Spring Inspired Fernstone Retreat Wedding

The planning for this stunning wedding at Fernstone Retreat took many years. In high school, Chelsea and Dom met and fell in love. Before splitting up, they had an intermittent relationship for several years. However, the cosmos always finds a way to bring two individuals together when they are meant to be. With an elegant and heartfelt party, this adorable couple finally achieved their happily ever after. For these high school sweethearts who went to prom together, a May wedding in the most beautiful pastel hues seemed the perfect fit. From the mismatched bridesmaids' dresses and the trademark cocktail to the suspended wedding cake from Maisy Cakes and the numerous reception touches, blush pink, mauve, and sage created a romantic atmosphere. Our favorites include personalized wooden signs, floral wall backgrounds, and a sweetheart table sign that reads, "It was always you." However, nothing compares to the fresh flowers at this spring celebration. With various centerpiece arrangements, a stunning wedding bouquet of peonies, anemones, and ranunculus, and a stunning installation surrounding the oak tree that serves as the main point of the outdoor space, Linda Brown's Floral dazzled. Our hearts melted when we saw that the bride's grandparents' antique table was used as the newlyweds' sweetheart table, even if all this eye candy was breathtaking. Watch this video from Just Hitched Wedding Films and Michael Will Photography, but bring Kleenex beforehand!

About the Couple

I never thought I would meet my future husband when I was a junior in high school. However, Dom, a senior then, was assigned to my third-period chorus class. Although we had occasionally crossed paths in past years, it wasn't until that class that we truly embarked on this incredible, wild trip. Dom eventually asked me out on our first date after we flirted and pretended to be "annoyed" with one another for several months, with our friends placing bets on when we would start dating. The next thing I knew, we spent the entire winter skiing with our pals. We were falling in love before we realized it. We dated intermittently for about five years before taking a little break because life happened. As luck would have it, we reconnected on New Year's Eve a few years later and have remained together ever since.

We organized a trip to Banff, Canada, for my 30th birthday. I had always wanted to go there, especially around Christmas. I had no idea Dom was organizing anything more amazing than a weekend trip. We rode to the summit of Sulphur Mountain on our first day there because the sun was shining. We decided to walk to a higher altitude. Dom mentioned that he wanted to stop and take in the scenery when we were halfway to the viewing point. The next thing I knew, he was proposing to me on top of a mountain. It was genuinely one of the most memorable times in history.

About the Wedding

We were high school sweethearts, so I wanted the theme and colors to bring back memories of our prom dates. May felt like the ideal month for a spring wedding. Since Dom isn't finicky about details, the color scheme for the big day is pink, blush, and sage. Pink is also my favorite hue. I also wanted to incorporate a garden theme because I like springtime flowers, from eucalyptus and anemones to peonies and ranunculus. It was the ideal location for our event.

In the middle of Fernstone Retreat is a massive oak tree that is illuminated. This made it the ideal location for a floral arrangement by Linda Brown's Floral, who brought the tree to life with eucalyptus and greenery hanging from the branches and flowers creeping up the entire trunk. We appeared to be dancing beneath sparkling stars due to the lights around the tree limbs. Little personal touches, such as Lucy, our miniature golden doodle, were also included. She inspired our signature cocktail, the "Lucy Lemonade," made with peach vodka, gin, and lemonade, with a pink tint to match the color scheme. She was also featured on our cake.

Regarding the bridesmaid dresses, I wanted my closest friends to feel beautiful on our wedding day because they mean the world to me. To ensure that everyone was at ease and prepared to dance the night away, I let each person choose their color scheme and outfit style. With their ballet slipper shoes and gorgeous costumes designed by Trish Scully, our flower girls looked like miniature princesses.

The reason our day was so wonderful was primarily due to my mom. As best friends, we thoroughly enjoyed organizing our wedding day. She surprised me by including two red birds in my bridal bouquet, which was one of the day's most memorable aspects. I was pretty close to my grandmother, who died a few months before Dom and I became engaged. She and my father were married shortly after they first met as youngsters. For fifty-seven years, they were wed. They provide our large family with an excellent example of love. They loved one another without conditions, through good times and bad. We saw two red birds flying close to their home after my grandma died. I would see these two red birds almost every day. I was shocked to learn later that red birds mate for life, as you can only imagine. I was certain then and there that those two red birds were my grandmother and papa, keeping watch over our family. Our grandparents' antique table, which was inherited from my great-grandmother and served as the location of many Sunday dinners for our large, wacky family, was the ideal choice for our sweetheart table.

Favorite Moment

My favorite part of the day was when my nephews opened the chapel doors, and I saw my now-husband standing at the end of the aisle, even though the entire day was flawless and the happiest day of our lives. We waited a long time for that moment, and as I walked down the aisle, it felt like time had stopped. My second favorite moment was when we were alone, seated at our sweetheart table, gazing around at our parents, siblings, family, friends, and those who supported and loved us the most. Everything about the wedding, including the flowers, the dress, the location, and the weather, was ideal, but nothing compared to being with our loved ones.