Kelsey & Jonathan were married at Carrollock Farm on a crisp, beautiful fall day, surrounded by family and friends who had traveled from across the country to watch the couple tie the knot. They hired me as their coordinator to bring together all the special attention and details they’d put into their day. Special family influence was abundant throughout their wedding, starting with the fact that the venue was just a few minutes down the street from Kelsey’s mom’s house in Willow Springs.

While the florist and planner teams were setting out centerpieces and detailed place settings, decorating the ceremony backdrop and adding special touches throughout the lounge sets, the ladies got ready at the mother-of-the-bride’s house, while the gentlemen hung out at the couple’s home. When it was time for the bridal party to make their way to the venue, Kelsey’s grandpa drove her over in his vintage 1931 Model A, which the couple was later able to pose with.

All was set to begin on time, but a traffic delay on the highway postponed the arrival of a number of guests, so the couple decided to delay the wedding by 20 minutes to make sure no one would miss the ceremony. The DJ kept the guests entertained during the delay, and once the new start time arrived, the rest of the day went off without a hitch. The bride made her way down the aisle to an acoustic rendition of “A Thousand Years,” accompanied by her two step-dads, and joined Jonathan on the dock overlooking a pond. While the wedding party mainly consisted of friends of the couple, the maid of honor was Kelsey’s younger sister, the best man was Jonathan’s dad, and the ceremony was officiated by Kelsey’s brother. The couple decided to include a cord-of-three unity ceremony to celebrate their union and how it would stay strong because Christ would hold them together.

Once the ceremony was over, guests were treated to drinks and appetizers on the patio, where two lovely lounges were set up. The cocktail tables and coffee tables were adorned with votive candles, vials of baby’s breath, and framed photos from the couple’s engagement shoot. Once Kelsey & Jonathan were ready to join the party, the reception began with their first dance, a father daughter dance (which the step-dads shared) and a mother son dance. A welcome speech was given by the parents of the bride, followed by the father of the groom’s blessing over the meal, and then City BBQ manned a buffet of chicken, brisket and sides. After everyone had eaten, the maid of honor and best man gave their toasts, the cake was cut, and the DJ welcomed all the married couples to the dance floor for an anniversary dance; the longest lasting couple had been married for 50 years! For the rest of the evening, the couple and their guests stuck to the dance floor or meandered around the barn until the sparkler sendoff.