3 min read

I Do, From Afar: Planning A Wedding Long-Distance

Alyssa Keith Jan 4, 2023 2:10:00 PM

Real Wedding Venues + Locations

I Do, From Afar: Planning A Wedding Long-Distance

Love can take you on an unexpected adventure, and Jessi and Nate's wedding story is proof of that! The journey to their wedding day at Hacienda de las Flores came with a little plot twist they weren’t expecting:

My husband is in the Air Force, and 4 days after booking our venue, we received orders to San Antonio, Texas. We moved three months later and planned our wedding completely remotely!

THEY DID IT!

Luckily, they had the support of the Hacienda de las Flores team, which helped them plan an incredible day! All of their hard work paid off as they crafted a wedding that reflected their style and was a blast for their guests. Jessi had a valuable tip on how to relive the memories of their special day:

Spend the money on the videographer! We cherish the videos from that day so so much!

On the big day, the two relaxed with their wedding party and added the finishing touches to their looks. Jessi laughed, reflecting back on one of her funniest memories of the day:

I always chuckle remembering my sister trying to help me go to the bathroom in my giant wedding dress before the ceremony - and then Nate trying to unbutton the thirty tiny buttons at the end of the night!

jessi and nate with their wedding party

When it was time for the ceremony, the walk down the aisle was a particularly special moment for Jessi:

If I could relive one moment from our wedding day, it would be walking down the aisle with my dad toward Nate with all our friends and family. I’d love to live in that moment forever.

a joyful moment during their ceremony

They also wanted to keep things light, so Jessi and Nate decided to infuse some fun and playfulness into their ceremony:

We wanted low-key silly moments. Since we didn’t have kids at our wedding, we didn’t have a flower girl. Instead, we had “Fireball Boys” - my two brothers-in-law walked down the aisle in flame print clothes and passed out Fireball shots to our guests.

the "fireball boys" in action!

Following the ceremony, the celebration carried on with cocktail hour. To keep their guests entertained while they were busy taking photos, the couple provided plenty of delicious appetizers:

Bacon Wrapped Wild Scallops
Roma Tomato & Fresh Basil Bruschetta
Spicy Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers
Mac & Cheese Panko Croquettes
Ahi Tuna Wontons with Wasabi Cream
Fresh Mozzarella & Grape Tomato Caprese Skewers

After cocktail hour, guests enjoyed the beautiful outdoor pavilion for the reception. The couple paired white floor-length linens with gold charger plates and green napkins for an elegant look. In the center of the tables were clear vases with white hydrangeas and greenery from A Love’s In Bloom. A personal touch was the baby’s breath placed on each napkin, courtesy of Jessi and Nate’s creativity.

THEIR stunning outdoor reception set-up

The reception kicked off with the grand entrance featuring the ever-popular grand sparkler moment. Jessi also shared another very touching moment during their reception:

My husband has a 14-year-old daughter, and they shared a special father-daughter dance after I had my dance with my dad. It was so special.

For dinner, guests enjoyed the buffet featuring charred lemon chicken piccata and five cheese tortellini pesto parmesan with three cheese scalloped potatoes. After dinner, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived - the couple cutting into their cake from Old Towne Danville Bakery, a tasty marble cake with dulce de leche. In addition to the delicious cake, the couple also added a taco bar for a late-night snack to keep the party going!

Their guests raved about Hacienda de las Flores:

Our guests kept talking about how amazing and green everything was. The weather was perfect, and both the ceremony area and reception area were so green and gorgeous! The food was amazing, too!

Huge congratulations, Jessi and Nate! We’re thrilled we were able to work together to make your wedding day a reality. They offered a final piece of advice for all the other couples preparing for their special day:

We really concentrated on how WE wanted to feel on the day of our wedding. We didn’t stress too much about the small details and just wanted the day to be easy breezy and fun for our guests. Letting go of the small details really allowed us to be present and enjoy our day.