Barn meets ballroom in this upscale Kentucky wedding

Will and Nate’s upscale June 2019 wedding took place at Louisville, Kentucky’s Hazelnut Farm.

“Our venue is a barn meets ballroom feel,” the couple says, “so we tried to focus on an upscale Kentucky vibe.”

Who proposed?

Nate proposed on his own birthday to Will in front of friends at dinner by saying, “The only thing that could make tonight more perfect is if Will would agree to spend the rest of our lives together.”

What advice would you give to engaged LGBTQ+ couples?

Make your wedding a celebration of you! There are no rules, so show your personalities, interests, and love off to everyone you ask to be part of your special day!

What advice do you have for vendors and venues working with LGBTQ+ couples?

Don’t use “his/hers” or “bride/groom” in contracts or when speaking to LGBTQ+ couples. Be aware of who is actually in front of you and how they would want to be addressed.

What challenges did you face as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?

Because there are no rules, the freedom was kind of overwhelming! Who walks who in? What dances will we have? We used every opportunity to show off some element of our relationship. We love our families, our home state of Kentucky and bourbon, so we made sure that was reflected in our ceremony.

Did you encounter any pleasant surprises as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?

Nate surprised Will and his mom by cutting in to dance with her during their mother/son dance. Nate got close to Will’s mom in the years leading up to the wedding because we had all lived together.