Food & Drink
The Brown Hotel's acclaimed culinary team crafted a delicious dinner menu for our guests. Their iconic Hot Brown was one of the hors d'oeuvres at cocktail hour. Our signature drinks were a Kentucky Oaks Lily and a margarita. The Lily was an ode to our Kentucky home featuring a rendition of Churchill Down's Oaks Lily- a bright pink, refreshing, and slightly tart vodka-based cocktail. Each cocktail was topped with custom drink stirrers adorned with a watercolor portrait of our dog.
Florals & Decor
The ballroom's classic beauty, ornate details, and charm allowed our decor to simply complement the space rather than transform it. Lush, white and pastel floral arrangements with the warm glow of candlelight softened the ballroom. The end result felt romantic, inviting, and effortlessly elegant. We used a mix of both gold and silver accents to create a refined, balanced look.
Wedding Cake
Our three-tiered cake featured a classic ivory buttercream with delicate pipe detailing. We selected refreshing springtime flavors such as a layer of lemon, strawberry, and then classic yellow cake. When it came to choosing a wedding cake, we knew we couldn't stray away from the bakery that had been a part of every family celebration and milestone growing up, Plehn's Bakery.
Special Detail #1
We wrote personal letters to every guest as a way to express our gratitude and share what their presence on this day meant to us. Writing these letters before the wedding was also a sweet way for us to reflect on every person who was going to be there. We reflected on what each guest meant to us and how they have impacted our lives. We wrote the personalized letter on the back of every name card at each guest's place setting. We coordinated this with our stationery and left a blank area on the back of the name card. We hoped that guests would keep their letter as a memento from the day.
Special Detail #2
When reflecting how special this day would be, I wanted to find a meaningful way to honor family members that were there in spirit. I had three cardinal birds pinned on my bouquet wrap that had the names of my grandmother, grandfather, and great-grandmother. The gold cardinal birds on my bouquet symbolized that they were with me every part of the wedding day.
Special Detail #3
If you are thinking about doing a choreographed first dance, we would highly recommend it! After our introduction into the reception, we went right into our first dance. Wedding planning can be a hectic time, but having dance lessons was a set scheduled time for us to spend together on a weekday night. Our guests loved it! We danced to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Franki Valli. It really elevated the energy in the room and set the tone for the rest of the night!
