Category: weddings

brooke + lee // Knox Farm Wedding Celebration

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It’s not every day that we get to work with a couple who met back way back in the 7th grade. It’s even more rare that, back in the 7th grade, one of them had just transferred from South Korea, barely spoke English, and then (somehow) worked up enough nerve to give the other her first kiss by the following year. Yet, that is the exact story for Brooke and Lee! They didn’t start exclusively dating until their senior year of high school, and shortly after, Lee was obligated to serve in the Korean military for 2 years, during which time he and Brooke were barely able to communicate. They most often resorted to the old romance of handwritten letters. It’s a wonder that they not only stayed together during this time, especially being so young, but that it was this specific experience that helped them both to realize that they wanted to be together forever. Is there anything sweeter than that??

Lee proposed to Brooke on a beach in Busan, South Korea and the couple had their small and intimate ceremony there, choosing to throw an elegant “after the wedding” party back in the States a few months later. With help from Syrie Roman of Social Maven Event Planning, Brooke and Lee put together an exceptional outdoor soiree for 100 friends and family members. Syrie was able to find the perfect balance of simple, understated elegance. Seriously, guys, it was all so special! We’re endlessly grateful that Brooke and Lee chose us to document this amazing celebration of their unique love story.

Brooke: “I started browsing online to see what style dress I liked, and came across Lihi Hod – I completely fell in love with her elegant bohemian style. I found a small boutique shop in Toronto that carried Lihi’s dresses, and went from there. The first time going to try on dresses was a little overwhelming, but by the second time I knew I found my dress! And as an extra plus, it was comfortable.“

Brooke: “The first time Lee and I saw each other was for different reasons than you might think. I was still in my robe, and he was only partially dressed, he only had his T-shirt on with his dress pants – it was literally too hot out for him to fully dress. But the non-traditional spin is what made it funny and cute – that’s how we are! Mind you, he had already seen me in my dress back in March for our actual wedding. (Side note – we didn’t do a first look in March. My absolute favorite moment between all the wedding events was walking down the isle to Lee in March – I still get goosebumps thinking about it).”

Brooke: “Some of the best moments of the day were when Lee and I would be apart from each other, talking to different family and friends, but then catch a glance from each other across the way.“

Brooke: “The first time I saw the finished decor, I was in complete awe.“

Brooke: “Sitting next to Lee while hearing my dad and sister give speeches – we were so completely humbled and overwhelmed with love.“

Brooke: “‘Let There Be Love’ by Nat King Cole was a song we listened to on our honeymoon almost every day – it became special to us! A reminder of our first adventure as a married couple.“

Brooke: “I danced with my dad to ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’. My dad is a Disney fan, not just of the brand, but of Walt Disney himself. I like to think of my dad as my own Walt Disney :) He always followed his dreams and his heart, and encouraged us to do the same. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am if it wasn’t for him!“

Brooke: “We’ve been through a lot together. Lee had to serve in the Korean military, and he chose to do his service right out of high school – wanted to get it out of the way so he could go to school and move on with our lives without the interruption. We didn’t get to see each other for two years, but it taught us so much. Sometimes our only communication was through hand written letters, which made our phone calls and Skype video chats even more special. I think that’s how we truly realized we could and wanted to spend our lives together – we never wavered once from our relationship over those two years, and it made us really appreciate each other. It definitely wasn’t easy, but it made us who we are today!“

Brooke: “I loved dancing with my hubby at the end of the night to some of my all time favorite songs. Not slow dance, but a goofy kind of dance! We were having a BLAST. And have perfect pictures to capture it.“

Brooke: “Our best advice – don’t get caught up in the details. Everything can’t be perfect. And trust the professionals to do their jobs! They are the experts. We let Syrie, the caterers, Ayres, etc. be creative – we didn’t restrict them. And everything turned out better than either of us could have imagined! Ayres is fantastic – I have never in my life seen better photos taken – I couldn’t believe how beautiful everyone and everything looked. If you want someone to truly capture your event, the vibes, and everything else, there is seriously no better choice!!“

We LOVE Knox Farm, don’t you?? Click here for another amazing Knox Farm wedding!

