Jennifer Kilkus, age 23 and a freelancer for the American Psychological Association's PsycINFO department, married Casey Poe, age 23 and a Spanish translator, on April 14, 2007 – and their big day was a springtime outdoor wedding in Maryville, Tennessee.

Jen and Casey share their inspiration for why they planned their wedding for the style and location they did: “I think having an outdoor wedding lends a beauty and charm to a wedding that few buildings can compete with! We wanted a venue with an area for both a wedding and the reception so that our 75 guests did not have to travel to make it to the reception. We visited Twin Cedar Farm in Maryville, Tennessee and it was perfect!”

Working With the Groom:

Like most grooms of today, Casey partnered with his bride-to-be on many tasks that just mean more to work on as a team. He was particularly involved in the guest list and invitations, such as gathering addresses and helping put together invitations.

About the Wedding Gown:

Jen says, “I went into David’s Bridal on a whim during their $99 sale, grabbed the first one I saw on the rack that I liked and tried it on. I bought it about 10 minutes later. It ended up being completely different than I had imagined, with an asymmetrical bodice that gathered on one side and a full crinoline skirt. The salesperson helping me said I was the easiest bride she had ever worked with!”

About the Groom’s Wardrobe:

Casey wore a new gray pinstripe suit he had just purchased, and the best man just happened to have one to match.

About the Bridal Party:

“We had a maid of honor and a best man. We didn't see the need for a larger bridal party, and didn't want to cause anyone a financial burden. My maid of honor was my best friend in high school, and she chose her own dress which was a cute cotton yellow dress. The best man was my husband's college roommate and best friend.”

Jen and Casey planned an outdoor afternoon ceremony. They had a string trio play the prelude and postlude music, which lent an elegant air to the outdoor setting. Their officiant was a mentor from their college days and Jen says, “She was wonderful. We had several Bible readings and a reading that described how we felt about marriage. We also performed the rose ceremony. Immediately after the ceremony, we took a short ride in a horse drawn carriage, which brought us up to the reception area. The weather had been threatening to pour all day and it was unseasonably cold for Tennessee in April, but the rain held off until the very last person made it into the reception area and then it just stormed. The owner said he had never seen someone beat the weather like that!”

“My favorite photo is the photo of us kissing at the end
of the ceremony. You can see the wind and the stormy
sky and the beautiful backdrop.”

About Our Reception:

“The reception was a very relaxed affair, with finger foods and a cupcake tree. We're not very traditional people, and so we didn't do anything you'd expect at a wedding: no cake cutting, bouquet toss, or first dance. Because of the informality, we were able to talk to everyone,” says Jen.

Their favorite parts of the reception menu were the fresh fruit and cheese courses. And instead of a traditional wedding cake, they designed a cupcake tree with chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. On a budget of $5,000, they found beautiful ways to design a gorgeous wedding day without the over-the-top excess of food and extras….for this couple, the time spent with family and friends was priceless.

About Our Centerpieces:

Jen and Casey chose simple votive candleholders with bronze ribbon, on a mirror surrounded by yellow flower petals.

About the Favors:

“We didn't have favors. In our experiences at weddings, we knew that people didn't generally know how much effort and money went into them and usually either didn't take them or threw them away later.”

Our Favorite Parts of the Wedding:

Jen says that her favorite part of the wedding was how unique it was. “It didn't follow a cookie cutter script. Everything that happened was exactly how we wanted it. The ceremony music and our officiant was my favorite part of the ceremony, and the relaxed feel of the reception was my favorite part of that.”

What Made Our Wedding Unique:

Jen says, “Everything! From the size and dress of our bridal party to the boycott of the bouquet toss and the cupcake tree. It was perfect.”

About Our Honeymoon:

“We haven't gone yet, since we paid for all of the wedding ourselves and are paying for the honeymoon ourselves as well, BUT we are going to Cabo, Mexico and Oahu Hawaii at the end of July.”  Jen and Casey are examples of the new trend in delayed honeymoons…which so many couples say is the best decision they could have made. Beyond taking the time to recover from wedding expenses, you’re also decompressed from all that wedding stress and hectic schedules, you don’t miss out on spending time with friends and family who have flown in for your wedding, and you can always take a little weekend getaway right after the wedding to give yourselves some alone, romantic time. The big honeymoon will be all the more enjoyable a few months later when you can really enjoy it. Another thing to keep in mind: delaying your honeymoon might put you in a month or season when tourism and prices are just starting to decrease…so you might get way more honeymoon for your money!

Jen’s Advice For You:

“Don't let anyone tell you how to do your wedding. Be polite and follow etiquette, but have the celebration you want.”

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