Carrie & Mason’s barefoot mountain wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Carrie, Social Worker

Her offbeat partner: Mason, Social Worker

Date and location of wedding: Cumberland Falls' Heaven's Door Chapel in the mountains of Kentucky — August 31, 2013

Our offbeat boho wedding at a glance: We booked a cabin in the mountains and the wedding party took off for the weekend. We partied and shared memories the night before, and had a friend come up to marry us followed by dinner, and then had a big party and a second ceremony for friends and family the next weekend.

That next Saturday was the ceremony in the barn in our backyard. Five of us live in our home, and we wanted to include our other roommates in the wedding. We had our two female roommates, who are in a relationship together, pair up and walked down the aisle together. We wanted it to be authentic to who we (and they) are, especially considering we both come from pretty conservative families. The day had its ups and downs, but in the end we walked away with a DIY wedding, five extra boxes of wine, and a lot of good memories and photos to prove it.

Tell us about the ceremony:
Our ceremony was non-traditional in almost every way. We eloped, but planned it. Our bridal party took off to the mountains to celebrate, get away, and share this special time together. It was a small group, and only our uncles came to watch. We spent the weekend unwinding, cooking out, and laughing. To some, having gay uncles, Mormons, Christians, Atheists, sports fans, grunge girls, country kids, and the like all together as a new chosen family would be considered non-traditional. To us, it's the only way we would have it.

Our biggest challenge:
My biggest challenge was the realization that I got to be a bride. I always felt that I would never be married. I thought that I was against the meaning of it, and never wanted a day that focused all on me. I took on more than I could chew in the beginning and also didn't ask for much. I didn't ask for a bridal shower, even though deep down I wanted one. Luckily, I had an amazing partner, a super helpful sister, and a house full of willing hands to remind me that we were worth celebrating.

My favorite moment:
My younger brother was able to attend the ceremony in the mountains, which I feared wouldn't happen. He read a blessing to us and it meant the entire world to us all. He has always been like my son.

My funniest moment:
The heat made for some funny moments. We were so sweaty the whole time. At the ceremony, I wore a full-length, lace dress and long hair, which made it even worse. There was no wind, we were all emotional, and sometimes drunk, and fanned ourselves constantly. At the party in the barn, my housemates and I laid in the barn floor with a boxed fan in our faces. Pure class.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding?
I learned that at the end of the day, all that matters is that you ended up with the person who has your heart. All those little things that went wrong or made you cry aren't nearly as important as a lifetime well-lived with the one you love.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photography: Jessica Fey
• Venue: Heaven's Door Chapel

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

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