Sarah and Joel’s New Years Eve Wedding at The Barn at Chestnut Springs

The theme for the wedding was mostly inspired by my mom. Before I had met Joel, my mom developed stage 4 brain cancer. While I was helping take care of her, we had a lot of free time and so we would watch TCL’s different wedding programs. She came up with the idea of helping me plan my dream wedding incase she would no longer be around to help me when that time came. Mom was able to meet Joel 3 months before she passed. Through the whole wedding process up to the “I Do” I felt her presence with me, helping me make decisions as only a mother should. 

Just about anything we do together is fun. Most of all we both love to travel,
whether we take a road trip to a new place 30 minutes away or fly to a new country, we are both up for anything!

What Joel loves most about Sarah: I love her smile. It was the first thing I noticed, the day I met her.
I also love her determination and patience – she needs a lot being married to me, lol!

What Sarah loves most about Joel: He loves me unconditionally,
even when I do those little things that annoy him, lol. He is my best friend and my rock. 

We both have anticipated that day for the year and a half that we were engaged,
and to have gone through that experience with each other was a dream come true!

I had so many DIY’s it’s hard to remember them all… lol!  I was intent on doing as many DIY’s for the wedding, because I felt it made our day more personable for our guests. Probably my favorite was my bouquet. It was made from 3 fake white hydrangeas and over 50 brooches. It took me about 6 months of trial and error to make it the way I had envisioned. 

We really didn’t have ONE honeymoon. For the wedding, since we are from out-of-town, Joel and I booked a beautiful cabin for 9 nights. And we plan on doing a lot of traveling in the year 2014. We both consider this to be our extended honeymoon’s. 

Our Song: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

Dress: Jim Hjelm Couture
Makeup: MAC  –  Fringe Salon
Shoes: Gianni Bini
Grooms Outfit: Jos. A Bank
Decorations: DIY & Campbell Tent & Party Rentals
Flowers: Melissa Timm Designs
Cake: The Confectionista’s Kitchen
Food: River Plantation Conference Center & Catering
Bartender: The Pour Guys
Brides Ring: Custom made by William S. Nacol Jewelry Co. and designed by the bride and groom.
Grooms Ring: Custom made by Mornhinveg & Castille Jewelers and designed by the bride and groom.
Brides Earings: William S. Nacol Jewelry Co.
Brides Real Ring: Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry
Pastor: Smokey Mountain Resort Ministries – Joey Buck
DJ: Smokey Mountain Sounds – Ron Crivellone
Photography: Knoxville Wedding Photographer – Star Noir Studio
Associate Photographers: Nelya Grace and Ian Parrott