This breathtakingly beautiful Fernstone Retreat wedding was several years in the making. Chelsea and Dom met and fell in love in high school. They dated on and off for several years before going their separate ways. But when two people are meant to be together, the universe always finds a way. This sweet pair finally got their happily ever after with a celebration that was as stylish as it was meaningful. A May wedding in the prettiest pastel colors seemed so fitting for these high school sweethearts who went to prom together. Blush pink, mauve, and sage set a romantic backdrop and was woven into everything from the mismatched bridesmaids dresses and the signature drink to the suspended wedding cake from Maisy Cakes and the reception details, of which there were plenty. Personalized wooden signs, floral wall backdrops, and a sweetheart table sign declaring “It was always you” are just a few of our favorites, but nothing beats the fresh florals at this spring soiree. Linda Brown’s Floral wowed with a variety of centerpiece arrangements, a dreamy bridal bouquet of peonies, anemones, and ranunculus, and a show-stopping installation around the oak tree that is a focal point of the outdoor venue. While all of this eye candy was amazing to look at, our hearts absolutely melted when we learned that the bride’s grandparents’ antique table served as the newlyweds’ sweetheart table. Catch this footage from Michael Will Photography and Just Hitched Wedding Films…but you may want to grab some tissues first!
About the Couple
As a junior in high school, I never imagined that I would meet my future husband. As fate would have it, Dom (who was a senior at the time) was placed in the same 3rd period chorus class as me. Our paths had crossed every once in a while in previous years, but it wasn’t until that class that we actually started this crazy, beautiful journey. After a few months of back and forth flirting and pretending to be “annoyed” by each other (and our friends taking bets on when we would start dating), Dom finally asked me on our first date. Next thing I knew, we were spending all of our time skiing together with our friends that winter. Before we knew it, we were falling in love. Life happened and we dated on and off for almost five years before taking a little hiatus. As fate and God would have it, a few years later, we reconnected on New Years Eve and have been together ever since.
For my 30th birthday, we planned a trip to go to Banff, Canada. It was always on my bucket list to visit, especially at Christmas time. Little did I know, Dom was planning something much more spectacular than just a weekend getaway. On our first day there, the sun was shining, so we decided to ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. We decided to take a walk to a higher peak. When we were halfway to the lookout point, Dom said that he wanted to take a break to look at the views. Next thing I knew, he was asking me to marry him on top of a mountain. It was truly one of the most special moments ever.
About the Wedding
Since we were high school sweethearts, I wanted the colors and theme to be reminiscent of our days going to prom together. A spring wedding in May seemed like perfect timing. Pink is my favorite color as well – and as Dom is not picky when it comes to details – pink, blush, and sage were the color palette for the big day. I also LOVE spring flowers – from peonies and ranunculus to anemones and eucalyptus – and wanted to tie in a garden theme. Our venue was the perfect spot.
Fernstone Retreat has a huge oak tree draped in lights in the center of the venue, which was a perfect focal point for a floral arrangement by Linda Brown’s Floral, who really made the tree come to life with flowers sneaking up the entire trunk and eucalyptus and greenery hanging from the branches. The lights surrounding the tree branches made it seem as if we were dancing under twinkling stars. We also incorporated little personal touches, like our mini golden doodle, Lucy. Not only was she featured on our cake, but she was also the inspiration for our signature cocktail, the “Lucy Lemonade” made with peach vodka, gin, and lemonade, giving it a pink tint to match the color scheme.
As for the bridesmaid dresses, my best friends mean the world to me and I wanted them to feel beautiful on our wedding day. I chose the color palette, but let each one chose her individual color and style of dress so that everyone would feel comfortable and ready to dance the night away! Our flower girls donned beautiful gowns from Trish Scully and looked like little princesses with their ballet slipper shoes.
My mom is really the mastermind behind making our day so perfect. We are best friends and really had the best time planning all of the details for our wedding day. One of the most special details of the day was when she surprised me with two red birds in my wedding bouquet. My grandma, who I was very close with, passed away just months before Dom and I got engaged. Her and my pap met when they were just teenagers and soon after, they were married. They were married for 57 years. They set an amazing example of love for our big family. No matter what, good times and hard times, they loved each other unconditionally. After my grandma passed away, we noticed two red birds flying near their house. Almost every day, I would see these two red birds. You can only imagine my surprise when I later read an article that red birds mate for life. From that point on, I was convinced that those two red birds were my grandma and pappy watching over our family. It seemed only fitting that our sweetheart table was my grandparents’ antique table, which was passed down from my great-grandmother and was where our big crazy family spent many Sunday dinners.
Favorite Moment
Although the entire day was absolutely perfect and the happiest day of our lives, my favorite moment was when my nephews opened the doors of the chapel and I saw my now-husband standing at the end of the aisle. We waited so, so long for that moment and it seemed as if time stood still as I walked down the aisle. My second favorite moment was when we were sitting at our sweetheart table, just the two of us, looking around at our parents, siblings, family, friends, and people who have been there through so much of our relationship and have shown us so much love and support throughout the years. The flowers, the wedding dress, the venue, the weather – it was all perfect, but none of that was as memorable as being surrounded by everyone we love so much.
