on our wedding day :  prep & dress details

the temple sketch was done by my sister madalyn, who also made the beautiful bloomy bouquet i had at the temple and here.  at this point it was wilted from being left out in the sun during the reception, but it was a very special detail and we wanted a close up anyway.

joanna doubled as my photographer's assistant and my fairy godmother.  how she made my hair look so luscious and thick, just don't know.  it was exactly what i wanted for the dinner party later that evening.  fitting these prep photos into the schedule was important to me.  not only did i want the pictures that would come from it, but it was really nice to sit with my bridesmaids and chat with my mom and just share some quiet time on such a busy day.

i knew that i'd have to design my dress from the beginning, but i went dress shopping anyway for the experience.  when i tried to describe the dress i had in mind i only confused people.  i wanted a dress that had weight to it- a full, grab-able skirt- but not like a ball gown because that shape doesn't behave naturally or have flowy movement.  i wanted the material to be soft and organic and imperfect.  but none of those things coexisted in one dress, so i started looking for a seamstress.  i was recommended to nancy who gracefully extracted the feelings i had about my dress and put them onto paper, and then sewed them into my gown.  i often didn't know what i wanted until i saw it and would revert back to my dress words (delicate, youthful, feminine, natural) until nancy came up with the perfect thing i had imagined but just didn't know how to describe.  if it was a frustrating or annoying process for her i didn't know it!  she was always patient, sincerely wanted to make me happy, and answered every request above and beyond.

we achieved the soft, full skirt with creamy raw silk & the flow and movement with chiffon layered over top of it, the delicacy with my grandmother's european organza (that we found in a box in my basement!), and the femininity with the peplum, pearl buttons, and long  silk ribbon.  truly, my dream dress.  nancy also embellished my shoes with scraps of the organza.

MUAH : joanna ballentine  |  photography : rylee hitchner  |  flowers : honey of a thousand flowers / madalyn louise  |  dress : nancy barrus couture

on our wedding day : the temple

this is a public space where i sometimes share personal information.  may 3rd, the day of my marriage to zachary hayward, was the most beautiful, important, and fantastic day of my life.  it was also very special and sacred.  sacred things are special, but not all special things are sacred though they can be.  this is my internet journal, so i will share many details and happenings of our wedding day here that are fun and personal and special, but the sacred events of our wedding day will not be disclosed.  if you would like to learn more about temples and a temple marriage you can click here.  

we chose to get married at our neighborhood provo temple.  we met in provo and grew up here and provo is where the most family is.  it was the perfect place for us to be married.  we were treated so sweetly and weren’t rushed at all.  it was quiet and peaceful and we had the grounds all to ourselves.

the morning of the wedding was nice and even normal.  i had gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep because i stayed up talking with my mom, but i felt energized, calm, and ready.  i got my hair and make up done, ate some strawberries and a peanut butter rice cake and waited to be picked up by my fiancé.  in a vase on the kitchen counter was the bouquet my little sister had made for me.  she woke up at dawn, carefully picked out each stem and bloom (a few from our garden) and created the sweetest gift a sister could give.  it was a little piece of her that i held in my hand on my wedding day.

we have a wonderful (and large) extended family, and good parents who taught us to always have the temple in our sights.  my life and who i am would be startlingly different than now if it were not for the faithful example of my parents in following jesus christ and the plan he outlined for us to be happiest here.  how thankful i am for the sweetness and intimacy of our temple ceremony and the blessing of being together forever with the ones we love.

getting married was the most precious experience i've ever had.  and will likely remain that way until we have a baby!  (cheesy/lovey dovey alert)  when organizing the photos for this post i was overwhelmed with how much i truly love my husband.  love grows.  i thought i would burst with joy when we walked out of the temple together to greet our loved ones, but every morning i wake up next to him or see him doing the dishes or fishing through the fridge the love grows sweeter than the day before and i really think my heart may explode because of it.  but just for love insurance zac and i made a deal that we’d look through at least a few photos from our wedding day once a month for the rest of our lives— to remind us of the support and love from friends and family, the gloriousness of the temple and living the gospel, and that no matter what crap life throws at us— we are still the kids in the dress and suit who love each other.

photography : rylee hitchner  |  flowers : madalyn louise  |  dress : nancy barrus at avenia bridal  |  suit : dress code