Devon and Lexie had big plans for a 175+ guest list, big wedding day in a barn, that was until Covid hit and they were forced to change plans. They still had their dreamy Washington barn wedding, lawn games, and a whole lot of love, just with a smaller guest list.
Tell us about your engagement.
D: We started talking about marriage seriously about three years into our relationship. We had even gone to look at rings together and had a blast! I designed Lexie’s ring and finally had it delivered.
I arranged a dinner with Lexie’s parents (which was SO difficult to do without her knowing) and told them my plans to propose in the following weeks, and showed them the ring. They were ecstatic for us! I told my family as well, who were equally as excited.
My original plans fell through, but I ended up taking her to Greenbluff, which is a local cluster of farms to pick apples and pumpkins in the fall. We go every year! We were looking for the perfect apple, and I told her I had found the perfect one. I told her to look in my hands, where I was holding the ring. I then apologized for not getting down on a knee because it was muddy.
She obviously said yes, we bought our apples and she showed off the ring, and then went to show both sets of parents.
Afterwards, I took her out to a wonderful dinner. It was perfect!
You planned your wedding, then Covid hit. How did that impact your wedding planning?
Planning with Covid was difficult, but we decided early on to cut down from our 150+ person wedding to just immediate family and a couple of friends.
That decision was easy, as we both wanted to keep our family and friends safe, but it was important for us to still get married.
We canceled many of our vendors, our DJ, makeup artist, full bar service and instead opted to do most of it ourselves.
So, you took on a few DIY projects?
D: YES! I did both of our makeup looks. It was too difficult to coordinate with a makeup artist during Covid, so I chose to do it myself. After many trials on the weekends and dozens of makeup videos, I think I did pretty good! It was also great to spend that time with one another before the wedding.
We also completely decorated on our own, which was easy since we both have experience in the wedding industry. We bought our centerpieces last minutes and bought eucalyptus and roses the day before.
I made the playlist and used my brother’s sound equipment and gad a friend to change to important songs.
Tell us about your wedding day.
D: It was perfect. We honestly were only feeling stress within a few days of leading up to the wedding. Once everything was set up, we just stepped back and basked in our hard work. We were able to spend most of the day together, getting ready with our bridesmaids and Moms, which was so special. It really was a whole community effort to pull this off.
Our vows were very non-traditional. We are both very private people and thought it would be too difficult to say handwritten vows in front of others. Instead, we each picked a poem and read those to each other. I chose “This Marriage” by Rumi, and Lexie read “My Favorite” by Rudy Francisco. Our officiant also included a poem reading, which was “Good Light” by Andrea Gibson.
I am very organized and like to plan things, so I had full itineraries for every moment of the day! In the end, we definitely went off track, but it felt good to be secure. We had so much fun being able to connect with every single guest and get pictures with everyone there. Between 25 people, we somehow demolished a pony keg, 15 bottles of champagne, and five bottles of wine. Needless to say, we were all having a blast!
Our officiant was my wife’s former rugby coach, whom we adore. We bought her a champagne saber as a gift, and she taught EVERYONE at our wedding how to saber open a bottle (which explains how we went through so much). We didn’t have a dance floor, but we did have heaps of games that were furniture! It was just a truly amazing and fun day. Everyone in attendance said that it felt like there were more people there, and that it was the most fun they’ve had at a wedding!
Do you each have a favortie memory of the day?
D: One of my favorite moments was the first look. It was amazing to see each other for the first time in our dresses, and comfort each other before walking down the aisle. Another would have to be the champagne saber!
L: My favorite part was getting ready together and being able to be relaxed. I also loved the pictures in the field, as well as having pictures with every person in attendance.
Do you have a stand out wedding vendor?
D & L: Our photographer was absolutely AMAZING. She did our engagement shoot as well and was just so helpful. Her vision turned out beautifully, and we could not be happier with the results.
Our other stand out vendor was our food! We hired a local restaurant (The Wave) who worked with us to create an amazing taco bar with homemade salsas and sauces!
And now that you’ve done it, do you have any advice for other couples planning their wedding day?
D & L: Don’t stress. Seriously. Focus on ways to make you and your partner have fun, and forget the rest. Party favors don’t matter.
Also, check with your vendors upfront that they are EXCITED to work with an LGBTQ+ wedding. Every single one of our vendors was way past just being tolerant, and we made sure to only give our money to people who wanted to celebrate our love with us.
Photography by Humble Honey Photography
Cake Just American Desserts
Cake Topper Thistle and Lace Designs
Catering The Wave
Champagne Saber Custom Gift Shop Studio
Engagement Rings Tianyu Gems
Florist Mountain Violets Floral Design
Gown Boutique Believe Brides
Headpiece Hanging By a Thread (Etsy)
Rings Hello Ring
Robes OMphiliada
Shoes Keileep
Stationery The Sunshine Garden
