Timeless, Hometown, DIY Backyard Wedding in Kinston with Kirby & Tyler
I know from working with many different couples that one concept of a wedding that can cause a sense of anxiety and stress is being the center of attention as the bride and groom. For Tyler & Kirby this was definitely something they considered when planning their ceremony and reception. While they wanted to include as many family and friends as possible, they wanted something intimate that centered around a night of food, music and fellowship rather than the traditional aspects of the wedding that would put them in that “everyone’s eyes are on me” spotlight.
The two of them have been together since they met in 2018. They started out as next door neighbors and quickly found that they have a shared love for history, Assassin’s Creed video games, home renovation, board games, and trying new types of tea. They share the cutest dog named Serotonin and to them marriage was the next ideal step in their love story.
I could tell you so much about this ceremony, but the most beautiful part was when the bride and her sisteres all went barefoot for the ceremony at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (which happens to be Kirby’s childhood church). The significance lives in their childhood memories of arriving at the church barefoot. When confronted by the director of the church and asked to wear shoes, they showed knowledge in the Bible which said to take ones shoes off before going into a house of worship. The new director who welcomes this tradition called Kirby the “barefoot bride” as he recalled this story during the ceremony. I know you’re probably crying from this short anecdote but the love doesn’t end there. Kirby shared with me that her sister made her wedding dress and the maid of honor wrote a song to which she sang as her sisters danced to it at the reception.
When we were discussing the ideal theme of the wedding reception, Kirby mentioned that she wanted to incorporate some of Tyler’s polish ancestry and to find ways to honor their religion in a cultural way. Aesthetically, they were hoping for a backyard garden antique colorful vibe. To my surprise and awe, a lot of the china was from her grandmother and great grandmother and all their family friends brought plants.
This wedding was something that transcends generations and the way in which Kirby & Tyler very carefully incorporated their family members and their beliefs into the details of the day just leaves me wonderstruck.
Vendors:
Venue - St. Mary’s Episcopal Church of Kinston, NC
Officiant - Fr. Thomas P.H. Warren
Rings - Bailey’s Fine Jewelry (Greenville, NC)
Invitations - Blue Bunny Paper at Zazzle.com
Live Arist - Hannah Hoover
Dress/Catering/Dessert/Hair/Make Up - Family members of Kirby & Tyler
Music/Entertainment - Family members of Kirby & Tyler