Welcome, sweet friends! We cannot wait for you to take a peek into this simply elegant ceremony between Brooke and Nathan. From the beautiful greenery, to the sentimental touches, this wedding is not one you’ll want to miss. We are so thankful that they have allowed us to share their special day with you, enjoy! xoxo
Can you give us a glimpse into you & your hubs's love story?
We met initially in the summer of 2011. I had been invited to a youth group by a friend at Nathan's church. When I met Nathan, he had long, curly hair and was very reserved. He went off to college shortly after we met-- he was kind of a mystery! After many youth gatherings together and trying to be quiet about it, I knew I had fallen hard for the quiet, curly-haired boy. Over the course of a few months we grew closer and closer and I was smitten! We weren't officially in a relationship until 2013. We instantly ventured into a long-distance relationship when I went off to college that Fall. It made the early stages of our relationship difficult, but I will always cherish the butterflies and anticipation that filled me up every week before I saw him again. Loving Nathan has been the easiest thing. He is kind and encouraging. Keeps me in check with the Lord. He is honest, holds me accountable, and listens. Over the years he became my best and truest friend. Finally, in April of 2016, we became engaged at the same place where our relationship started-- our sweet church! Nathan planned the sweetest engagement. I get giddy just thinking about it! We were engaged and planned our wedding day for a little over a year. We tied the knot in the same sacred place as all of our major milestones-- our church!
What was it about your dress that made you realize it was "the one?" Was it what you expected to love/wear? Favorite memory from dress shopping/Twirl? (You can answer one, two, or all three of these. Totally up to you!)
I have always been a simple person that doesn't like a lot of attention. I feel most beautiful when I am modest and honoring my God with my actions, words, and what I wear. So when my wedding dress hunt began, I knew I was on the hunt for subtle, modest elegance. I also knew I wanted lace. Lots and lots of lace! So I went in with an idea, but kept an open mind. I absolutely loved my dress shopping experience at Twirl. I wanted to try on every dress in the store! So I picked out a bunch of dresses, but with every dress I put on, I always went back to "the one" -- my dress. One of my favorite things about shopping at Twirl was the personal environment. It was intentionally not crowded and was so intimate and inviting. I felt attended to, special, and important while shopping for my dress. My consultant, Haley, was so sweet and truly listened to all my requests and helped me overcome my indecisiveness. It was the best experience!
What is your favorite memory from your wedding day?
This may seem strange, but my favorite memory from our wedding day was at the end of it all, when we were in the car driving to our new home together. I tried so hard to be "in the moment" the entire day, but the majority of the day, Nathan and I spent apart or tending to our guests. It was wonderful and so memorable, but Nathan and I are quiet, private, low-key homebodies. I remember getting in the car at the end of the night, letting out a big sigh and saying, "I can't believe we're married! This feels so good!" It was finally just us and a quiet moment. It was in that moment that our marriage felt real to me. My favorite part of marriage so far has been doing the every day things alongside my best friend, so it's only fitting that getting in the car at the end of our big day was my favorite part :)
What has been the best thing about marriage so far?
Like I mentioned before, the every day things have been my favorite part of marriage so far. I love coming home to Nathan (and our sweet puppy!) at the end of a long day at work. I absolutely love to cook dinner for him, especially when it's one of his favorite meals. I of course want to impress him! I love praying with him before every meal and I love finally being able to fall asleep alongside him at night. Going to our new church together on Sundays has been the highlight of my weeks for months now! The Lord has blessed us abundantly and it has been so fun to be able to be blessed and bless others together. I love doing life with him!
Any pieces of wisdom or advice you'd like to share with future brides, engaged gals, or newlyweds like yourself?
I think that it is so important to determine what is most important to the two of you on your wedding day and work the hardest on that. Nathan and I both love the Lord and established early on that our main goal for our wedding day was to glorify God-- in everything. We wanted our first acts as husband and wife to be in service to each other, we wanted the Lord to be in the midst of our ceremony and help usher others to feel His presence on our wedding day. I spent countless days stressing over flower orders, chairs, vases, logistics, and lists, but no one remembered that at the end of our day. What people commented on the most was the presence of God and spirituality of the ceremony. We want our lives to be living testimonies to the love of our God, and we wanted our wedding day to fulfill that same purpose. That was our goal. So before you jump head first into wedding planning, establish your goal for your wedding day and make that happen. What do you want people to remember when your day is over? Whether it's intimacy, Godliness, having a good time, having the best party, or just keeping it simple, figure out your goal and make it happen. Everything else truly does fall into place.
Venue: Highland Church of Christ, Paintsville
Wedding Dress & Veil: Twirl Boutique
Tuxedos: Village Boutique, Prestonsburg
Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie
Jewelry: Kendra Scott
Photography: Amy Wallen Photography
Videography: Alyson Biggs Videography
Stationary: Minted
Hair & Makeup: Laken Pack & Kendra Colvin
Cake: Jeff Arnett
Catering: Food City
Flowers: Williams Floral, Paintsville
