20 Jan Melissa + Travis – Pursell Farms Wedding
It’s a cold day here in Alabama so I’ve decided to share Melissa and Travis’s happy sunshine-filled wedding day from last May. A couple of years ago, I had the honor of planning another beautiful May wedding day for Melissa’s twin sister, Melanie. So when I found out that Melissa was engaged to her handsome beau, Travis, I was delighted to receive the call to go to work again for this family.
One thing I love so much about both sisters’s weddings is all the vibrant colors they wanted to incorporate and getting to witness some incredible sisterly and family bonds. These people are truly special to me… I so wish there was a third sister!
Before you start scrolling through all the gorgeous images by Be Light Photography or view their beautiful video from LiveMore Weddings, I thought I’d share some of my favorite things from this day. The custom paper suite from Fine Paperwork turned out so beautiful. I also love the pre-addressed postcards setup for guests to take and mail a best wishes message to their new home in Virginia. We also setup the cutest kids table with a kraft paper mural and included fun puzzles and finger puppets. And of course… the encore of the super sweet sister’s dance.
I hope you enjoy viewing their day and I’ve also included some post-wedding Q&A from the newlyweds.
Planner: Two Hearts Weddings | Bridesmaids: Azazie | Bride’s Dress: Bella Couture | Cakes: Wedding Cakes by Jan O’Donell | Catering: Pursell Farms | Florals: Fist Full Designs | Groom’s Attire: Mr. Burch Formal Wear | Musicians: The Auburn Quartet + Act of Congress | Photography: Be Light Photography | Rentals: Prophouse Birmingham | Stationery: Fine Paperwork | Stylists: Christen Lowery + Salon Suites | Venue: Pursell Farms | Videography: LiveMore Weddings
The best gift we received was…
Melissa- Practicality-wise, I’d have to say the best gift we received was a dutch oven! You can make ANYTHING in it. We use it every day. You can sauté, make rice, make soup, put it in the oven, anything.
Travis- My friend Billy made us a 3′ x 5′ wooden world map. It was created from scratch and all done by hand! It has one of our favorite Bible verses on it, 2 Chronicles 16:9, and it hangs on the wall of our living room.
The most surprising thing I learned during planning was…
There are so many details in the planning process. It’s truly astounding. We are SO thankful for our moms and for Rachael. We have no idea what we would’ve done without them!
The most important thing to remember on your wedding day is…
Melissa- One of my best friends told me this, and it took so much pressure off me. It’s pretty counter-cultural, so get ready: Your wedding day does not have to be the best day of your life. It’s one of them, but the best day of your life might be a lazy Saturday you spend with you husband doing things you love to do together. Something will go wrong on your wedding day, whether it’s a tiny thing or a big thing. The good news is, it’s just a day- the first day of a wonderful life! Just enjoy it and resist the pressure for everything to be perfect. Focus on the reason you’re there: to marry your best friend.
Travis- Go to bed early and wake up early/on time because it’s a long day, but you’ll want to have not slept the morning away. Get up and do something you truly enjoy; one of my groomsmen and I went fly fishing. I remember that morning like it was yesterday, very special to me. Delegate tasks to your groomsmen. Once the day gets going stop and take mental snapshots. Find things that are picture worthy and stare for a few seconds so you remember it. There’s a lot the cameras don’t catch!
My most useful day-of beauty trick was…
Melissa- Lipsense! It does NOT come off. You have to make sure you have the gloss with it, but it is definitely a must!
Travis- Fast growing hair… I may or may not have made the mistake of shaving my head seven weeks before the wedding. Luckily, just enough time for it to grow back enough to where I looked semi-normal.
Our favorite memory from married life so far is…
We have so many! It may be a Saturday we spent at a local park reading a book out loud together (we’re nerds, we know). We were looking out over a lake, and several ducklings and creatures of all kinds emerged right in front of us. Fish were jumping, the weather was perfect, and we were together.
If marriage could be summed up in one word, it’d be…
Oneness. It’s hard to describe, but we keep feeling ourselves slip into a greater and greater unity. We’re still different in many ways, but there’s a strong bond of trust and friendship between us that is incomparable. It feels so natural to be married; we honestly have a hard time remembering what it was like before!
