A Lovely Backyard Wedding in Mountain Brook

When Gayden Holman moved to Denver, CO, for graduate school in 2015, she didn’t know anyone aside from her roommates. They decided to amend that situation and threw a Halloween party, each inviting everyone they had met thus far in Denver, and they encouraged those people to invite their friends too. At 7:30 p.m. on Halloween night, no one had shown up, and the girls worried their party was a bust. But just a few hours later, not only had 100 guests arrived, but Gayden’s future husband, Tim Lewis, was among them.

Tim and Gayden were just friends at first, but a year and a half after they met, he asked her to a charity fundraiser function out of the blue, and things progressed quickly from there. A little less than 10 months later, Tim told Gayden to circle August 25th on her calendar. He told her they were going for a hike at her favorite trail in Denver, and not-so-subtly kept reminding her of the date. “I knew I was going to marry him after we’d been dating for two months,” Gayden says. “I know it was only 10 months, but it still felt like a really long time, and I was so ready.” So Gayden had a sneaking suspicion about what was coming, but when her mother called and told her to treat herself to a manicure, like any good Southern mom would, she knew for sure. They got to the trail on a beautiful August day, where Tim asked Gayden to be his wife, and she was thrilled to say yes. Amid her joy at the engagement, Gayden couldn’t help but feel a tug on her heart that her parents weren’t there to celebrate this milestone. Little did she know, Tim had arranged for both his parents and hers to fly in and celebrate with an engagement party at a nearby brewery, along with 40 of their friends. “That was really the surprise,” Gayden says. “I was not expecting that, because my parents had told me they were at a wedding in Mobile that weekend.”

SB BHM Lewis Wedding1 e1535657506336 — Simple elegance was Gayden’s vision for her wedding day, and she totally captured it — from her gorgeous gown to her refined invitation suite!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding2 e1535657519313 — This stunning stationery suite is one for the books.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding3 e1535657528509 — Rings waiting for the bride and groom … Gayden and Tim weren’t the only couple that met at the Halloween party that brought them together — six couples that met that night have since gotten married!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding4 e1535657536114 — The bride wore a white orchid tucked in her hair, which was swept up into a chic chignon.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding5 e1535657549381 — Gayden and her mother sneak a hug while getting ready the morning of the wedding.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding6 e1535657557618 — This gaggle of bridesmaids spent the morning relaxing and getting their hair and makeup done in Gayden’s childhood bedroom.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding7 e1535657568611 — One of the many reasons Gayden was excited to have her wedding at her family home was that she would really be able to relax and be in her element the whole day.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding8 e1535657586840 — Gayden’s gorgeous dress was the first one she tried on at The White Room in Mountain Brook, but she tried on several more dresses and visited several more boutiques just to be sure.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding9 e1535657595163 — Gayden and her bridesmaids and family pray over her before the ceremony.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding10 e1535657605904 — Despite being from Lake Tahoe, California, Tim is the very picture of a dapper Southern groom in his white dinner jacket!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding12 e1535657630245 — The guys pause for a photo.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding13.5 e1535657639464 — Gayden’s bridesmaids are a vision of 1920s sophistication in their mixed-and-matched floor length gowns in shades of sparkling champagne. Bouquets featuring white roses, hydrangeas and anemone add an elegant finishing touch.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding14 e1535657662278 — This bride’s joy is absolutely contagious!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding16.5 e1535657681259 — Ms. Kay helped raise Gayden and her brother and is an important part of the Holman family, so it was incredibly special to Gayden that she was a part of the wedding day, with a special spot reserved for her on the front row.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding16 e1535657691880 — The bride’s family home in Mountain Brook was the perfect setting for this gorgeous celebration.

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SB BHM Lewis Wedding17 e1535657699807 — Outdoor seating brought the indoors out, further extending the feeling of home.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding18 e1535657708436 — White florals and plenty of greenery provided texture and interest without too much fuss.

