Tyler and Brenna’s colorful & offbeat wedding is full of sweet moments and unique details that made the day their very own! With a beautiful spring day and color palette that could make anyone’s day brighter, they entertained their guest underneath a sailcloth tent with poolside cocktails.
Design Statement from Planner: The ceremony was held outdoors, surrounded by nature’s beauty. Meadowlark1939 has 13 acres of formal gardens, a historic home for preparations, a pool area for cocktail hour, and a 100 year old pecan tree that captivated guests at the ceremony. The sailcloth tent for the reception provided a luxurious romantic atmosphere, creating a unique space for the couple to party with guests. Guests were greeted with a variety of details important to Tyler and Brenna, from a book library that served as party favors (they are avid readers) to a violinist that serenaded the wedding party as they made their way down the aisle. The overall look is warm, inviting, and full of life, providing an intimate and cozy atmosphere for everyone in attendance. 
How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another? Officially, we met in grad school at Emory University. We attended the same school but different programs, so we didn’t know each other well. Tyler had seen Brenna around and thought she was cute, but Brenna didn’t really notice Tyler. Brenna was in a different relationship at the time, and Tyler graduated from Emory after Brenna’s first year in the program, so we first parted ways without really knowing each other well. A year later, Tyler saw Brenna pop up on a dating app. He remembered them from school, and immediately reached out. Brenna had become friends with his group of friends from grad school by that point, so when he messaged them, Brenna recognized him as well. They knew he wasn’t sketchy, like some people on dating apps can be, and when Tyler asked them out for drinks, they said yes! 
What is the most honest thing you can say about love? It’s fun! Having someone to be silly with, go on adventures with, and snuggle with is the best. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be really hard things along the way, but your partner shouldn’t be the one making things even harder! Love means having someone to help you solve things, keep you grounded, and bring you joy. A partner that can have your favorite things waiting for you after a hard day is life-giving. We love being silly together and sharing inside jokes. We have so much fun just being together. We hope everyone finds someone who makes life better just by being there! 
Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship! On our first date, we went to a wine bar/coffee shop where customers pay at the register. There was a sticker on the front of the register that read, “You are beautiful.” Brenna saw it and read it out loud. Tyler, not having seen the sticker, thought that Brenna was just telling him that he was beautiful, and was really confused and unsure how to respond. Now, we think this is hilarious, and we even both started our wedding vows by recounting this story! (We wrote our vows separately and hadn’t seen them before the ceremony, so the story became even more serendipitous!) 
What is your favorite thing about each other? Brenna: My favorite thing about Tyler is how weird he is. Overall, he’s an introvert, so he usually keeps his weirdness under wraps out in public. When we’re alone or with our closest friends, though, he really leans into it. He’s admitted to sometimes thinking, “What’s the weirdest thing I could say right now?” and then saying it. He always keeps me on my toes and will say the most outlandish things just to make me smile. Plus, I’m pretty weird too, and I’m glad my partner is someone who can match that!
Tyler: I love the way Brenna loves and cares for the things around them. We’ve had a variety of foster kittens through the years, and I love watching how Brenna takes care of the little babies. Brenna is truly the best cat mom. They also have an every-growing plant collection that fills every room in our house. The beauty they provide helps our space feel like home.
Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning. We’ve been married for a year, but we’ve been together for nearly eight years, so we’ve been through a lot together. There’s been more than one difficult time along the way, but we think it’s made us even stronger as a couple. There were a lot of outside circumstances that delayed us moving toward marriage. However, the timing was finally right, and we had a trip planned to Charleston, SC. Brenna didn’t know yet, but Tyler was planning to propose on the trip (on a sunset cruise!). This trip, though, was scheduled to happen in March of 2020 (you can probably guess where this is going…). As the date approached and the COVID-19 pandemic quickly rose, we realized we would have to cancel this trip. At the time, Tyler figured, he would wait a few weeks for things to settle back down, and we would be able to reschedule the trip. But, by September, Tyler realized this was definitely not going to happen, so he made other plans. He planned a picnic complete with champagne and fancy cheese in one of our favorite parks and proposed at sunset. It wasn’t the Charleston harbor proposal he had initially imagined, but it was intimate and sweet, and a perfect way to celebrate who we are. 
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day? We’ve both lost several close family members, and we wanted to incorporate them into the ceremony in a special way. Brenna had long thought about how they might do this because their mom passed away when they were a child, and they knew they wanted her to have a spot in the celebration. To still have the spirit of Brenna’s mom and other loved ones with us, we collected framed photos of them to include in the ceremony. We had other family members process with these photos as part of the wedding party and placed these photos on a table at the front of the ceremony. This way, our loved ones were still able to watch over us during our special day. We also moved this table to the reception area after the ceremony so they could party with us, too! 
What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you? We incorporated a lot of DIY aspects into our wedding, so each piece of it really felt like us. Honestly, though, simply having so many people we care about all in one spot to share in our love was the very best thing. At this point in our lives, we have friends and family all over the US and even the world, so to be able to celebrate with so many people we love all together is something that we’ll treasure forever. 
What was your favorite part about planning your wedding? For our wedding favors, we compiled a library of used books. Going to used book sales is something we’ve done together from the beginning, and we’re both avid readers, so we wanted to share some of our favorite books with our guests. For the year leading up to our wedding, we perused thrift stores for books we love. We slowly collected over 100 books. We also bought a custom-made embosser with our names and wedding date. We embossed each book and had them available on a bookshelf at the reception. Our guests were able to pick out a book or two to take home with them. We really enjoyed curating this collection of books we love to share with the people we love.
What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another? We balance each other out so well in a lot of ways. While Brenna struggles to slow down and rest a lot of the time, Tyler has taught them the art of a good nap. And Tyler grew up in a nearly veggie-less household, so Brenna has opened up a whole new world of foods for him. Tyler helps Brenna slow down and loosen up on some long-held, no nonsense rules, and Brenna helps Tyler take action and make decisions. We’ve also learned a lot about communicating (not to sound cliché). Learning how to navigate conflict, realize the “why” underneath why we’re each upset, and understand how to support each other in the future is difficult, but healing. We’re both grateful for the trust and love this builds. 
If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be? Never stop learning. Even eight years in, we’re still constantly learning things about each other. Sometimes it’s something fun or silly and sometimes it’s something from our past that’s difficult but helps us better understand why we do what we do. Learning new ways to communicate, more about what makes each of us who we are, and how to best show our love helps us grow closer. 
Planner: Johnnie & Co. Events
Photographer: Four Corners Photography
Venue: Meadowlark1939
Hair/Makeup: Violet + Rose Artistry
Dress: BHLDN
Wedding Cake: Publix
Rentals, Linens, Florals, Paper Goods: DIY
Catering: Gotta Have It
Wedding Submission Services: Published + Pretty
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