Wedding

Kelsey & Chris . Indianapolis Wedding at Laurel Hall

October 3, 2014

Kelsey & Chris had the most BEAUTIFUL wedding! Below is a little something that Kelsey wrote about the two of them and their incredible day… These two are the sweetest. <3

“A little over two years ago, I went to meet up with friends in downtown Indianapolis and they sent Chris, whom I had never met, to flag me down and give me directions. Even though I’m from Indianapolis, it’s a well-known fact that I’m directionally challenged. Little did I know that the gorgeous Cuban man who hopped into my passenger seat would be the love of my life.

We shared mutual friends so we saw each other occasionally and gradually became friends. But I had moved 3 hours away for my job, so I didn’t visit often. It wasn’t until 6 months later that I realized he was interested in me too. It was New Years Eve with our close friends mixed with a little liquid courage that revealed our secret crushes, yet we were both too shy to kiss until after midnight. He walked up to me, held my hand, and then kissed me. I totally melted right then and there.

The next evening, Chris asked me to go on an official date with him before I had to make my 3 hour trip back for work. I was totally over the moon with butterflies in my stomach, sweaty palms, the whole thing. So when my winter break was over, I tried to prepare myself for the worst. I couldn’t expect him to be interested in beginning a long-distance relationship. But surprisingly, he didn’t seem bothered by it. “When can I see you again? Would it be okay if I drive up to visit you?” This guy wanted to drive 3 hours and back just to see me again? We talked for hours and enjoyed doing anything, everything, and nothing at all together. The hardest part about our long distance was leaving each other on Sunday nights. But we only had the Sunday blues for about 5 more months.

One weekend while visiting Chris, we decided to go a fun date exploring a little cafe for lunch and rock climbing. Chris was shaky, quiet, and didn’t feel like eating much during lunch. I suggested that eating something would help settle his stomach. After lunch, we were headed for rock climbing and drove down a side-street with beautiful greenery. All of a sudden, Chris pulled over to the side of the road. Before I could ask what was going on, he ran around to open my car door, dropped to one knee and proposed. I was in sweatpants, a t-shirt and had no makeup, but none of that mattered. I said yes before even seeing the ring. The ring wasn’t even ready yet; it was still at the jewelry store. He had already asked for my parents blessing and had planned to propose a week later. But Chris said he was too excited to wait any longer.

Wedding planning was a blast, especially with help from my family, friends, and Chris. There were so many ideas and possibilities that it became difficult to make decisions at times. But I just tried to remember that I wanted to look back on this one day having captured my personal style and our quirks and interests. Having always been drawn to the outdoors knew I wanted to incorporate elements of nature. As a kid, my sister and I often tagged along with our mom and Memmaw as they hunted for treasures in antique stores. I didn’t understand their interest much then, but I have grown to love antiques, vintage styles, and their personal histories. I developed my style by looking at a lot of pictures on Pinterest and magazine clippings.

After lots of research on venues, we fell in love with Laurel Hall in Indianapolis for its elegant and intimate setting. Built in the late 1800s and surrounded by trees and greenery, this place had a historic charm and garden feel that we adored. Everything else gradually fell into place.

I couldn’t have pulled it all together without the help of our vendors, our families, and Chris, all of whom were eager to be helpful in any way they could.
With my love for art and Chris’s computer savviness, we opted to do lots of DIY projects. We made our own Save-the-Dates, menus, programs, and other signage. For inspiration, we used chalkboards, since I am an art teacher who still uses them, as well as vintage scrollwork, illustrations, and lettering. We manipulated public domain graphics and designed many on our own. By the time we were ready to send out formal invites, we were overloaded with DIY projects, so we decided to purchase invitations. More vintage style elements were collected from antique shops, craft stores, Etsy, and some were family heirlooms.
As the wedding approached, we wanted to make sure everyone involved could enjoy the day. By a friend’s recommendation, we contracted a day-of coordinator. Chris and I were able to simply be in the moment with our families and close friends. Our guests showed us so much love. The intimacy was heartwarming. Our vows were open, honest, silly, and vulnerable. We had a bet going that Chris would do the “ugly cry.” Although I lost, we were both a hot mess.
Our day would only be a memory without the fantastic work of our photographer, Gabrielle Cheikh and videographer, Tyler Hromadka. Having studied photography with Gaby at Indiana University, I got to know and admire her style and warm personality. After Chris proposed, I knew right away I wanted her to capture our wedding day.
All of our vendors exceeded our expectations and wowed us with their outstanding service and professionalism. They did everything they could to make our day everything we wanted it to be, including meeting late requests without batting an eye. We couldn’t have dreamed of a more perfect celebration of our marriage.”