Alix and Molly decided to host their soft, feminine wedding in their parents’ backyard – it made for their perfect relaxed DIY wedding day.
Tell us about the proposal.
Alix– Unbenounced to Molly, I had a grand plan laid out for a long time! First, I organized 40 or so family and friends to show up at one of our favorite places, Mcmenamins Edgefield. There is an open day-use area on the grounds that we enjoyed walking around, so of course, that was going to be where it all went down. Molly had “lunch plans” with a group of friends set up at Edgefield (this was the ploy to get her there), and she was OBLIVIOUS.
I lied and said I had to work that day… I did not have to work and headed to the location early in the morning to set up posters with photos of us through the years together, signs with sweet nothings on them, and white paper lanterns in the trees. Then, Molly’s best friend, Kayla, picked her up to take her “to the lunch with friends”… when she showed up, Kayla took her to where everything was going down. Molly, still oblivious, sees signs WITH HER NAME ON THEM and says, “Oh hey, someone with my name is getting married!” It was then that she realized, “Ohhhh, maybe that is for me.”
Then, over speakers, beautiful music started playing (Hunter Hayes, ‘Still Fallin’) and Kayla sent Molly walking down the sidewalk lined with photos and signs to a pile of flowers at the end of the walkway. Friends and family started walking out in pairs holding posters listing special moments and dates during our relationship, from the day we met to asking for parents’ blessings. As an added surprise bonus, I also flew in one of Molly’s best friends. Once everyone had walked out and was surrounding Molly, I finally walked out, and everyone turned their signs around with that day’s date on them. The next special date of our relationship (August 18th, 2018). I said sweet, beautiful things and proposed on one knee. At the end, our family popped confetti cannons that went everywhere and cascaded down on us. It couldn’t have been a more magical moment.
Molly did also propose to me a few months later. She planned a little scavenger hunt around special places in our hometown that hold memories, and it brought me back to the spot on her parent’s property where they were going to get married. All decorated with hanging jars with lights and proposed on a knee. Then Molly made a cute little dinner just with their siblings and them.
What was the inspiration behind your wedding?
We wanted a soft, simple, delicate fairytale theme.
We already both liked sage green and blush pink accompanied with lights, and it just felt like the right amount of elegant yet laid back.
The theme was a relaxed backyard feel because we wanted it to be a party to celebrate us and honor everyone who has supported us on our journey together, so we threw a PARTY after the elegant stuff was over.
Did you undertake any DIY projects for the big day?
A lot of the wedding was DIY. We made all of the centerpieces with the guest tables and bar decor. We also made all of the signs that would be placed around the property. We did all of the lights in the trees. Molly and her dad built the trellis that we got married under. We also set up every table and chair, steamed every linen, and made a dance floor.
Talk to us about the wedding day!
Alix– Since we postponed the wedding for a year, we were more than ready to be married. It felt like it took a lifetime to get there, but it also came quickly. The night before, we stayed separate (we still like some old-school traditions). I slept in my childhood room and got ready with my friends, and my mom did my hair. Molly stayed at our house and got ready with friends and family. Some family friends allowed us to use their property before the wedding for our wedding party photos and first look. We also did an impromptu father first look and thank goodness we did because it has become one of our favorite parts of the day. I can’t imagine not having that memory caught on camera.
We kept our first look to our siblings and us, which was super special. We hadn’t seen any part of each other’s outfit before this moment, and I think we both had our breath taken away for a moment. We brought our dog, Bodie, in for a couple of shots, he is a nervous nelly and didn’t even recognize us at first, but we got a few good ones with him. Then after the photos, we all went to my parent’s house right down the street and hung out until the start time, which seemed to fly by. After that, it just felt like everyone was running around doing last-minute things.
We could see guests arriving and indulging in the pre-wedding cocktail and snack hour as we hoped. The nerves started brewing at this point. Molly’s sisters were the day of coordinators, and once they basically called action, everything went smoothly. Molly walked the aisle first with her mom and dad, and then I followed with both parents. Our officiant, Kasten, delivered a fantastic ceremony (her first ever), and we both wrote our own vows, which was the best part of it all. There were tears and laughter, and it honestly felt surreal. It felt like we were the only two people on the planet. Our guests were silent as a mouse! It was kind of crazy how engaged everyone truly was watching us up there. We did keep it short, only 10-15 minutes. Our first kiss was a moment we had only dreamed of for years and came with a sigh of relief that now it was time to party and relax.
At the reception, we did our best to greet every guest, ate delicious food and cake, and danced the night away. There were so many people dancing all night. It was so fun that everyone really came together to celebrate with us. The DJ stayed until midnight, and we had a late-night fully loaded tater tot bar that was a HIT and, of course, an open, fully stocked bar…..it was a full-on party. We went home exhausted and so filled with love and joy. It was better than we could have ever expected.
What does marriage mean to you?
We feel that marriage is such a sacred bond between people. It is a vow always to do your best to love and cherish another person even when sometimes it gets hard too. It’s a promise to work together and grow your dreams. We feel like being married is special because, obviously, it hasn’t been our privilege for many years. We know that there have been so many LGBTQ+ people who have fought and sacrificed for us to have the rights we do today. By getting married and living a life of love and commitment together, we hope that we can be a tiny part of the list of couples showing the world that Love is Love, Love will always win, and that we are no different than anyone else.
Anything you are glad you did? Or wish you didn’t do?
We are so glad we did it in our parent’s backyard. The ease of not having to set everything up in a couple of hours and also not having to take everything down the same night was incredible. We also had complete control of everything like fridges, lights, bathrooms, everything. There were no mysteries. Plus, we could put money into other things we wanted to do (like a full open bar) instead of a massive payment for just a space.
Another cool thing that we did was, instead of passing champagne for toasts. Instead, we made bottles of cocktails (margarita and lemondrop). Each table got one bottle of each type to share and a stack of shot glasses so they would take little cocktail shots for each toast (a little nod to Italian traditions).
Photography by Emily Kranyak Photography
Cake Topper Etsy
Catering Chomp! Foods
Cinematographer Progressive Movement Productions
Dress Boutique Bridal Exclusives
Engagement Rings & Wedding Rings Shane Co.
Entertainment John Ross Productions
Florist Twin Vines Floral Design
Officiant Kasten Spethman
Prop or Furniture Hire Northwest Event Rentals
Suit Designer Men’s Warehouse
Venue Parents Home
