This Vintage Celebration is Full of Thrifted and Borrowed Décor: The Real Wedding of Lola Simpfenderfer and Sam Cooper

Photos ByKaitlin Parks Photography

Allyson Hutchison's picture
Written By
Allyson Hutchison
Date
August 7, 2024
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After meeting in the modern world of dating apps, Lola and Sam dated for three years before they felt it was right to get engaged. Sam proposed on a family trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Picking the right time was an easy decision for Sam. He ended up popping the question on the beach at sunset!
 

We are obsessed with Lola's vintage wedding dress! The lacy details at the bottom are a statement piece to this already gorgeous gown. When traveling with her mom and niece, they decided to stop into a thrift store in Arkansas, and Lola fell in love. "I did not expect to find my dream dress, but when I put it on it felt like it was made for me! I’ve always loved the look of vintage clothing, so wearing a vintage wedding dress was perfect for me," Lola raves. "It’s a 1970s gown that I had altered in a few ways to fit my vibe." We think she looks beautiful, especially with the stunning braid that her hairstylist adorned with some delicate flowers!
 

There were a few things that Lola and Sam knew when they went into the wedding planning process. Lola had always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding with a vintage feel to it. Other than that, they let the wedding planning journey take them where it wanted to. They ended up with a fun celebration filled with lots of unique vintage items as well a various colors. "I didn’t have a specific color palette, I just wanted lots of color and patterns! I let the wedding party pick what they wanted to wear, and I thrifted all different kinds of vintage tablecloths and vases," Lola shares. We think it is the perfect ceremony to celebrate the couple and their love!
 

 

What We Love

It takes a village to plan and put together a wedding, and Lola and Sam collaborated with their entire village to make the planning process more fun. Their décor was a combination of thrifted items (chosen by Lola) and borrowed items from their friends and family, making their wedding more special. The flowers also had a lot of special meaning to Sam and Lola since their Uncle Martin put together all of the ceremony arrangements. For the bouquets and reception flowers, Lola and her bridesmaids put them all together using various flowers Lola bought or picked! Sam's dad also officiated the wedding. Lola gushes, "It was incredibly personal and such a great way to include family. Family is so important to us, so having everyone be apart of our way was everything we ever wanted."
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Lola and Sam advise, "Don’t procrastinate! There’s lots of tiny details most people don’t tell you about, so try to get those done as you go. Make sure your vendors know what they are doing and that you can trust them. Most importantly, make decisions about your day based on what makes you happy! People are going to have lots of opinions about your day and how you go about it, remember it’s okay to say no and put you and your significant other's interests before anyone else’s."
 

 

 

 

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