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Tori and Devon’s wedding day was…incredibly beautiful. Truly, words can’t express how magical this day way. And I know people are still drooling over this perfect day. As always, I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a peak into their journey planning with me…

As most couples in 2020, Tori and Devon didn’t know if they should have their celebration or not. Tori reached out to me in June and I could tell that she so desperately longed to marry the man of her dreams. On our call I gave them a little reminder, a reminder I like to give all of my couples. “At the end of the day, you’re marrying the love of your life. Your wedding day is about you guys and will be just as beautiful with 25 guests as it would be with 200 guests. Don’t let that affect whether or not you marry the person of your dreams.” So, without much hesitation at all, they booked!

At the beginning, it was difficult to hone in on a venue. With so many tight restrictions and guidelines, it was difficult finding a venue that would suit their vision. They decided to host their wedding at Wrens Roost Barn in Naples, NY and from there we locked in a date and the fun began.

We worked together over the course of the next 3 months (crazy, right?!) planning and detailing every single element of their big day. And we made it happen! On Sunday, October 18^th, 2020 the day finally arrived.

Let’s start with set up.

The Set Up + Getting Ready

Before I headed to the venue to start setting up, I stopped by the bride’s Airbnb to check-in and say hi to her and the beautiful wedding party. We grabbed all of their décor and quickly headed to Wrens Roost Barn to begin set up.

This wedding was unlike most. We only had 1.5 hours to set up. But I’m a miracle worker and made it happen! With all hands-on deck and a little bit of help from other vendors, we set up the entire wedding, from ceremony to reception, with some spare time to breathe before guests started to arrive.

It was an extremely windy day. There were so many external factors affecting much of the design, so we had to improvise. Menus and place cards were blowing everywhere! Signage was falling off easels. It was difficult to say the least. But we made it work as we always do and it turned out beautifully.

While we were setting up, Tori and Devon were getting ready and formal portraits were being taken offsite with the incredible photographer and videographer we hired to capture their magical day.

The best part about all of this, is that Tori and Devon didn’t lift a single finger all day and if you’ve followed along with me this far, you know that that is one of my top priorities when working with couples. Seriously, who wants to set up and breakdown their own wedding? Not me! And guess what? I was that bride. It’s not fun.

The Ceremony

Guests started to arrive around 3:15 PM/3:30 PM for a 4:00 PM ceremony. It was absolutely frigid outside with the wind gusts and rain starting to come in, so we had guests wait inside the barn until it was ceremony time.

The bride and groom ordered custom masks for guests to wear throughout the wedding which added a special touch to the customization of their wedding day.

I received a text from the groom that they were on their way to the venue. So, as I peeked outside, I saw the limo approaching, and then continue driving down the road which then disappeared for the next 10-15 minutes. What’s so difficult about this situation, is that there is limited service in Naples, NY so the ability to communicate was tough.

Turns out, the driver couldn’t turn into the driveway from the direction he approached at. So, he had to drive all the way down to the other end of the road until he found a safe area to turn around in. He finally turned around and made his way back to the venue. As the limo approached, everyone gasped in excitement to see the groom and his party.

Devon stepped out of the limo and immediately came in for a hug. I’m telling you guys, Tori and Devon were one of my FAVORITE couples to work with. Because we were planning their full wedding in a short 3 months, the only time we ever saw each other was via video call. Their wedding day was the first day we met in person and it felt so long overdue. The first time I saw both of them, they came right in for hugs like we had known each other for a long time. I love building relationships like this with my couples which is also why it’s so hard for me to say bye after their wedding, ha!

The groom and his party went inside and greeted guests as we waited for the bride and her party to arrive.

As I saw the limo approach again, this time with the bride, I started having guests make their way out to the ceremony site and the wedding party start to line up.

The limo driver improvised this time around and backed all the way down Wrens Roost long driveway. How he did this, I’m not sure. But he made it happen and it saved us another 10-15 minutes so we could get this show on the road! Hats off to him.

