“Andrew and Mikaela’s wedding was one of my favorites! From her Grandmother’s 1962 wedding dress that Mikaela wore down the aisle, to the handmade pine cone fire starters given to their guests as favors, every single detail was beautifully implemented. The wedding ceremony took place at Red Clay State Park in Cleveland, TN. There were handmade fleece blankets and hot chocolate ready to be passed out at the ceremony since it was outdoors in December, but the weather ended up being in the 60’s and it was a perfectly beautiful and warm day! The couple then led their guests to the Coffey Barn also located in Cleveland, TN to enjoy the reception. It was an absolutely gorgeous barn and reception site! I am so so thankful to have gotten to be a part of their awesome day and I am just stoked to be presenting it on Something Turquoise!” – Amanda May Photos

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

I don’t think there is one specific moment that I could name as my favorite, but by far the best part of the day for me was the vast amount of love that our family and friends showed us! Our loved ones traveled from all over and having everyone in our space, getting to show them where we live and what our life is like, was really special! The day was filled with so much peace and joy from everyone involved it was unforgettable!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

Everything we possibly could! From decorations, to food, favors, dresses and invitations! All of the paper products for the wedding {invitations, programs, guest book pages, name cards, favor tags and signs, except the save the dates} were designed and printed by my mom, Andrew and I. The ceremony was decorated with lanterns and a few decorations that were borrowed, flower and greenery that was bough in bulk online, fabric that was borrowed and a chuppah that my father built from wood on our family farm. The reception decorations were also either borrowed or DIY. Our wedding favors were DIY pine cone fire starters that we found on Something Turquoise DIY Here , name cards were displayed on pine cones, our guest book consisted of workbook pages that our guests filled out that we are going to compile into a photo book with pictures from the reception, the desserts were homemade and our wedding cake was also homemade by my mother-in-law {Andrew and I’s favorite chocolate chip pound cake!}. My wedding dress was my paternal grandmother’s and one of my amazing bridesmaids, Lindsey Hudak, made all of the bridesmaids’ dresses! Lastly, Andrew and I wrote our own vows, so you could say we DIY’d those as well!

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

I didn’t have anything blue that I can think of, but without trying I had the other three taken care of! I wore my grandmother’s wedding dress which was borrowed and old and my accessories were new!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

If you’re planning it on your own, make lists for EVERYTHING. Andrew and I used an app called Wunderlist that allowed us to make lists for the wedding and share them with each other. It notifies you anytime you complete or add a new task/list. I looked at as many wedding timeline to-do lists as I could and made lists of my own. Lists for each month and what I should get done in that month were really helpful. It helped me to keep on track with the planning process. We also had a list for everything we bought to keep track of spending, needed to buy and for every part of the wedding day. The more you break the process down into bite-size portions, the easier it becomes!

A low budget is completely doable, just get creative and borrow from friends! No matter what, make sure you know what you want to spend and are comfortable with it, you don’t need to have remorse on the amount of money the day cost when its all over!

Your family and friends may go out of their way to get to your wedding. We had the wedding in Tennessee with family traveling from Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York and even Germany. If you too have people traveling long and far to your wedding, consider making it more than just a day affair. We had lots of time to spend with my family prepping for the wedding before and had a formal brunch with family and vendors the morning after the wedding. People spend a lot of money traveling to weddings, so make it worth it if you can and spend more than just the wedding day with them!

At the end of the day, remember what’s actually important. There will be plenty of bumps along the way and opportunities to freak out, but when it all ends you will be married your best friend. All those little details along the way that combine to make up your wedding day can drive you crazy, but they aren’t worth it. If something doesn’t go as planned, shake it off, your still getting married and no one will notice. If someone else doesn’t like what you’re doing, ignore it, it really is all about you and your spouse-to-be, so its only your opinions that matter. If you can’t get everything exactly the way you envisioned it, forget about it, when your wedding day is over, you’re not going to be worried about your napkins being the wrong shade, or the food being a little late, or dropping the ring in the ceremony. The imperfections and spontaneity of moments in your day will make it what it is meant to be, purely magical! So sit back, enjoy the adventure of the planning process and wedding day and soak in every memory, because before you know it, it will be over and a new adventure begins! -Mikaela, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Amanda May Photos // Videographer: McKay Brothers // Ceremony Venue: Red Clay State Park Ampitheater // Reception Venue: The Coffey Barn // Catering: Teresa Gartin // Wedding Cake: Homemade // Florist: Diane Yoder // Officiant: Mark Casto // Rentals: Bradley County Rentals // Engagement Ring: La More Design // Groom's Wedding Band: Jewelry Square // Bride's Attire: Vintage // Bride's Jewelry: Francescas // Bride's Shoes: ModCloth // Make-up: Make-Up by Brittany Nicole // Hair: Taylor Hodge // Groom's Attire: Hixon's Suits // Bridesmaids Attire: Lovely Liddy // Bridesmaids Jewelry: Francescas // Groomsmen Attire: Gap // Tablewear: Sams Club // Moss + Table Decor: Save On Crafts // Table Number Signs: Oriental Trading Company