Melina & Foster Wedding
Melina & Foster - June 14, 2026
Venue: The Apple Barn
Coordination: Wooded Wilds Events
Photography: Doug Burke Photography
Entertainment: Ultimate Sound DJ
Catering: Mint
Florals: DIY
A Wedding Years in the Making
Foster and Melina hold an incredibly special place in my heart. When I first started my wedding planning business, I had only known them for a couple of months through some mutual friends at our local climbing gym. When I planned my very first brand shoot, I invited everyone to join me for a potluck in a greenhouse and asked if anyone would be willing to play the role of my “bride and groom” for the photos. Foster and Melina were the very first to volunteer…and without any of us knowing it at the time, that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Over the next few years, our friendship grew through countless adventures. My husband and I have backpacked with them, taken climbing trips together, and shared so many memorable moments. We celebrated with them when they returned from a trip to Turkey with a ring on Melina’s finger, and not long after that, we found ourselves sitting down together to start planning their wedding. They were also among the very first friends we told when we were expecting our baby, and we have had the privilege of walking alongside one another through some of life’s biggest moments. There is something incredibly special about friends who become part of your story in all the seasons of life.
I knew things would be interesting when I realized my due date was in early May and Foster and Melina’s wedding was just one month later…but there was absolutely no way I was going to miss it. My parents graciously came up from Knoxville to watch our one-month-old baby so that my husband and I could be there not only as dear friends and wedding guests, but also as their wedding planner. It was a little bit of a juggling act, but being there to celebrate these two was something I wouldn’t have traded for anything.
Their wedding was very much a DIY celebration, which meant there was plenty of coaching along the way about what needed to be communicated to all of the people who would be helping bring their day to life. And there were a lot of them! Nearly every detail was touched by someone who loved them. Friends and family took on everything from setup and floral arranging to baking the wedding cake, creating the charcuterie spread, and officiating the ceremony. Everyone had a job, and everyone was genuinely excited to have a small part in making the day special. I was honored to be one of them.
The entire wedding weekend felt like a reflection of who Foster and Melina. Intentional, adventurous, laid-back, and surrounded by community that they value so much. We kicked things off Friday night by doing one of their favorite things together: enjoying Music in the Valle at Valle Crucis Community Park. Saturday was spent getting the venue ready, with friends and family pitching in wherever they were needed and conducting the ceremony rehearsal on-site. There was something really sweet about watching so many people come together to prepare a space for two people they love so dearly.
Then came Sunday, the wedding day! Our beautiful bride spent her morning arranging her own bridal bouquet, surrounded by the people who had helped make the weekend possible. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and the whole day carried that easy, joyful feeling that made it so unmistakably theirs. Even when a little rain decided to make an appearance during the reception, it only added to the fun. Before long, people were dancing in the rain to the tunes Ultimate Sounds DJ played and found most guests embracing the moment rather than letting a few drops interrupt the celebration.
But more than anything, Foster and Melina’s wedding was a celebration of love. Not just the love between the two of them, but the love of the community they have built around themselves. You could see it in every person who showed up to help, every friend who traveled to celebrate, every handmade detail, and every little moment of laughter throughout the weekend. Their wedding wasn't about creating something perfect, it was about creating something meaningful, surrounded by the people who matter most.
These two have taught me so much about what a beautiful relationship can look like. They genuinely complement one another, challenge one another, adventure together, and love each other so deeply. Their relationship is one that inspires me personally and has given me such a beautiful example of the kind of marriage I hope to continue building in my own life. Watching them commit their lives to one another was incredibly meaningful, not just as their planner, but as their friend.
It was an absolute honor to witness and play even a small part in such a monumental moment in Foster and Melina’s lives. From that first greenhouse photoshoot years ago to standing beside them on their actual wedding day, I feel incredibly grateful that our paths crossed.
Their wedding was a beautiful reminder of why I love what I do: sometimes the people who begin as clients, collaborators, or friends at a climbing gym become the people you are lucky enough to walk through life with. I couldn't be happier for these two, and I will always cherish the memories we made celebrating their love.
