Woodland Wedding
Audrie and Ethan – September 10, 2026
There are wedding days that go exactly according to plan. And then there are wedding days where you realize you forgot the rings, borrow your twin sister’s wedding bands to actually get married, and discover that Part Two of your wedding photos is going to happen on an entirely different day. Audrie and Ethan got the second kind. 😂
But honestly? Those are sometimes the wedding stories you remember best. Their beautiful woodland wedding brought together warm earthy colors, meaningful family traditions, personal vows, adorable flower girls, and their favorite people in the middle of the East Tennessee forest. And while the day definitely threw them a couple of unexpected plot twists, the most important part happened exactly as planned:
Audrie and Ethan got married.
Warm Earthy Colors for a Woodland Wedding
Audrie and Ethan chose cinnamon and sand fabric for the chapel, pairing those warm neutral shades with our white florals. The colors looked SO good surrounded by the forest. There’s something about earthy tones that feels completely at home in a woodland setting. Instead of competing with the trees and natural scenery, colors like cinnamon, rust, terracotta, sand, cream, and brown seem to become part of it.
Audrie brought her own bouquets for herself and her bridesmaids, adding another personal layer to the overall look. The wedding party coordinated in warm, natural shades, and everything came together beautifully against the East Tennessee greenery. It felt romantic without being overly formal.
A little bohemian.
A little rustic.
And exactly right for a wedding in the woods.
Keeping Some Important Love Stories Close
Audrie and Ethan also created a memory table for their wedding day. Rather than treating it as just another piece of decor, they used it to honor some of the important love stories that came before theirs. I love that idea.
Weddings are obviously about the couple standing at the center of the day, but none of us really arrive at marriage completely on our own. We’re shaped by the people who raised us, the relationships we watched growing up, and the people who taught us what love, commitment, and family can look like. Having those reminders nearby gave Audrie and Ethan a way to acknowledge the people and relationships that helped shape them while they started a new chapter of their own.
It was a quiet detail, but a meaningful one.
Audrie’s Wedding Look Was AMAZING
Before the ceremony, Audrie’s sisters joined her while she got ready. And once that dress was on? WOW.
Audrie wore a strapless, mermaid-style wedding gown that fit her beautifully, with a long veil adding plenty of drama to the look. Against the forest, it was gorgeous. A structured wedding dress can create such a beautiful contrast with a natural setting. The woods are organic and slightly wild, while a fitted gown and long veil bring in that polished bridal feeling.
And that veil? We are definitely going to need to revisit that during Part Two. Just saying.
Audrie finished her look with vintage jewelry, adding another little piece of history to a wedding day already filled with meaningful family details.
Once she was ready, her dad joined her for the walk down the aisle. But first, a couple of very important little ladies had a job to do.
The Cutest Little Flower Girls
Audrie and Ethan had some absolutely adorable flower girls helping lead the way down the aisle. Tiny humans at weddings are always a bit of a wild card, which is part of their charm. Will they walk perfectly down the aisle? Will they stop halfway? Will they become distracted by something on the ground? Who knows! That’s the adventure. 😂
But having children involved in a smaller woodland wedding can add so much personality to the ceremony. Everything doesn’t have to be perfectly choreographed to be beautiful. Sometimes the moments that make everyone smile are the ones that weren’t rehearsed at all. After the flower girls made their entrance, Audrie’s dad walked her down the aisle toward Ethan.
Everything was ready.
The couple was there.
The guests were there.
The officiant was there.
And then there was one teeny, tiny detail.
So…Where Are the Wedding Rings?
They forgot them. The actual wedding rings. 😂
Listen. Wedding days involve a LOT of moving pieces. You can create lists. You can make timelines. You can pack bags. You can double-check everything. And sometimes the thing you’ve been dreaming of sitting on your finger for months is still the thing that doesn’t make it to the ceremony.
Thankfully, Audrie has a twin sister. And even more thankfully, said twin sister and her husband were willing to temporarily donate their own wedding bands to the cause. So when it came time for Audrie and Ethan to exchange rings during the ceremony, they borrowed theirs. Problem solved. And honestly? I kind of love it.
Obviously, remembering your actual wedding rings is preferable. But years from now, Audrie and Ethan aren’t going to tell their kids, “Our ring exchange proceeded exactly according to schedule.” They’re going to say: “We accidentally got married with your aunt and uncle’s wedding rings.” That is objectively a better story. 😂
Their real rings from Kay Jewelers could take over once they were reunited with them, but for those few minutes, Audrie’s twin sister helped save the ceremony. That’s what sisters are for, right?
Personal Vows in the Woods
Once the ring situation was handled, Audrie and Ethan could focus on what actually mattered. Each other. They had written their own vows for the ceremony, giving them the chance to make promises that were specific to their relationship rather than simply repeating traditional words. Personal vows can be especially beautiful during a micro wedding.
