Real Wedding: Keith & Alisa

by Kelsey Vickers November 15, 2019

written by Kelsey Vickers November 15, 2019

First off, congrats! What is your most memorable moment from the wedding?

The first look! Also, sitting at a little hidden table, tucked away under some trees, that the staff had waiting for us after the ceremony was over with champagne and appetizers. They did that so we could take a special moment for ourselves to reflect on everything that had just happened!

What were the colors of your wedding?

We had mostly greenery, with some white flowers. Bridesmaids were in blush (each dress was chosen individually by bridesmaid), groomsmen were in grey!

What do you think worked really well at your wedding that you would recommend every couple to do?

Both of us were equally engaged in the planning (not just the bride). This made it the most fun! It never seemed like a chore and it went so smoothly. We also didn’t have wedding favors for our guests. At the end of the day, after all the money spent, we felt the favors wouldn’t have made much of a difference as far as our guests having a memorable time. This was recommended to us by our wedding planner! We also loved that we did donuts instead of a cake. The guests loved all of the different choices, and our donut “cake” was so unique! After the day, we took an hour and wrote down everything we remembered (whether it was funny, frustrating, sweet, or even mundane) – we now have a great list of memories and stories! Lastly, setting aside a table for us to sit together after the ceremony with no interruptions was so special. It let us absorb the moment, enjoy each other’s company, and be completely present with each other.

Would you have done anything differently—splurge on a pricier dress, nix the favors, go for that extra passed appetizer?

Planned to have more rose wine! We had enough wine altogether, but didn’t plan on the white wine and rose being so popular. The rose was gone by the time cocktail hour was over, and luckily the best men ran to the nearest store to buy some more!

What tips do you have for other Joy couples still in the midst of wedding planning?

Don’t take it too seriously, it’s something that only happens once! Also, if the groom can get involved, it makes everything more personalized to the couple and more fun overall. We did a couple unique-to-us things like a unity “shot” of tequila at the end of the ceremony, we had a guitarist learn processional songs of our choice, we had our parents each do a blessing of their choosing, and we didn’t have our wedding party stand with us during the ceremony which allowed them to relax and enjoy everything more. Find a way to make it uniquely you and don’t worry what anyone else thinks!

What were your favorite features of Joy?

We loved the RSVP tracker! It was so incredibly helpful and made everything so organized. It was great to be able to arrange the pages in our preferred order and make others invisible that we weren’t going to use.

At Joy we believe that although a wedding lasts one day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you and your partner?

Life is filled with moments, little and large. Joy is about being present in each of life’s moments, experiencing and giving your all in them. In the hard times and the good, joy can be found when you give each other all the love you have to give. Our wedding was a wonderful symbol of love and a beautiful opportunity to have our friends and family come together to celebrate us. We were so happy on our wedding day, but also continue to be just as happy afterward. People have asked “how does it feel to be married?” and we noticed that our relationship and appreciation for each other hasn’t changed even though we now have rings on our fingers!