1 of 8
To Have and to Hold: Aubrey (left) and Bethany’s lace embroidered dresses are both from BHLDN. “Bethany picked a dress first, and it came in the mail, but she wasn’t sure if she liked it, so I tried it on, and I was like, ‘Nope, this one’s mine.’ So she ended up picking another one,” Aubrey says, laughing.
2 of 8
Row Your Boat: The wedding was “bring your own beverage,” so rather than using multiple coolers, the brides filled a canoe with ice for guests to use for drink storage. The canoe also housed a keg of Virginia Apple Bold Rock Hard Cider.
3 of 8
Basket of Sunshine: All of the flowers for the wedding were purchased from Trader Joe’s. This vintage basket contained sunflowers, baby’s breath and alstroemeria.
4 of 8
Farm to Table: The couple sanded down wooden pallets to use as picnic tables for the reception. They provided colorful pillows and blankets from local thrift stores to keep guests comfortable as they ate dinner.
5 of 8
Magic Moment: The brides enjoyed a moment under their ceremony archway, which was built by Aubrey’s stepfather, Gary Zimak. The bridal party decorated the archway the day before the wedding with fresh flowers and antique lace.
6 of 8
You’ve Got a Friend in Me: The gender-inclusive brides had 20 “bridesmates” stand beside them on the big day. Bridesmates were simply instructed to wear something comfortable in a fall color scheme.
7 of 8
Sweet Sentiment: The couple cut into a chocolate-espresso cake with vanilla icing homemade by their friend Hannah Sullivan. As a wedding gift, Aubrey hand-wove the shawls they both wore.
8 of 8
Doug’s Bug: The couple’s getaway car was a Volkswagen Beetle that was originally owned by Aubrey’s father, Doug. After he died, it became Aubrey’s car, but it eventually fell into disrepair. Bethany’s father (also named Doug) purchased the car from Aubrey and fixed it up so the brides could drive it for the wedding. “We call it Doug’s Bug,” Aubrey says. “It went from one Doug to another.”
After connecting on Tinder in 2017, Bethany Ayers and Aubrey Moog had their first date at The Veil Brewing Co. Several months later, Aubrey proposed to Bethany after a delicious dinner of Thai food at Aubrey’s parents’ home. Not knowing Aubrey was going to propose, Bethany had coincidentally purchased her a gift of lotus pearl earrings. “We both got gifts that night,” Bethany says, laughing.
The couple decided to get married the following fall on the peaceful grounds of Bethany’s family-owned farm in Amherst, Virginia. “I grew up having family cookouts and birthday parties there, and it was a really special place for me to share with Aubrey when we started dating,” Bethany says. “It was an easy decision to make.”
The brides sourced rustic decor from local thrift stores and borrowed items from family and friends to create a casual bohemian look for their DIY autumn celebration, including distressed wooden pallets that were used as dinner tables.
Guests dined on hearty chili and pumpkin soup, both homemade by a friend, paired with fresh bread and cheese purchased from Costco. The brides also served freshly picked apples from Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville and doughnuts from Emily’s Donuts and Café in Williamsburg.
A favorite moment from the day for Aubrey was walking down the aisle with her parents and then watching Bethany walk down the aisle after her. As for Bethany, she says, “I really enjoyed the mealtime because we got to sit back and watch everyone be joyful together.”
Doughnuts: Emily’s Donuts and Café
Flowers: Trader Joe’s
Hair and Makeup: Melissa Giorgi and Kendall Evans