Sophie + Brian’s Kentucky wedding is especially appropriate for us to feature today since it’s Derby Week! Even more fun is the fact that S + B actually met in the show jumping circuit as junior riders. Though they weren’t snug as a bug at first, sparks eventually flew and the horse industry led them down South to Kentucky! For Sophie + Brian, their wedding was a way for them to showcase the food, landscape, hospitality and history of the area that they fell in love with. That sounds like the perfect way to honor your life together and start a marriage, doesn’t it?
We’re dolling out hugs to Honey Heart Photography for sharing this lovely day with us!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress.
It was a slightly disastrous and stressful, actually. I had wanted to go to New York City for dress shopping with friends but my schedule made that challenging. I tried a few bridal shops here in Florida. One was particularly nice but had a small selection. I went in a few times to peruse with friends. When my mother was in town, we went back in and purchased two dresses. But as soon as I bought the dresses, I knew they were wrong and wanted to exchange them. I couldn’t sleep all night and called the next morning to find out the return policy was store credit only! Long story short, I returned those dresses, and after a lot of stress and a few sleepless nights, found two fun, beautiful dresses for the wedding. The first was an off-white sweetheart strapless dress with a draped sunburst bodice. The second was a Reem Acra Ready to Wear I had seen in store in black that I had them make in white for me. It was more of a romantic party dress and less of a princess ball gown to enjoy the evening festivities in.
Oh! The light in the next two shots is so dreamy! High fives Honey Heart Photography!
We did a twist on traditional vows, but did not each write our own piece. We were too shy for that! Instead, we spent time creating fun-loving words that related to our love and our relationship ” I, Sophie, choose you, Brian, as my best friend and the love of my life. I choose you to embark upon this great journey of marriage with me. You are my soulmate, my companion and my confidant. I take you today to be my husband my teammate and my true love now and forever. I love you.”
We had two readings and a Wedding Blessing at the ceremony. The first reading, “Love” by Roy Croft was read by my sister-in-law, Irene. The second reading ,”To Love is Not to Possess” by James Kavanaugh was read by my husband’s aunt Bettina. The officiant also read an anonymous wedding blessing that we loved. It read, “May the love you both feel for each today, grow and deepen as each day passes. May you know what it is to be a couple, and yet remain the individuals that brought the other to you. May your days together bring you great joys and much laughter. When sadness arrives, as at times it will, may the bond that you share and the promise you make to each other be enough to pull you through. Above all, may you always be friends; true friends. The kind of friends who are honest, and faithful, and loyal. Such friends can share lifetimes.”
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding?
Neither my husband nor I are actually Southern (though maybe he would disagree because he was born in Aiken, SC). We had moved to Lexington from the Northeast the year before the wedding and fell in love with the area. We wanted the wedding to include all the things we loved about Lexington: the landscape, the natural beauty, the hospitality, the history and the cuisine.
Describe your wedding flowers.
The wedding was mostly all white and cream tones, with natural accents, woods, metals, and greenery. The flowers were a reflection of that.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I loved the simple ambiance and décor, but of course, the photo booth was a little bit of extra fun.
The wedding cake was the easiest decision we made during the entire planning process. We knew we wanted a simple white butter cream style cake, and we went to a few local bakeries trying cake and flavors. Martine’s Pastries was the clear winner. We both loved white cake and pistachio cake so we did half and half with simple butter cream fill. That was easy! We also had a Valentine’s ice cream bar and hot Spaulding’s donuts (both are local Lexington shops).
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.
We both competed on the show jumping circuit as junior riders. We even had the same trainer for a period. We always knew each other but were never close. Brian was a bit older and we had different friends. Then, one year he seemed to take quite an interest in me, and we began to spend more and more time together. I guess the rest is history.
In what month did you get married?
September
How many guests attended your wedding? 170
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Yes, we decided on a “first look.” We are pretty low-key and chose to do the majority of the photographs prior to the wedding. The pre-ceremony lighting was beautiful. It was the perfect opportunity to get good shots. Post ceremony, we were mostly done with pictures and could get right to the fun stuff. We do not consider ourselves very traditional anyway so that decision was an easy one.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We had a string trio for our ceremony. The prelude was “Such Great Heights,” by The Postal Service. The processional was “Caribbean Blue” by Enya. The bridal processional was to “Here Comes the Sun,” by The Beatles and the recessional was to “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. Our first dance song was “By Your Side” by Sade.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on?
Our band “Jesse’s Girls’ from Atlanta and the hair team from Marie Robinson Salon in New York City.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?
To be honest, it’s all kind of a blur now! But just being relaxed and enjoying the whole day while it was happening was memorable.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding?
Don’t over-think it or stress too much in all the planning and the details. Its just one day in your life. Enjoy it!
Such a beautiful wedding! stunning!
we love the wedding photos! wow!