How do I even begin to describe a wedding like this? Eco? Hippy Chic? Organic? Ourdoorsy? Woodland nymph-like? Musical? Midsummer Night’s Dream-esque? None of these words seem to do any kinda of justice to this beautiful wedding.
Samuel & Jessica were married in Moravian falls at Pennel Horse farm. They wanted they day to have a raw and natural feel with a bit of mystical charm and simplicity. “They defined their wedding by what they love and not what tradition says to do”, photographer Shelley told me “so they combined some common elements of the wedding ceremony, seasoned with of a little bit of hippie, funk, vintage and organic charm. Every little thing was a reflection of who they are as individuals and as a couple.”
Their bridal/groomal parties were huge and the woods were filled with light and music from the lanterns they all carried and the drums they played as the bride arrived on a horse. The ceremony was a really emotional one (as you can see from the video below the ‘jump’) the pair washed each other’s feet and Sam even sang and played guitar to his new wife. The reception looks like a blast! The guests ate great organic food and they danced into the night around a giant bonfire.
Jessica’s dress was by Amalia Cararra. She bought her dress at “Stardust Celebrations” in Dallas, Texas, where she she was spotted by the creators of a new reality show on WEtv called “Girl Meets Dress.” The couple’s love story will be aired March 9th as the premier episode! Be sure to check out a snippet of their wedding video below as a little sneaky peak!
Thanks to Shelley, Jess & Sam for sharing their a.m.a.z.i.n.g ceremony and wedding with us (and yes, there are over 100 photographs in this post but I had to include them all!)
The Gallery
Credit: Shelley Paulson Photography
I would love to shoot a Wedding like this! Great photos!
Mark
This is possibly the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen.
This wedding must have been amazing. Everything looks just…. natrually Perfect – Loved it!
Wow, amazing! I totally started crying during the video, a good reminder of how much love there is in this world! Now I want to dance!!
Wow! Absolutely amazing setting and great shots! Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful.
Woow!! that`s the most beautiful wedding Ive seen!!
I love the brides hair and how the veil is attached. This couple has serious style, everything just works!
This is my favorite wedding I have ever seen, I am SO glad you featured it! Shelley Paulson’s photography is breathtaking, and this couple so obviously loves each other so completely……I just fell in love with MY fiance more when I saw these photos!
Hey! This is an amazing article! Thanks!!!
The tv show is called
“Girl Meets Gown” and airs on March 9th!
I know this bride and to know her is to love her even more! This woman is the most sincere loving person you will ever meet. Her story is a fairy tale of Gods love. Her beauty on the outside is a testament to her inner beauty… Her mom did a great job!
Wow! I want to know these people. Thank you for sharing/posting. Your work is amazing and this wedding was the best I’ve ever seen. Where was this? Some of the music sounds like the worship music from…I can’t remember the name of the church in Charlotte, NC but I have their worship music. Beautiful!
so I just checked this site out because I have a feeling a certain someone might pop the question to me soon and I kinda hate the norm fru-fru weddings and found your blog and OMG this wedding looks soooo incredible! I LOVE this wedding! Congratz to the both of them…looks like they had a lot of fun!
I had the honor of being one of the bridesmaids and I loved it!!!!!!! AmAAAAzing wedding! AmAAAAAAzing couple:)
An amazing wedding! An amazing couple! To very sweet people joining there lives together. I love these two lots and lots!!!!!
jashtëzakonshme…
oh my GOD. just bawled like a baby throughout the entire ten minute video. THAT is a wedding.
I would do pretty much anything to know who made those bridesmaid dresses!! PLEASE share! Beautiful wedding, congrats.
There just aren’t even words to describe this wedding. Talk about having the holy spirit move! If my wedding in July is half as wonderful as this one, I will be pleased.
What I really want to know is where she got that beautiful head piece and veil! That is gorgeous! And is there any way to contact the bride? I would love to know a little more about how she planned her day. My fiance and I are also washing each others feet and having our attendants pray with us, but I’m unsure as where to put these things so everything flows cohesively.
BEAUTIFUL wedding!!
LeeLee,
I would suggest contacting the photographer who should be able to pass your questions on to the bride
Truly inspiring wedding!
Hey LeeLee, This is Jessica, I would love to talk to you about anything you want to know girl.
Yay on you getting married in July! How exciting!
The veil: I made the head piece (flowers)- the fabric was extra I ordered with my dress and I just tied into a scarf-the tulle veil part were two different length combs that I bought from a gal in KC.
The bridesmaids dresses I bought from a store called “Metro Park.” (I called all around the country to get the sizes I needed.) ha! They were pretty cheap too. Super comfy.
