Cara + Spencer’s dreamy, rustic Georgia wedding had us swooning over such a beautiful celebration for this adorable couple. As a dog-friendly wedding venue, our favorite part had to be that the couple’s dogs were not only involved in the proposal, but the wedding as well. Of course, we also loved that Nerd Dawgs, a delicious + fun food truck, catered a late night bite at the reception! From dogs to dawgs, the wedding was full of personal details that made this wedding so much fun to host!

Dayton wedding photography did an incredible of capturing the sweetest moments from Cara + Spencer’s rustic Georgia wedding at our vintage venue! We’re thankful to have our bride share with us about the magic behind their fairytale wedding + love story.

How did you meet your fiancé?

My fiancé and I met in 6th grade although we were very different in middle school. He won biggest flirt and I won most likely to succeed in the superlative awards. We went to different high schools and then officially connected over social media when we were in our 3rd year of college. Spencer attended the University of Hawaii on a football scholarship and I went to Kennesaw State University and participated on the competitive cheerleading squad. We shared similar interests but the time difference between Hawaii and Georgia was just too much. We ended up going our separate ways. We rekindled our love on January 9, 2014. Ever since that day, we cannot imagine life without each other.

Tell us the story of how he popped the question:

On July 24, 2015 Spencer was persistent about going to downtown Woodstock to get coffee at the Copper Coin Café. I had just woken up from a nap and I really was not in the mood to get ready, load up the dogs in the car, and go to Woodstock. I took my time getting ready. We arrived in downtown Woodstock and Spencer said he would hold the dogs while I went in and ordered. I thought nothing about it. I ordered two coffees and came back outside. As I walked outside I was very confused. Spencer’s mother took the coffees from me. The entire moment felt like a blur. I was trying to piece together what was happening. I looked around and saw my mom, dad, step-mother, sister, brother-in-law, niece, Spencer’s mom and dad, and some friends. I did not know what to think or what was going on.

I looked down and noticed that Simba and Brutus (our German Sheppard and English Bulldog) were wearing signs around their neck. The signs read “If you asked me how many times you crossed my mind I would say once, because you never really left” and “Spencer wants to know will you marry him?” The next thing I know, Spencer is down on one knee and asking me to marry him. I burst out in tears from all the emotions running through me, there is no way I could resist this man. Of course I said yes! I had no idea he was even planning on getting engaged. He had kept it a secret for weeks. I cannot believe he pulled off such an unbelievable and memorable moment. He bought me a watch to go with the ring from somewhere like WatchShopping and it’s so special. The proposal was incredible

What was your wedding date and why did you choose it? Does this date have any significance?

Our wedding date was October 1, 2016. I chose to get married in October because I love the fall time. I knew The Corner District would look beautiful surrounded by the fall foliage on the trees. I also knew we would be able to utilize the outside area of the venue (the courtyard) during our reception because of the cooler weather.

What was your overall vision for your wedding?

My overall vision for the wedding was finding a venue that was unique to me. I wanted a venue where I was able to make it my own. I also wanted something with a rustic look and a laid back atmosphere. I did not want a place that told you exactly how the wedding would look and how the set up would be. I wanted something that resembled a big party that I could have with all our friends and family. Of course when it came to the dress, the one that I wore on the day was the sort of style that I had in mind and for my husband, I wanted him to wear a tuxedo for the wedding, which is what he wanted too. So apart from that, there wasn’t really anything else really. I just wanted the day to be perfect, which it was.

What do you feel was the most important component of your wedding?

The most important component of our wedding was being able to have our dogs as part of the ceremony. They are an important part of our lives and we were fortunate enough that The Corner District is dog friendly.

How involved was your groom in the wedding planning process?

For the most part, I planned the wedding since I am the planner in the couple. I love that Spencer is laid back and was supportive during the planning process. I would ask him for his opinion on some of the things and he would say, “As long as you’re happy and having a great time, that is all that matters to me.” I would ask his opinion on a couple of things such as: our first dance song, the suits, and he was allowed to pick the music for cocktail hour. Spencer was supportive and loved all the ideas I had, so that helped a lot.

Did you write your own vows?

In the beginning we were not planning on writing our own vows. As the wedding day approached, I decided that I wanted our wedding ceremony to be more personable and add some of our own ideas to the ceremony, so we added them in last minute. I am glad we decided to do that because his words were so sincere and loving and I will remember them forever.

What was your wedding theme or color pallet?

We did not have a theme for our wedding, but we chose the sky blue color because I thought it would go great with our rustic + vintage look we were going for. The sky blue also reminded me of Cinderella and a fairy tale, which is how I picture our relationship, being a love story. When people would ask what colors I was using for the wedding I would reply, “White, grey, and Cinderella blue.”

How important were the typical wedding traditions?

We wanted to keep the wedding as traditional as we could, yet still make it our own. We refrained from doing a first look because we wanted to save the moment for the aisle. An Italian tradition in our family is to make lots of cookies to serve at the wedding. We had multiple people working on hundreds of cookies for the wedding. I loved having that as a family tradition. I loved that we were able to put up old wedding pictures from our families in the frames provided in the venue. That meant so much to me to be able to add our own touch and decorations to the venue. It really felt like we were able to make it our own. I think we had a traditional wedding for the most part, but we definitely made it our own at the same time. The Corner District was the perfect venue to be able to display our own personality and I am so glad we chose it for our special day.

Leading up to the big day I was beyond stressed out about the whole process. Debbie (The Corner District Owner) was able to meet up with me multiple times to reassure me that everything would be okay. I must admit that I had my doubts. In the end EVERYTHING went according to plan. There is nothing I would have changed about our wedding day and I cannot think of many people that could say that.

Debbie, Elizabeth, Ivy, and all the other wedding coordinators did a phenomenal job making our wedding the exact vision I was going for. All of our guests had an amazing time and loved the venue. I hope to be able to utilize this venue again in the future for another event I may have. Our wedding day was truly the best day of my life and I thank The Corner District for making our dreams come true.

Why did you choose this wedding venue?

When I was looking for a wedding venue, I was looking for something that I can make my own. As I searched around for the perfect venue, a lot of the places I looked at told you exactly how your wedding will look with a couple of choices on colors. I am a unique person so I really wanted something that was perfect for me. I love that the venue is an old historical building with a lot of character. My mom and I drove up that day to check it out. I loved everything about it as soon as I arrived. I love the feeling I got when I peeked in the windows, I knew this place was the one.

I envisioned myself walking down the aisle and Spencer being at the end with a huge smile on his face. I called Debbie when we were looking in the windows and she was so friendly and accommodating. She was able to meet up right then so I could get a better look at the inside of the venue. Spencer and I also love that our dogs will be able to celebrate with us at the ceremony since they are a huge part of our family. The three buildings are amazing. I have nothing but great things to say about The Corner District and our wedding.