On the first day of August at 4:30 in the afternoon, my baby brother finally tied the knot and I got a new sister! Tim and Jessica had dated for five years and right this minute they are basking in the sun on their Mexican honeymoon. I am only slightly jealous. yeah. right. I am SUPER jealous and wish I was crashing their vacation right now. Talk about awkward family moments….hey guys whatcha doing?! 🙂
Anyhoo….I thought that since I recapped my sister’s wedding and my own wedding so extensively…it was only fair to share some of the festive details of his big day!
Let’s start with my absolute favorite moment. When he first saw her walking down the aisle, he put his hand over his heart and then teared up and held the sides of his face. Oh dear lord and all the angels….it was so raw and so Timmy. He is such a quiet guy….never one to put on a display just for attention…when he does something outspoken, it’s always with distinct purpose. When he tells a joke, it’s because everyone will definitely laugh. When he has an opinion, he speaks it only if it’s answering a question. And this kind of emotion….it’s so rare that I haven’t seen it since he was small. I lost it.
Their ceremony was held in a barn and they stood at the very end of it. The dress she wore was gorgeous. The lace was just beautiful and she skipped the veil and just wore pearls and super sparkly shoes. Tim’s attire was very casual. The guys all wore gray slacks and white shirts and Vans. My brother was the Best Man and the groomsmen wore suspenders while Tim wore a vest.
The bridal colors were plum and teal and her bridesmaid/matron of honor wore the same dress in different colors.
The thing that surprised me the most was Jessica’s bouquet! It was white lilies and so pretty with the mix of closed and opened blooms. I would have never thought she would have picked it and I thought it was so casual and elegant!
Her girls carried purpley roses with teal baby’s breath and they were gorgeous in real life. I captured this at the end of the night and wished I would have staged it to get the right color!
The guys all had matching boutonnieres. This is my brother. In suspenders. You know its brotherly love when you wear something in front of your entire family that you would never otherwise put on your body. Just saying. That’s what weddings are for….proving your love through awkward wedgies situations.
Some of you were asking about what we wore….Jeremy has a lavender shirt from Banana Republic and my dress is from NY&Co. The boys outfits were from The Children’s Place and their shoes are Walmart. Max is wearing a shirt from The Children’s Place and his coveralls are from Baby Gap. I recommend to boy moms all the time to get the slacks, shorts, and button downs from The Children’s Place because they are super cheap and the boys can switch up their ties or vests to make endless dressy combos. For instances…the shirts are $6, the shorts $6, belts $3, ties $2, and the shoes $5. That means the entire outfit is $22 and I just need to switch one thing to give it a completely different look.
Immediately following the ceremony, the guests were urged to the side of the building where there were rocking chairs and nuts and fruit and a bar area. The photographer did all the family photos then and the staff reset the chairs for the dining portion of the event. It was a nice transitional area….but I gotta admit that in the heat, majority of people were hugging the shade!
As you can imagine, it was CRAZY with four kids and after I nursed Max, I snapped some family photos. And yes, my grandmother heard that it was a barn wedding and she wore boots and a hat 🙂 It was actually a genius move because then she didn’t need to worry about her hair melting in this heat. Also…check out my little Ya-ya! Isn’t my niece just the cutest?! I got her that outfit and of course she looks more than adorable in it!
That’s LJ yelling at the horses. Yes, there were horses and goats and chickens and a playground. It was kinda perfect for my children because they thought we went to the zoo.
Speaking of horses….Will didn’t even bother pausing because the horses just needed the hay hand delivered to them. He must have done this job for about an hour and a half.
They did serve dinner and it was topped off with cupcakes for dessert. My boys of course stole them. There is no chance I am getting food in their tummy when Nana is spoiling them with baked goods.
Speaking of Nana and baking….she made the grooms cake because she thought it would be fun. I think she secretly just wanted to add to her motorcycle and four-wheeler collection. Just embrace it mom. It’s okay to say it out loud.
Apparently the mother-son dance was epic. Like there was the tango….and something really funny….and mom probably hurt herself….I’m not 100% certain because Jeremy took these photos but seeing them afterward I was sure it was awesome.
One of the other details that I thought was really cute was the bridal favors for the guests to take home.
Jessica had gone with the rustic theme and filled these little jars with lemonade mix. I loved that! So cute and actually useful!
Since my boys were dressed up, I took this opportunity to try to snap a few pictures of them. These are my favorites….
Seriously Will….stop growing. This is the look he gives you when you say No, you can’t have my phone. I think Tyra would be proud of the intensity in his eyes. And LJ….try to not smile, mmkay? Just kidding…keep smiling kid….never ever stop 🙂
And Weston….I have no words….y’all just pray for us okay?
At any point during the night, you could see about ten guys hovering around Tim’s exit strategy….
My little brother works as a wheel artist….that’s what I call it….he paints wheels for high end cars and then on the weekends, he works on bikes. This bagger motorcycle is his current favorite. He always has different ones that he scores for cheap and then fixes up to be these works of art. My favorite one ever was his bat-mobile. It was just so fun.
