Hannah & Matt // Intimate Adventure Wedding

Hannah & Matt

Location // Sam’s Throne Recreation Area
Florist // Judy’s Flowers & Gifts
Table & Unity Plant // DIY
Hair & Makeup // Hanna Burge + DIY
Dress // David’s Bridal
Reception Cabin // Red Rock Vista Cabin - Buffalo River Vacations
Reception Catering // Family DIY
Video // Hannah Keener with avad3, inc.

I have SO many thoughts about Hannah & Matt’s Intimate Adventure Wedding / Elopement + Family / whatever-you-want-to-call-it, because this day & this decision speaks so much to the soul of what I want to capture more of. We’re living in a time of a worldwide pandemic where couples everywhere are having to rethink & reimagine what getting married can look like, & THIS is exactly what it could look like. I thought it might be better to reach out to the bride herself rather than spill so much of what I have to say, & I couldn’t be happier with that decision. Her words connect directly to the hearts of those of you making difficult decisions, considering yourself, considering others, & planning this crazy day around what should be about your love. Throughout this blog you’ll see words from Hannah Mustain & photos from their wedding day that they made happen in only 7 weeks after getting engaged! I hope it connects with & inspires you. I hope you can see that a wedding is about the marriage first & foremost.

“I’ll be honest and say I was secretly afraid that one day I’d look back and regret not doing the “big” wedding-- I knew a non-traditional wedding is what I wanted but there was still a sense of FOMO. But we’re almost 6 months in and if anything, I get constant affirmations that what we did was PERFECT for us! There have been SO many days where I’m just so thankful that we’re already married, in OUR home, and sharing our life together. We were ready to be TOGETHER and that's exactly what we got. Togetherness. That morning during the ceremony, ALL DAY of our wedding day, & every day since then.”

- Hannah Mustain

“I feel like there's a negative stigma where people see these types of weddings as leaving others out, instead of viewing it as letting themselves be in it. Every part of it. Their voices and their love on THEIR day. Somewhere along the way, having your wedding day be about you got lost and considered 'selfish.'“

- Hannah Mustain

The quote above from Hannah hits me at the core. Wedding events can absolutely be about your loved ones, but I strongly believe that they are first and foremost about you. You are not selfish for wanting a day that is perfect for you. You are not selfish for asking others to travel for you. You are not selfish for including or not including what or who you want in your most special day. I placed this quote purposely just before the families arrived, so you can see exactly how inclusive Hannah & Matt were, even at sunrise on a mountain overlook!

“When we first started dating, I bought a plant for Matt's house. Many have followed since. The plant in this picture started growing in the same pot as the original. Its roots ran out of room, and it needed a new home. That dating plant, became our marriage "unity" plant. During the ceremony, we potted it with dirt from our childhood homes- representative of the roots we came from. We watered it because we know that our marriage will need care and nurturing, and that God, the Living Water, will be where all growth comes from. One of my absolute favorite parts of our ceremony.
Also, Matt made that table for me as my Christmas gift three months after we started dating. He also used it to hold the "Marry Me?" sign when he proposed.
We didn't say that we loved each other until the March after we started dating, but he wrote "I love you" on one of the boards of that desk when he made it for me in the preceding December. 😭”

- Hannah Mustain

“We would so, so recommend this to anyone. We sat down and wrote down what we KNEW we wanted (immediate family, outdoors, morning time, and I wanted a dress and bouquet), then making decisions outside of those necessities became SO much easier.”

- Hannah Mustain

“Any amount of worry that I had for the ‘what ifs’ down the road have been put at ease every day that I get to wake up already sharing life with my husband. That’s the goal of it all anyway, right? And if 10 years down the road I decide I want a bit party, I’m sure my family and friends will come!”

- Hannah Mustain

I’d help make a dream like this come to reality every month of the year if I could. If you share a connection with the photos, thoughts, & words put down here & want your wedding to speak true to who you are, please reach out & let’s make it happen!