Hi Brides!

As many of you know, our assistant manager Rachel got married over the summer! Now, she is thrilled to share the details of her special day with you!

Tell us about the wedding!

“The wedding was on June 25 at Forever Blueberry Barn in Medina, Ohio. I grew up about 20 minutes from there, so it was special to have the day so close to home! It was great being surrounded by family and friends.”

The reception included a plated meal and donuts for dessert, with a small cake for Rachel and John. The evening came to a close with a sparkler sendoff.

The venue, located in rural Northeast Ohio, is a barn and winery. It was important to Rachel to incorporate family and friends into the day. Rachel’s childhood pastor officiated the wedding, and her great aunt made the cake. Her sister in law did her makeup, and her hairstylist, who she has seen since she was twelve, did her hair. The photographers, CLG Photography, are family friends of Rachel’s, and they did her senior pictures when she was in high school!

Although both the photographers and hairstylist have retired from doing weddings, they were all willing to return to the industry for Rachel and John’s day.

The bridesmaids and Rachel got ready in the barn’s loft, so Rachel’s grand entrance included the curtains opening, walking down the stairs, and then down the aisle.

“My best friend’s dad is a fiddle player, and he recorded an instrumental version of ‘This is It’ by Scotty McCreery. That was playing when I walked down the aisle. It was beautiful!”

“My bridesmaids were my something blue! Each one is from a different stage of life, so it was really neat to have them all there with me. I wore my mom’s pearl bracelet as my something borrowed, and my grandmother’s wedding necklace was my something old.”

Rachel’s something new was her dress, of course.

Tell us about your dress!

“I wore a lace fit to flare by Ella Rosa! I knew it was the one before I was even engaged. I’m forever obsessed with it.”

Since she tries dresses on for social media, Rachel put the dress on and knew it was the one. It was the first dress she ever tried on!

“I still had my family come to an appointment when I got engaged, but I already knew that I was buying that one.”

One of Rachel’s favorite details of the day was her sparkly Keds tennis shoes.

“I wear Keds everyday,” she says. “Why would my wedding day be any different? They’re very me.”

John also expressed himself through his shoes, wearing a pair of Nikes, and his gift to the groomsmen was custom Nikes for each of them.

How did you and your husband meet?

“John and I met during our freshman year of college at Lipscomb University! We were in the dining hall at the same table with mutual friends. I heard him say his name and misheard it for a Cleveland baseball player’s name, so I asked him. He was really impressed I knew baseball, and we became friends!”

Baseball has been a huge part of Rachel and John’s relationship. Their first time saying “I love you” was at a Cleveland Indians baseball game, and they’ve since made it their goal to visit every MLB stadium together.

Instead of a guestbook, they had guests sign an engraved Louisville Slugger and home plate to pay homage to their beginnings.

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

“I loved the entire day, but one of my very favorite moments was when our pastor was about to pronounce us as husband and wife. John and I couldn’t stop smiling! We did long distance multiple times over the past 3 years, and it’s nice to know we don’t have to do that again!”

Together for three years, John and Rachel’s wedding has been a dream since the beginning.

“Right after our first date, I was getting ready to study abroad in Vienna, and John was going to study abroad in Costa Rica. We talked about just being friends until we both got back. He said he was pretty sure I was his wife, and that he’d be waiting for me when I got back.”

Rather than spending that year apart studying abroad, Rachel and John studied abroad together in Vienna, Austria. They wanted to be sure to incorporate their travels into their special day.

“Instead of doing table numbers, we made each table a different place that we’ve visited together.” Tables included their hometowns of Cleveland, Ohio and Teutopolis, Illinois, as well as many European destinations, including Budapest, Hungary, and Kraków, Poland.

What was your favorite part of being a bride?

“I’ve dreamt of my wedding day for my entire life! I have always imagined wearing a pretty dress and walking down the aisle. The day was better than I ever could’ve imagined!”

“As much as I loved the planning and excitement of the day, I’m really excited to now be married and create new memories in marriage.”

What’s your advice for brides?

“Don’t overthink shopping! It’s a myth that you have to try on a ton of dresses to find the one. When you find one you love, it’s okay to stop looking!”

After all this time, Rachel is still trying on dresses for social media.

“They’re all beautiful,” she says, “but my dress is forever my favorite. It’s a feeling!”

Rachel can’t wait to help her future brides find their dream dress. “I want to help them have an amazing and memorable experience, just like I did!”

To meet Rachel and find your dream dress, request an appointment with us. We can’t wait to meet you!