The ceremony was underway. There were lots of happy tears, laughs, and so much love. We livestreamed the ceremony for those who couldn’t attend and before we knew it, it was time for some yummy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

The Cocktail Hour

As the wedding party made their way to get photos taken, guests made their way to a warmer space where they found some yummy hors d’oeuvres and delicious signature cocktails designed by the bride and groom.

Julia K Catering provided yummy Italian dishes for guests to munch on as the wedding party took photos with family and the couple had portraits taken. The beautiful thing about Wrens Roost is that there are SO many amazing locations onsite to take photos. You have the amazing hills as a backdrop, the pond, a field of tall grass, and so much more. It’s truly a remarkable place to have wedding photos taken.

Me and my sidekick, Meg, moved ceremony décor and repurposed it inside the reception tent because why spend money on pretty things if you can only use it once?!

After photos were taken, we moved the couple and the wedding party inside the barn to line up for reception introductions and so the party finally began…

Once parents and the wedding party were introduced, Tori and Devon and were finally introduced as Mr. and Mrs. and it was so magical! They made their way inside the reception tent and embraced a beautiful kiss as Mr. and Mrs. before enjoying their first dance to Magnolia by John Mayer.

The Reception

I’ll preface this by saying, the groom loves all things John Mayer so the song list throughout the evening was focused around this genre of music which I have to say was quite relaxing and romantic.

Parents joined Tori and Devon on the dance floor as the end of the song approached which was incredibly special and beautiful to witness. Toasts were underway and before we knew it, it was dinner time…which everyone was ready for!

Julia K Catering provided an exquisite Fall meal, completely customized by Tori and Devon. It was delicious. I had a quick minute to taste the Cheese Tortellini with a spiced pumpkin cream sauce, roasted brussel sprouts tossed with bacon, caramelized onions and a balsamic reduction. I mean oh my gosh! I’m hungry now just thinking about this. It was an explosion of flavor in your mouth and one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had the pleasure of eating, seriously.

To pair with dinner, Tori and Devon imported wine from their favorite winery in Italy which also happens to be the place Devon proposed to Tori. I mean, talk about full circle. This was probably my favorite part of their wedding experience.

After dinner, Tori enjoyed a beautiful dance with her father and Devon followed with a beautiful dance with his mother. Everyone then joined them on the dance floor to kick off the rest of the evening festivities.

Tori and Devon enjoyed their cake cutting and had a little fun with it too. Their song selection was Cake by the Ocean by DNCE which I think was so fitting given their personalities. They are FUN.

Guests mingled while socially distancing and enjoyed live music throughout the night until last call at 9:00 PM.

The After Party

After the reception, guests and family members made their way back to the couples Airbnb for the evening. They stayed up late into the night watching hockey (of course) listening to good music and enjoying their time with loved ones whom they hadn’t seen in a very long time.

It was a beautiful night that Tori, Devon and their guests will remember for a lifetime.

The Pick Up

The pick up was even more intense. We only had 1 hour to break everything down. Yup, you heard that right. As vendors came and went picking up their specific items, me and my sidekick, Meg, picked up trash, cleaned up all décor from tables, swept floors, and so.much.more. It was exhausting but we made it happen and by 10:30 PM we were out of there.

The venue quite literally was left the way I arrived to it. As a bride who had to do every last detail for her own wedding, it is my goal to ensure my couples never have to experience that. This is a day that happens once in a lifetime. The wedding couple should have fond memories of this special day and be able to look back on it like it was everything they could have imagined and more. That is why I go above and beyond for all of my clients. Because they deserve it…

I made my way to the Airbnb where Tori, Devon, and their family and friends were partying and dropped off all of the décor that we had picked up that morning to set up. Before I left, I said my goodbyes (the hardest part), but before sending me on my way, Tori and Devon had to send me home with some wine that they imported from Italy for their wedding that evening. And let me tell you, it was delicious.