Wedding Vendors Include:

Venue: Knox Farm
Wedding Planner: Syrie Roman of Social Maven Event Planning
Invitations and Signage: Parkside Prints
Hair and Make-up: BLUSH Makeup and Hair
Wedding Dress Designer: “Roseberry” by Lihi Hod
Florist: Fern Croft
Tent Rental: All Season Rental
Lighting and Decor: Social Maven Event Planning
Furniture Rentals: Quaint
Serveware Rentals: Quaint
Catering: The Grange Community Kitchen and Lomo Lomo Food Truck
Donuts: Paula’s Donuts
Gelato Station: Sweet Melody’s Artisan Crafted Gelato
Dessert Table Styling: Social Maven Event Planning
Band: GRAVY Band

megan+ derek // Maple Walnut Farm Wedding

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There’s just something special about Megan and Derek that’s hard to put into words. They are so amazingly sweet together. You can tell that they really are each other’s other half. They both become whole when the other is around, and those warm and fuzzy feelings just radiate from them. There was barely a moment throughout their wedding day that wasn’t filled with some sort of overflowing emotion, whether it be tears of joy, bellyaching laughter, or just pure, overwhelming love for each other, their friends and their family. Our associate Michele really did an incredible job of capturing it all; we couldn’t be more proud of her!

When reading through all of the memories and personal anecdotes that Megan and Derek so kindly shared with us, we came across a beautiful statement from Megan. It really sums it all up; it puts everything into perspective and explains exactly why this day was truly so meaningful for everyone involved:

“…For several reasons, life took us different ways years ago. We always stayed good friends and he always stayed my favorite person, but it took a little while to find our way back. We wrote about a million emails spilling our guts to each other and stayed connected through music, sending each other mixes and new music we loved. He would write me songs and I would just miss him all the time. He was my best friend. We both had to go through a lot to be together. Once we were finally together it made no sense that we hadn’t been all along. It was no looking back from there. We moved into our new home with my two little girls whom he soon loved like he would his own.”

I don’t know about you guys, but I get chills reading that! How amazing that two people, so clearly meant to be, could go through so much apart and still find their way back to each other. It’s a beautiful thing, guys. A real reason to come together and celebrate, and we’re so lucky to have been the chosen ones to capture it all happening! Read through the rest of Megan and Derek’s memories while you take a scroll through all of the stunning moments that Michele was able to capture for us!

Megan: “Derek and I met online about 10 years ago. We loved the same music. I called him handsome and he called me darlin’, and he quickly became one of my favorite people ever.“

Megan: “Both of my parents and Derek’s father unfortunately passed away before we got to say ‘I do’, so it was important to us to have all of our missing loved ones represented. On my right hand I wore the ring my late grandmother left me when she passed away. Tied into my flowers was the first ring Derek’s dad ever bought his mom; it was also my something blue. Derek wore his dad’s cufflinks. I had photos of my mom in the room I got ready in.“

Megan: “It was so nice waking up early before the rest of the house with one of my best friends, Sheryl. We had a great talk that morning and she calmed my nerves the way she always does. I also loved seeing my daughters all dressed up for the first time.“

Megan: “[Years ago] Derek had invited me over to watch a movie after a bunch of failed attempts at getting together for a real date. I was too nervous and kept avoiding it. But we spent that first night listening to music and talking all night. I have a photo from that day of him playing the accordion for me. We have had a couple first dates though, for several reasons life took us different ways years ago. We always stayed good friends and he always stayed my favorite person, but it took a little while to find our way back. We wrote about a million emails spilling our guts to each other and stayed connected through music, sending each other mixes and new music we loved. He would write me songs and I would just miss him all the time. He was my best friend. We both had to go through a lot to be together. Once we were finally together it made no sense that we hadn’t been all along. I think we count a Jason Isbell concert as our first official date that second time around. It was no looking back from there. We moved into our new home with my two little girls whom he soon loved like he would his own.“

Derek: “Our wedding weekend was filled with excitement, friends, and my bride to be. I spent much of my down time both alone and with my friends who stayed in the house with us, hanging out in the barn, smoking cigars and having drinks while all the girls went through their tireless regiment of beautifying themselves in the house. I very much enjoyed my short lived jaunts through the dining room sea of makeup, big hair, perfume, terrible pop music blaring through a cell phone, and the excitement of a room full of woman having a great time. A completely separate ‘pre-hitching’ experience from myself.“

Megan: “The day before Christmas Eve I was busy wrapping presents, and stressed about all that still needed to get done. We had just been hit with a storm the night before and everything was blanketed in heavy snow. Derek kept asking me take a break and go for a walk outside with him. Not unusual for him, but I kept saying no because of all that needed to get done. Finally I went out and as soon as we walked to our backyard I heard a song that means a lot to both of us. He had a table set up in the snow with champagne and flowers, and he pulled the box out from his pocket and just kind of quickly asked me. We both cried and I forgot to say yes! It was perfect.“

Megan: “I remember seeing Derek and all his friends out the window before the First Look. They were all ready for the ceremony and that’s when it hit me that this was really finally about to happen. Derek looked so handsome and I got so nervous! The First Look was something I was really nervous to do, and I’m so happy I listened to Jenn and Michele. I will never forget the look on his face when he turned around and was fighting back tears.“

Derek: “The best photo of the day was the First Look shot. I got to anxiously wait in front of our big beautiful barn for what seemed to take eternity for Megan to make her way down to me. After listening to the crunching of the gravel beneath her feet, and random voices guiding her, and telling me not to look, she arrived. I then got to turn and see the most beautiful person standing in front of me. I felt all shaky and my eyes may have welled up a little, (which was definitely from the sun glare). It was one of the most exciting photos I ever got to take.“

Megan: “Derek and I had our son Wyatt in Feb 2017.”

