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Nikki & Josh really are two little rays of sunshine! Documenting their beautiful day was something we were really looking forward to! Their wedding venue, Kaya Vineyards is so stunning, alongside their other vendors they made everything look perfect and gave Nikki & Josh their awesome magical day! Nikki shared a little about their love story and wedding plans with us, take a look.

Before & After The “I Do’s”

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?

We were inspired by the venue itself. Kaya Vineyard and Winery is in Dahlonega and has a majestic view of the north Georgia mountains. Josh and I wanted to keep the decorations simple because we did not want to take away from the natural beauty. The colors were navy and gold. I saw them on some gift wrapping some years prior and I knew I wanted those to be our wedding colors.

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

We had wine inspired decor. I had a DIY party with my bridesmaids we worked on terrariums as centerpieces for some of the tables. In those were flowers, grapes, corks, and a tealight candle. We also made a sign for the bar out of corks. One of my bridesmaid's, Kati a.k.a. the crafting queen did the remaining crafts: that included the aisle markers, the sweetheart table centerpiece and the welcome sign. Annie my maid of honor designed and filled my party favors of honey jars. My mom designed the menus and wine themed table names.

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?

We had a minimal amount of flowers. We had bouquets, which we then used as centerpieces for the the remaining tables that did not have the terrariums. My bouquet had succulents in it, because they are one of my favorites. Josh and I both had thistles in our arrangements. The thistle is the flower of Scotland and that is where he was born. We did not have flower decorations for the ceremony. We wanted to take full advantage of the beautiful mountain view.

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

A little, I love the movie The Little Mermaid, so some of the decor like the cake topper and the welcome sign were inspired by that. The music for cocktail hour was heavily influenced by Disney. Josh donned his kilt half-way through the celebration. Dancing was one of my favorite parts of the wedding, my Daddy/Daughter dance was so much fun. Being surrounded by and able to celebrate with the people that we hold most dear was the best part for Josh and I.

Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.

Once again, The Little Mermaid influenced me. I had on a mermaid styled dress. It was ivory colored with a lacy detail in the back. The scalloped train on it was amazing! The veil was stunning, it was scalloped as well with beaded details. My bridesmaids and the groomswoman wore long navy colored dresses, they each picked a style that they liked. Josh and the groomsmen wore a black suit with navy accents.

How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

We met almost 5 years ago through a mutual friend. We were friends for about a year before we started dating. Josh planned a surprise trip, I just knew the dates but didn't know the location (Google Calendar almost gave it away though). The time comes for us to leave and he finally tells me that we are going to Vegas and the Grand Canyon. I was so surprised. I had mentioned that I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon one time. I did not think he remembered. We arrive at the Grand Canyon and one of the must do's on our list is watching the sunrise and sunset. We get up early the next morning to watch the sunrise. We find an outlook with good view and it is spectacular! Afterwards we start walking around the rim and taking pictures of the view. We see a really pretty spot and stop. I am petrified of heights so Josh was on the rocks and I was on the trail. He beckons me out and I was like no you got this. He then gets down on his knee and proposes!

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

Being able to call each other husband and wife. Also, the cake we had a Bailey's flavored tier that I was looking forward to.

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

My advice to other couples planning their special day is to be true to themselves. This is your day, celebrate the way you guys want to. Don't let others pressure you into doing things you do not want to do or that make you feel uncomfortable or you feel like you are just doing it to keep the peace. The day of flies by, enjoy every moment even the unexpected ones. It will be magical no matter what!