He and Jessica rode off into the sunset to House of the Rising Sun. It was a perfect way to end the night!
I wish I could say that I really enjoyed the wedding….it was so beautiful and everything went without a hitch….but honestly, I think we probably should have brought a babysitter with us. It was so hard to chase the kids who were chasing the chickens and crying because they stepped in horse poop and taking the time to nurse Max and eat and take some pictures and I didn’t even get to dance with Jeremy. yeah. bummer. I guess I am at that age where kids are crazy needy….and next thing you know, I’ll be blogging about dancing with Will at his wedding. Oh geesh….here come the waterworks. Let’s change the subject….
Overall….so great. I can really tell that Jessica worked really hard to make things so very nice and I gotta say that it was really beautiful. I loved the casual vibe and the personal touches and the fact that you could tell that Jessica and Tim were both having fun. I can’t wait to hear all about their honeymoon! And with that, I am gonna wrap up wedding week till next year. That’s when you get to hear about Jeremy’s brother’s wedding! That’s right! Torrey is getting married in February in the great state of Texas and it’s supposed to be an affair to remember! AHHH! Note to self….hire a babysitter for that one 🙂
Looks beautiful!
My little brother got married in July and I have only 2 kids, and, sigh, yes, it is just exhausting. We hired a babysitter for the ceremony only (because I had to be a reader and my hubby was a groomsman, and well, kids, right?) but I missed my brother’s first dance and introduction to the dance floor because the kids desperately needed to nap in their car seats before coming into the reception site for such a late night.
It ended up well by the end, but it is hard to enjoy the moment as a sister when you can’t shake off “mom.” I feel for you.
OMG!! DO NOT TALK ABOUT THEM GETTING MARRIED!!!! My 1st is starting kinde NEXT WEEK!! I am already an emotional mess….don’t talk about college, or weddings!!! I cannot handle it!! 🙂
What a beautiful and sweet wedding!! It looks like fun……lets talk about your pictures….Those boys of yours seriously get cuter and cuter with every passing day!! It is unbelieveable! And, I will begin praying for you regarding Weston….that boy is gonna keep you on your toes!!
So beautiful! We went to my husband’s cousin’s wedding last weekend and the kids were invited. We have two girls (4 and 1) and thought it was GREAT to be able to bring them! And we did end up having a blast, but man, there were some crazy moments. Speeches run long, food comes out late, and kids are dying to eat the cookie favors on the tables…not always fun! Worth having a sitter for!
Oh. My. Goodness. The first two pics…simply as sweet as it gets. Ah, love.
What lovely, beautiful wedding!
I just wish there was a full – length picture of the bride! 🙂
Where in Texas?
Fort Worth!
xo kb
Such a beautiful wedding!! And I definitely recommend a babysitter. Our go-to sitter is my very best friend so she is almost always at family functions. But, she is an extreme introvert so she loves that she gets to take care of the kiddos and I love that they are loved on and I get to have actually adult conversations :))
Ooooo, I don’t live too far from Fort Worth. I volunteer to babysit those Bower boys!
What a beautiful wedding. And great photos of course 🙂 To the happy couple!
I love all the rustic details! Did you end up making that cake stand as well? It’s so cool and your new sister-in-law made a beautiful bride!
The wedding looked gorgeous!! You guys have a beautiful family – the love shows in the pictures.
xo,
Seng, Lifestyle Blogger and Photographer
sengerson.com
We took our favorite babysitter from home to my sisters wedding last summer in Florida and it was by far my best mommy idea.
I have one just like Weston! Maybe God separated he and Will so that Will would be old enough to show him the ropes. And then God gave you two more so quick so you would actually have more. Ha! My wild one is the last one….So I eat him up as much as o can…good thing he is cute!
Love the pictures. My son is getting married in 30 days and if he should get so emotional I don’t know if I could handle it. SO SWEET!!!! I have a question about your Mom’s dress, I love it. Still looking for a dress. Do you know where she got it? Looks go comfy and pretty. Thank you very much.
That picture of your mom and your brother on the dance floor……I hope I have a pic like that with my boys in 25+ years. Joy and love!
Katie, I don’t want you to take this wrong at all and I know family is everything to you and you have Jesus in your heart but do you ever worry family (mainly your beautiful new sister in law) will read this and take it the wrong way? Just some examples are you not enjoying the wedding, being surprised she picked beautiful things etc… I ask because I have always wondered how families take to personal information and moments being told from someone else’s perspective so publicly. (This of course applies to all bloggers and vloggers) Do you wirry about your boys readibg your blog one day? Lastly, is it ever difficult (or has this ever happened) to open your heart to people with different morals/beliefs than you? How do you embrace it and what will you do if one of your sons (or future daughter!) Are gay or don’t want to marry/have children? You are a doll and I hope my questions or coments do not offend.
Hi Katie! I am not on instagram so couldn’t comment there, but wanted to say re: Max’s name – go with your heart on that one. If you deep down feel it’s not the right name for him, then change it! Or call him something else and maybe change (or not) later. I’ve known people who’ve done all of the above – changed their son’s name at 1 month, called a child by her middle name because the first name didn’t seem right, and also a good friend of mine named her 2 year old daughter Eve and still feels to this day that a different name (which she won’t tell anyone so that no one else will start calling her this!) better suits her… There’s no wrong decision here, just a tough one to consider on no sleep and crazy postpartum/lactating hormones.
