Elaine and Jeff’s Wedding at the Polo Barn at Saxony Farm

This wedding has it all! It’s one part rustic, one part preppy, one romantic and a million parts gorgeous. We LOVE the way Elaine and Jeff’s wedding blends styles and trends to create a unique and super-fun wedding day. We have Shelly Fortune for all the adorable details and Melanie Mauer Photography for the beautiful images of the day.

From the bride:

Jeff and I met while working at a radio station. I was in my senior year of college for Broadcast Journalism and French and this happened to be my summer internship, while Jeff was working at the station leading all of the promotions interns. Unbeknownst to me, he started requesting me to work his events because of my “great work ethic” so we saw each other more and more. By the end of the summer we had become a couple!

Five years later, Jeff put a plan in motion to propose to me. He knew my love for France and anything French in general and decided there was no better way. Christmas 2013 he gave me a box full of everything French he could find: candies, books, and a little Paris journal inscribed, “Pick a date”. I jumped up and screamed, “ARE WE GOING TO FRANCE?!” It was absolutely perfect. When we went to Paris four months later in April, we were lucky enough to be there over Easter. Still sluggish from jet-lag, we decided we had to venture out to see a public Catholic service in Notre Dame. I had been there several times, but never inside, and never to a service like that before. It was spectacular! Once we were outside, I was back to being tired, slightly cranky, and ready to crawl back in bed. But Jeff had other plans. In the garden just outside of the cathedral next to the Seine, Jeff dropped onto one knee and proposed! I think I nodded because everything up to that was a blur. He likes to say that once wasn’t enough, I made him propose three times…and it’s true! I wanted to make sure I remembered everything! The last and third time, back at our apartment, I made sure to say YES out loud!

Favorite moment of the wedding day:

It’s so hard to choose – when I was walking down the aisle with my grandfather towards Jeff, a big beautiful blue butterfly swooped down in front of me and fluttered with me on my way down. Some people have told me they saw three surrounding me – which is incredibly symbolic to me. That day I was deeply missing my father, my aunt (his sister), and my grandmother (his mother) and this let me know they were there with me. However, I will also never forget watching Jeff’s reaction when we saw me for the first time. He looked like he had seen an angel! It always makes me smile.

Advice to current brides: To make sure to RELAX and take time to absorb everything and take it in. There comes a point in the process when there’s nothing else you can plan, control, or fix – you just have to give up and enjoy the truly special day.

Special details:

My mother sewed a piece of my father’s tie into my dress – specifically two small strips on either side of the zipper as if he were supporting me; that was very special. For the decor, I knew I wanted to get married on a horse farm but wanted to incorporate a little bit of everything in our personalities. I wanted black and white striped elements and a croquembouche to remind us of Paris where we got engaged; but I also wanted lemons to be involved – bright yellow and vibrant colors. Living in Arizona, there are so many citrus trees and my favorite time of year is when people bring buckets of lemons to take and I stack them high in a large bowl on the kitchen counter!

Photography:  Melanie Mauer Photography // Planner: Shelly Fortune // Florals: Suzi Hjorth of Magnolia Floral Design // Dress: Lazaro from Kleinfelds NYC // Cake: Martine’s Pastries // Catering: Cooper Vaughn of Apiary Catering // Ceremony Music: Misty Mountain String Band // Stationery: MDRNCRAFT Studio // Keds // Venue: Polo Barn at Saxony Farm