A Glittering Indiana Countryside Wedding: The Real Wedding of Heather and Derek Weaver

Heather and Derek connected online on a dating website, but it wasn’t long before they realized they had mutual friends IRL! Derek’s proposal plan got hijacked when Heather overheard his conversation with the jeweler. She drove to the jeweler with him and he stopped on the way home to propose!

Heather thought she knew what style of dress she wanted until she got to the bridal boutiques. She explains, “When I started to try on dresses, I fell in love with the blush color, the illusion neckline and a little bit of lace. I hated lace and pink until I tried them on. I knew I had to get a dress that was like that but it was hard to find the right one until I fell in love with the dress I picked.”

Shortly after this couple booked their venue, Heather joined the Army National Guard. She only had two weeks to plan her entire wedding before she had to travel to basic training. “Every day was busy. Each day had its own task,” she says. “One day was the caterer, then the next was to find a dress, etc. Good thing I knew exactly what I wanted!” The venue Heather picked had a glamorous country feel that she wanted to convey as a theme throughout her wedding! Most of her vendors were found from recommendations, such as the yummy food provided by Nelson's Catering!

What we love

Heather and Derek included their family in the ceremony for an added touch of sentiment. Heather danced down the aisle with her mom to Chris Brown’s song, “Forever,” and Derek’s uncle acted as the officiant. “This wedding celebration was really special to me because it celebrated our marriage and just how strong we really are as a couple being away from each other after we first got married,” Heather says. “It also symbolizes all the accomplishments I’ve made in a short time.”

Advice from the couple

When it comes to pulling a ceremony together, Heather advises future brides to get a planning buddy to keep your stress down. She notes, “Some things on your wedding day won’t go as planned, but you have to just let it go and try to enjoy the moment with your husband.”

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