As I'm finishing packing for J&I's Greek Islands cruise {we're flying to Venice tonight and I can't wait to meet up with Miss T & her beau for a gondola ride and some drinks at Harry's Bar and all the adventures that are sure to ensue!}, I thought I'd share another college campus wedding with you. It's another Miami University wedding {did you miss the first?} And it's totally making me miss my alma mater {and the snow!} already! Enjoy and bon voyage, loves! Beautiful images by Anna Kirby Photography.
The lovely bride, Kate, says,
"Our style was simple and elegant, using blue, silver, and ivory colors to reflect both our Alma Mater (Duke University) and to give the day a shimmery Christmas feel. We chose to have the wedding in Oxford, Ohio – the quaint college town where I spent my undergraduate years, and a central location for both of our families to gather. The chapel held a lot of sweet memories for me as an undergraduate musician at Miami University, but more importantly, the chapel created a beautiful setting for us and our guests to celebrate and reflect on the joy of marriage.
We didn’t do a lot of decorating in the chapel, but with the fabulous stained-glass windows, cast-iron chandeliers, and traditional wooden interior, not much was required!
The couple had the pastor from Kate's home church, Dave Mason, officiate the ceremony and his wife, Linda Mason played piano. Linda was also Kate's piano teacher from grade school. One of their close friends played the violin during their unity candle lighting.
Kate's favorite memory?
Being up on the altar together at Kumler Chapel – while the rest of the day was fun and beautiful, being up in front of everyone, saying our vows, hand-in-hand, face-to-face, really made the day feel special and right.
Having the reception at the Oxford Community Arts Center provided a warm holiday glow, where we could enjoy visiting with our friends and family in a small space with a character all its own! We loved having the local artwork on display, Christmas décor throughout, and the wall of mirrors in the ballroom. (perhaps a little Christmas in Versaille?)
While planning our wedding, we tried to stick to the theme of 'simple elegance.' It was important to us to create a more intimate setting that would allow time and space for conversation with our close friends and family, and also give us the opportunity to reflect on the beauty of our marriage, where our relationship had been and where it was now headed."
Kate's advice:
As stressful, confusing, and overwhelming as wedding planning can become, have confidence that the wedding day will be every bit as beautiful and wonderful as you would have hoped. Also, definitely take the time to find an excellent photographer – someone who can take the lead with their creative license, and promise not to do a lot of posing. We don’t remember seeing Anna most of the day, but her photos clearly managed to not only capture those big moments of walking down the aisle and dancing with our parents, but also the little stuff – like happy reunions with college friends, relatives telling jokes, the nervous smiles before the ceremony… a reflection of how much joy and love was being shared that day. Being able to look back on the day and remember these things means the world.
