Cozy Winter Wedding at The Barn at Shady Lane

Sarah and Alex are exactly the kinds of happy-go-lucky people that you just want to be around. These two are perfect for each other, and it’s so evident to anyone that knows them! Their Birmingham winter wedding at The Barn at Shady Lane this February was perfectly cozy. There was a feminine, organic touch to everything, without being too girly or overdone. Mary Margaret Smith captured their special day.

Words From Sarah

During the planning process, we knew that we wanted our wedding vibes to be very relaxed and welcoming in a cozy setting. We chose
The Barn at Shady Lane because it embodied that intimate, cozy, romantic vibe and the barn itself was absolutely stunning. It was a place where we could do our ceremony and reception all in one, and it was a place where we could visit anytime we wanted to because it was so close to home. There was no question or debate on who would be designing our invitation suite; none other than my talented sister and Maid of Honor, Jessica Stalnaker of<
Empress Stationery. I also knew I wanted to incorporate a custom watercolor floral wreath design from my talented younger sister and Maid of Honor, Kathryn Stalnaker. And of course, no invitation is complete without a little gold foil and gold calligraphy by the talented Avivi Behel of The Refined Pen! My paper Squad definitely created a dreamy invitation suite that set the tone for a gorgeous wedding!

For decoration and florals, we wanted mostly greenery with pops of merlot and blush. Our florals from Kathleen Varner of Edna K Floral & Designs , flawlessly captured our vision. From the greenery and floral garland draped across the wooden cross altar for our ceremony, to the organic and whimsical bouquets for the bridesmaids, her designs gave the barn and our wedding just the right touch of elegance. We incorporated gold touches with candle votives and floral urns on all reception and food tables. We set up a table at the entrance with framed photos of our grandparents, some of which could only be there in spirit with us, which brought an extra special touch to the entire day.

We kept our ceremony very traditional, short and sweet. My absolute favorite part of the ceremony was hearing our Pastor read letters aloud that Alex and I had written to each other about why we wanted to marry one another. Talk about a tear jerker! It was so meaningful to hear those words spoken out loud in front of our friends and family.”