Drew’s big day! I’ve been able to capture their engagement full circle as I also photographed their proposal back in April. Their romance started about 10 years ago in their 8th grade chorus class. Crystal says her first memory of Drew is when he made fun of the rainbow striped shirt she was wearing – which she thought was pretty cool. She never wore that shirt again, but little did she know that he was flirting with her and has been in love with her ever since! They’ve been through all the ups and downs together and spent a lot of their relationship long distance as they went to different colleges. Crystal and Drew’s wedding was nothing short of spectacular. The Vintager Inn provided a gorgeous rustic barn backdrop, each and every detail was so perfect and created their beautiful chic barn theme! Did I mention that Drew proposed to Crystal in April? Meaning they put this wedding together in 3.5 months – you would’ve never known! As you will see, it look like an affair that they’d been planning for much longer, just gorgeous.” – Audrey Rose Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My favorite moment of the wedding was our last dance together. We chose to have our guests exit the reception to prepare for the “sparkler exit” outside. As guests left the reception barn, Drew and I shared one last dance together, just the two of us. The moment was so perfect because we finally had the chance to reflect on our perfect day, and just enjoy each other’s company. It was nice to have a romantic moment for the two of us, that allowed us to have full focus on each other. The whole day flew by so fast and was simply wonderful, but that 3-5 minutes was definitely the highlight.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

My father-in-law made a swing for our wedding that we will be keeping for our own home. He used a piece of wood that he had lying around the house for the seat, then he researched how to give it that “old, rustic look”. He used thick rope to hang the swing in a tree. My mother-in-law and I spruced up a floral garland we found at the craft store. We added extra flowers to give it a little pop of color that would coordinate with our theme. I was very please with how all of it came together.

We also had candle stick holders that were created by in-laws. The venue required all candles to be contained, therefore we wanted to be creative with the votives. My in-laws used a glass cutter to cut off the stems off of wine glasses, then glued corks to the bottom, and stuck them into brass candle stick holders. The look of this DIY project was so unique and tasteful for our wedding. I loved that all of the candle sticks had a different look, yet all looked so great together.

We also had a DIY giant Jenga game. Initially, I was going to order the game, however the life-size game was ridiculously overpriced. Instead, I asked my father to make the game himself since it looked pretty simple… and it was. My father said it took about 20 minutes to cut all of the wood, then my step mother painted the ends of the wood so it would coordinate with our theme. I couldn’t have asked for a better job. I absolutely love playing games, so having the Jenga set and many other lawn games was definitely important.

My in-laws also made the cake stand out of different size, round platters from the dollar store. They then reinforced the platters with cardboard underneath. They used a broom stick as the middle of the stand to keep the levels in place. The stand was sprayed all over with gold spray paint and crystal were added to it.

Votives were donated to us, so we spruced the glasses up by spritzing the insides with water, and then spray painted them with gold metallic spray paint. This gave the votives a mercury look. We also did the same thing with an old vase that we had.

The flower piece at the altar was created by a family friend. She used pieces of flexible and stiff wire to create the foundation of the arch. She then glued the flowers into the pieces. Crystals and pearls were then draped from the pieces at the wedding.

Wooden table numbers were purchased from AC Moore, and then painted with gold glitter.

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

My dress and jewelry was something new. My late grandmother’s family birthstone ring was something old. My Atlanta Braves garter was something blue… I didn’t have a tangible object on me that was borrowed, however I did borrow my bridesmaids’ hairspray and lotion right before I walked down the aisle. That still counts, right? ;)

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My advice is to relax and mentally prepare yourself now for what may come on your wedding day. We tend to have a certain picture in our head of how our weddings need to be, when really it should be an idea that gives us guidance. If particular events on your wedding day do not play out exactly how you expected, relax and take a moment to really ask yourself if it will matter when you look back at it 10 years from now. Things happen unexpectedly in life and we learn to cope and adjust; The same thing may need to happen with your wedding day, so just be prepared and handle it calmly. Know that at the end of the day, what really matters is that you leave happily with your new husband! Hopefully that thought will bring some comfort in a possible time of need! – Crystal, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Audrey Rose Photography // Venue: The Vintager Inn // Florist: Jeff's Flowers // Catering: Country Grill // Desserts: Frostings // Officiant: Joe Marks // DJ: Chuck Wills // Rentals: ABZrentals // Dress: David's Bridal // Shoes: Versona // Hair and makeup: Salon Vivace // Bridesmaid dresses: David's Bridal // Men's Attire: Jos A. Bank // Decor: Borrowed and DIY-ed // Favors: Mason Jar Glasses // Invitations: Etsy // Photobooth: Shutter Booth