A little humor and a lot of resilience lead to a beautiful, elegant and safe wedding at The Wilds venue in Bloomington, Indiana amidst a pandemic.
Amanda and Ethan weathered every storm that could arise when getting married during a pandemic. Changing restrictions took them on a wild ride toward their wedding day, but we were honored to give them a day as beautiful as they had always dreamed. See how our trusted team creates wedding day magic, even in the hardest seasons.
The wedding day they’d hoped for
Like so many couples across the country, Amanda and Ethan faced great uncertainties in wedding planing during the pandemic. Plans for a large wedding came to a halt a few months before their date, and the pair quickly adjusted their expectations from a boisterous party to a courthouse wedding. And then, even the courthouses had to close.
Within a matter of weeks of their wedding date, guest restrictions opened up just enough for the pair to include many of the loved ones who wouldn’t have been able to attend before. We at The Wilds wedding venue were happy to pull their big day together with the wonderful work of the vendor team that you will get to know below.
The joy of these two was palpable from the first moments, captured in images by Courtney Sinclair. Surrounded by loved ones, each had finishing details placed by their mothers. Our rooms were filled with laughter and the biggest smiles. Amanda and Ethan weathered stormy seas to get to their wedding day, and now it was time to celebrate!
True love never fails
This wedding of childhood sweethearts was a long anticipated celebration. The bride even wore a bracelet given to her by Ethan when they started dating in the 8th grade. This close pair chose to privately read their vows in our elegant bridal suite, taking a moment to be centered together prior to the ceremony.
Getting married during a pandemic may have been a battle, but the beauty was well worth it. The traditional ceremony included Amanda’s mother reading a passage of Scripture in Portuguese, her native language. It was a beautiful full-picture moment, as the same passage was read during the mother of the bride’s wedding. Meaningful touches like this are heritage-creating moments which are our passion to host.
A romantic color palette for this bridal party
Romance is the word of choice for this beautiful bridal party. Mismatched bridesmaid dresses in varied shades of pink perfectly frame the bride in her flowing gown with a plunge neckline from The Wedding Studio. The groomsmen keep it clean in soft navy blue three piece suits with light pink ties from Generation Tux.
The fun bunch enjoyed capturing energetic portraits with backdrops of The Wilds wedding venue’s picturesque, sprawling 125 acre farm and the covered ceremony pavilion before kicking off the wedding reception.
Contagious joy during this delightful reception
If there is one thing that we know because of weddings in the pandemic, it is that true love is worth celebrating.
Amanda and Ethan had accepted the thought of a simple courthouse wedding, but even that had been on the line. What a joy to instead get to throw this pair a vision of a wedding at The Wilds venue in Indiana! That sense of celebration, we feel, has been extra deep for our couples getting married during a pandemic.
For this pair, one of their key heroes was Cathy Teeters. From being flexible and a source of solutions in the midst of many changes, to her classically stunning floral aesthetic, this day and experience truly would not have been the same without her. This soft romantic floral design had key placements of orchids throughout, including in the brides hair, to honor her Brazilian heritage with the national flower.
Cathy Teeters has been one of our trusted preferred vendors since our opening, and you can learn more about her in our vendor highlight blog post here.
A song of hope for couples getting married during a pandemic
Sometimes a song says it best, as is the case with “Marry You Anyway” by our bride, Amanda. The recording artist-bride wrote a song dedicated to her groom and their pandemic wedding planning trials. They knew that they would be married, no matter what it looked like. The song played as they cut the cake, creating a beautiful celebration of the roads that brought these two together.
Following an elegant, plated meal by One World Catering, the party moved to our outdoor patio for an open-air dance party to remember!
Hardship can make the celebrations that much sweeter, and that was the case for Amanda and Ethan. The evening was capped off with a hilarious garter prank, buoyant laughter, and everyone dancing their hearts out. The open air patio holds plenty of space to sit and relax or dance under the string lights and stars. And the double-sided fireplace and dual fire-pits play their part in adding an incredible evening ambience.
The night capped off with romantic sunset portraits
For all of the trials leading up to their pandemic wedding, we couldn’t be happier to see this pair get their happily ever after!
Amanda and Ethan snuck away from their lively wedding reception for some quiet moments together at sunset. The golden hour glow matched this pair perfectly, and we’re sure that these beautiful images captured in rolling hills of Brown County will be lifelong family heirlooms. Mr. and Mrs. joined their patio party and danced the rest of the night away, surrounded by loved ones!
Amanda has this bit of wisdom to share with other couples planning their big day, especially in the midst of a pandemic:
My best wedding advice is there is no right or wrong way to plan a wedding (especially during a pandemic). Decide what’s important to you and your partner and spend your time and money on that – nothing else matters.
Relive the day and this party in their video by Mitchell Gaston Films, featuring Manda performing both of her original songs:
The Vendor Team
| Wedding Catering and Cake | — | One World Catering |
| Wedding Planner and Florist | — | Cahty Teeters Beautiful Weddings |
| Photographer | — | Courtney Sinclair Photography |
| Videographer | — | Mitchell Gaston Films |
| Ceremony and Reception DJ | — | The Dance Machine DJ |
| Hair and Makeup | — | Studio M Salon |
| Stationery/Paper Goods | — | Minted |
| Wedding Dress Shop | — | The Wedding Studio |
| Suit Shop | — | Generation Tux |
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