I walked into the house that Jade grew up in to a home full of excitement – ladies putting finishing touches on their makeup, Jade’s mom getting ready in the bathroom off the kitchen where the girls were, her dad gradually getting dressed as he chatted with his daughters and their friends. Spending time on a family’s farm and lifelong home feels special in a way that only small things can explain – the wall of photos of Jade and McKinna through the years in the living room, the family pups doing tricks and receiving treats as the ladies ate lunch, the antique pew by the front door from the church where Jade’s parents were married years ago. Everyone hung out and excitedly planned for the day while surrounded by a lifetime of memories in every single room they entered. Phil got ready with his friends as well as his parents – his mom adjusted his pocket square and pinned on his boutonniere, and they laughed at the same time as the facial features she’d passed down to her son became evident.

After the tears and big hugs of seeing one another for the first time, Jade and Phil went into the venue to see the space together – a space, I should add, that is owned by her grandparents. Jade teared up once again as she saw the floral hanging she’d envisioned had beautifully come to life above the head table, and they looked around in awe at the thought and care that had gone into bringing this all together. After taking a few photos and hopping on the bus with their wedding party, they made their way to the church to get married.

Jade and Phil’s pastor joked about how these two were the first couple she’d ever married that had taken their own marriage assessment *prior to meeting with her, and though I laughed along with their guests, I did so because nothing about this surprised me. One of the things I love most about Jade and Phil is the way in which you can see it on them that they know – they absolutely know that this is the person they’re supposed to be with, and that the life they’ve built together makes them happy and will continue to do so, and their love is goofy and silly and sweet and funny in a way that suits the two of them perfectly. And so they spent the rest of their evening looking at each other with not only love, but also certainty as they danced and looked out at their loved ones and both laughed and cried through the toasts. Their friends and parents recounted the tales of their first date – Phil’s nerves and Jade’s reservations about online dating, and the tiny little moments that have accumulated over time and now make up their story. This day felt like the perfect addition to that – planning a wedding within a few months in the middle of a pandemic isn’t an easy, simple thing, but Jade and Phil aren’t really the type looking for easy and simple anyway. They not only pulled the day together, but also did so beautifully, and I have a feeling at the end of it all, they couldn’t have imagined it any other way.

Venue: Elmore Stock Farm Barn Weddings & Events
Florist: Garden of Grace
Dress: Adore Bridal
Decor Rental: Peoria Rentals
Videography: Avant-Garde Videography
Catering: Renee Endress
Cake: Cindy Ehnle