Megan: “We’ve become pretty big homebodies and love just doing stuff around the house. But music and going to see bands we love is a huge part of our lives.“

Megan: “Derek is kind. He is the most gentle and sincere person I have ever known. No one makes me laugh like him. There has not been one day he hasn’t made me laugh. And watching him be a father has been one of the best experiences of my life. I just love him.”

Megan: “Many of our friends had a hand in making this day happen for us. One of Derek’s old friends, Leif, flew in to marry us and he made our ceremony equal parts hilarious and perfect. Our friend Vic flew in from California to play guitar for our ceremony and it meant so much to us.“

Derek: “I feel like our vows summed up our love as good as can be. There were serious moments, and lots of laughs. I feel like the ceremony reflected us both perfectly.“

Megan: “During the ceremony, we did a ‘locket step-parent ceremony’ for our girls, where Derek promised to always love, protect, and care for them the same way he does our son, Wyatt. It meant everything to me.“

Megan: “At the reception we had an area in the barn set up for photos of everyone we have lost who should have been there. Many of Derek’s late grandmother’s handmade doilies were in different places around the barn. I made homemade pepper jelly for our favors. There were a couple nods to our polish heritage, we had homemade pierogi in the buffet and I gave nesting dolls as a gift to all the girls who stood up for me and some of my friends who had helped out in several ways. We even played some polka that night!

Our friend Jen (of Fat Cat Sweets) was responsible for our beautiful cake and cupcakes! We had our friend Luke emcee the important parts of the evening, and our friend Lex (The Enchanted Florist) did all of our flowers, which couldn’t have been more perfect. She honestly got me through and became my unofficial wedding planner at times. There are so many examples of our friends helping to make our day perfect!“

Megan: “Our first dance was ‘I Hope You’re the End of My Story’ by Pistol Annies. The road to where we are was long and hard. This song has always meant a lot to us and kind of speaks for itself.“

Megan: “I wasn’t terribly confident on the search for my dress. I had settled on one early on but knew deep down I didn’t feel right about it. So we booked an appointment at Bridal Chateau. I sincerely didn’t even know what I was really looking for. I only had bits and pieces of ideas so walking in for my appointment I felt overwhelmed. But from the time we got there the girl who helped me made me feel so comfortable. She had pulled about 6 dresses based on a bunch of random words I threw at her. The dress I chose was the first dress I tried on that day. It was a beautiful champagne Rebecca Ingram dress. With a high lace boat neck and tulle bottom. Putting it on that first time was the first time I really felt like a bride and really didn’t need to try anything else on. I had the train removed so I could move around easier on the farm and it turned out perfect for me. I get so sad thinking about how I’ll never get to wear it again!“

Derek: “I danced with my mom to ‘Stardust’ by Willie Nelson. It was a song/album my dad used to always play, and felt it appropriate to be the song I choose.“

Megan: “During the reception, Derek played a song he had written for me a few weeks prior. It was our moment to thank everyone for being there and supporting us. Once it started playing I was super emotional watching our children dance to it and being surrounded by everyone we love.“

Derek: “Everything was super great, and couldn’t have asked for a better day. I feel we did a pretty kick ass job of getting married.“

Some experienced words of wisdom for upcoming brides and grooms: “The only advice I have is to just slowwwwww dowwwwn. Take in every little moment. Even in the planning stages. Because it is all gone in a blink! I wish I could relive so many parts of our day.

Choosing Ayres Photography was the best decision! From the first time I spoke with both Jenn and Michele I knew we made the right choice. They care deeply about what they do and it reflects in the way they treat you and the final product. Michele captured our day beautifully.“

Really feeling the rock n roll rustic vibes after Megan and Derek’s beautiful farm wedding?? Click here to see more!

Wedding Vendors Include:

Photographer: Michele of Ayres Photography
Venue: Maple Walnut Farm
Florist: Enchanted Florist
Hair: Care Frandina of Salon Berardo
Make-up Artist: Glam Chair by Krista Lou
Dress Shop: Bridal Chateau
Dress Designer: Rebecca Ingram by Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaid Dresses: KF Bridal
Men’s Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
Catering: Ashley’s Culinary Creations
Cake: Fat Cat Sweets