Sadie & Zach | October Wedding at Vinewood
Zach and Sadie are one of the most joyful couples I’ve gotten the chance to work with, and it shines through all the photographs of their wedding day. I’m so excited to share the photos and details from this event, and even more excited to share Sadie’s refections on the planning process and the event itself. Take a peek at all the pretty below!
Slauer Events coordinator Caroline Heramb took the lead on this wedding when I found out we were expecting, and she did an amazing job. In her words, “Zach and Sadie’s love for each other and for God made for such a special ceremony. Their family surrounded them and there wasn’t a dry eye in the group. The families intertwined so well. It was fun working with them on the day of!”
Vinewood has this cute historic house on property where the wedding party and family hang out prior to the ceremony. The guys typically congregate downstairs while the girls put finishing touches on hair and makeup upstairs. The best part of the house: the gorgeous all-white bathroom with lots of natural light for photos!
Another fun touch from this perfect fall day was the polaroid camera Sadie brought along. She and her friends took candid photos as they were getting ready. It’s a great way to capture that time (especially if your photographer isn’t going to be there until later).
Prayer was an integral part of Zach and Sadie’s wedding day. They both took some time to pray with their wedding parties. It was a sweet time to breathe, be still, and be thankful for the friendships they had around them on that day.
Afterwards, Zach and Sadie had a private moment of prayer together. They chose not to see one another during that time, but stood on a corner holding hands, talking, and praying. Some couples worry that they might be overwhelmed with emotion during the ceremony, and opt for a first look so they can get some of those nerves out. For this couple, a “first touch” as opposed to a first look was a great way to connect and release some nervous energy before the ceremony, yet preserve the anticipation surrounding that big moment when Sadie walked down the aisle. The look on their faces in these photographs just melts my heart!
“The moment was beautiful and you could feel the love they had for each other through their words and prayers.” -Caroline, lead coordinator
For Zach’s groomsmen it was all about the fun details: burgundy bow ties, leather suspenders, and silly socks. Their jacket-less outfits not only saved a little money, but also help the groom stand out in his gray suit and bowtie with the plaid burgundy vest. All this coordinated nicely with floor length wine colored bridesmaid gowns and greenery-only bouquets.
As guests arrived they stopped at the guestbook table where they signed a personalized Bible. Zach and Sadie will have that Bible for years to come, filled with notes of encouragement from their friends and family.
The ceremony decor was simple- wine barrels topped with greens and florals, a cross adorned with a garland at the altar, and a rug matching the color scheme. Stylish Stems florist Chelsea did a great job working with Sadie to come up with this design, and they executed it perfectly!
One of the sweetest moments of the ceremony was the foot washing piece. Sadie says, “During our ceremony, we sat down and washed each other's feet and then went into a moment of singing worship. We wanted to make sure that this wedding reflected Jesus. Washing each other's feet is exactly what Jesus did for each of his disciples, so we wanted to display the same truth in our marriage.”
What a picture of joy these two are!
After an extremely sweet and personal ceremony, guests were ready to enjoy the reception in the wooden pavilion while the wedding party took photos. Vinewood’s mismatched chairs and long tables create a family feel that was perfect for Zach and Sadie’s group. One of my favorite decor elements: the custom banner behind the sweetheart table.
Why just serve cake when you could serve cake AND ice cream? Zach, Sadie, Caroline, and I had a planning meeting at a coffee shop, and Sadie mentioned that she wanted ice cream at the wedding but wasn’t sure how to make that happen. Before I could even answer, a man from a nearby table told us that he owned a gelato company and would love to provide a sweet treat at their wedding. He gave us his card, and the couple ended up hiring him! Revolution Gelato was the perfect addition to wedding cake and it’s dairy free to boot!
I couldn’t have been more lucky to work with this couple on such a meaningful event. Check out Sadie’s thoughts on the big day below!
Describe your wedding in three words: Personal, Evergreen, Christ-centered
What was your favorite part about wedding planning? Honestly, my favorite part about planning was the flowers. I loved figuring out where we were going to put them, how we were going to display them, and what color/type of flower we were going to use. It did require some research to figure out what would look best, but on the day of the wedding, those flowers brought so much life not only to the venue, but to all of my bridal party.
What was the toughest part about wedding planning? The toughest part was trying to create or stick to a style for our wedding. I hear so many brides say, "Oh, my wedding is rustic. My wedding is bohemian. My wedding is traditional." It was so hard to pinpoint the style of my wedding. I just wanted to incorporate the unique traits of myself and Zach. We felt like we had multiple styles at our wedding, but overall, everything about our wedding reflected who we are.
What advice would you give to a newly engaged bride embarking on the planning journey? The biggest piece of advice I could give to a newly engaged bride is to make sure that you are are not trying to please anyone other than yourself and your fiancé. So many people are going to try to have a say in your wedding whether it be your mom, someone in your bridal party, or your cousin twice removed. If you're like me in any way, you feel like you need to try to accommodate everyone. The reality is that's impossible. It was extremely tough to have that mindset, but once I did have it, so much stress and tension was released.
Guest count: 150.
If your feel comfortable answering, what range did your wedding budget fall into?
1) Under $20,000
2) $20,000-$35,000
3) $35,000-$50,000
4) $50,000-$65,000
5) above $65,000
What's something that you splurged on? Zach's mom gave us the advice to spare no expense on the catering. She pointed out to us that the food is sometimes one of the most memorable things that people talk about afterwards, whether it's good or it's bad. After a couple of taste tests, I was most impressed with the Grand Gourmet. Not only was their food great quality, but their service was spectacular. After our wedding, we had so many compliments about how great the food was and how personal the caterer was to all of my guests. My husband, my entire bridal party and all of my guests were beyond happy and satisfied.
What's something you saved on? We saved on our decorations. Some of our friends had already gotten married, so we were able to borrow some of their decor items. I was worried about was the amount of money it would take to pay for wooden signs throughout the venue: the welcome sign, the seating chart sign, the hashtag sign, the party favor sign, etc. I really wanted to paint on wooden slabs, and it all started to add up in cost. My husband and I work for a box company, and he had the brilliant idea for us to to talk to our design group and see if they can print the signs on corrugate sheets. I was hesitant, because I felt like it may not look very elegant, but I went with it and ended up actually loving them. It saved us so much in cost. We had so many resources that we utilized, and it ended up helping us a ton in the long run.
What is your favorite memory from the wedding day? My favorite memory from that day is when we took a moment to pray together. We decided not to do a first look, but we did want a moment together before everything took place. We found a really cute corner, and he was on one side and I on the other. As soon as we grabbed hands, so much comfort, peace, and excitement rushed over me all at the same time. We bowed our heads, and Zach began to pray. Zach poured out his heart in that prayer, and we were both having a difficult time keeping ourselves together! I believe I was supposed to pray after him, but I was just crying and couldn't get words out. He was so vulnerable and gave that whole day to the glory of God. In that moment, I was able to see Zach's heart before I walked down the aisle, and I just kept thinking, "Holy cow! He's going to be my husband!"
Venue: Vinewood Stables
Catering: The Grand Gourmet
Planning: Caroline Heramb for Slauer Events & Design
Photography: Savannah Brown
Floral design: Stylish Stems
DJ: II Tone Def
Cakes: Meringue Delight
Gelato: Revolution Gelato
Hair and Makeup: Evergreen Beauty
Gown shop: J.Andrews Bridal
Bridesmaid gowns: Kennedy Blue
