A Real WED Bride: Sarah Ethridge

It takes a special bride to pull off the perfect, timeless day, and that is exactly what real WED bride Sarah did! We are so honored to showcase Sarah and Payne’s classic day and all of it’s stunning details. Sarah’s elegant Mikaella bridal gown in style #2281 features a crepe and guipure lace fit and flare silhouette with a stunning jewel neckline! The unique floral appliques cascade down the open keyhole back, that are accented by crepe buttons.

Continue reading for more on real WED bride Sarah’s classic wedding!

How did you and your fiancé meet? How did he propose?

Payne and I met at church back in 2018. We met through mutual friends at Christ Chapel and started dating not long after we met. We dated for a few years before we started talking about marriage and he proposed January of 2021. He did a great job of fooling me into thinking he was going hunting for a long weekend. I was excited to go out with my friends for brunch that Saturday, when in reality he was there waiting for me with a bouquet of peonies, my favorite flower. Needless to say, there wasn’t a brunch with my friends that day, but an outing at the botanic gardens with a photographer that captured the proposal and gave us actual engagement photos. Payne also planned a lunch with our family and a party that evening with our closest friends. Next to our wedding day, it was one of the most fun and special days I’ve ever had. 

What was the initial inspiration for your wedding day? Did the final product mirror that? 

Our wedding day was exactly what we had pictured. We knew we were going to get married in the summer and we both love being outdoors, so we wanted nature to be a prime component. We wanted to have a more timeless style as opposed to trendy and we wanted to show our personalities as much as we could while still maintaining elegance. It was a night wedding, so black, white, gold and natural greens seemed to be a perfect color palette. At the end of the day, we wanted guests to have fun and feel loved at a well thought out event without it feeling too stuffy. It served as our go to mission statement if you will throughout the six months of planning and we believe it paid off. 

What was the most meaningful part of the entire day to you and your husband, Payne?

The ceremony was an extremely meaningful part. You spend so much of your life dreaming about what it will feel like and it’s surreal experiencing it in real time. Seeing Payne, exchanging vows and being announced “man and wife” was incredibly special. A very close second would be our last private dance. After the busyness and stress of the day, it is a much-appreciated moment to let it all sink in and to savor it. 

How did the pandemic affect wedding planning and/or your wedding day?

The pandemic affected how we chose our venue and it added major delays to how quickly our invitations were mailed. We wanted to have an outdoor covered ceremony in case our guests preferred it as opposed to indoors and we chose our venue based on the fact that they offered outdoor options and everything was in one place. We wanted to have that flexibility in case we had to make any changes. Additionally, the post office delays added some stress when collecting RSVPs. Not everyone received their invitation on time and so we had to make lots of phone calls and send lots of texts to stay on track!

What did you look forward to the most about your wedding day?

Being with those we love most after such a rough couple of years. We were very intentional about keeping our guest list as lean as we could in order to talk to everyone and feel like we could catch up with old friends. It was tough to monitor the guest list so closely, but focusing on that quality time was truly worth it.

And lastly, what is your biggest piece of advice for currently engaged couples? 

I would highly recommend making room in your budget for a planner, even if it’s just for the day of the wedding. The last thing you want to do on your wedding day is worry, so you might as well pay someone to make sure all of those meaningful details are handled. They are pros at what they do and they think of things you won’t know to ask. After all, how often do you get married? I’m so grateful we had one as it made the planning process and day-of so much more enjoyable. 

We are so thankful we got the opportunity to share this beautiful day with you, Sarah! The WED Bridal team appreciates you for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day and feature some of your special moments on the real WED bride blog. A huge congratulations to you and Payne from all of us here at WED!


Vendors:

Venue: The Orchard

Photographer: The Brothers Martens

Hair & Makeup: Mason Griffin

Wedding Planner: Lindsey Brunk

Florist: Olive Grove Design

Invitations: Minted

Cake: Central Market

Catering: Hot Box Biscuit Club

Rentals: Top Tier Rentals


To book your appointment today click here or call us at (682) 250-5448.

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