JULIA ADEN & KENDALL THORNTON
Aug. 19, 2023 | Decatur | Cameron and Elizabeth Photography
In a story befitting a best-selling romance novel, Julia and Kendall met in high school while he was on the same baseball team as Julia’s brother. When Kendall began joking that he was Julia’s boyfriend, he actually kickstarted their relationship.
“He has been persistent since the beginning,” Julia said. “Eventually, we got to talking and developed a sweet friendship that turned into young love, which got us here today.”
While joking about being her boyfriend, Kendall got down on one knee and proposed a date with a toy ring. Julia quickly realized she couldn’t imagine a life without him.
A well-kept secret, Julia was taken by complete surprise when Kendall proposed (for real this time). He planned the engagement with her parents and brother after asking for their blessings.
“He proposed under the beautiful tree we would eventually have our wedding reception under,” Julia said. “Our moms and one of my best friends were hiding behind hay bales taking pictures capturing the moment. To add to the shock, we had a celebration with family and friends waiting for us up at the house — so many happy tears were shed!”
WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE
Planning and design
Amanda Reed of Amanda Reed Weddings
Photography
Cameron and Elizabeth Photography
Florist
Silks-A-Bloom
Jewelry
Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry
MORE VENDORS
Venue: Private family ranch; Catering: Catering Unlimited and Wright's BBQ; Bar services: Mint 2 Mix; Videography: Dave and a Camera; Rentals: Eventology, Perch Decor and White Door Events; Linens: BBJ and Nuage; Dance floor: Center Stage Dance Floor; Lighting: Lightworks Events; Ceremony and reception music: Mega DJ; Stationery: Shindig Paperie; Photo booth: Social Photobooth Co.; Popcorn: Hill City Popcorn; Cookies: Half Baked Goodness; Favors: Salt and Light Bath Co.; Tent rentals: Intents; Trucker hats: Happily Horton Designs; Watercolor: Chez La Marie; Wedding dress: Kleinfeld Bridal; Bridesmaid dresses: Birdy Grey; HMUA: Breanna Leas and Emily McClish
Q & A
Q: What did you love about your venue?
A: “It was immensely special to get to have our wedding at our family ranch, which has meant so much to our family and will always have a special place in my heart. My parents and family friends put in months of hard work to make our field of dreams come true.”
Q: What personalizations made the day extra special?
A: “Our invitations had watercolor details that gave guests a glimpse of the day before they arrived. The envelope liners had a sunset over the field where our engagement and reception were, and the invitations had a gorgeous custom crest with our initials, florals and our pup, Bentley. Our favors were honeycomb-shaped soaps with bees my mom handmade from her small business. They were a treasure and added [a] personal touch.”
Q: Tell us about searching for your wedding dress. What was your experience like?
A: “My mom surprised me with a trip to NYC to Kleinfeld to pick out my wedding dress,” Julia said. “I was not sure what I wanted for my wedding dress, but I knew I wanted to feel genuinely confident and [like] myself. When I tried on my wedding dress, I knew it was the one… as a bonus, the designer of the dress was there when I said yes and added some special touches just for me — a dream!”
HAPPY FEET
Kendall and I both agree the dance party was our favorite moment. It’s not very often in life [where] all the people you love are in one place and having pure fun!”
WORTH-IT SPLURGE
“The wedding planner is so worth it. Amanda Reed did a fantastic job helping us pull together an incredible team of vendors and making the vision come together.”
