Sierra and Remington got married on July 15, 2017 at his family’s catfish farm in Demopolis. This was no backyard barn wedding though y’all, this was a gorgeous wedding full of personal touches—from the handmade wooden tables to the dainty tea cups hanging from the tree where Rem proposed…every detail was full of intention and meaning. It was a day where two families came together as one and celebrated love..and had a great time doing it! Sierra & Rem were cool, calm, and taking in every moment that happened as it came.
As a wedding videographer, I am always hoping that I can capture all of the emotions and special moments for my couples on their wedding day. Their sweet interactions made my job easy. I feel like a lucky person to be the one who gets to do this service for my couples!
I met Sierra & Rem through my sweet Pettus in-laws. They recommended me to the Keens, Remington’s family, and I’m so glad they did! Meeting Sierra & Rem, you first notice their laid back, enjoy-every-minute personalities. And I’ll be honest, I think Sierra is the coolest because of all the adventures she’s been on. (The girl has had coffee in Peru. PERU. That is so cool.)
So how did these two meet? Well..you could say it was a 21 century love story. Sierra said she saw a picture of him that someone else had posted and “I thought he was the most handsome man I had ever seen. So naturally I liked the picture and assumed nothing would ever come of it. A few minutes later there was a message in my inbox. He had messaged me asking if he knew me from somewhere. It was just a cheesy line and he knew very well that he did not know me. We talked every day for months before he asked me out on a date. The thing is we lived almost two hours apart. So in November 2015 he drove all the way to Prattville to meet my family before he would be allowed to take me on a date.” She added that he even pretend proposed on their first date at the top of a tower! How sweet is that?
Remington’s real proposal went a little differently. He popped the question in the most romantic way. She told me that she loves telling this story. So I’m going to let her! (Spoiler alert-it’s precious and she said yes.)
Sierra says that “we had talked very often about our future and getting married. We even discussed wedding dates before we were engaged. So he knew I was getting anxious about getting married so he actually plotted against me with my mom. They even created fake texts to throw me off.
He sent me a screenshot of his conversation with my mom that showed him asking her to dinner to have “the talk.”
“The truth is he had already met with my ENTIRE family weeks before and asked both of my parents and my two older brothers for their blessings.”
“I was under the impression that the proposal was at least a month away. We already had plans to go to dinner that week. He took me to our favorite restaurant and we sat there for hours just talking and laughing.”
“He asked if we could go to dinner early and I teased him and called him old. I even made a video of me calling him a senior citizen because we ate at 5pm.”
“After dinner was over we drove back towards his house. But then he turned early.”
“The farm is just two driveways away from his driveway. So he turned down the farm driveway and I asked why we were going down to the farm.. He thought on his feet and said his dad needed something he left in one of the trucks. So we pulled up the barn and he steps out and bends down and all of a sudden the barn and the old pecan tree in front of the barn completely light up! I am still completely oblivious at this point. He said I should get out of the car and I notice there is a table under the tree.”
“It had a bible, a lantern, and a cigar tin on it. The bible was open and Genesis 2:24 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” was highlighted. I read the passage and was very touched but I was so sure he had not asked my parents that I did not realize he was proposing. Then he hands me the cigar tin and tells me to open it. I assume it is just our favorite cigars inside. Instead I find pictures of Remington and my entire family from the night he asked for their blessing. They were all holding sings that said “he asked and we said yes.” At this point I FINALLY realize he is proposing. He dropped to one knee and pulled out the ring. He told me how excited he was and then I had the easy job of just saying yes!”
“You can see the back of his house from the barn and he had set up a signal with his family so when he flashed the car lights they shot off fireworks over the farm! Then we get back in the car and I suddenly realize that I was sad because my family was not there. I asked Rem if I could call them and he said just wait to call them when we get back to the house. As we pull down his driveway I see my whole family standing on the porch! I let out a ridiculous cry and ran to hug them all. That was the first time our families had met and we all stayed up late laughing the night away..”
See, I told you. Just Precious!
The morning of the wedding, the gals all enjoyed mimosas as the (so, so talented!) hair and makeup artist Jordan made them up. They wore matching silk robes and laughed about how laid back Sierra was..just hanging out, barefoot, doing her own makeup on her wedding day. Once she put on her gown, we were all speechless! It was beautiful, yet simple. I was touched seeing the heart she had sewn in to it as her “something blue.” She told me that “My grandfather on my dad’s side passed away after I graduated high school. My high school graduation was the last time I saw him. We were extremely close. I asked my grandma for one of his blue shirts and I have it sewn in a heart on my dress.” It was a beautiful way to honor him.
Rem & his groomsmen got ready at the big house, as I dubbed it, better known as the Keen’s home. The guys did what most guys do when they are preparing for a big event..cut up and hang out until somebody tells them to get dressed for pictures. What was different than normal was that as they were about to get dressed, two boxes were delivered to Rem . One had a tag on it that said “For Groom’s Eyes Only.” Now, we didn’t get to see what was in that box..but from the blush on his cheeks I can confidently say he enjoyed it. 😉 In the other box was a framed record of the song he and Sierra would later dance to as their first dance as husband and wife.
The first look for these two was so precious to see. Rem did a great job keeping it together, but we could tell he was floored by his stunning bride. They joked that they should just call the pastor over right then and there, they were ready!
The ceremony space overlooked the ponds, with dainty babie’s breath in jars leading the way down the aisle to the focal point of the space- a hand carved wooden cross with a crown of thorns on it, built with love by Sierra’s Dad. My favorite part of the ceremony, hands down, was when Pastor Leslie told the guests that Sierra & Rem wanted to share Jesus with them..that at any time, all they needed to do was to come speak to them if they are unsure about their faith. Seeing a couple share their day with the Lord like that was such a precious thing!
After the first kiss, guests got to relax in the barn near the ceremony space, sipping on sweet tea and lemonade. There were also waters, because it was July in Alabama. 😉 But none of the guests complained of the heat because they were too busy enjoying themselves. The reception kept going as guests made Cuba Libres, a favorite drink of Rem’s and ate the best Mac and cheese I’ve ever had. Literally. The best. All of the wooden tables were a product of Sierra’s Dad’s hard work, and the treasured tea cups swayed gently from the tree out front, a symbol of tradition and love passed down through the years. Once the dancing was done and plenty of cake enjoyed, we all gathered outside to “send off” the newlyweds. Children ran around with glow in the dark balloons as adults teamed up to light Chinese lanterns for the most romantic sendoff I’ve seen to date..It was straight out of a movie scene..a’la “Tangled” watching them float gracefully in the summer breeze and away.
Y’all. I am so glad that David & I got to be there to film your day. I loved every minute & pray that each day of your marriage is twice as blessed as your wedding day. I loved getting to see the home you’ll spend this part of your lives in and even more so the families that you are joining together as one. Y’all are so blessed! And I was serious when I said y’all will have to come over to the Pettuses sometime and talk coffee shops and downtown development. Maybe we can get some things cooked up. 😉
Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Keen!!
-Megan
SECOND SHOOTER & DRONE FOOTAGE: David Killingsworth
CEREMONY & RECEPTION VENUE: The Keen Family Farm
PHOTOGRAPHER: Milly Photography
CAKE ARTIST: Ellen Hamilton
ENTERTAINMENT: DJ Platinum from Birmingham
HAIR ARTIST: Jordan Harper
BRIDAL GOWN: The White Magnolia in Atlanta
BRIDESMAIDS DRESS: Show Me Your Mumu
TUXES: Mobley & Sons
OFFICIANT: Leslie Spiller
