Whew, I still can’t believe that we’ve been married for 3 months. I’ve wanted to write this post for a while but I needed time to reflect...and I wanted to wait for my photos! I am thrilled that I can share them with you.

I believe in showing up authentically, and I want to give you guys the truth behind the BIG DAY.

If you’ve been here a while you know there is nothing about us that is really traditional. We met through a friend four years ago and have been inseparable ever since. I didn’t think it would turn into a relationship, baby, and wedding, but here we are. We’ve had our ups and downs like most couples but our love for one another never wavered.

We are a large blended family and I didn’t want a whole lot of fuss. My goal was to create a simple but beautiful day. I wanted you to come to my romantic + rustic themed wedding and feel the love. I don’t think that I needed thousands of flowers to convey that message.

We got engaged, planned a wedding, and got married in the middle of a pandemic!

Sounds hectic, right? It is! I don’t recommend it – at all! To add insult to injury, at the same time, we started remodeling a house by ourselves. Yep. We took on a lot and I don’t think that we realized what all this could do to us as a couple. Between unexpected repairs and getting ready for the wedding, checks were being cut left and right. It puts our finances into perspective. However, with the help of our families we made it happen!

Wedding Week Countdown

The week before the wedding my emotions were HIGH. I felt everything and nothing all at the same time. Six days before I got married, I turned 30. In the last few days before my nuptials, I experienced an awakening. Talk about life coming full circle!

I am grateful to my village for helping to shift my focus. I went on dinner dates with my girlfriends and spent a night out alone. Having a night to yourself is critical before taking this huge step. You need a chance to be by yourself – journal, pray, read – whatever your thing is do it! I cried, prayed, ate wings, and ended the night with some sleep.

Rehearsal

The wedding rehearsal went pretty smoothly. We didn’t have a traditional sit-down dinner due to COVID but I think this could totally be a new thing. You hear how exhausted you’ll be on your wedding day, but no one warns you how tired you’ll be the day before. With all the tiny touches that make a wedding day special, there were so many last minute items on my to-do list. The last thing I wanted to do was sit down and entertain.

We had grab and go boxes from Jason’s Deli. Everyone picked up a box and a drink, then out the door they went. We ordered extras for our out-of-town guests—they were able to grab a meal and settle into their hotel as well.

The Wedding Day

I didn’t sleep a bit the night before. My nerves were everywhere. I know my bridesmaids were sick of me. I went from hot to cold and I had bubble guts – yeah, not very pleasant. I also slept upright in the chair which led to a lot of back pain.

My mom was awesome, though! She brought me a heating pad and pain medication – she made sure I walked down that aisle.

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Once hair and makeup started, the moments blurred. I remember getting a little emotional when slipping on my dress. A stunning sweetheart neckline, beautiful silver bead details on the bodice, and gorgeous tulle at the bottom. Just like I imagined.

Funny story: I did not want a big dress! I totally imagined that I would be walking in a tight fitted mermaid style dress—serving body—but NOPE. I was a total queen.

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Seeing my girls transform before my eyes also warmed my heart. I remembered that we all are here for one purpose: to celebrate our love.

I always told Cleveland that I would imagine him wiping his eyes when I walked up to him, but it was me! I couldn’t hold it together at all.

I didn’t want to mess up my makeup, so I couldn’t look at him for too long. Deep breaths. When I finally pulled myself together and looked at him, it reminded me why I was ready to say, “I do!”

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Reception

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I had my reception all planned out in my head and it went NOTHING like I planned and that’s okay.

I dreamed of a big party with family and friends dancing, laughing, and enjoying themselves. I think no one knew what to do because of COVID and we didn’t want to pressure anyone to do anything they felt uncomfortable with. HOWEVER, I did get to experience a first.

Our wedding night was the first time Cleveland and I have EVER danced together and we have a WHOLE baby! Crazy…I know.

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Details

Décor

I created a mood board for my romantic + rustic wedding – yes, I’m that bride and my wedding stylist delivered. I wanted lots of greenery with light pinks and mauve. I love floating candles and we were able to add those to each table for a simple yet elegant look.

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Food

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We chose heavy hors d’oeuvres and I’m glad we did. We had a little something for everyone: chicken for the kids, brisket for the adults, deviled eggs and so on. The food was delicious; I still wish I ate more.

True Story: We had a hard time picking a cake. We didn’t have a cake until WEEKS before the wedding. Nothing felt right and I was ready to give up. Cleveland had already thrown in the towel and said, “Pick whatever. Just make sure it looks nice”. My sister suggested Sam’s Club and we ended up with a delicious cake at a great price. Save your coins!!! I promise no one is going to remember!

Reflections

Getting married in your 30s is completely different than in your 20s! Your wants and needs are so different. Even if COVID wasn’t here I think I would have still opted for a small intimate ceremony like we had.

Big Tip: Hire the planner or at least a day of coordinator. I seriously lucked out! Sharee was OUTSTANDING! She held true to her word about making sure that I wouldn’t be stressed on my wedding day. There were so many things happening behind the scenes that I didn’t find out until later and I’m so grateful for it.