Back at it again with the series that contains a little something for everyone: revisiting our team members’ weddings, offering unique recaps from their personal perspectives! Sure to invoke inspiration, this one goes out to the girlies who identify with the cottage core aesthetic and lovers of all things vintage. Our member, Haley Towles (Lead Planner/Designer), also known on Instagram as @haleygirltowles & @haleygirlhome, shares thoughts from her special day…

What would you say is your personal aesthetic?

“My personal aesthetic is definitely coastal/cottage core, with vintage touches!”

What was the overall theme of your wedding?

“The overall theme was whimsical yet elegant, merging Chick-fil-A for dinner with a summertime garden party soiree.”

Where did you get your inspiration from?

“The venue was my main inspiration (The Market at Grelen). The rolling hills and cottage on site filled me with whimsy and excitement! From the minute we toured, I knew my whole vision: a ceremony in the greenhouse, then a garden party under twinkle lights. Other than that, I truly pulled from things that make my relationship with my husband what it is. For example, in an ode to when our relationship was long distance, we had postcard table numbers. Additionally, we had a Chick-Fil-A spread for dinner (one of our favorites!).”

Best tip for staying sane during the planning process?

“Delegate! Involve your community in tasks that they can help with. I loved having a girlfriend over for dinner and wine as we addressed invites.”

Throughout the planning process, what proved to be the most important element/step to you, personally?

“I had 13 bridesmaids (I know, I know), but each and every one of them meant so much to me and are still such huge parts of my life 4 years later. Because of this big bridal party, it was really important to me that the bridesmaids’ dresses stand out! Throughout the planning process, I probably spent the most amount of time picking out bridesmaid dresses. That being said, I’m forever grateful I did as I’m still obsessed with how it all looked to this day. It really added such a big element design wise.”

Favorite moment from your wedding day?

“Gosh…it’s so hard to pick just one, so I can’t! I’d say, the special moment that was my mom helping me into my wedding dress, having all the guests at my wedding sing happy birthday to me under a cotton candy pink sunset sky (yes, I got married on my birthday :), and walking down the aisle to my now husband to our favorite song from La La Land.”

One thing you would keep and one thing you would change, in terms of design?

“One thing I would keep would be the lovely curated collection of bridesmaids dresses, as well as our special “postcard” guestbook. One thing I would change would be to add more real florals. I used a lot of dried flowers and, while I loved them, in hindsight I would definitely budget for a more ornate floral design.”

One thing you would keep and one thing you would change, as far as day-of structure?

“One thing I would keep would be setting aside plenty of time for dancing. It was truly the best part of the day–so many memories were made on the dance floor! One thing I would change would be making sure, ahead of time, that all of my family was sticking around for pictures after the ceremony. It was difficult to get everyone together after the ceremony, which meant too much time earlier on during family pictures, and not enough time at cocktail hour!”

If you could offer just one recommendation to a bride on her wedding day to make it THAT much more memorable…what would it be?

“I know it’s definitely personal to each bride’s personality, but I would highly recommend doing a head table over a sweetheart table. It was so fun to be fully immersed in the “party” of it all as our dearest friends surrounded us. Also, biggg fan of writing letters to each other to open on the morning of the wedding. :)”

How did the experience of your own wedding impact how you view/approach your work in the wedding world?

“I still say my wedding day was the best day of my life. I know everyone says that, but it really was! I felt like it went off without a hitch–so seamless, that I was just beaming all day long! Calling on that feeling/memory, I am motivated to make sure every couple I work with has that experience. In terms of the lead planner/design process, my goal is to make sure their early vision comes to life on the day-of. From the flowers they choose, to the song playing as they walk back down the aisle, a wedding day is so sensory and the memories attached to it will truly last a lifetime.”

Join me, as I use this final moment to thank our Haley girl for sharing so many details from her
magical day with us! Comparing real weddings and experiences is the perfect way to begin narrowing down how you may want your own special day to look. For more, we hope you’ll visit us & the journal again soon…

Xx,
Lizzie