Ashley hesitated to swipe right on a Tinder profile because their only friend in common was her dad... but she did anyway, because she thought Travis was cute. Lo and behold, it was a match. When they finally met up, they discovered all kinds of connections between them, even though the two of them had never met. They had both attended UK and Travis had worked–and gone on a date–with one of Ashley’s roommates at the time. Travis and Ashley's father had worked with the same company for 3 years.
The two had been dancing by each other for years, waiting for the perfect moment.
The couple chose The Round Barn as their wedding venue because it was beautiful, but would allow them to create the type of intimacy they were looking for, even with a larger guest list. Ashley and Travis now live in New York City, so the wedding was planned remotely. Ashley worked closely with her mother to conceptualize, then relied on their tribe of friends to execute the vision.
When the couple chose their wedding date, they had originally planned on se- lecting a date that worked with Travis’s teaching schedule. When they realized that the date was his late father's birth- day, it seemed perfect to the couple. They reserved a seat for the groom’s fa- ther with a picture of the two of them.
With both the ceremony and reception happening in the same location, it was important to Ashley that it felt like there were two distinctly defined spaces. With the two levels of The Round Barn, this was easily achieved. The ceremony was held downstairs to accommodate the large headcount.
Ashley was drawn to a lush, romantic look with soft textures. She loved the idea of keeping a base of white, using greenery and florals as well as gold and brass details to bring in color. White swags helped define the ceremony space. Ashley and Travis were married in the center of the barn under the chandelier with their family and friends surrounding them.
Guests were seated at what would become their dinner tables, but they waited until everyone moved upstairs to the cocktail hour to set up the place settings.
Each table arrangement was personalized and included antiques and other treasures they found at local yard sales and antique stores. The wooden blocks were cut and sanded by Ashley’s uncles and stained by her Papaw. Ashley chose and ordered the flowers for each centerpiece and they were arranged by the couple’s friend, Dusty Menefee, the day before the wedding.
The head table backdrop was a fireplace mantel that had been used in the mother of the bride’s dance stu- dio’s production of The Nutcracker for years. It was decorated with trinkets, greenery and a wreath for a sentimental touch. The mother of the bride made handmade the greenery and wreaths.
As the night progressed, Ashley and Travis enjoyed spending time with so many loved ones who came from near and far to celebrate a love that seemed Heaven-sent. To make the evening even more special, Ashley arranged for her parents to share their first dance, something they hadn't gotten to do on their own wedding night.
THE VISION
WEDDING STYLE
A dramatic twist on a classic winter wedding filled with old-time glamour and romance.
MUST-HAVES
DEEP HUES
When planning a winter wedding, a popular choice is going with hues of red and green for the attire and florals.
To add that dramatic flair, keep those shades dark and moody with splashes of modern mauve and ivory.
DRAMATIC TEXTURES
If you're looking to add a bit of drama to the overall look and feel of your winter wedding, playing with textures is a great place to start. Think faux fur shawls and ornate, antique frames as centerpieces.
WHIMSICAL VINE
To pair with your deep and romantic florals, incorporate whimsical vines and textured greenery to add to the overall winter drama that you're going for.
Keep the shades of greenery in a darker family rather than soft eucalyptus and you've got a winning floral recipe.
COLOR PALETTE
Classic winter wedding hues of red and green, but with a dramatic twist. Think bold burgundy and gold paired with modern mauve and romantic ivory.
THE TEAM
PHOTOS: Ashley Rainwater Photography
VIDEO: Keith and Melissa Photography
VENUE: The Round Barn Stable of Memories
FOOD: Bayou Bluegrass Catering
SWEETS: Bakergirl Custom Cakes
FLOWERS: Stems
RENTALS: Goff Tents & Events (chairs) Bryant's Rent All (Tent)
BRIDAL GOWN: Bianca Gown by Maggie Soterro Kleinfeld's
BRIDAL PARTY: Kleinfeld in Cabernet
GROOM/GROOMSMEN: Jos A. Bank The Tie Bar
HAIR & NAILS: Christopher Johns Salon
