Leslie & Scott wanted folks to feel they had been transported to a spring English Garden Party, set in the rolling hills of Kentucky. CASTLE AND KEY is so unique with its beautiful and historic spaces, the gardens, the Spring House (yet still very Kentucky), and the couple were able to highlight that with the focus on florals, incorporated throughout all aspects of planning, the paper, and the day itself. The bride tells us "I’m originally from Kentucky, but have lived outside of the state since I was 12. My family is based in Kentucky though, and I visit as often as possible. Upon Scott’s first trip he fell in love with the magic (bourbon, haha) of Kentucky as well."
In terms of the overall weekend, many of the guests came from out of state and internationally, and they wanted them to experience Kentucky to its fullest. Incorporating the Keeneland Day on Friday was super important to them, as it allowed their guests to experience the horses, in addition to the bourbon, that makes Kentucky so special. Northern California wedding photographer KELLI LYNN was there to capture all the beauty.
HOW DID YOU MEET? We met on Tinder! I was living in San Francisco, and at the time we met in 2017, Scott was splitting time between San Francisco and Washington D.C.. We dated long distance for the first couple years, but I was thrilled when he moved to San Francisco full time in 2019.
Scott actually proposed at Castle & Key a year prior, the day before we went to the Kentucky Oaks / Derby! (I visited CASTLE AND KEY for the first time in 2019, and the minute I saw it, I knew it'd be my dream location for a wedding, never thinking that it would actually come true). We were in Kentucky in early May of 2021 for the Derby, but the visit turned out to be more of a significant trip than expected with the passing and funeral of my grandmother. Scott proposed during that same trip, and my sister and her husband were in town as well so they surprised us at the proposal. We booked CASTLE AND KEY for the wedding that same day! My grandmother was a jewelry lover (who isn't!), and she would have been very thrilled that that week was filled with some unexpected sparkling, and lots of love."
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS/ATTIRE: Many years ago I saw a picture of the CAROLINA HERRERA HILDIE DRESS in a magazine, and I could never get it out of my mind. Naturally, that is the first place I had to begin for wedding dress shopping. My two sisters and I visited the Carolina Herrera Bridal Boutique at their Flagship Store in NYC, and I was thrilled when they still had the Hildie available. The wedding dress I selected was the first dress I tried on there, the Mia, and the Hildie was the second, which I selected as my change dress. I worked with them throughout the entire process in New York, and they added some special touches to both, including a custom bow to the back of my wedding dress. A handmade MONVEIVE VEIL and JIMMY CHOO shoes brought everything together.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY ELEMENTS? We created Welcome gift bags for all attendees and dropped them off at their hotels prior to arrival. Each bag included a welcome note on our wedding paper created by Tiny Shindigs, Kentucky Bourbon Balls, an Ale8, Biscuit Mix from Weisenburger, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Guide.
DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: The vision for our florals was English Garden / vintage romance with pops of colors. We incorporated peonies, ranunculus, garden roses, anemones, and brought the adriatic blue color used throughout our paper (which matched the blue entryway doors of Castle & Key) into the bouquet ribbons.
FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: Not a detail of our wedding day, but one of our favorite aspects of our wedding weekend was spending Friday with our friends and family at Keeneland. We planned our wedding date specifically during the Keeneland Spring Meet, and had so much fun introducing those who traveled from afar to our favorite place in this way - with a very fun day of horseracing at one of the most beautiful and history-filled racetracks in the country.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? Our biggest piece of advice is don’t hold back on making it your own. There are many traditions and so-called expectations associated with weddings, but don’t allow that to limit your possibilities. This is your opportunity to create the most beautiful and uniquely-yours day of your life - lean in to what you love.
WHAT ASPECT OF THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU BOTH? One of the most important aspects of the wedding was ensuring that we had great food and drinks. We spent a lot of time working on the menu with our caterer, ensuring that the cocktail hour appetizers and the dinner menu represented us and was traditional to Kentucky. We created custom cocktails and worked closely with some of our favorite wineries from California on the beverage menu.
ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? We worked with TINY SHINDIGS on all of our paper - she truly brought the English garden party vision to life while also incorporating the uniqueness of Kentucky and Castle & Key. Amelia shared with us the drawing of CASTLE AND KEY she created for our Save the Dates and it's now framed in our house! We couldn't have been happier with how it all turned out.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HONEYMOON? For our honeymoon, we went to Tuscany. Beginning in Florence, ending in Rome, we spent time exploring and enjoying the region in between. I think my instagram post about the trip summed it up: ‘Italy, you taught us a lot about food, flowers, wine, and good views - quite a few of the very best things’.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE OR DO DIFFERENTLY? I wish we had invited more people! We tried to be conservative with our invite list, and at the end of the day, I wish we could have had even more family and friends there in-person to celebrate this beautiful place and very special day.
A huge thank you to Northern California wedding photographer KELLI LYNN for sharing this beautiful wedding with us. Kelli is a valued member of the Magnolia Rouge Vendor Guide. We love her approach to her job; "Building relationships and having a true connection with my couples is important to me. I want to be the best for you on your wedding day and I strongly believe that forming a friendly relationship with my couples allow me to provide you with the best possible service. Photography is my mission field of sorts, and in order to serve you better, I think getting to know you better is key." You can read a short interview with this Northern California wedding photographer HERE.
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