We’re suckers for a good Pride and Prejudice reference and Kaileigh nailed it with this one: “I looked down, laughed, and said, ‘I really am Elizabeth Bennet!’ I walked down the aisle to the Pride and Prejudice theme song, and along the way my dress and train dragged in the mud … I absolutely love that my dress is covered in mud!” And we absolutely loved everything about Kaileigh and Logan’s romantic wedding day captured so beautifully by Sarah McKenzie Photography.
What made the wedding special and unique?
My family helped out with so many details! My younger brothers made an 8-foot wooden cross for the ceremony site, my Aunt Gwen did all the flowers, my Aunt Shelia made all the cakes and cupcakes, and my mom made her own mother of the bride dress, my garter, and my veil. I have such a talented and helpful family! We also had a TON of our guests out on the dance floor, and that was really special for us.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
My gown is part of the Allure Romance collection. It was about the 20th gown I tried on, and I tried on about 10 more after that. I found it in Fort Worth, Texas at Bliss Bridal Salon. I have always known I wanted a ball gown, and the floral details, sweetheart top, and low back just made this gown perfect! Apparently not a lot of people wear ball gowns for outdoor weddings because the woman helping me at the salon was surprised the wedding was outdoors!
What were some touches added to make it personal?
Logan and I both love the outdoors so a lot of the decor focused on wood and fresh flowers with a classy touch. Someone called our wedding “Elegant Environmental” which is fitting because I have a degree in Environmental Science. There were wood pieces and tree bark scattered in the decor along with tall floral centerpieces and candles. We had a donut bar with milk because Logan and I love sour cream donuts. I also wore simple pearl earrings that Logan gave to me as a birthday gift sophomore year in college. My something old was a silver heart necklace wrapped around my bouquet. It was the first gift Logan gave to me in high school. My favorite personal touch, though, was the wooden cross at the ceremony site. It looked really rough and gnarled because my brothers made it from a tree they cut down near our house. When my Aunt Gwen placed the beautiful array of pink and white flowers on it, it was absolutely gorgeous. It really set the tone for the ceremony of how thankful we are for God’s love.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
After the most perfect ceremony, my maid of honor pointed out that the hem of my dress was covered in mud. I looked down, laughed, and said, “I really am Elizabeth Bennet!” I walked down the aisle to the Pride and Prejudice theme song, and along the way my dress and train dragged in the mud. It was the most memorable part of the day because I remember thinking, “We are finally married, we are so in love, God is so good, and I absolutely love that my dress is covered in mud!”
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Logan and I met in high school and starting dating at the end of sophomore year. We sat at the same lunch table. We went to two different colleges in Texas, and stayed together the entire long-distance relationship. In March of our senior year of college, right before spring break, I filmed for a journalism class at a construction site all day. I went back to my dorm, showered, and got ready for a friend’s dinner party. It was a little chilly so I had on jeans and a cute sweater. When my friends arrived at my door they convinced me to put on something cuter (for pictures they said), and totally changed my outfit into a dress and heels. We got lost on the road, and turned into an outdoor theatre that a couple of us like to go to, but it was closed for the winter. As I kept questioning, my friend kept driving. We pulled up to Logan standing under an archway of lights, flowers in hand, and candles along the path. I started crying immediately because I couldn’t believe what was happening. I walked down the path, he got down on one knee, and asked me in the sweetest words to be his wife. After I said yes, a good friend of mine took beautiful photos, and then we all celebrated after with a surprise party with our high school and college friends! They even had us dance and cut the cake in front of them! It was a blast. I love that I got to marry my high school sweetheart!
Photography: Sarah McKenzie Photography // Florals: Garden Gate Designs // Cake: A Piece of Cake // Hair and Makeup: Janelle Christine // Bride’s Dress: Bliss Bridal Salon, Allure Bridal // Shoes: Chelsea Crew // Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN // Tuxes: Michael Kors // Invites: Lily Wu and Bride // Cross builders: Chase and Dillan Kurtin (bride’s brothers) // Venue: Olde Dobbin Station