Amanda & jeff
The Place We Chose Before It Chose Us
Long before New Leaf Farm became our home, it was simply the place we couldn't stop thinking about.
I first toured the property as a wedding planner for one of my couples, and before I even left, I remember saying outloud that when Jeff and I got engaged, this is where the wedding had to be. So when Jeff proposed, there wasn't another venue to consider. We booked our wedding without the slightest idea that just a few weeks later we'd begin the journey of taking over operations and eventually purchasing the property. Looking back now, it's hard to believe how much life was waiting for us here.
Our wedding was never about creating a packed timeline or squeezing in every tradition. We invited around 100 of our favorite people and built the weekend around spending as much time with them, and with each other, as we could. We hosted a backyard barbecue welcome party the night before, which meant the wedding day itself felt calm. Instead of rushing from one event to the next, we had the freedom to slow down and enjoy it.
Jeff had one request from the very beginning. No first look. As much as the planner in me loves one for the timeline, I'm so glad we honored that. Seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle is a memory neither of us would change. The details reflected everything we love. Mattern's created the wildflower florals I had dreamed about, Epicurean served a meal our guests are still talking about, and Brittany Boote somehow had a sneak peek gallery waiting in our inbox before we even made it home that night.
One of the most meaningful moments of the day happened before I ever walked down the aisle. My grandmother gave me the very first piece of jewelry my grandfather had ever given her. Wearing it felt like carrying a little piece of their marriage into the beginning of ours.
Now, every time a couple chooses New Leaf Farm for their wedding, I get to watch them create memories in the same place where our story began. Sharing this property with so many incredible couples is something I'll never take for granted. It will always be the place where we said "I do" before it became the place we get to call home.
