Louisiana Backyard Wedding

There are less than two weeks of summer left, but we can’t think of a better way to bid adieu to the warm and colorful season than with this wedding from Cassidy Carson Photography. Allyson and Heath’s big day was a match made in citrus tone heaven, with the most gorgeous pinks, yellows, and oranges as far as the eye can see thanks to the styling and floral arrangements from Debbie Ahrens Designs and Flowerbox Design. Let’s jump in:

From the bride, Allyson: In 2010 Heath and I met at a small Christian college in Louisiana. He was THE guy to date at our small college and what the heck would he see in me to choose me from all the other ladies. Finally after I went on a 2 week trip out of the country Heath finally came around and opened his eyes to how hard I had been trying to gain his attention and how head over heels I was for him. The Spring of 2012 he asked me to be his girlfriend. 2 years later we were hitched. Ever since I was a little girl I had always said I was going to get married at my parents’ house. Heath knew that was a dream of mine, but since my oldest sister was married there the summer of 2013, I let my pride have the best of me and decided I could NOT get married in the same place. So since Heath knew how dear and special the place was to me he decided he would propose there instead. 2 weeks after the proposal I couldn’t decide on a location and my mom finally talked some sense into me, (it helps that she is super creative and can envision just about anything) and we decided June 14, 2014 would only be perfect and exactly what we were wanting in my parents front yard.

Flower recipe: My florist was by far the BEST. I showed Lacey a few pictures and ideas that I wanted, very big and whimsical and boy did she give me waaaayyyy more than I envisioned. She used peonies, tulips, hydrangeas, ranunculus, garden roses, cabbage roses, and lots of others. To add a special touch to the bouquets we had the girls’ initials monogrammed on ribbons and tied them around the bottom.

Deciding on wedding details and big things was such a hard thing for me, but what can I say, I had been waiting for this day since I can’t even remember. My mom would buy me wedding magazines for my 12th birthday… 10 years later my dreams were finally becoming reality. I knew I wanted all things to be timeless, classy, southern, and FUN. I wanted a bright, fun, loving summer wedding. A lot of my inspiration came from J. Crew, wedding blogs, and other fun photographers. I chose to go with yellow, orange, and all shades of pink. I let my bridesmaids choose their own dresses, and the men wore khaki dress pants with chambray ties. Flowerbox Designs did an impeccable job and Debbie Ahrens Design, between the two of them, they made all my dreams come true. We also decided to plant a tree during our ceremony. It was something different we could do to literally watch grow as we grow in our relationship and marriage over the years. In Exodus, when God parted the Red Sea he told the people to build an alter to remember the promise he made with them. We wanted to have something we could always look back on and see the exact spot where we made our commitment with each other and God.

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Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? It doesn’t have to be stressful. Make the best, wisest decisions that fit your budget, and get what you want within that. Something that held me back so often with making decisions was if everyone else was going to like what I had chosen and mostly the other women. But the reality of it is, all brides think their wedding is and was the best. And you know what, I was going to think the same about mine, and I do. So brides, DO WHAT YOU WANT. Also, try to include the groom in some decisions. His suit, his cake, first dance song, ceremony events. Heath loved getting to be a part of some of the sweet moments.

Wedding Music:
Family and Groom’s Processional: “A Difference Maker,” Needtobreathe
Bridal Party Processional: “Those Who Wait,” Bethany Dillion
Bride’s Processional: “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” Kari Jobe
Ceremony: “10,000 Reasons,” Matt Redmond
Recessional: “Young, Dumb, and In Love,” Mat Kearney
First Dance: “A Place Only You Can Go,” Needtobreathe

Wedding Location: Bentley, LA / Photographer: Cassidy Carson Photography / Wedding Day Coordinating and Decor: Debbie Ahrens Designs / Flowers: Flowerbox Design / Venue: Private Residence / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals / Veil: Bride’s mother’s / Shoes: Dressy Shoes / Jewelry: J. Crew / Groom’s Suit: Express / Caterer: Outlaw’s BBQ / Wedding Cake: Marybeth Coleman (bridesmaid) and Whole Foods / Ceremony Musicians: Cameron Weatherford, Caroline Denton, Zachary Mullis, and Katy James / Reception Music: Aaron Watson and friends / Wedding Invitations and Paper Goods: Jake Dugard Designs / Calligraphy: Shannan Inman with Paper Glaze Calligraphy and Rachel Gulotta / Videographer: Film | Baron