We asked the bride Dayton and few questions about the big day, and try not to fall in love with her after reading her answers!

Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day? 

A: Our biggest inspiration for the day was the venue and my urge to always find a way to be a little bit different and non-traditional. We decided not to have a style, but more of a mission statement - create a space where love brings everyone together. 

Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY? 

A: Charlie and I had a vision to create a space that brought people together.   Our ceremony was simple, I wanted the Botanical Garden to create the scene-scape and pull in the focus outside. We were so lucky that the rain had just ended and all of the fall colors came out.  We wanted our reception to feel like home where everyone was welcome and felt comfortable to move around as they wished. We were so overwhelmed with the end result also. Our wedding planner, Jess actually went to her own home the day of and brought items she knew would set the tone even more that matched beautiful pieces from Props to You and Host Rentals. One of the most beautiful pieces we had was our personal Buffet from home that our wedding cake adorned. 

Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding? 

A: When I first sat down with Jess and Zuzu's I was nervous they would think I was a little odd, but I wanted the floral arrangements to feel like you were walking through the garden and happened upon them. I wanted to feel like I could find them in a little cottage in the forest, which is why I specifically asked to include mushrooms into my bouquet and the bridesmaids. They took that idea and made something even more beautiful than I had imagined. I think I literally said to them, "If you need to run to the farmer's market and add garlic cloves, that's great too! Let's create something we could potential eat." 

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding? 

A: We decided to forgo the tradition numerical table markers and picked names or sayings that would spark conversations between people who were seated. We spent a lot of time reminiscing about growing up, our friends and the little inside jokes and decided to share them. In addition to the personalized table markers, we also included little nods to the move Steel Magnolias. Our grooms cake was a grey armadillo, perfectly crafted by Rick's Bakery and our bar napkins had the line "Drink your juice Shelby, drink your juice." printed on them. I wasn't able to fully dive into the blush and bashful theme, but it was perfect nonetheless! My family takes a lot of pride in our ancestry and background, so the men in my family wore our traditional kilts and each added a little something from our Choctaw heritage to their formal wear. Poppa, Dr. John R. Oglesbee, M.D. was our officiant and ended the service with a traditional Gaelic saying. Having my grandfather bless our marriage means more to me today than any other, as he has since passed due to the corona virus. To maintain the focus on friends and family gathering, we kept the entertainment subtle that created a wonderful atmosphere for talking and enjoying each other's company. The entire night was focused on togetherness. 

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day? 

A: I waited my entire life to hear the song Cora from The Last of the Mohicans played at my wedding and our cellist, Christian Serrano-Torres exceeded all of my expectations. It was a magical moment between my grandfather and me as I grew up watching that film with him and he knew right when it started what it was. 

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day? 

A: Fall in love with someone who let's you explore your wild ideas and hire amazing vendors who can eloquently execute them.

Venue: Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks

Photographer: Freckled Fox Photography

Florals: Zuzu’s Petals

Wedding Gown: Tesori Bridal and Formal

Planner: Daymaker Design