Aleigha & Matthew
I’ve never been part of a wedding that pulled my heart strings as much as Aleigha and Matthew’s wedding. I know not everyone does traditional wedding vows, but I could not help but repeat those old, timeless words as their special day drew nearer, “…from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death…” These two had already experienced their fair share of worse, poorer, sickness and death prior to even saying, “I Do”. From the moment I met Aleigha and Matthew, I could tell that their love was raw, real, stretched, experienced and true.
Leading up to the wedding Aleigha had made me aware that her nephew was not doing well and it was questionable if he would make it to the wedding, her grandpa’s were no longer with us and her grandma, diagnosed with alzheimer's disease, would be her flower girl. Family was important to be celebrated and included in her and Matthew’s day. Little did we know, that two months after the wedding, Aleigha’s father would be diagnosed with cancer.
When Aleigha first showed me the backyard where the wedding would take place, I was in awe of this beautiful, old garden structure - I thought it was one of the most beautiful ceremony locations I had ever seen:
The aged cobblestone floor, the brick pillars, the large mature trees, and the way the sun shone through the filigree metal top was breathtaking.“This is where you guys will be standing for the ceremony?” I immediately assumed.
“No,” Aleigha corrected me, “that’s where I want the Memory Table to go, with all the photos of our loved ones who aren’t here in person to celebrate with us.”
I was confused. It’s your wedding day… I thought. Why would you not to be in the prettiest area? Especially for all the photos…? As we planned their wedding flowers, I would learn that’s exactly who Aleigha was. Sacrificial, kind, always aware of how to bless someone else - Selfless even on her wedding day.
It was an absolute honour to be part of this special day - A love like yours is rare Aleigha and Matthew, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to get to know you, witness your love and grace leading up to your wedding day, on your wedding day and see all of the unfiltered joy Kara was able to capture after your wedding day ♥ One of the first things I noticed after Aleigha and Matthew shared their wedding photos with me, was there, among the crowd of all their loved ones watching them say, “I Do” were photos of those who were there in Spirit.
Vendors
•Wedding Photos by: Kara Black Photography
• Wedding Flowers by: Payton’s Place Designs
•Wedding Venue: The Mason Manor
•Wedding + Bridesmaid Dresses from: W Bridals
•Hair stylist: Kylie McClenaghan
•Rentals: A1 Rentals
“We loved that Payton put together the virtual flower palette, so we could visually see what to expect (especially as people who are not flower proficient)! It gave us a great idea and helped us plan other aspects of the wedding! Honestly, it was even better than we expected - Everything was gorgeous, and our personal favourite was the arch swags as well as our special request, Flower Nana and Ring Bearer florals (I’m sure you can see why)! From everything we received including the bulk florals, everything was worth the price, and we regret nothing! Thanks again for everything Payton!”
