Classic & Elegant Georgia Wedding

With a self proclaimed ééòsimple, classic taste’, McKinley really couldn’t go wrong sticking to this when planning her wedding to high-school sweetheart Jarett. She wanted to be able to look back on her wedding in 20 years time and still love her choices ééò hence a relatively neutral palette of ivory and beige, with subtle hints of blue and gold. Upon seeing FOXHALL RESORT they knew it was the perfect venue for them with it’s tall vaulted ceilings in The Stables, a beautiful green landscape and the intricate stonework. On top of the gorgeous aesthetics if also offered them accommodation for their entire family and bridal party which meant they could pretty much set up camp for the whole weekend making it very relaxing! CARLA GATES PHOTOGRAPHY was on hand to capture all the beautiful celebrations!

HOW DID YOU MEET? Jarett and I met in high school at friend’s party. He was 17, played lacrosse, and was the sweet, funny guy everyone loved. I was 16, the Yearbook Editor, and a perfectionist to a fault. We were in different grades, and had different friends and interests, but the one thing we had in common was Calculus. Jarett used this to his advantage and days after meeting, asked me to join his study group. We became fast friends. I loved how he was unapologetically himself, and he loved that I could crush him on our Calculus tests. I suspected he had feelings for me, but it wasn’t until five months later that he finally told me he wanted to be more than friends. Countless dates and wonderfully unproductive study sessions later, Jarett asked me to be his girlfriend. Little did we know that we would be married exactly six years later from the day we met.

For a majority of our relationship, Jarett and I were apart more than we were together. We attended different Universities and Jarett worked in New York for several months. The biggest test for our relationship though was Jarett’s two year mission to Oaxaca, Mexico. He gave me a promise ring before he left and we wrote more letters and emails that I can count to try and stay in touch as much as possible. When he arrived home in May of 2013 we were still very much in love and it was incredibly natural for us to pick up where we left off, so we did.

It had been five years since meeting and we both knew we had been given something special, so after much thought and prayer we decided to take the next step to becoming one and take on all of life’s blessings and trials side by side. Halloween weekend I flew up to New York to visit a friend, and that night we went to her boyfriend’s place for dinner. She had been raving about his rooftop view all week so naturally, the moment I got there I was excited to see it! As we headed to the roof Anna (one of my closest friends and bridesmaid) told me to close my eyes for the ééòfull effectééò. When I opened the door to the roof I was overwhelmed not only by the incredible view of the Brooklyn Bridge…but there was Jarett dressed in a full suit, surrounded by rose petals and candles, standing a few feet in front of me. He gestured me to come over, embraced me, said a few short words (which I had him reiterate later because I forgot every word in the excitement) and finally, my best friend got on his knee and asked me to marry him!

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: My dress hunt took me all the way to Salt Lake City where I had my gown customized by Alta Moda Bridal. I had a hard time finding a dress that was the perfect balance of classic and modest, yet form-fitting with a hint of sex appeal. Though it was a risk, I loved the work I had seen Alta Moda do and trusted them to create my ideal dress and they did not disappoint!

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT? One of the most memorable moments on our wedding day, for me, was listening to Jarett’s vows during the ceremony. Initially, we had wanted to do traditional vows, but two days before the wedding we decided to write our own. Though it was pretty last minute, it was one of the best decisions that we made because it made the ceremony even more personal. Also, it was pretty special listening to how the promises we were making in each of our vows were so similar.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COUPLES ABOUT TO EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY? Planning a wedding can be a stressful experience if you let it be. From picking out every detail to worrying about pleasing all of your guests attending, the focus starts to shy away from you and your significant other sometimes. Throughout the planning process, think of little gestures (gifts, letters, etc.) you can make that will remind your husband how special he is to you on the day of your wedding. For example, at the very end of the night once everyone has left to line up for your exit as a married couple, have the band play one last song for just you and your husband in your empty venue. There are few moments throughout the day that you two will
have to yourself!