1. Real Weddings

Katie & Zach: An Outdoor Wedding in Lexington, KY

After Zach proposed to Katie by the beach, it was only fitting that the couple marry near the water. Although they originally considered a destination

After Zach proposed to Katie by the beach, it was only fitting that the couple marry near the water. Although they originally considered a destination wedding, they settled on a lakefront affair in Kentucky. The Bride Katie Miller, 25, customer service manager The Groom Zach Willie, 31, construction & estimating manager The Date June 14 A few years after meeting through friends, Zach planned a surprise Labor Day proposal. They couple was visiting his family in Virginia when Katie asked Zach to take her on a walk along the beach when the stars were out. He obliged, but asked that they walk to see the sunset. As they walked to the shoreline with the sun setting in the background, Zach proposed.

Bowls and vases filled with white river rocks overflowed with orange roses, protea, yellow calla lilies, and hypericum berries.
Katie and Zach exchanged traditional vows in a horse paddock overlooking a pond.
Green and orange flowers decorated the six-tiered, fondant-iced cake, and a bouquet of spray flowers topped it off.
Katie and Zach exited in a shower of sparklers and drove away in an antique Bentley.
Katie's seven bridesmaids and one junior bridesmaid chose their own wine-colored, bubble-hemmed gowns.
Gold chargers, topped with ivory menu cards that detailed the elaborate buffet, sat on eucalyptus-colored tablecloths.
Katie and Zach wanted their guests to enjoy the reception and have a place to escape from the noise if they need to take a dancing break. To achieve this, they set up a lounge area on the lawn just outside the reception tent. White couches, white cocktail tables, and handmade red-and-eucalyptus-colored pillows decorated the area.
Wine-colored sashes matched the bridesmaid dresses and added a touch of color to the flower girls' ivory dresses.
A yellow calla lily accented with hypericum berries decorated the groom's lapel.
Cones filled with orange roses, calla lilies, and greenery hung from shepherd's hooks and lined the aisle.
For a fresh-from-the-fields look, Katie carried a hand-tied bouquet of yellow tulips, calla lilies, and protea mixed with green hydrangeas, hypericum berries, and greenery.
Orange protea mixed with greenery topped the tables in the lounge area.
Katie and Zach shared their first dance to Bless the Broken Road, by Rascal Flatts.
They made their ceremony a family affair by asking the bride's grandfather, who also married her parents years earlier, to preside over the event.