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I am so thrilled to be back with this series and today you get the pleasure of meeting my friend Amanda Gray of Ashley Baber Weddings. Amanda works with weddings in the Charlottesville and Central Virginia region, but you can also find Ashley Baber Weddings in Charlotte and Atlanta!
Ways you can reach Amanda for help with your wedding:
[email protected]
434.509.9092
www.twitter.com/amandabgray
Instagram.com/amandabgray
And here are some thoughts from Amanda on planning backyard weddings!
What is a real anecdote from an at-home wedding that you would like to share with brides and grooms planning a similar celebration? When planning your at-home wedding, or any wedding for that matter, it may be hard to envision what it will look like on the day of the wedding. So many of our couples are visually oriented and do not want to be surprised by the set up the day of the wedding. At-home weddings are unique in that there are most likely not photos from previous weddings to draw a reference from. It’s a blank canvas in terms of where the ceremony and reception can be held. I believe this is one of the best things about an at-home wedding – no other wedding will be like it! (Unless a sibling decides to get married at home as well!)
A recent wedding that I had the pleasure of planning involved an ambitious plan to build a 18′ deck to create a level floor for the main tent to be installed on. As a planner, I could envision and trust what the tent company was proposing. It may have been more difficult for the homeowners to see it in a place they were so familiar with. This is where trust in your vendors and their expertise has to be forefront in the planning process. In the end, the installation of the floor and tents was an amazing process and the end product was magical. The homeowners and their guests were blown away!
What is your biggest tip or piece of advice for couples planning a backyard wedding? What better theme for a backyard wedding other than family? It really makes your at-home wedding special when all of your family is involved. A recent bride wanted to highlight so many traditions and members of her family, that it only made sense for the wedding to be at home. The four course plated dinner was an homage to the bride’s brother, studying to become a chef. The cake topper and serving set belonged to the bride’s grandmother, and was was used for three generations of weddings. The dinner mints served at each table were also served at the bride’s parents’ wedding. I feel these honors and connections make the wedding celebration that much more special and memorable!
Great ideas here, Amanda, thank you so much for sharing! Its so true that homeowners usually don’t understand exactly what the set up will look like in their yard, no matter how many tent photos I show them! Readers, make sure you check back tomorrow because Amanda is sharing a gorgeous at-home wedding with us!
Photo courtesy of Sincerely, Liz Photography: Liz Cook