This was so emotional,
the vid made me cry and the pictures are absolutely STUNNING.
I just love the couple. But they did cried alot, that was so cute.
And the ceremony’s are really interresting, I would like to learn more about that – cause I’m not formiliar with those kind of ceremony’s…
Does it have a name?
thank you girl! yeah, we did cry a lot! ha!
the ceremony-we laid out ourselves. we just did our own thing and had fun. washed each others’ feet as a sign of love and that we put each other before the other. we wanted it simple, not drawn out and wordy, that’s just not us.
UPDATE: The date has changed for the airing of the TV show “Girl Meets Gown”
APRIL 25TH on WEtv instead of the previous date March 9th.
The producer of the show just sent me an email.
Jessica you are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen!! This wedding has inspired me so much thank you for sharing it x
Glad I read the entire comments. I was about to FB everyone and tell them to watch the show tomorrow night! I have shared this site with so many people because it is the best wedding I have ever watched. One friend commented that she wanted a re-do of hers and she’s been married 22 years!
Yeah…I cried. This was so beautiful! 20 seconds in and I was bawling!
It is wonderful that they are so much in love and so happy, but it is unfortunate that Sammuel is so homophobic he would pray for the passage of prop 8.
They claim to be free spirits, bohemians and hippy (just saw her on the wedding dress show) but those are just words and as it turns out hugely artificial personas. Because is they were any of those thing they would honor people loving who they want to love, Gay or straight
Hey Jessica, your wedding
Looked amazing! I’ve been looking for a place like that! Is it open to the public and if so where in the world did you find the info? I got engaged in October and this is the exact kind of place I’ve been looking for!
Hey Brooke!
If you want, drop me an email and I’ll give you some more details about it! It’s a friend of ours property out in the mountians!
I’m sooo excited for you!
Jessica – Had to DVR the show last night because I was working. Just finished watching it. I wanted to cry all over again. I am going to save it so I can show it to others. God bless you and Samuel. BTW I am Kirk Bennett’s sister and Ben and Andy Hailstone’s mom.
Jessica- LOVED your pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw the show and fell in LOVE with your headpiece… I am getting married this September and would like to know if you could either make me one like yours or if I could buy yours! Please let me know!!!
Awwww! Karen thanks!!!
Amanda-Sure, I can totally make you one… why don’t you email me @ colorofworship@gmail.com and lets talk details…how big-same color…etc. ! yay! i’m soooo excited for you!
Jessica ~ you should sell your fabric flowers on Etsy…just sayin’ . They are beautiful and unique and I’m sure brides-to-be would buy them.
Hey Jessica,
Would you be willing to share more about your dress? I LOVE it but am having a hard time finding anything. Does it have a name or item number?
Hey Andrea! Totally, it’s an Eve of Milady 2009 Amalia Cararra. here is a link http://fashionbride.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/eve-of-milady-and-amalia-carrara-2009-collection/ 2nd row on the right is my dress-it’s not on their web site anymore…but you can still get it.
Jessica, your wedding was so beautiful! I would love to know more information on the place you got married at! It’s beautiful and exactly what I’ve been trying to find!
Hey Leah! It’s a horse farm out in Moravian Falls, NC. It’s actually in the process of being sold right now.
which makes me sad. But it’s clear out in the boonies-we had to TOOOOTALLY transform it in 3 days with about 20 of our friends from the bridal party. 
It belongs to a friend of ours.
Hi Jessica,
What music did Samuel play at the wedding on his guitar? Did he write it or is it someone elses? If it’s available, I’d love to know the words and chords!
(bonnie.hall@hotmail.co.uk).
Fantastic wedding- makes we want to get married all over again!
Bonnie
This is exactly what I want my wedding next month to be like! The setting will be different — Mustang Island, off the Texas gulf coast — but creating a celebration filled with raw spirituality, intimacy, and unpretentious expressions of love is definitely our goal. We too plan to bathe each other’s feet; there will be tables overflowing with in-season fruits and humanely-raised meat; and we and our families will dance barefoot on the beach long into the night, around bonfires dug into the sand.
Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your commitment celebration with us, and helping me bring my own visions to life!
Looked like a fantastic wedding. Really great set of photo’s capture the atmosphere perfectly.
Hi Jessica. Firstly, you were such a beautiful, radiant, bride and I want to thank you for allowing your special day to be aired on T.V. Everything about your wedding, including your gorgeous dress, captured your positive outlook and free spirit to a T. I absolutely loved the natural outdoorsy feeling and how your father officiated the ceremony….it was so beautiful and it brought tears to my eyes. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and love.