We still have a hard time believing that our first 30 weddings on the calendar were before we opened our doors. And most of those were tours given among boards and nails. We are humbled that complete strangers trusted us as they did.
Katelyn and Chandler booked their December 2018 wedding with us in April and this is what the barn looked like the week they toured…
Obviously a venue under construction didn’t scare them away. And their December wedding came faster than anyone could have imagined.
Their day was simple yet elegant, and a little bit rustic.
Where did you get your inspiration?
“Honestly, we just kinda went for it! We both wanted our day to really be all about who we are as individuals and as a couple. It was very Christ-centered, organized, beautiful, and simple. We're not Pinterest people; we like to do our own thing. We had a bunch of ideas in our heads. and when we locked in one vendor we really wanted/liked, we said, "Okay, let's just keep going and see what happens next." The Barn is so beautiful in itself, that it didn't need a bunch of decorations to make it look complete, so that made everything just that much easier. SO much of our wedding inspiration/process was a Godsend and we couldn't be happier with how everything came together.”
We absolutely love that this first look involved Katelyn’s entire family of 4. The emotion and love displayed in these pictures is beyond words. All I can come up with “beautiful”, but yet that doesn’t seem to do it justice.
Katelyn: My brother was my Man of Honor, so just having him get to hangout with me during the day was something I will always treasure. He obviously saw me while we were getting ready, but he didn't see my final look until my dad saw it as well. I always thought I wanted to do one look with my brother and one look with just my dad, but I'm so glad we did them at the same time. Besides Chandler of course, those are the two most important men in my life. Seeing their reaction to something they couldn't know anything about for the past several months was just pure joy and love. My mom got to be there to share that moment with us, and we were able to have one beautiful moment together as a family.
Their wedding colors were grey and champagne with little pops of red and green. Because a December wedding with pops of red and green is just classic and timeless. The guys’ red suspenders were the perfect touch.
What did you like most about your day at The Barn at Grace Hill?
Katelyn: Does the whole day count?!…Our officiant (who is also a dear friend to Chandler and I) led my family in a prayer before everyone got lined up for the ceremony, and that moment of intimacy and love was something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Chandler: I very much enjoyed being able to have a suite for the groomsmen to hang out in. Another very enjoyable and happy moment for me was to be able to be with my groomsmen and my dad in that suite and get to have fun and laugh and enjoy the greatness of the day- the ultimate culmination of the past few months. Being in that suite with those men and the time we had there together was another part of the day that I truly liked and enjoyed.
What is the one memory of your day that you wish you could freeze in time and never forget?
Katelyn: This may seem dorky, but honestly the moment I would freeze in time is actually a span of about thirty seconds. Once I got to the bottom of the stairs after my grand entrance, I really enjoyed my dad walking me down the aisle to meet the man of my dreams. That time with my dad was so precious to me, and I absolutely adore every picture I have with him from that moment.
Chandler: That is an easy answer- the moment she walked out of those barn doors and I saw her for the first time. That moment was perfection.
What ended up being your favorite part of the day?
Chandler: There were an abundant number of lovely, amazing, and memorable moments, but nothing tops this one moment for me- seeing my bride for the first time. There was an intense and suspenseful build-up to the wedding because I had zero clue as to what she was going to be wearing, what she would look like or anything of the sort. Absolutely no clue. I had been very (im)patiently waiting for that moment for months, and then being within such a close proximity to her on the day without getting to see her sparked a deep yearning and desire to see my bride. The set-up was perfect, the music was queued up, and the moment came in a flash. Those doors opened up and my beautiful bride stepped out, finally revealing herself to me, and I was blown away. Finally seeing her that day after months of anticipation was hands down my favorite part.
Chandler definitely got us all teary with his reaction that was caught so perfectly by Wild Oak Films in their wedding video that we’ve shared at the bottom.
Tell us about some of the special details you incorporated into your day.
“We loved the wooden cross that was the main focal point during our ceremony. For our unity ceremony, we wanted to do something different, but still important to us as a Godly couple. We chose to do the tying of the knot, with three strands representing both of us as husband and wife, and God as our Father...ultimately becoming one in Christ. "And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him - a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12. Our threefold strand was wrapped around the cross. We added something very special from Katelyn's family to the top of the cross; a crown of thorns that Katelyn gave to her parents for Christmas several years ago. Right when you enter the Barber house, the crown of thorns is on display to symbolize the most precious gift we as humans could ever receive. It was the perfect touch to the wooden cross during our ceremony.”
“Instead of using a traditional guestbook to remember everyone who celebrated our wedding day with us, we wanted to use something different and something that we could actually look at and be part of our lives. Anchors have always been "our thing" ever since we met, so we chose to have our guests sign little wooden anchors and leave their best wishes for us. We were both definitely teary going through all of those the day after our wedding. Those were very special. “
What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding right now?
Katelyn: My advice to couples that are currently planning a wedding is to just be yourself. Forget about other people's opinions of your choices, what might happen if this doesn't go right, all the Pinterest boards that look like perfection, and just make everything be about you and your new spouse…I would say that your vendor team is hugely important in creating a successful, beautiful day. I may be biased, but we literally had the most amazing team working for us! Something I'm really glad Chandler and I decided on was our catering. We heard over and over again that we probably wouldn't have time to eat on our wedding day because there would be so many people to talk to. I don't know if you like food as much as we do, but we made sure to have our favorite meal because we knew we'd be hungry after a long day. We had Texas Roadhouse and that was by far one of the best decisions we made throughout our planning process.
Chandler: …the message I kept preaching to Kate- stop stressing so much about the planning. Yes, there are things to do and get done, but everything will come together and everything will work out just fine. And it will work out just fine whether you are stressing about it or not…take the time to enjoy your engagement with your fiancé instead of worrying about the planning process. Everyone involved will be much more happy.
Katelyn and Chandler, we adored you. Your day was beautiful but not more beautiful than who you are. You brought us joy so early into our business venture that showed us what we get to be a part of and who we get the privilege to cross paths with.
The Vendor Team
Ceremony + Reception: The Barn at Grace Hill @thebarnatgracehill
Photography: Kay x Bee @kayxbeephoto
Storytelling: Wild Oak Films @wildoakfilms
DJ: Absolute Sound DJ Entertainment @absolutesounddj
Florals: Red Bird Floral Co. @redbirdfloral
Catering: Texas Roadhouse
Cupcakes: Cheri's Bakery @cherisbakerywichita
Makeup: Beauty Call Makeup @beautycallmakeup
Hair: Studio 400 @studio400salon
Katelyn's Dress: Dress Gallery @shopdressgallery
Alterations: Quickstitch Alterations @quickstitchwichita
Calligraphy: Emilime Designs @emilimedesigns