Garland and Kyle’s wedding was on a warm sunny day in November. The reception was held at the Dixon Garden which is one of my all time favorite places to shoot in Memphis. We did the majority of the photos there, and I think they turned out so pretty. The fall colors were in full effect and it made some stunning portraits for Garland, Kyle and their bridal party. They were all such a pleasure to work with! I can’t wait for you to hear their love story.

“I wanted a classic wedding with a simple color scheme and refined details. We used hunter green for everything from the bridesmaids dresses to the save the dates. Kyle chose a simple and classic tuxedo for his groomsmen. We were lucky that the reception venue at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens is one of the most stunning venues in Memphis. I incorporated a lot of greenery into the flowers to maintain the feeling that the reception was in a garden.” –Garland 

“I asked some friends for advice on how to propose because it seems like proposals are becoming more and more extravagant. These friends reminded me that our relationship had not been extravagant and had been intimate and dedicated. We dated long distance for three years. They suggested going somewhere that was special to us. But Garland had just recently moved to Jackson, so that “special place” that was just for the two of us was my hand-me-down couch in my cramped living room. I made dinner reservations and recruited some friends to set up my house with flowers and candles while we were gone. Once we got back and Garland saw my house with a much more romantic theme than normal, she still wasn’t expecting a ring. So I suggested that we open her birthday presents. After a couple of red herring presents, I got down on my knee and I showed her the ring and I told her I loved her and I asked her to marry me.” –Kyle

“One thing in particular that really surprised me was how much I enjoyed having a first look before the ceremony. In the beginning I was a little hesitant because I know its got to be so special to see each other for the first time when the doors open and you walk down the aisle. We chose to do a first look in the interest of time, and I’m so glad we did. I was actually pretty nervous after I finished getting my hair and makeup done because things were starting to get real. It was such a relief to finally see Kyle. My nerves quickly turned into excitement as it hit me that I was finally marrying the guy that I’d loved for a long time. It made the rest of the afternoon so much more relaxing and made it easier for me to soak up the day.” -Garland

“I knew I wanted to have a fairly traditional wedding. It seemed traditional for us to get married at IPC because we both grew up attending church there and thats where we met. I guess its actually the opposite of a tradition, but I had my mom walk my down the aisle which was really special for both of us. I’ve been especially close to my mom for as long as I can remember, so it seemed natural for her to walk me down the aisle and give me away. At first we were both a little worried about crying the whole way down the aisle (it seems it is typically a mans job for a reason), but we ended up being able to hold it together. “ -Garland

“We don’t normally do well being the center of attention, but having all of our friends and family travel from far away to celebrate us and make us feel special for a whole weekend was very special to us. We both cherished the day of the wedding where we were able to spend all day with our closest friends. The ceremony felt like a whirlwind, but once we got to the reception, we were overcome with gratitude for all of the friends who came to celebrate with us. Its a really special thing to be able to look around and see friends and family from all the phases of your life in one place.” -Garland 

“It’s probably cliche, but my advice would be to not let the planning process stress you. I was so stressed at the beginning because it felt like I had a million decisions to make as soon as we got engaged. One night when I was particularly stressed, Kyle sat me down and reminded me that everything would work out, and no matter what decisions I made, the day would be special and would end in us getting married. Weddings today are getting bigger and more extravagant, so I felt a lot of stress to have a picture perfect wedding. I think it’s important to stick to what you want in a wedding and make it something that reflects your relationship. “ –Garland

“My mom walking around with a bottle of champagne on the dance floor was pretty funny for everyone involved. It was pretty great seeing her share it with a bunch our friends who she didn’t really know but who gladly accepted it.” –Garland

“I had a friend tell me to “be a guest at my own wedding” and make sure we were having fun and spending the night like we wanted rather than stuck in a corner or worried about details. By that time, everything was already in motion and there was nothing I could do even if I’d wanted to. We always flock to the dance floor when we attend weddings, so naturally we spent most of our own wedding reception dancing which has made for the most fun memories. We may not have eaten anything, but we had so much fun enjoying the night that we’d poured so much time and effort into.” –Garland 

“Everybody that we worked with exceeded our expectations and made our wedding day easy and stress-free. Rebekah Page, our wedding planner, was an absolute Godsend. She was always two steps ahead of me, making sure I was thinking about what I wanted and making sure everything was how I envisioned it. Independent Presbyterian Church has a beautiful sanctuary for a wedding, but it was extra special to us because we met there and grew up attending church there. The Dixon Gallery and Gardens was a beautiful venue, and they ensured everything went smoothly at the reception. Kevin Griffin did our flowers, and he was the absolute best. He helped me with flower design when I was struggling to put what I wanted into words. He also designed the most beautiful lights for the tent. We chose the Soul Shockers for our band. They’ve been playing in Memphis for years, so they know how to read a crowd and keep the party going. Their talent made the reception super fun and created the best stories for us to relive throughout our honeymoon. Our caterer, CFY, put extra effort into getting to know us as a couple so that they could provide food that would make us and all of our guests happy. My makeup artist, Kendrick Simpson, saved the day when we had a cancellation at the eleventh hour. She did the greatest job and made me feel beautiful but still like myself. Also obviously our photographers- I still look at our album like three times a week!” -Garland

As seen on:

Dress: The Bride Room (Nashville)- Designer: Amy Kuschel | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Cakes: Lee Sanders | Venue: Independent Presbyterian Church | Coordinator: Rebekah Page | Flowers: Kevin Griffin | Invitations: Fresh Ink | Rentals: Mahaffey Event and Tent Rentals | Music/Band:  The Soul Shockers | Rehearsal Venue: Dixon Gallery and Gardens | Caterer: CFY Catering  | Hair: Misty Davis and Ronald Mcknight | Makeup: Kendrick Simpson