Early Fall Inn at Irwin Gardens Wedding

Lee + Rachel’s early Fall Inn at Irwin Gardens Wedding by Stacy Able Photography

When we first met in Washington DC this past June for their engagement session I knew we would all get along well.  Rachel and Lee were so easy going, fun to chat with, and a breeze to photograph. The pair were just as great during their early fall Inn at Irwin Garden wedding. Their September Indiana wedding was a crisp yet warm, a perfect fall day which made their outdoor ceremony even more pleasant. There were so many heartfelt moments and traditions that were unique to photograph. Thank you all for having us as a part of your day!

Q+A with the Bride: 

Lee and I are both Midwestern kids, who met in New England and now live in the heart of Washington, DC. We selected our venue, the Inn at Irwin Gardens, because it was the perfect blend of European elegance, New England architecture, and Midwestern charm. Our main wedding goals were to honor our families and friends, celebrate our future together, and maximize the time we spent with guests. We succeeded. Our families played a large role in the wedding. In fact, my dad officiated the ceremony. The Inn provided an amazing setting and allowed us to host events on consecutive nights. We also took photos prior to the ceremony, which allowed us to remain at cocktail hour and avoid a lull between the ceremony and reception. Hurricane Matthew did cause some travel challenges for our guests, but we were blessed with a beautiful fall day in Columbus.

I loved our wedding ceremony. My father officiated the wedding, which was incredibly special. Instead of a unity candle, we planted a tree in soil from our childhood homes. I loved the metaphor. Lee’s favorite part of the whole weekend was the casual receiving line and cocktail hour. This was a destination wedding for every guest. Cocktail hour was the first and only time we had a chance to visit with them one-on-one and personally say thank you for making the journey.

My two younger brother were “wedding security.” I gave them creative liberties to develop their characters. They both deserve Golden Globes. They took candid head shots of each guest as they entered, stood guard during the ceremony, and even attempted to put my uncle in handcuffs.

For our first dance, we danced to a song named Soviet Union by Sean McVerry.

Vendor List: Dress designer – The bride wore an ivory and gold, fit and flare, Fiore Couture gown from Marie Gabriel Couture, Invitations – The save the dates and invitations were designed and purchased through zazzle.com (during the Black Friday 50% off sale!), Bridesmaid dresses – JC Penny’s , Wedding Cake – We were blessed to have two wedding cakes. My sister, Bailey, personally decorated a vanilla cutting cake baked by Confectioneiress in Zionsville, IN. Additionally, my grandmother made a rum cake to celebrate our Trinidadian heritage, Groomsmen’s Tuxedos – Macy’s, Groom’s Suit – Lee wore a custom made navy suit from BookATailor, Flowers – Bride’s bouquet and Groom’s boutonniere were purchased from Flowers of the Wood’s in Columbus, IN. The bride’s mother made each of the bridesmaid’s bouquets as well as the corsages and boutonniere’s worn by the groomsmen and family members, Catering – Our wedding was catered by First Class Catering located in Columbus. Day of Coordinator Brittany Snowden at the Inn at Irwin Gardens, DJ and Ceremony Music Greg Binder/ Dr Dance.