Emily and Jake met a little over 5 years ago at a rehearsal for her sister and brother-in-law’s wedding. She was introduced to Jake, who was also in the wedding party, and mentioned to her sister Amanda (who would eventually serve as her Matron of Honor) that he was funny. Amanda ran with that comment and set the two up for their first date a few weeks later.

Emily and Jake decided to do a first look because they wanted to share a special moment before the ceremony, that would let them soak in the excitement and importance of their wedding day. Emily also had a first look with her dad, because she wanted him to have a moment of his own to see her dressed up and ready to go down the aisle.

Emily and Jake’s ceremony focused on God and family, two of the things that are most important to them.  I asked Emily to describe her favorite moments of her ceremony to me, and she described it in this way: “after my dad gave me away, we immediately prayed for God to bless the ground where we’d stand to get married – that He would turn it into holy ground. After our vows, we incorporated something special into our ceremony. We were asked in our pre-marital counseling how we wanted to start our marriage. Jake immediately said that the first thing he wanted to do after we were “officially” married was to serve me. Jake quickly decided that in that moment he wanted to wash my feet. To me, that is a direct reflection of who Jake is as a person. He wanted our marriage to be a reflection of who Jesus was. After washing my feet, we had our parents and wedding party surround us for prayer, which is another thing we want our marriage to be founded on. Both of those things were, without a doubt, my favorite part of the whole day. I remember those moments so vividly and will never forget how special they were.”

Emily fell in love with the rustic charm of J&D farms, before she was ever engaged. The on-site barn became the inspiration for her wedding, which was decorated simply, to allow the natural beauty of the venue stand on it’s own. Most of the wedding day details were also DIY, because Emily and her family are just that crafty.

Emily’s advice to a bride planning her day is to keep a journal and keep up with your thoughts each day. Like the wedding day, the planning process passes so quickly that it quickly becomes a blur.. She loves being able to look back and see how she was feeling throughout the process. Also, she recommends having everything down two weeks before the wedding, so that your wedding week can be a stress-free time!
TRUSTED VENDORS : VENUE : J&D Farms // WEDDING DRESS : Essence of Australia from The Something Blue Shoppe // HAIR/MAKEUP: Misty Smith // RECEPTION MUSIC: AJ Productions // CAKE : Alice Rouse // CATERING : Alexander’s the Great Events  // INVITATION : Amanda Glidewell