With fewer people gathered around, everything feels close. You can hear the little laughs. You can see the reactions. You can watch the couple process what the other person is saying in real time. Audrie and Ethan got to stand together in the forest and say the things they had chosen specifically for each other.
And after the borrowed-ring adventure, I’d say they were already getting an early lesson in the whole rolling with whatever life throws at you portion of marriage.
A Sand Ceremony With Their Moms
Family continued to be an important part of Audrie and Ethan’s ceremony when their moms joined them for a sand ceremony. I love that they chose to include them. A sand ceremony is already meant to represent separate pieces becoming something that can’t easily be divided again, and bringing their mothers into that moment gave it an added family meaning. It wasn’t simply about two people becoming husband and wife. It acknowledged the families standing behind them, too. That fit beautifully with so many of the other choices Audrie and Ethan made for their day.
The memory table. Audrie’s sisters helping her get ready. Her twin sister quite literally lending them wedding rings. Her dad walking her down the aisle. Their moms participating in the ceremony.
Their woodland wedding wasn’t just intimate because of its size. It felt intimate because their people were woven throughout it.
And Then the Wedding Day Threw Us Another Curveball
Unfortunately, right at the end of the ceremony, we had an unexpected accident. And at that point, wedding photography immediately stopped being important. People come first. Always.
We had originally planned to take Audrie and Ethan away after their family photos for their newlywed portraits, exploring some of the forest and giving them time together in front of the camera. Instead, those plans had to change. And that’s okay. Wedding timelines are useful. Photography plans are useful. Shot lists are useful. But none of those things matter more than taking care of someone when something unexpected happens.
Sometimes a wedding day simply asks you to adapt. Audrie and Ethan had already successfully navigated the Great Forgotten Ring Incident of 2026. They could handle a change of photography plans, too.
And luckily, we realized something pretty quickly: Their wedding-photo story didn’t have to end there.
Woodland Wedding Photos: Part Two
Instead of trying to cram couple portraits into a day when everyone’s attention understandably needed to be somewhere else, we made another plan.
Audrie and Ethan are coming back for anniversary portraits — hopefully bringing that amazing look again. 😉
And this time? There is no ceremony. No processional. No guests waiting. No family-photo list. No need to remember the rings because THEY ARE ALREADY MARRIED. 😂
We get to concentrate completely on these two. That means Audrie gets another chance to put on that gorgeous mermaid gown and long veil. Ethan gets suited up again. And instead of worrying about a wedding-day timeline, we can use the day to create the portraits we had originally planned.
Honestly, I’m excited about it. Sometimes having a separate portrait session after the wedding can actually open up possibilities that aren’t practical on the wedding day itself. There’s no rush to get back to guests. No ceremony starting in twenty minutes. No one wondering where the newlyweds disappeared to. You can wander. Play. Try something dramatic. Take your time. And hopefully create something EPIC.
A Wedding Day Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Wonderful
Audrie and Ethan’s wedding is a pretty good reminder that the best wedding days aren’t necessarily the ones where absolutely nothing goes wrong. Things happen. Rings get forgotten. Weather changes. Timelines shift. People get hurt. Plans occasionally go completely sideways. The goal isn’t to execute a flawless event. The goal is to marry the person you came there to marry. Audrie and Ethan did that.
They stood together in the East Tennessee forest surrounded by people they love. Audrie’s dad walked her down the aisle. Their flower girls helped lead the way. They shared vows they had written themselves. Their moms participated in their sand ceremony. And when the rings were nowhere to be found, Audrie’s twin sister stepped up and loaned them hers. That’s family. That’s a wedding story. And that’s real life.
Congratulations, Audrie and Ethan!!
Your wedding already gave you some fantastic stories to tell, and we can’t wait to get you back in front of the camera for the rest of the adventure. 🤎🌿
From the Bride:
We went to the same high school, but we acutally never met each other. Then, 7 years later, we reconnected and have been together since. Now, we have two beautiful babies!
For the first date, we went to the Otherworld — it’s a museum! Ethan proposed. He put our daughter in a onesie that said “Mommy, will you marry my daddy?” We chose East Tennessee for our woodland wedding because we love Tennessee! I’m most looking forward to marrying the love of my life! For fun, we like to go to our favorite restaurant and drive around downtown. 🙂
Woodland Wedding Vendors
Venue: Chapel in the Hollow
Photography: Star Noir Studio
Event Management: Aubrey with Custom Love Gifts & Events
Videography: Yugen Productions
Officiant: Ian Parrott
Chapel Florals: Chapel in the Hollow
Bouquets & Boutonnieres: Maid of Honor
Wedding Dress: Wendy’s Bridal
Menswear: Azazie
Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie
Hair & Makeup: Makeupbykglams
Jewelry: Vintage
Rings: Kay Jewelers