Intimate Louisiana Wedding

Of all the wedding ideas we’ve seen over the years, this one might be the sweetest. As soon as the members Bret and Haley’s bridal party made their way to the altar, they each picked up an instrument and joined together to play Haley down the aisle to meet her groom. Sarah Beth Photography beautifully captured the sweet emotion of the day, and the lush flowers from Root Floral Design.

From the bride, Haley: We wanted our wedding to exemplify community. The wedding was at Parc San Souci, a park right in the middle of downtown Lafayette. There were no barricades or fences to block off strangers or “unwanted” guests. We wanted our wedding to make people feel welcomed into our lives. So, we put ourselves right down town, a place easily accessible to the public, to the invited, and to the homeless.

Bouquet recipe: Most of the flowers used were lavender, eucalyptus, hydrangeas, and wheat. There was a bit of rosemary spread around and there were quite a few roses in my bouquet.

The color scheme was lavender, sage, and off white. Mostly all of the decorations were DIY. There were embroidery hoops with different fabrics stretched in them hanging from the trees. I used the same fabric from the hoops to make little pouches of birdseed to be thrown at us in the send off. There where twin size flat sheets hung to create a wall so the groom couldn’t see me as I waited in line in the processional. We also used flat twin sheets as tablecloths on 6ft tables as well as on big wooden spools that we used as our tables for the potluck food. And we hung an array of thrift-store find coffee mugs on pallets to be taken as a wedding favor, as well as to be filled with Birdrock coffee catered by a local coffee shop, The Lab. My bouquet, his boutonniere, and the beautiful alter backdrop of flowers was done by a local florist, Root. But, all the other flowers were done by my mother. She put the arrangements in wine bottles and other neat looking thrift-find bottles.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Don’t stress!! Of course there’s a ton to be done to make your dream a reality. But when it comes down to it, at the end of that day it will be beautiful because you’re married to the one you love, not because of all the work you did. Don’t get frustrated with one another over wedding planning, but focus on marriage planning together. And don’t be afraid to allow and ask your friends and family to help.

See Also

Butterflies and Music Inspired This Wedding In A Colorful Botanic Garden

Wedding Music:
Processional: My friend Tray a while back wrote a song about the Biblical story about Hosea. It’s a story ultimately about God’s love for His people regardless of where they are and what they’re doing. He’s our groom and we’re His bride. We wanted our wedding to display the love of our God for His people. So, for the processional, as the bridal party walked out, my friend Esther played the instrumental of Tray’s song on violin. As each member got to the altar they grabbed their instrument and began to play with her. There were guitars, harmonicas, rain stick, accordion, and more. As each person played it rose in climax until I walked out with my father. The moment I stepped out they all sang the chorus, “You are the cloud to my sky//You are the tear in my eye//Can’t you see love in me// And I will swallow my pride// I’ll do what it takes till I have my bride// and you’ll see love in me.”
Recessional: “I’ll Fly Away”
First Dance: “Million Miles,” Josh Garrels

Wedding Location: Lafayette, LA / Photographer: Sarah Beth Photography / Flowers and Ceremony Backdrop: Root Floral Design / Venue: Parc San Souci / Hair and Headpieces: Laura Stiener / Coffee: The Lab / Music and Videographer: Shawn Johnson