Cheyenne & Chris | May Farm Wedding

It was wedding week. The forecast said rain, rain, and more rain. All. Week. Long. That is always the biggest gabble when planning an outside wedding and we seemed to be losing the game. I met with Chris and Cheyenne two days before their wedding for a final venue walk-thru. It was raining and the forecast and weather apps all said it was supposed to rain on Sunday. I could tell they were disappointed but they were accepting and not upset. They both understood this was a possibility. We focused on our “Plan B” and thought about having the ceremony and reception all inside the barn. We decided to make a final decision at noon on Sunday.

On Sunday, May 20, 2018, I arrived at Starlight Meadow to start setting up the decorations. The florist, Kelly Odom, arrived and his team immediately got to work. They brought some gorgeous, large lanterns with greenery for the ceremony site and HUGE ferns to hang in the barn windows. They finished the tables with lavender and yellow roses which matched the other lavender and sage decorations Cheyenne and her mom made. I loved Kelly’s style and would love to have an opportunity to work with him and his team again! At noon, Cheyenne and her girls got to Starlight to start getting ready. The sun was out! It was a little cloudy but no rain in the forecast until later than afternoon. She decided to have it outside. I told her and Chris later that it made it more special to have the weather switch up on everyone. My assistant Emily and I finished decorating and met all the vendors as they arrived.

This was the first wedding I have done without having a ceremony rehearsal beforehand. With the bride and groom being from out of town and their family and friends coming from several different states, they decided it was more important to spend time with everyone than have everyone schedule rides and meet at the venue to rehearse. The ceremony went perfectly fine, because I was there to line everyone up and send them down the aisle in good time. It is possible to change things like this but it took more planning with the bride and groom at earlier meetings to set it all up. A ceremony coordinator is very important.

After the ceremony, Dara Blakeley started doing her thing! She has the BEST personality! I absolutely loved working with her! She kept the bridal party laughing for genuine smiles in pictures and quickly finished the family shots so they could enjoy the cocktail hour. After the cocktail hour, introductions, and first dances, dinner began. Cheyenne and Chris hired Napoli, a pizza food truck to come serve everyone for dinner. This can be a slower process but it is totally worth it! The food tastes great and its fresh being cooked right before it is passed through the window. The Napoli team was quick and very accommodating to special diets.

After dinner and some sweet toasts from friends of the couple, Cheyenne and Chris cut their Bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. They had miniature bundt cakes called bundtinis for all the guests, made of vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, and white chocolate raspberry. Emily kept the dessert bar stocked full of the cutest little cakes! This was extremely helpful to the guests because we were able to keep the cakes cool and away from bugs until it was time for them to be served. This would be difficult without a planner, because one of the guests or family members would have to step away from the celebrations to tend to tedious tasks like this one.

DJ Gino kept the dancefloor full with fun remixes and activities. He provided a limbo bar and hula-hoops for “The Twist.” Cheyenne approached me towards the end of the night and said, “I don’t want to leave! I’m having so much fun dancing with everyone!” Unfortunately, the night had to come to an end. Cheyenne and Chris exited the barn surrounded by their family and friends, waving ribbons above their heads in celebration.

This wedding was Emily’s first day and she did awesome! I’m so happy to have her on our awesome team of Exceptional planners!

Check out more of Dara Blakeley Photography’s photos from the day In Our Gallery.



The Awesome Team of Vendors
Venue: Starlight Meadow
Photographer: Dara Blakeley Photography
Florist: Kelly Odom Florist
Music/Sound: DJ Gino
Catering: Napoli
Dessert: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Coordinator: Exceptional Events
Rentals: Exceptional Events