The Wedding Story of Jessie and Greg Harden

Photos ByIndianapolens.

Written By

Date

July 18, 2018

Enchanted Garden: A Timeless, Whimsical Wedding at Biltwell Event Center

Considering five to be their lucky number, Jessie and Greg planned a fun trip to Miami to celebrate their five year anniversary and, to Jessie’s surprise, Greg had an August 5th proposal on the beach in order!

Diving into the wedding planning process, Jessie, confident in both her personal style and creativity, opted to plan everything herself. She zeroed in on a “Midsummer Night’s Dream" theme for their wedding—a style that was nothing short of romantic, earthy and ethereal and full of lush details.

The Colors

Jessie says, “The color palette was ocean colors with shades of blues, purples and nudes. We originally wanted to have the ceremony and reception outside, but couldn’t find the right venue. So instead, I wanted to bring that enchanted garden feeling inside. I chose my florist very carefully and knew she was the kind of artist that would bring the venue to life with her work and be able to execute my vision. To say she executed the vision would be an understatement.” Jessie also let her bridesmaids choose whatever dress they wanted from her gorgeous palette to ensure they felt both comfortable and beautiful.

The Dress

While Jessie had always dreamt of a “massive princess dress” for her wedding, she fell in love with an Australian company and their modern, delicate looks. When she discovered they were opening one of their first U.S. showrooms in Venice Beach, California, she immediately booked a flight to L.A. She says, “The second I tried on the dress I loved most from their website, I knew it was the one. It fit perfectly and I felt amazing in it. It is the complete opposite of a princess dress—it’s a little bit hippy, while still being chic and modern...It was beyond comfortable, and I felt more beautiful in it than I ever had before in my life.”

The Venue

“Our venue was one of the only truly unique indoor venues I viewed (and I viewed quite a few) that I felt could be transformed with the florals and decor we chose,” explains Jessie. “The Biltwell was an 100-year-old door and window factory, and it was restored with original wood floors, soaring ceilings, tons of original steel windows and skylights and huge wood beams throughout.” Another bonus was the ceremony and reception could be hosted in the same building.

The DÉcor

Jessie dreamt of entire installments with fabric, candles, flowers, vines and branches, and her dream certainly came true. She says, “Guests entered to a table with a massive arrangement of crab apple tree branches with tiny lime green apples hanging from the limbs and spilling onto the tables. There were lush vines with roses intertwined leading up the staircase to the reception room where balls of tangled branches hung over tables. Our head table had a massive arrangement suspended above it with vines, flowers, feathers and glass tea light globes hanging from it.” The table décor also included a collection of mercury glass votives, moss, succulents, vases of flowers and large chunks of amethyst crystal. “I’ve always been obsessed with crystals and purple is my favorite color, so the amethysts were probably my favorite touch,” explains Jessie.

Special Touches

Besides writing their own vows, the couple also took pride in the music selections they carefully crafted for each part of their big day. Another of Jessie’s special projects included designing and arranging all of the seating areas. But perhaps her favorite detail was the sweet, copper terrariums Greg surprised Jessie and her bridesmaids with on their wedding day. She says, “Mine had a gold bracelet inside with an amethyst on it. We were so surprised, I can’t believe he arranged it without me knowing!”

What We Love

When asked what guests would remember about her big day, Jessie says, “I hope more than anything they remember the feeling the day gave them. There was so much love, happiness and hope for the future in the room that night. It was almost palpable, and I’ll never ever forget the feeling it gave me watching it all unfold."