When childhood friends become lifelong companions, the story is usually a tale of two people coming together, falling apart, and somehow, finding one another again. Such was the case with Kyle and Lindsay Eastling who attended the same kindergarten class and quickly developed a friendship. They went on to attend prom together in high school, before drifting apart in college when Kyle moved to Florida. When he returned to their home town to visit his family, Kyle and Lindsay re-connected and turned their lifelong friendship into a lifelong love!
Lindsay (a full-time teacher, tutor, babysitter and full-time grad student) is clearly a multi-tasker at heart. Those skills proved useful in the wedding planning and Lindsay says her organization was key to wedding planning, but she also had to learn to go with the flow, which is also the advice she would give to other brides. "Relax and go with the process; it will turn out perfectly even with those little imperfections along the way," says Lindsay.
the details
As busy as Lindsay was with teaching, grad school, and a couple of part-time jobs, she found that by taking extra time to get organized with her wedding planning made for a much smoother planning process! She began planning with a wedding bag, a wedding binder, a planning timeline, extensive vendor research and plenty of spreadsheets (Lindsay, let us know if you'd like a job with WeddingDay Magazine!) Several of Kyle and Lindsay's friends were also getting married around that same time which Lindsay credits for helping to spark a few ideas. "Over the last year, we had been to eight weddings, so I definitely had an idea based on all of those experiences," says Lindsay.
In fact, it was after attending a friend's wedding at The Pavilion at Sandy Pines in Northwest Indiana that Lindsay knew it was where her and Kyle would get married. She not only fell in love with the serene and beautiful scenery, but by the time she had gotten engaged, the venue had added on new amenities like a late-night snack menu and an on-site bridal suite. Their ceremony took place in the outdoor garden, while their reception was held in The Pavilion and according to Lindsay, the venue was a hit! "Everyone loved The Pavilion at Sandy Pines, they thought it was beautiful. I heard great things about our dessert bar, late-night menu and s'mores bar!"
Mint is Lindsay's favorite color so it was the appropriate choice as the base color for her wedding. Her goal was to create a soft summery color palette which paired well with the charm of the venue. Peach tones were added for a touch of color in the floral and for the table linens. Other decorative elements were added to complete the look that Lindsay was going for which was "laid back, rustic and romantic." That look was achieved through stringed lights overhead giving a soft glow for the reception, candlelit lanterns for centerpieces, books, a marquee of the couple's initials, an adorable dessert bar, a s'mores bar near the firepit, and a sweetheart table for the newlyweds.
Lindsay is a D.I.Y.'er at heart, as is many of her friends and family. The chalkboard signs, ceremony programs, the lace cloth around the sweetheart table, the window seating chart, and many other details were homemade. "It was a Pinterest explosion!" laughs Lindsay.
what we love
Really, what's not to love about this wedding? First of all, I love mint and peach paired together, especially with how well it complimented the softness of the venue to pull off the romantic feeling that Lindsay was going for. Speaking of romantic, how about that sweetheart table that Lindsay designed for her and Kyle? She says that by sitting with Kyle during dinner—just the two of them—allowed them to have a few moments together to soak everything in.
And perhaps my most favorite special detail of this entire wedding: Lindsay and Kyle incorporated a wine ceremony into their wedding in which they purchased a custom wine box from Etsy that was inscribed with their initials and wedding date. After they read their personal vows to one another, they placed their vow books and favorite bottle of wine into the box. "We plan on opening the box up on our one-year anniversary," says Lindsay. This will be even more special because we are expecting a baby boy in July! We will celebrate as a family of three on August 1st!"
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