For many couples, the moment when one person pops the question is a huge surprise. But that wasn’t the case for Erica, who Nick proposed to on a secluded cliffside in Ireland. “I know Nick well enough that I was definitely expecting it,” she says, “but I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to get engaged to my best friend.”
Erica and Nick first met in college at the University of Nevada in Reno, and Nick recalls taking Erica out to dinner for their first date. “My pickup truck was old, the driver’s side door didn’t open, and the passenger window was permanently stuck down,” says Nick. “Even though the car ride was freezing, and I had to climb through the passenger seat, she didn’t complain once. I knew she was a keeper after that first night.”
The two tied the knot in an October celebration at The Barn at Second Wind. They both wanted a rustic, country-themed wedding, and the venue was a perfect fit. “Our wedding designer Lindsey from Getting Hitched Design + Rentals set up a display in front of French doors underneath a huge, shady tree. It was so beautiful,” says Erica. It was also during the ceremony that both experienced their favorite moment of the day: Erica’s entrance. “Nick looked so happy to see me walking down the aisle, which made me even more emotional,” she says. “I’m not normally an expressive person, but I definitely was at that moment.” Nick says that Erica absolutely interpreted his expression correctly. “I was so happy to finally see her after waiting for so long!”
The party moved inside the barn for dinner, with a few quick moments dedicated to speeches and cake cutting. But then it was right to dancing; Erica recalls that guests were on the dance floor the entire night. “We kept the traditions to a minimum because most people enjoy drinking and socializing the most,” she says. “We had hip-hop hits playing so people would dance as much as possible.”
Though the wedding was just what the couple wanted, Erica says that their short, seven-month engagement did make planning a bit harder. “Since so many people plan their weddings over a year or longer, lots of vendors were booked for our wedding date,” she says. She recommends that other couples with short engagements be flexible and open-minded when it comes to selecting vendors. “Don’t stress too much over the details,” she says, “because you’re not going to notice them on your wedding day anyway. In the end, everything turned out perfect.”
—Suzie Dundas
Details about the cake
We did a naked red velvet cake just for cutting, so it was only about 6 inches in size. We did cupcakes for our guests. We had red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and chocolate with vanilla frosting.
Details about the flowers
For the ceremony, I had a large bouquet with burgundy dahlias, playa blanca roses, red hypericum berries, willow, and silver dollar greenery. There was also something red draping down, but I don’t know what it was.
The bridesmaids each had 3 playa blanca white roses, various eucalyptus, and red hypericum berries. Nick had a boutonniere with a white spray rose and greens. Moms/Grandmas had white spray roses, with red berries and eucalyptus. They got to choose either a pin-on or a wrist corsage.
For the ceremony, we had a eucalyptus spray with a few white blooms attached to the French door panel that was behind us. We bought the wedding greenery from Costco for the tables inside the barn. It was amazing greenery and a great deal.
Details about the favors
We did small flower seed packets that said “Let Love Grow” on the front. We placed them in a small basket provided by the venue near the exit, so guests could grab them when leaving. I ordered them from Etsy at WeddingsByChelsie.
Anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
Both of us thought that the emotional part of the wedding would be done once the ceremony was over, but one moment that really got to both of us was our first dance. Our song was pretty emotional, and getting to share our first dance in front of all of our loved ones definitely brought tears to both of our eyes. It was a really special moment for both of us, and Cornell captured some amazing shots of us dancing with everyone in the background with the barn lit up beautifully.
All of our vendors were incredible, but I do want to say that Annette (venue coordinator) was absolutely amazing. She has been doing weddings at the venue for years, so she knew what to expect the day of, and what we needed to plan for. She was so attentive to our needs/wants the day of, but she still managed to stay on top of the timeline and details. She was great at coordinating with all of the vendors to ensure that our big day went smoothly, and we were so glad that we didn’t have to worry about the coordination and communications with the vendors. If you decide to get married at this venue, you have to hire Annette as your day of coordinator. She made our day all about us having fun, and we weren’t stressed at all.
Any tips you’d give brides and grooms planning their wedding today?
Don’t stress yourself out planning every little detail of the wedding. Make sure you hire good vendors, and they will worry about the details for you. Our team was great about handling the details and only involving us when it was absolutely necessary. The day goes by so fast, that you will regret worrying over small things that you don’t even notice on the day of.
What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
Neither of us really have any regrets when it comes to our wedding day. We both are pretty laid back and tried not to have unrealistic expectations, and we both keep saying that our wedding day could not have gone any better. One thing I do wish is that we had spent the money to hire a videographer. We had an amazing photographer, and she captured some amazing shots, but it would have been great to have some video from our wedding day as well.
Vendors
Ceremony Site:
The Barn at Second Wind Officiant:
Justin Cutts, family friend Ceremony Music:
DNF Elite Entertainment Photographer:
Factory 404 Company Wedding Designer:
Getting Hitched Design + Rentals Reception Site:
The Barn at Second Wind Bridal Hair:
Reilly O'Donnell of Local Girl Studio Bridal Make-up:
Conni Maree at Gypsy Dawn Beauty Bar Bridal Attire:
Second Summer Bride Bridal Veil:
Etsy Bridesmaids' Attire:
Birdy Grey Groom’s Attire:
Men's Wearhouse Groomsmen's Attire:
Men's Wearhouse Ringbearer Attire:
H&M Bride's Rings Jeweler:
Shane Co. Groom's Rings Jeweler:
Manly Bands Save the Date Cards:
Shutterfly Invitations:
Shutterfly Thank You Cards:
Vistaprint Wedding Party Flowers:
Garden Wishes Ceremony Flowers:
Garden Wishes Reception Flowers:
Garden Wishes Caterer:
Gourmet Garage Bar Service:
Gourmet Garage Cake:
Cupcake Craving Cupcakes:
Cupcake Craving Desserts:
Getting Hitched Design + Rentals DJ/Entertainment:
DNF Elite Entertainment Favors:
Weddings By Chelsie Decor Rentals:
Getting Hitched Design + Rentals Decor Signage:
The Barn at Second Wind Table Rentals:
Getting Hitched Design + Rentals Chair Rentals:
Getting Hitched Design + Rentals Linens:
Getting Hitched Design + Rentals Additional Resources:
Healthy Tans Spray Tanning Studio (spray tan/teeth whitening) Additional Resources:
All About That Face Esthetics (eyelash extensions)