I try not to be biased, but sometimes I just can’t help but fall extra in love with a couple and their story. I’ve actually met Kirstin a few times (and she’s a blogcadette – holla!) so when she told me she’s met and married Ash within nine months (!) and that her mum and his dad were also married to each other, I couldn’t wait to share their story!
“Ash’s dad and my mum got married a few years ago and we’ve vaguely known each other since then”, she began. “We only just started really getting to know each other Christmas 2013 and we ended up falling in love and laughed more than we had ever done before. Ash proposed not long after that and we decided to elope in September 2014 on a romantic adventure together to our favourite place in the world: the USA.”
“We wanted to elope because there is something about it that is really romantic and exciting. However we didn’t want Elvis to marry us, or it to seem like a whirlwind. It needed to feel like a real wedding like we would have back home and not a ‘runway’ wedding.”
“We spent around $10,000 on the whole trip (around £6,500) because was wanted to spend money on the things we really wanted to have”, she continued. “We also wanted to have fun together. Plus, we would have spent way more if we’d got married in England! Ash bought the exact clothing he wanted and I picked a Badgley Mischka dress from Rent the Runway. Yes…I rented my dress and it was awesome! I never thought I would rent my wedding dress, I always turned my nose up at the thought of it, but really it was perfect! I had pre-ordered it months before and they sent me three different sizes of the same dress just in case. Rent the Runway is HUGE in the States I wish we had it in the UK.”
With the wedding being in Nashville, the day obviously had a real Southern theme. “We both love country music and the whole Southern States culture”, she explained. “We wanted it to be really authentic and the old country store that we said our vows in front of really was the main feature of our wedding. We wanted to be married outside at an original iconic old country store, covered in old original adverts. Our ‘reception’ was at the Loveless Café.”
The ceremony itself was Kirstin’s favourite moment of the day. “We sang our vows to each other which were our favourite songs. It was a really special moment. We took full advantage of having no wedding guests to laugh at us. Ash is a pretty good singer though! We each took it in turns. It lasted six minutes, one full song each, which was really long!”
“Our biggest expense was our photographer which took over half our budget, but we know how important it is to spend and not scrimp on photography. We wanted our memories captured properly and you really get what you pay for. However we massively saved on my dress. By renting a designer wedding dress it cost an 8th of what I would have spent buying it brand new!”
“If you are thinking of eloping, do it!” Kirstin advises. “You wont regret it and while some of your family may be disappointed they don’t get to come at first, they get over it and still love you just as much… Especially when they get to see photographs of how happy you are! Also have a destination wedding! Don’t be afraid, you’ll be able to find wedding professionals wherever you go to help you.”
“The wedding is about you both as a couple”, she concluded. “We both sat down together and thought about what we really love. The wedding wasn’t about anything or anybody else. No matter what, love conquers all, so go with your hearts. Make the day about you and not about reflecting someone else’s Pinterest board. Most importantly don’t forget to have fun! Sit back, relax and and leave the wedding professionals to take care of you both.”
The Gallery
Suppliers
- Photography: Stephanie Reader Photography
- Bride's Dress: Badgley Mischka via Rent The Runway
- Bride's Shoes: Harrods Cinderella Slippers
- Hair & Make Up: Jessica Steingard
- Flowers: The Bellevue Florist, Nashville