Is there anything quite as exciting as a surprise wedding? I think not. With guests arriving at Roaring Creek Farm for what they believed to be a surprise birthday, a gorgeous wedding celebration ensued and it’s brimming with rustic elegance crafted by Missie Hinson, blooms by Missie Hanson and Cassidy Carson was there to snap every detail. More right here!
From Cassidy Carson…I’m so excited to be submitting Tim and Dolly’s SURPRISE wedding! It was one of the most memorable weddings I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. Every aspect of their day was filled with significance and every detail reflected their personalities.
From The Bride…Given that this would be a second marriage for both of us and having done the big wedding before, Tim and I both agreed that something smaller and more intimate suited us best. Honestly, I would have eloped; however, Tim was adamant that his mother would never forgive us and she confirmed his belief on a phone call one day when we posed the question. After considering a destination or a small family wedding, I came across the idea of a surprise wedding. I posed the idea to Tim, and he loved it. Being from Nashville, it would have been nearly impossible to keep our wedding small so the idea of a surprise wedding centered around Tim’s birthday in May seemed the perfect choice especially given our venue location that could only accommodate 50 people. Those invited would include immediate family, a few out of town friends, and a group of couple friends from our neighborhood that had become like family to us. Paperless Post digital invitations were sent inviting guests to a surprise birthday dinner with guests realizing upon their arrival that they had been the ones surprised.
Once we had decided upon a surprise wedding , we immediately knew that we wanted to host our special day on Roaring Creek Farm. Over the course of our dating relationship, we frequented Joe Natural’s Farm Store & Cafe in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee and had come to love Farmer Paul (aka Joe) and his wife Pat. Having attended several dinners on their farm where the food, ambiance, and decor made for an amazing overall experience, there was no doubt that we wanted that same experience on our wedding day surrounded by our family and friends. Another plus for us was that they would pretty much handle all aspects of the wedding including food, rentals, place settings, decor, flowers, and dessert . We only needed to hire the photographer, band, and then decide what to wear. It allowed our wedding weekend to be virtually stress free, and allowed us a bit of surprise when we showed up to see our wedding vision come together.
Not only was the proposal and wedding a surprise, but the dress was a surprise as well. I had fallen in love with the dress after trying it on, but didn’t feel that my budget would allow for such an extravagance. Though in my heart I knew that I had found my dress, I continued to look, order online, and try on one dress after another hoping to convince myself that another dress was “the one.” A wonderful friend, having seen the dress and confirming it was perfect, conspired with Tim to buy the dress. If it was the dress I wanted and would feel beautiful in, Tim wanted me to have it. He gave my friend his credit card number, and told her to order it and have it shipped to me at work. Upon the arrival of the dress, the box actually had the name Donna Kelly on it. I kept denying the dress was mine given the name listed wasn’t me and I knew I had not placed an order. It wasn’t until every co worker had been asked who it belonged to that I had someone open the box. Upon describing the dress to her over the phone and confirming it was indeed the dress I had fallen in love with, I called Tim. I knew he had purchased it for me as it was just the type of thing he would do once again confirming that I was marrying the man of my dreams.
Having a wedding outside on a farm in May can certainly have one checking the weather daily. Luckily for us, the wedding weekend was beautiful. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather. Not only did the weather cooperate, it can be said that the farm animals did as well. During the wedding vows as I was asked to say “I do,” a goat, ironically named Dolly, decided to speak up at the exact moment I said those two little words. Our friends and family couldn’t even hear my response over the goat’s baa. I guess Dolly the goat decided she wanted to marry Tim too. It had everyone laughing, and was quite the memorable moment.
Following the exchanging of rings by me and Tim, Tim made a promise and vow to my six-year-old son, Finn, that not only was he vowing to take me as his wife but he was vowing to take Finn as his son, and would love him as such. At this moment, Tim presented Finn with a silver band as a symbol of his love for him. This was a perfect way to unite our family, and to include Finn in the ceremony vows in such a unique and special way.
Photography: Cassidy Carson Photography | Event Planning: Roaring Creek Farm | Florist: Roaring Creek Farm | Wedding Gown: Vera Wang | Stationery: Paperless Post | Bride's Shoes: Unisa | Caterer: Roaring Creek Farm | Hair And Makeup: Jordan Byers | Band: Eileen Rose & The Silver Threads | Groom's Attire: Elie Tahari | Ceremony + Reception: Roaring Creek Farm | Groom's Shoes: Gucci | Groom's Tie: Billy Reid | Ring/Earrings: Waltons Antique Estate Jewelry