Marry Your Best Friend | Southern Illinois Wedding

The Couple

Mike Hurt and Tayler (Wilson) Hurt of Du Quoin.

How they met

We met through a mutual friend when we were in high school. We were friends for a long time, but then one day while hanging out with a group friends, something changed. I was set to move to Franklin, TN shortly after, but we gave the long distance relationship a try and we both knew shortly after that this was it.

The Proposal

He asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with his mom, and on our way to the restaurant, he told me he had to stop by his new property he had just purchased from his grandparents. He wanted to show me what he and his grandpa had been working on out there. We were driving down the road and he stopped just before the property and asked me to put a blindfold on. We drove a little further and he stopped the car, came to my side and helped me out of the car. He told me to open my eyes, and I opened them to see a walkway all lit up that was leading to a canopy with lights draped everywhere, music playing and the words "Marry Me" cut out and hung up on pallets. We walked down, and he asked me those four magic words. Of course, I said yes. He told me afterwards that he had a whole speech prepared but was too nervous to find the words when the moment came. Just after I said yes, two of my best friends jumped out from behind the canopy to surprise me, and then I saw that my brother had been out there hiding to take photos for us. The ground that he proposed on is now where our first home together stands. I can't imagine a better place it could have happened. It was romantic and so perfect.

Wedding venue

The wedding was held at Pine Manor in Carbondale, and the reception was held at Route 51 Brewery in Elkville. We chose Pine Manor because it has an absolutely gorgeous lakeside setting and they were very helpful and accommodating while planning. We chose Route 51 Brewery because it was a brand new venue to the area, is absolutely gorgeous, plus it was a short drive from our wedding venue.

Wedding Inspiration

I didn't have a particular theme picked out, but I came across a color scheme on Pinterest and fell in love. It was royal blue and fuchsia with touches of silver. I showed my mom and mother-in-law the idea of what I was going for and they made it happen.

Favorite part

There were so many great moments throughout the day, but the reception was my favorite. It was so nice after all the planning and anticipation to finally be married and to just eat, laugh and dance the night away with so many of our loved ones.

Memorable moment

I was standing behind the doors right before I walked down the aisle, and I was extremely nervous. My dad just held my arm and told me to take my time and that we wouldn't go until I was ready. He said to take a deep breath and just focus on Mike at the end of the aisle. They opened the doors, and as soon as I saw Mike and the expression on his face, the nervousness was gone. It felt like we were the only two people standing there.

Advice

It's your day, so pick what you want, not what everyone else wants. Don't be afraid to delegate and don't stress over every little aspect of the day. When it's all said and done, all that matters is that you're marrying the love of your life.

Vendors

Photography: Jason Hill Photography // Bride’s Dress and Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David's Bridal (Fairview Heights, IL) // Flower Girl Dresses: Belle of the Ball (Pinckneyville, IL) // Hair: Wild Style (Du Quoin, IL) // Airbrush Makeup: Jamie Widgets // Cake: Larry's House of Cakes (Carbondale, IL) // Food: My mother-in-law, Tina; Chango's Mexican Restaurant (Carbondale, IL) // Flowers: My mom, Karen // Live Music: Chris Slone // DJ: DJ Mello

P.S. Check out their custom furniture business: Sassafras Woodworking.