Also – great wedding pics and thanks for being so honest about the fact that the wedding was crazy and hectic with 4 kids in tow. One of the many reasons your blog is so great!
Oh my, I saw the picture of your brother with his hands up to his face and I fell in love. I am guessing he will be a wonderful husband. God bless them both, as he has you and yours.
I’m in Dallas. I’ll babysit for ya! 🙂
Those are all good questions and honestly…there is no other way to answer all those questions except to answer them…
1. Sometimes I worry about that but then I think that something could be taken the wrong way if I had a blog or not. Like I would say that in front of family and sometimes somebody could get offended. I am not surprised that she picked something beautiful…I am surprised that she picked lilies because she told us her shoe choice and dress choice and flower choice ahead of time. And she had honestly picked the PERFECT spot for my nuclear family…my boys had a great time…but having four boys five and under is hard no matter where you are!
2. No I don’t worry about the boys reading the blog. They will be embarrassed of me whether or not I have a blog 🙂
3. No it isn’t difficult. I have friends of different walks of life/world views/morals….there are differences in my own family in fact! I love them!
4. Embracing other people is just loving them and respecting them! I don’t believe that you have to agree to get along!
5. I don’t know what I will do….I definitely will disown them. KIDDING! I love my kids. Why would that change? Asking those kinda questions are like saying….what will you do if your kids live in Europe? It’s negligible.
Hope this answers it!
xo – kb
Nope! That was provided by the venue!
xo – kb
I love this post….but did you change the font or is my computer crazy; I’m finding it very difficult to read.
I did but Jeremy just told me that he hated it so I am gonna try to change it tonight. Just playing around!
xo – kb
Your boys looked handsome, as always! I would love a post about their wardrobe or a post about how to coordinate for family pictures. I’m terrible at that! My little guy is 9 months old & I’m really struggling to pick out outfits for his pictures. I’m sure I’ll have the same issue at 12 months, 18 months, etc. Since you’ve got boys & a photography background, I’d love your opinion on that!
Loved seeing all the beautiful wedding and family pictures. I was a bridesmaid in my sister’s wedding and had four kids 5 1/2 and under at the time. My youngest was six weeks old, so I had to nurse her in the kitchen of the wedding venue with my dress hanging down around my waist and my husband’s sport coat covering my top! Our older two boys were ring bearers, and I’m sure our 2 year old was wreaking havoc on the fondue table, but I know we had lots of family and friends who helped us watch all of them. It’s hard though, so just enlist help if you can!
That picture of your mom and brother. I don’t normally comment but wanted you to know how much I love the energy in that picture. I hope my son and I have as much fun at his wedding one day.
We always just try to pick out something classic and nothing that has giant dinosaurs or puppies on it 🙂 Maybe look at catalogs and online to see what you like style wise and then pick something similar 🙂
xo – kb
I am the venue owner and so blessed that you shared your experience at Tim & Jessica’s special day for others to see. We are blessed and honored to have families create memories at our barn. Love the picture if Tim seeing Jessica at the alter and glad that your boys felt like they were at the zoo!! 🙂
Your honesty is refreshing and it is appreciated but unfortunately lots of children are disowned for being gay so it really is nothing like moving to Europe.
Thanks Susan! And sorry that the boys chased the chickens…we had a talk with them about that later! They were so excited to see “the ducks” that I think their curiosity got the best of them 🙂
xo – kb
But you asked me for my opinion so negating what I said isn’t fair…don’t you agree?
xo – kb
all is well in our world! Im sure some chicken casing helped them sleep better that night!!
Thank you for sharing my home with your audience!!
Ross. She said it was a very large size and she took it in to fit 🙂
xo – kb
Beautiful wedding and pictures! Your family’s picture is so sweet!
My sister got married last year (destination wedding on Anna Maria Island, FL). We rented a big house for my parents, my family and my 3 sister’s families as well. There were 7 kids under 6 years old! It was definitely crazy! For the night of the wedding, we did hire 2 babysitters. It was a vacation destination, so there was an agency that specifically catered to out of towners coming in and needing childcare. They were SO professional, SO reliable and great with all of our kids. The babysitters came right before we left the house. They stayed with the kids the whole night, especially helping a lot with the youngest kids. (I was 5 months pregnant so it was really nice not to have to chase around my then almost three year old and 18 month old). We thought the kids would stay through dinner, but it was drizzling, and a beach wedding/reception so we ended up sending them home during cocktail hour. 2 of the dads went back with the babysitters and kids to get them settled, and then they came back to the wedding in time for dinner. Honestly, it was money well spent, and we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the night at the wedding. We didn’t feel like we had to rush home at all because we had tired crashing kids with us. I think it’s really wonderful when brides and grooms include young kids, especially when it’s family, but it’s nice come dinner and dancing that the kids leave and mom and dad get some time to chill and enjoy!!!