This content originally appeared as "A Little Bit Country" in Brides magazine.
On October 7, 2012, Stacie Weeks and Aaron Ulland, who hail from St. Paul, Minnesota, married near her hometown, at the Pratt Place Inn and Barn in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
"Our biggest priority was making sure our families could celebrate with us. I'm from Arkansas, and it would have been hard for my grandmother to travel, so we decided to throw a barn party there," says Stacie.
"My mom and I went dress shopping together. I ended up falling in love with a gown by La Sposa. It was much more glamorous than what I thought I'd wear," said Stacie. A birdcage veil complemented the look.
Aaron wore a suit by Canali with a blue tie.
Stacie carried a bouquet of dahlias, celosia, thistles, seeded eucalyptus, craspedia, ranunculus.
"I love red, so it became one of our wedding themes. I wore red shoes by Luichiny, and my bridesmaids wore red shoes, too," Stacie says.
"I asked them [my bridesmaids] to pick out their own dresses in different fall colors. People thought I was crazy, but the end result was amazing," Stacie says. Since her girls wore different colors, Stacie gave them matching brooches, and they all chose to wear red shoes.
Letting the bridesmaids pick out their own dresses made everyone happy—especially Stacie's friend Indy, who was eight months pregnant.
"Besides my husband, my bridesmaids' dresses were my favorite part of the ceremony," says Stacie. "Mixing those colors was so fun!"
During an outdoor photo session, the photographer kept people moving (and laughing) with active, goofy poses.
"Everyone tells themselves they won't be a bridezilla," Stacie says. "Pick bridesmaids who'll remind you to keep your attitude in check when things get crazy."
Aaron gave his attendants socks and pocket watches as gifts.
Aaron's cousins carried a banner by Etsy vendor Butterfly Above during their walk down the aisle.
The wedding planners decorated the mismatched chairs with multicolored ribbons; tying ribbons to seat backs is cheaper than renting chair covers.
Stacie, a lawyer, and Aaron, a medical student, wrote their own vows. "He said he'd be there for me 'in the good times, the in-between times, the bad times, and, heaven forbid, another bar exam,'" recalls Stacie.
"We wanted the ceremony to be outside, but it was too cold the day of the wedding. Luckily, we had the barn as a backup."
There were 110 guests at Stacie and Aaron's wedding. (The barn can hold up to 400.)
With so many colors in the palette, a centerpiece of baby's breath added a neutral touch.
The couple brought their own books and antiques from their home in Minnesota.
"We cut down on flowers by decorating tables with some of our favorite things: old books, an antique typewriter, and doilies my grandmother made. They made our reception feel like home."
"One of Aaron's little cousins—DJ Jam is his nickname—surprised us with a brief light show. Then he gave glow sticks to guests, which really got the dance party started!"
White lace overlays were draped over the red tablecloths to tone down the reception's vibrant color palette.
Guests dined on a buffet that included roast beef and pasta Alfredo. "I loved the cornbread with butter and honey!" says Stacie.
In keeping with the wedding's down-home vibe, the dessert table was covered by a quilt instead of a tablecloth. Apple, cherry, blueberry, pecan, chocolate, and lemon pies of different sizes took the place of a wedding cake.
The couple's first dance was to Patsy Cline's "Crazy."
Stationer Ello There customized the invite and save-the-date to match the color scheme.
"Older people aren't always comfortable with DJ music, so we hired a bluegrass band and a jazz band that played oldies and some new stuff. I told people they couldn't leave until they danced. Everybody did, so I guess it worked!"
