April 28th, 2018 we got to celebrate the sweet marriage of Dainell Bybee and Alex Wilson. We are so thankful to have hosted this sweet couples special day and are very excited to share a little bit about their love story with you through this blog post!

Alex and Dainell have been fortunate enough to have spent the last several years of their lives growing alongside one another. Although their families had known each other for years, their paths never crossed until 2012 when Alex’s cousin, whom Dainell had been friends with her entire life, officially introduced them. A few years passed in which the two remained acquaintances, and in 2015 they reconnected and sparks flew. Not too long after, Alex proposed at what Dainell thought was a family dinner celebrating Mother's Day. With both sets of their parents and grandparents present, along with Alex’s sister and daughter, he popped the question and, of course, she said "yes!". Dainell said it was a total surprise and so perfect that they had their closest loved ones there to witness it!

Before walking down the aisle, Dainell + Alex shared a special moment - a "first look." Dainell said: "Our first look was perfect. We got to capture that moment with just us in a more intimate setting, which gave us more time after the ceremony to give our time and attention to our guests!"

This precious couple tied the knot on the most beautiful April day. Their bright + cheery spring wedding was held on the veranda of the 114 year old barn. The red and brown tones of the wood partnered with the delicate white curtains, elegant chandelier and soft florals came together to create a lovely romantic scene. Alex's uncle, who officiated the ceremony, had all who were in attendance wiping tears away while he too became emotional when speaking about the joining of the two families. Dainell said:

“The day was completely perfect. The weather could not have been better, especially for an outdoor, end of April, Oklahoma wedding. The new veranda at The Barn at the Woods was beautiful and I loved being able to have the ceremony under that beside the old barn doors. The addition to the barn is amazing! It was a pretty warm day and having the covered addition was beautiful and very functional! I also loved getting ready in the farmhouse; it is so cute and charming with so much room!

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Dainell was breathtakingly beautiful in her vintage Madison James lace gown from Pomp and Pageantry. To compliment this sweet + innocent look, Bijou Salon gave the bride a touch of sultry glam with perfect wedding day hair + makeup. Dainell tied it all together with her sparkly rose gold Steve Madden shoes, gorgeous pastel bouquet by Rootstock Floral and her stunning wedding ring from Kelly Jeweler.

A DIY Secret behind the new Mr. and Mrs. big day was that their crafty parents helped make it possible!

Dainell's dad helped beautify the space by creating handmade pieces including the sweetheart table, the welcome sign, customized corn hole boards, and decorative wood slabs for the center pieces! Dainell said: "It was so special to have my dad help make my wedding beautiful with all the customized touches. Now, I can keep them forever in our home." Guests were drooling over the tasty (and beautiful!) cakes that Shannon Wilson, Alex’s mom, made for the reception. She also made the darling guest book/board.

The bride and groom agreed that having so many special touches from the people they love made the day that much better!

After saying "I do" Dainell + Alex invited their guests to the barn for a night of dinner + dancing! Once everyone got their bellies full from a tasty meal by Wild Oats Catering, DJConnection pumped up the party with some of the greatest tunes.

One thing that every Bride dreams of is having a fun and talented photopgraher that willcapture all of those picture perfect moments. Haley Brownen did exactly that! Dainell had nothing but nice things to say about her photographer;

"Haley is the absolute best! She is so fun and makes what could be awkward pictures so easy to capture. She loves what she does and it shows so much in her work. She is reassuring and responds to any questions or concerns you may have for the day. She has some awesome dance moves too ;) She was super excited to shoot here and got some AMAZING shots all over the property! I am so so happy with our pictures and video!"

Last, but certainly not least, Dainell wanted us share her best piece of advice for brides to be:

“For sure get a day of coordinator. They are worth every single penny! Even if you think you and your family/friends have everything under control, trust me you don’t! It takes the stress of the day off a little and allows someone to be there all day with experience and advice for things you never would have thought about yourself!
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Dainell raved about her Day of Coordinator, Jennie Bruning. She said: "Jennie was an absolute life saver the entire day. We went back and forth on whether or not to hire a coordinator, and after some thought decided to go ahead and do it, and let me tell you she was worth it! She asked me questions I would have never thought of, ever! She was there the entire day in any way possible and kept us both so calm and our family on time, and everything running smoothly! I seriously could not recommend her more!"

We are so glad your day was so perfect and are so greatful we got to celebrate it with you! We wish you and Alex the happiest forever!