Kelli + Andrew

May 02, 2024 / Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

How did your love story begin?

Andrew and I found love in a truly hopeless place…aka Tinder! We actually had previously met in 2021 when Andrew started working for the same company as me and I conducted his new hire orientation, but there is nothing cute about orientation and I certainly couldn’t pursue an employee - I am in HR after all! Fast forward to 2022, we matched on Tinder and realized that we had met before (and Andrew no longer worked for my company) so we decided to give it a shot and went on our first date. Our second date was Ashley for the Arts, a music festival in Arcadia, WI. We danced to Brantley Gilbert’s song “She’s My Kind of Crazy” and were so lost in the moment. It was something neither of us had ever experienced before - the world melting away like it does in the movies. That is when he says he knew I was his forever. Andrew proposed in July 2023 in front of our immediate families. It was a beautiful, intimate moment that we were able to share with our favorite people and I couldn’t have imagined it any other way.

What was the vision for your wedding?

We decided very quickly that we wanted an elopement somewhere beautiful. We went on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains when we were dating and it was a place that was so special to both of us that we knew that is where we wanted it to be. We wanted the beauty of the soft, wooded mountains in the spring. We found the venue pretty quickly. Honeysuckle Hills had all of the beautiful views that we wanted with some great perks for destination couples! All-inclusive packages allowed us to not have to worry about small details and instead focus on the things that mattered to us. Regina, the owner of Honeysuckle Hills, provided recommendations and even coordinated outside vendors for us. She is a phenomenal host and we were so fortunate to have her helping us plan our day. Outside of the location - the most important vendor to us was our photographer. We wanted timeless photos that embraced the natural beauty of Tennessee. I stumbled across Tiffany Christina Photography during my search and knew that she was the photographer for us. Tiffany is a dream to work with. She understood us and she understood our vision and she is just so incredibly talented.

Tell us all about your wedding day look!

I was so nervous going into dress shopping. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted and through all of my searching online, I wasn’t seeing what I wanted. I went to a store before I went to Rare and it was a poor experience. As a plus size bride, I did not feel that the environment was inclusive to me. I felt self-conscious and I left in tears because nothing was what I wanted, I was feeling pushed into dresses I didn’t like, and nothing fit right. As soon as I walked into Rare, I felt my nerves melt away and I was so excited to know that this was a place for me! There was no dress that I couldn’t try on. It was such an amazing feeling. Not only that, but the stylists that helped me listened and took the time to understand what my vision was. I tried on a few dresses that were pretty and almost there, but weren’t quite right. Then, my stylist pulled out a gorgeous strapless dress with a plunge neckline and a slit in the skirt. The dress had lace and sparkle and it was perfection! I said yes to the dress that day and it was the best decision! I went back to Rare a month or two later because the last piece I wanted was some sort of sleeve. The dress I chose, Dolly by Rebecca Ingram, didn’t have an optional sleeve. My stylist helped me play around with different sleeve options and then she pulled sleeves from Nera by Studio Levana and they were exactly what my vision was. They matched the dress so well and gave me the exact look I had imagined!

You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?

Our wedding day was everything that we wanted it to be. We woke up in our cabin in the Smoky Mountains with a beautiful view of sunrise and then the two of us headed into Gatlinburg for breakfast. That quiet morning together having breakfast and talking about all of our plans and hopes and dreams for the future was one of my favorite memories of the day. Andrew and I wrote our own vows. It was such an emotional and special moment during our ceremony when we read them in front of our immediate family and closest friends. After the ceremony, we took some time to get some family pictures and some beautiful portraits of the two of us. Then, Tiffany followed us to Krispy Kreme and we went in to get some doughnuts (because who can resist Krispy Kreme doughnuts?!). Tiffany took some fun pictures of us while we enjoyed donuts, coffee, and made some memories that we will never forget. It was a little strange to be standing in line at Krispy Kreme in a full on wedding gown, but it was worth it! After our Krispy Kreme adventure, we headed back to our cabin and had a Tennessee BBQ dinner with our guests complete with pulled pork, beef brisket, bbq chicken, all the fixings, and of course some sweet tea! Andrew’s mom made us a beautiful wedding cake that we all enjoyed and then we shared our first dance to “The Painter” by Cody Johnson.

What is your best piece of advice for future brides-to-be?

My best piece of advice is to do what you and your partner want and what makes you happy! Your wedding is the start of our marriage and life together - make it what YOU want.

Vendors:

Dress: Dolly by Rebecca Ingram via Rare Bridal Bar
Photography: Tiffany Christina Photography
Videography: Andy Irwin Photo & Video
Venue: Honeysuckle Hills
Hair & Makeup: Summerlynn Beauty
Florals: North Wood Blooms
Suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Bride’s Hat: Lucky M Leather Shop