Sarah + Clayton
While Sarah + Clayton were hoping for a sunny wedding day, I don’t think they could have imagined how magical it would be with all of the fog rolling in and out all day. Wilderness Lodge provides an absolutely stunning background, but it somehow was even more breathtaking when the fog would hide the view for a little bit and then poof back to amazing view! <3. Enjoy some of their day – and also see below about some of Sarahs planning process!
1. What was your venue, in what town and what helped in choosing it? The Wilderness Lodge in Summersville, WV. The breathtaking views and onsite lodging for our entire wedding party helped us in choosing the venue. Sabrina and Chris were wonderful to work with too.
2. How did you two meet? We were set up on a blind date by close friends.
3. How did the proposal happen? A friend was taking our pictures at Coopers Rock (it’s gorgeous in the fall!) and he popped the question mid photo. I was very surprised!
4. What was your first date? Optional. In the woods on a side by side.
5. Describe any special details – did the bride make the bouquet? Invitations? Any family help prepare, etc. -Clayton’s parents threw the prettiest rehearsal dinner the night before. It was at the venue, and a great way to visit with family before the big day. His mom had printed childhood photos of us and incorporated them on the table centerpieces. Everyone enjoyed walking around to see the photos too!
-We are blessed to be surrounded by awesome family and friends who helped make our wedding day so special. The morning of our wedding we had to shift the ceremony location due to the rain. Everyone pitched in to move chairs, rearrange tables, and so much more. We couldn’t have done it without their help.
-The day of the wedding we gave our parents personalized gifts with our childhood pictures on them: a clutch purse (for the moms) and tie squares (for the dads). Thanks Etsy!
-My grandmothers were our flower girls. Clayton’s grandpa was going to be the ring bearer, but he got sick right before. We missed having him there!
-We served a “Pooch Punch” in honor of our dogs. The cups even had their pictures on them. It was a hit!
6. What was your favorite part of the day? First dance and final dance.
7. Any special things you’d like to share for couples planning their weddings? This sounds cliche, but your wedding day truly goes by so fast. Invest in a good photographer and videographer if you can. Not only will you have the photos and videos to last a lifetime, but it gives you insights into your special day you probably didn’t see!
Remember to have fun with planning. Don’t get stressed! :)
8. Anything about your ninja photog you’d like them to know haha? No matter what your day throws at you, (in our case it was rain) you can fully trust she has things under control and will work hard to create amazing photos of your day. Even down to the final hours, she was an energizer bunny snapping pictures. Weddings can be stressful, but she made our experience extremely fun and enjoyable!
9. What were your favorite photos & were they different than what you thought would be your favorites? I have too many favorites and each time I look at our wedding album, I swear I find new ones haha. The black and white photo of us kissing in the rain though is in my top 3. We’ve received a lot of compliments on our photos (especially on how we embraced the weather) and that one gets brought up every time.
10. Describe the weather. Rainy, wet, and foggy. So glad we had an abundance of clear umbrellas on standby… (thanks Mom!)
Extra- Did you do engagement photos with ACP and anything you’d like to say about that (location you chose, what you did with the photos, did it make you less nervous to have me around on your wedding day). Yes! While tossing around possible location ideas, I sent Amberlee a picture of Clayton’s 1976 Ford Bronco that belonged to his late grandpa. Her creative juices started flowing. ACP came to the house and we took pictures around our property. I loved that we incorporated Clayton’s old cars and our black lab, Dolly, in our session. It definitely helped ease our nerves before the wedding, especially in the comfort of our own space. Oh and she’s a pet whisperer – Dolly stole the show and looked into the camera practically every time!
Vendor list below: – anything extra you want to share about any of them? We had an amazing vendor team!
200 Guests
Return to Blog
Contact me today! 304.216.5903