Interview with a Real Bride!

Sarah (Bride) & Chase (Groom)

Q: When was your wedding?

A: December 21, 2013.

Q: Where did your wedding & ceremony take place?

A: Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Virginia.

Q: How many people attended your wedding?

A: Approximately 50 close family and friends.

Q: How much time did you have to plan your wedding?

A: A full year! We got engaged on December 13, 2012.

Q: Did you have help with the wedding planning?

A: I had a bunch of help from my family! My mom and I talked over every detail and got many of our ideas from Pinterest and the magazine, Southern Weddings.

Q: If there is one thing that you could have done differently what would it be?

A: I would probably have had a florist do our flowers. We had an issue when my original flowers (white peonies) came in. Thankfully, I was able to get pink peonies at Whole Foods two days before the wedding! I absolutely love pink peonies, but I would rather have not had that panic moment.

Q: What was the biggest challenge that day?

A: The biggest challenge was definitely coordinating each “piece” of the wedding day.  I didn’t have a wedding coordinator, but I do have an amazing family! My mom kept everyone moving to the next “part” of the day and my grandma, aunt, and uncle, finished preparing all of the food and kept our food table stocked! We did EVERYTHING ourselves…right down to cooking all of the food from our southern family recipes! It was a lot of work, but it was so special to have my family involved the whole day!

Q: What was one of the most memorable moments from your wedding?

A: One of the most memorable moments from our wedding day, was the first looks from both Chase and my father. Their expressions are ones that I can still picture! Chase and I opted to do a “first look” and I am so glad that we did! Our ceremony space was on the smaller side and I didn’t want to miss his reaction! Also, it was really nice to see each other and have a quiet moment together before things got really crazy! The other most memorable part was my Papa asking if it was time for the cake yet… he LOVES his dessert!

Q: Did you meet with your photographer (Kristen Lynne Photography) before signing?

A: Both Chase and I already knew Kristen, so that definitely helped in the decision making process. We both LOVED her style, but just as importantly, we knew we wanted someone we were comfortable around.

Q: What is your favorite picture from your wedding day?

A: There are so many that I love!!! I really love the one that Kristen took of Chase and I walking out of the ceremony after the wedding. It has a really beautiful out-of-focus look to it. The other one I love is of Chase and I in the doorway of Belle Grove, where Kristen captured the most beautiful soft colors!  It always makes me think of Paris (where we honeymooned) and of pastel macaroons!

Q: What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other brides that are planning their wedding?

A: Start early with the not-so-fun stuff. Our ceremony schedule was still up-in-the-air on the midnight before the wedding! Eek!

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with brides?

A: Advice for budgeting. Sit down and choose your must-haves and most important pieces of your wedding. Spend your money in those areas and for the other areas see if you can do some of it yourself! It is so easy to get carried away with all of the gorgeous options out there! But, at the end of the day, your wedding is all about beginning a beautiful marriage and sharing that moment with your closest friends and family!

You can see the full feature blog post of Sarah & Chase’s Wedding by clicking here (Part 1) and here (Part 2)!

Looking for a wedding photographer? Fill out a contact form here, or send Kristen a note at kristen@kristenlynne.com