The day after the engagement, Gayden, Tim and Gayden’s parents went to lunch in Denver and did some of the major planning of the wedding. They decided on a spring wedding at the most wonderful of venues – Gayden’s family home in Mountain Brook. “My dad built our house for that purpose,” Gayden says. “My parents are very social, so our house was definitely meant for parties, but specifically a wedding. He’d always kind of planned that.”

Gayden and Tim envisioned a relaxed and simple day that first and foremost honored their shared faith. “Our faith is the center of our relationship and really important to us,” Gayden says. “That was the most important thing, and everything else I wanted to be really simple and not a huge production.” Simple and elegant with a bit of 1920s sophistication would guide the aesthetic for the day, and Gayden and her mom entrusted Meghan Cease of M. Elizabeth Events to pull all of the details together. An abundance of white, from the flowers to the linens and decor, would lend a simple yet ethereal feel, and utilizing family heirlooms like Gayden’s grandmother’s silver in the centerpieces and floral arrangements captured the elegance that Gayden was looking for. Bridesmaids in sparkling champagne-colored dresses of their choosing and groomsmen in black tuxedos also exuded a sleek Gatsby-esque glamour.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding19 e1535657715612 — The tented ceremony space was awash in white, and a cross mounted above the altar was made to mimic the cross at the Holman family’s church.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding20 e1535657723664 — Gayden’s parents love to entertain and built their home with the intention of hosting many parties there, but the true vision behind the design was for Gayden’s future wedding, even down to the staircase her father imagined his daughter walking down one day in her wedding gown – how sweet is that?!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding21 e1535657734469 — Calm moments before the ceremony

SB BHM Lewis Wedding23 e1535657752438 — The bride and her dad take in a sweet moment together before walking down the aisle.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding24 e1535657769354 — Tim was insistent on waiting to see Gayden until she walked down the aisle on their wedding day, resulting in a super sweet and memorable moment for both of them.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding25 e1535657776489 — Gayden’s father escorts her down the aisle to “Amazing Grace.”

SB BHM Lewis Wedding26 e1535657783141 — Gayden describes the ceremony as very personal and intimate, with an emphasis on worship and family — as Tim’s oldest brother officiated the ceremony.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding27 e1535657792693 — Tim and Gayden’s first act as a married couple was to take communion and pray together.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding28 e1535657800951 — First kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Lewis!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding29 e1535657817210 — Gayden and Tim recessed up the aisle to “Come Thou Fount” and couldn’t keep the smiles off of their faces!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding30 e1535657838326 — During cocktail hour, the bride and groom stole a few sweet moments together for a sweetheart dinner.

SB BHM Lewis Wedding31 e1535657846360 — What a gorgeous wedding party!

SB BHM Lewis Wedding32 e1535657855144 — “I think just remember that the wedding is one day. It’s so special, but it’s just one day, and it’s really the marriage that is important,” Gayden offers. “We did a lot of reading books on marriage and talking to other couples that were married.”

Gayden awoke the morning of the wedding in the bedroom of her family home, where mere steps away she would marry the man of her dreams. The day was peaceful and relaxed, filled with quality time with friends and special moments with family. At 5:30 p.m. on March 24, 2018, 150 guests gathered in the backyard to witness the beginning of Gayden and Tim’s life together. Gayden walked down the aisle on her father’s arm as the notes of an acoustic rendition of “Amazing Grace” filled the space, setting the tone for the personal, worship-focused ceremony. Tim’s oldest brother is a pastor and officiated the ceremony, leading them as they took communion together as their first act as a married couple.

After recessing up the aisle as husband and wife, Gayden and Tim stole away to catch their breath over a sweetheart dinner while guests enjoyed mint juleps on the front lawn. They headed across the street to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for some photos before joining the reception, where they shared their first dance to “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. The reception was a lively celebration with 400 guests led by ATL Groove Factory, whose performance progressed through the night from Frank Sinatra and classic tunes to current hits that kept the celebration going late into the evening.