They say a picture speaks 1000 words, but as we know in the age of social media, there are about a million other words that go unsaid, hidden behind lovely film. Wedding images capture all of our favorite memories; from the little looks, to the first, unforgettable kiss as a married couple.
This gorgeous affair for Jamie & Cavan looks as smooth as can be, the perfect sunny, romantic afternoon. And it was I'm sure, but as a vendor behind the scenes, it was a nail-bitting morning for our little team. What you don't see in these images is something that no one sees, and yet its force with which on does not trifle. That, my friends, is the wind. The classic Kansas breeze almost took this gorgeous ceremony out. Our grand plans were dismantled and our expectations bruised. The thrilling thing is, that despite not achieving our initial goals, we created something even more beautiful. and functional to boot.
The vision was to decorate a triangular altar with two bright, light floral installations on either side. Next to the structure, we would place two gold stands with large compote arrangements, and just below that, we could neatly position two free-standing arrangements. We knew walking into this setup that wind could deter us. We remained confident and resourceful despite the challenges. I was fairly concerned that the free-standing arrangements might tip, so we weighted those down before we even left the shop. Upon arrival at the scenic venue, my confidence began to wane In regards to the stability of the gold stands. Luckily we were in a large, rocky pasture. A brief walk procured a few large stones that we could use to weigh the stands down, holding them upright.
We managed to build our installation onto the structure with little to no issue, aside from a few pieces of pampas grass flying away from us. We ensured the stability of each piece, losing no stems or flowers to the invisible mistress we call "the wind." We positioned each element and stepped back to get a picture. Oh, the picture! As soon as I backed up and focused, a gust of wind came in and tossed one of our beautiful arrangements sitting a top the gold stands right onto its face. It was a cringe-worthy moment as the blooms bounced on the cold hard cement. We lost quite a few stems and water was everywhere. Ari, one of our fabulous designers rounded up the other arrangement before it could fall and quickly got to work cleaning up the mess, as I triaged the arrangement. It didn't look good, but we were able to save a few stems with some floral hacks and pulled the required remaining stems from the back of a few other arrangements on site. It was clear that our plan was not going to hold up, because the wind was only forecasted to be stronger as the day went on. I was sweating. I was assuring myself that I would be calm and I would not freak out!!
Now the dilemma, do we coordinate with their planner about taking the arrangements out at the last moment before the ceremony? Wait, what if they fall during the ceremony!? Or, should we speak to the bride, letting her know that the dream ceremony we imagined wouldn't be possible? No, we can’t stress her out! Better idea, the mother of the bride. We gathered her mother and the coordinators to create a new plan. Our only possible route for an outdoor setup with the stands was to use command hooks, and even that didn't seem possible. We even considered gluing the suckers to the table. In the end, it was decided that the safest thing would be to keep the tables inside, creating an extra framing around a lovely mantle display. The results were fabulous! We must thank the ladies with Wichita Coordination for helping design and execute this beautiful plan B.
While we lost some zaazaazu from the ceremony space, we added tremendously to the fireplace set up. This indoor scene created the perfect moment for bridal portraits and family photos. The lighting in the venue was fabulous.
I'm sure that you can see from the pictures all of the joy radiating from the couple, the beauty of the flowers, and how perfectly the light kissed the day. I do believe that this is a perfect example of weddings not going according to plan. In fact, I think I have determined that something, whether big or small, will go wrong for almost every wedding. The fortunate thing is that no one really knows what was supposed to happen. They could only guess, and why would they? Guests will simply enjoy their day, the love, the flowers.
And so you see here, how simply gorgeous this wedding was. The pictures capture all the best, most beautiful moments. Not the moments of sheer terror we felt prior to the ceremony. Roll with the punches on your wedding day, because the best and most beautiful parts will be captured for you to remember in the end.
Vendor List
Photographer: Conlee Arpin
Wedding Planner: Wichita Coordination
Venue: The Highlands Event Venue, LLC
Attire: Dress Gallery
Baker: Stand Tall Bakery
Videographer: 316 Films
Hair: Alicia Coker
Makeup: Makeup by Caroline
Florals: Free State Flora, LLC
Feel free to share a comment with us about something that went wrong with your wedding day, whether small or large. I have a few myself, like the fact that we were supposed to be married outside. It was freezing cold that early October day and we were forced indoors. Luckily, we had an indoors! Unfortunately, it was standing room only and the ceremony spot had a funky green light bulb illuminating the stage. So all the pictures from our ceremony have a nice green glow to them. While, it wasn't ideal and I would probably change that if I could go back in time, I can laugh now, it has helped solidify memories of the day into my brain that I will never forget.
Lots of Love Flower Friends,
Emily Forsberg
CEO & Founder
Free State Flora, LLC
A special thank you to Jamie & Cavan for generously sharing their wedding day images with the Free State Flora crew!
Emily and team, As father of the bride, I truly appreciate your hard work, and adaptability during Jamie and Cavan’s special day. I especially appreciate that your team did not add to Jamie’s concerns that day and addressed the issues in another way! It was a great day with many fond memories, and your team was a big piece of those memories! Thank you!