Bridal Feature - Brittney Matherly Parks

Brittney Matherly married Jeremy Parks at Gambill Estates a year ago and we love them so much we wanted to revisit their wedding and wish them a very happy anniversary! So here goes!

The Wedding

This couple adores the outdoors and definitely wanted to get married outside. They chose a venue that had both indoor and outdoor options in Roaring River and it turned out to be a wise way to go. They'd hoped to say their vows near a 100+ year old tree surrounded by 150 guests on a gorgeous May day. When the guest list expanded and the weather didn't cooperate, they ended up having the ceremony under the pavilion. "It was the best of both worlds." 

"We chose to have a rustic/country theme. I loved the trend of rustic/barn weddings. This theme also gave Jeremy the chance to wear his jeans and boots like he wanted, haha. Also, I love sunflowers, so I wanted a way to incorporate them into our wedding and flower arrangements." 

The couple incorporated baseball bats and there were sweet images taken by Waterhouse Studios of everyone under umbrellas. 

Brittney: "Decorations for the reception included white tablecloths and burlap table runners and wood round centerpieces which were cut from a tree off of mine and Jeremy’s land where our house sits now. We placed mason jars filled with clear rocks and lights, as well as sunflower and daisy arrangements on top of the wood rounds. We also had small lit candles on either side of the centerpiece. Guests were served a BBQ dinner from Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and had the option of glass bottled drinks such as RC and Dr. Pepper. We had cupcakes with assorted flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and honey bun) with cream cheese icing made by Alaina’s Bakery. We love baseball and Jeremy played from the time he was a little boy, so we had personalized baseball jerseys made where people could sign or write words of advice on them."

The Couple

Their story is a sweet one starting in daycare. Seriously. Brittney was looked after by Jeremy's mom when she was just a baby and they still joke about it. Their relationship became something in high school when they actually were old enough to date. When it was time for college, it became harder and harder to make time for each other so they took a break. They came back together in 2016 and decided to give it another try. Nearly a year later, on the anniversary of Brittney's childhood heart surgery, Jeremy proposed telling her that even though her heart was fixed as a child, he wanted to be the one to take care of it for the rest of their lives. That's a mic drop, if there was one. 

The Dress

Brittney knew that she wanted to be married in white and had some preferences in mind when she came to see us at BT. No mermaids, no trumpets, no strapless dresses. Please and thank you. But she shared later that she didn't stick with all of her biases. It happens. ​

"There was a dress that I tried on that was form fitting. I had seen it online, and I knew it was going to be the one. I tried it on and hated it! Then, my mom picked out an ivory A-line style that had a good amount of lace detail, a belt made into it, a short train, and several layers to it that gave it a little 'poof.'

She insisted that I try it on, and I fell in love! I loved the lace detail and the simple belt that was made into my dress. I also loved the “V” in the back with the lace detail. To me, these small details made my dress beautiful and elegant.

Kelly let me roam and look around as much as I wanted, but was always there to answer any questions that I had or give me advice when I needed it. I was set on not having a veil. She insisted that I try one on just to see and joked that she wouldn’t let me leave until I did. I tried one on that was hip length and had the same lace detail as my dress. As soon as Kelly put it on my head, I loved it. It really made me feel like a bride. I also loved how BT would hold your dress after it came in as long as you needed it. I ordered my dress in January 2018 and my wedding wasn’t until May 2019, so it was nice to know I had somewhere to store it and didn’t have to worry about it."

During one of the hardest and strangest and most upsetting years we've seen to date, we gotta focus on love and that's what we're going to do. We are sending love and light to Brittney and Jeremy today and every day. Congratulations on finding each other!