There are many reasons to love today’s wedding, but I think you lovelies might be most impressed with their budget – $5000! Yes, it can be done. :) When Sage + Colin lived together in Bowling Green, one of their favorite things to do during the summer was hop the fence at Lost River Cave after they closed and explore the walking trails. So, when it came time to find a venue for their wedding it was one of the first places that came to mind. Plus, they owed them for all the “free” tours they had taken. :) The cave setting definitely inspired them for a more natural + rustic wedding – and it’s one of the most unique spaces I’ve seen for a wedding! Thanks so much to Love is a Big Deal for the lovely photos!

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?
Colin: My favorite part of the day was the 10 minutes before the ceremony. The entire day up to that point consisted of getting ready and running around getting everything ready. A few of our guests were running late so we decided to push back the ceremony 15 minutes. Everyone was by the river waiting for the ceremony to start but Sage was waiting back in the cave waiting for her entrance. We’d already had a “first look” earlier in the day so I walked back to the cave to keep her company. This was our first chance of the day to just sit down together and talk and look at how beautiful everything had turned out.

Sage: My favorite part of the day was the speeches our friends gave. They were all so beautiful and heart felt. I am very close to my friends and I don’t know what I would do without them. In particular, Katie’s speech was very memorable. My bridesmaids and I had teased Katie about how she wouldn’t be able to make it through the speech without crying. We were teasing her because it was true. After only a few words, Katie began to smile at me and shake her head. I walked to the stage and told her to keep going. Laughing and crying she tried to start again. Finally, I came up on stage with her. With my arm around her we both read the speech she had written together. It was indicative of Colin and my’s relationship with our friends. We can all get through anything as long as we do it together.

Tell us a bit about your music… 

Groom and groomsmen: Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees
Bridesmaids: With A Little Help From My Friends (Wonder Years Edit) by Joe Cocker
Bride: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
Exit: Boots Boy by Langhorne Slim
First Dance: Living Of Love by The Avett Brothers

We also wanted to make the ceremony itself very personal. Rather than bring in an officiant we didn’t know very well to explain to our closest friends and family what this day meant to us, we decided to run the show ourselves. In addition to writing our own vows, we excised the role of the officiant and personally explained to everyone how happy we were to have them and how much they’d meant us over the years.

It’s also worth mentioning that we actually split our wedding into two events. We had been together for a decade and wanted to be married on our ten-year anniversary. Unfortunately, that date fell on a Monday. After finding out how inconvenient this was going to be for our guests, we agreed to move our wedding to the next weekend, but only if we could still privately get married on our anniversary.

We found a local chapel and had a fun, 15-minute ceremony that turned out to be just as memorable as the main event. This also took a lot of stress out of the big day because we knew we were already married and all that was left was to have a fun day celebrating with our closest friends and family.

Any advice for those planning now?
There are so many details in a wedding, a million tiny touches that make your wedding special to you and the people you love. Which means there is a million chances for something to go wrong. But the day will happen no matter what. You will all be dressed (even if your maid of honor’s zipper sticks and it takes the groomsmen 20 minutes to fix it), your friends will dance (even the guy that only has one real move), you or someone you love will embarrass you (I fell on my face in front of a table full of my best friend’s parents) but when it’s all said and done, you will be married to the person that means more to you than any one else on earth. Don’t worry about the little things. Have fun! If you feel yourself getting stressed out just remember the big picture: At the end of the day it’s you, your new spouse and all your friends and family in one room celebrating life together. You are so lucky.

vendors:
photography: Love is a Big Deal // venue: Lost River Cave, Bowling Green, KY // cake: publix // paper flowers: homemade // boquet: FayeMarie // boutonnieres: FayeMarie // bridesmaid necklaces: moncadeau // bridesmaid pinwheels: PaperPolaroid // cake toppers: bunnywithatoolbelt // table runners: asjoy // shoes: DSW // dress: Bridals of Regis Park (Glasgow, KY) // suit: Alfani (Macy’s) // bowties: Tommy Hilfiger // catering: Moe’s Southwestern Grill // plates and forks: joannehudson.com // makeup: Laura Burks // hair: natalienthomas@gmail.com // handpainted shoes: LoveAnchi

Love Is a Big Deal is a Featured Vendor of Green Wedding Shoes. They are located in Nashville, but available for weddings worldwide. Find more amazing vendors for your wedding in our Vendor Guide!

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