We’re excited today to be featuring the picture-perfect wedding of Joy Tucker. Take a seat and enjoy her story and beautiful gallery of photos!
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Thank you for being on the blog with us today, Joy! How would you describe your wedding decor and vibe?
I always thought an outdoor wedding would be beautiful, but I was way too scared because I just knew it would rain THE day of! But one of the only requests my sweet fiancé had was that it would be an outside wedding.
Of course.
So, we decided to get married on my family’s land that had been passed down from generations in Breaux Bridge, LA, under an old oak tree. We called it “Grandma’s Place,” and it was one of our best decisions.
That being said, I really wanted my Grandma’s Place to be the focal point, so I decided to go with a “simply romantic” theme, keeping everything effortless-looking with no fuss or frills. I wanted beautiful blush and ivory flowers, greenery (i.e., every type of eucalyptus), and small gold accents. And it did NOT rain, thank goodness!
What are some of your favorite or most special memories of your wedding day?
Dakota actually surprised me by carving our initials into the tree, and I saw them as I walked down the aisle. It was also really special for us to say our own vows to one another; it made it very personal.
We both have very musical families, so some of my favorite memories from our wedding will be having our friends and family serenading us at our reception. It was such a great idea that we believed was individual to us and who we are as a couple. Dakota and I also sang a song together at the reception. It was very special.
My dad and I were able to have a sweet moment together in our rocking chairs. I sat in his lap, and he just talked to me about life. It was a very wonderful time that we got to have together and I’ll cherish forever.
Another special thing I was able to do since I am a graphic designer, was to create our wedding invitations. It was so fun designing, changing, and tweaking this to get it just right! It’s something special I’ll be able to keep for a long time. Plus, it saved us some money!
Were there any funny moments or things that didn’t go according to plan?
One funny thing that happened during the wedding was that when people started arriving, we began running out of chairs. So, right before we were all about to go down the aisle, there was a man who was riding on a lawnmower with a trailer attached to it holding chairs to bring to the ceremony right through the wedding party — classic Louisiana wedding right there! It was hilarious, and I wish we would’ve gotten a picture!
Also, during our first look, I had a giant bug in the bottom of my dress. I had no idea until our pictures and video came back! The pretty whimsical-like picture of my bridesmaids “fixing” my dress was actually them trying to get all of the bugs — large and small — out of my dress.
How did you find the perfect wedding dress?
Well, Dakota and I actually picked a wedding date BEFORE he proposed. So, I knew that I wanted to have a lot done to my dress, and they take months to come in anyway. I went shopping for a dress before he got down on one knee. They all thought I was crazy, but I was not going to be the bride waiting on my dress to get done a week before the wedding. So, I got my bridesmaids, my mom, his mom, and grandmother all together and went through dress after dress.
I went into it knowing that the dress would have to be altered, so I had to have an imagination, but I’m sure I tried on thirty that day, and I was getting very discouraged. I finally said “yes” to one, cried, and took a picture — the whole big deal — but I think it was mostly because I was exhausted and just didn’t want everyone to be disappointed.
The next day, I called the dress shop back and told them that I didn’t want them to order my dress just yet because I wasn’t sure about it. I went to a totally different shop that day BY MYSELF, tried on three dresses, and fell in love with the very last dress I tried on. I just knew that this dress was The One. I face-timed my mom and sisters-in-law crying, and this time it felt right.
I got the dress ordered and found an amazing seamstress to create the sleeves for me. Thank goodness the dress came with extra lace that matched the dress, because I was able to place the appliqués exactly where I wanted them, and my seamstress created the beautiful sleeves. It was a journey, but it was worth it in the end!
Any advice you have for future brides?
Delegate. Delegate. Delegate.
You will be making more decisions leading up to this day than you’ve made your entire life, so I would suggest having one person that knows you and your style to make decisions when you’re not around or on small frivolous things. This could be a wedding planner, your mom, aunt, etc.
Most of my energy and money went into just a few things: My dress, flowers, photography, and music. Things like the centerpieces, my hair, even the cake, were not on my top priorities to worry about. I did sit down with different people to go over what I wanted for these things, but if some kind of “centerpiece” emergency came up, I wasn’t gonna stress about it. I was just going to let Lisa — my wedding planner, God bless her soul — handle it. Oh — and don’t forget to eat and drink water!
Also, in the midst of planning a wedding, don’t forget about the marriage that will come after. Go to marriage counseling, get you and your fiancé’s finances in order, remember to send sweet texts to your fiancé, and have conversations that don’t include wedding planning together. It’s not just your wedding, it’s his too, and there will be a marriage at the end of this wonderful day!
Anything else in particular that you’d like to share about your wedding or your love story?
Dakota and I started dating immediately after we met at 18 years old. Needless to say, it didn’t last that long. We were both immature and had some growing up to do, but we remained friends.
We were separated for a year after that, but I do not count that time away as lost one bit. We started over, built a friendship and a foundation, then eventually became best friends. But something was always there. Long distance, we were best friends — up all night talking, solving each other’s problems. But when we were together in person, there was always that spark. We knew that we were never “just friends.”
We were separated for a year and truly became best friends. Over that year, we built a foundation. Then on December 12, 2016, we became “official” again. Roughly eight months later, Dakota got down on one knee on September 3rd, 2017, with a Bible labeled “Joy Tucker” (his last name) in one hand and a golden retriever puppy in the other with our family members behind him. It was perfect. Seven months later, we said “I do” on March 30th, 2018!
Photos by Andy Kyle Roberts http://www.andykyleroberts.com