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There are many words that describe Juliana and Luke’s Lake of the Ozarks area wedding: intentional, well-planned, thoughtful, energetic, stunningly beautiful. But one word truly encapsulates everything this wedding was – and everything this union displays – and that word is holy.

Juliana and Luke love Jesus. It’s evident from what they say to each other, from how they act towards each other, and it’s even evident throughout the toasts from their reception. Everyone knows Juliana and Luke are committed to Christ and to each other.

Chasen and I were so honored to capture their wedding day. From the early moments of getting ready with the girls (and dancing around in the backyard) to the final moments of their sparkler send-off where we flew the drone above the cheers – Juliana and Luke made every guest in attendance feel the same love and appreciation they feel towards each other and towards their Savior. It was a holy event.

It was also an incredibly stylish event, thanks to Katie McIntire, wedding planner. I’ve interviewed Katie and Juliana, both, to get their insight into what made this wedding day so amazing. Keep reading for their interviews. But, first, enjoy Juliana and Luke’s feature film.

An Interview with the Bride

Leslee: How did you two meet and fall in love?

Juliana: Luke and I grew up in the same town and went to the same school our whole lives. We even found an old journal once with a page written about liking Juliana, signed by “Luke, age 12.” (We like to say this wedding was a long time coming haha!) We always had a little connection, but in high school finally started dating. I had liked Luke for the longest time and was thrilled to death when he finally asked me on an ice cream date my sophomore year. We were so young, and fell in love so fast. At 15 and 17 we would have long conversations dreaming of getting married someday. We’ve always been best friends, which we think is what makes our relationship so fun. After he graduated we did almost 5 years of long distance, just patiently waiting until the timing was right to marry my high school sweetheart!

All About the Design

Leslee: Tell us about your wedding design – why did you choose your venue and your different design elements?

Juliana: When envisioning our wedding, I knew I wanted a timeless, classy, southern charm feel. I love the blue and white hydrangea look and wanted elegant florals to be the main focus! The whole design was truly better than I could’ve dreamed! 

We got married at Saline Valley Ranch, which is my family’s property. We call it “The Ranch.” For my entire life my family has spend just about every holiday here. It’s where we’ve celebrated endless birthdays. The place we do Sunday lunches and spend summer days. There’s even been many family weddings on this property. Luke and I also had our engagement party at The Ranch. It holds so many special memories, so we figured there was no place better to get married at. Not to mention how beautiful the land is! 

A Word About Design from the Wedding Planner, Katie McIntire

Leslee: What were the most personalized and unique aspects of the design you created for Juliana and Luke?

Katie: I would say the most personalized + unique aspects we designed for J + L were the smaller details! Jules loved the classic white and blue palette, so we took that and ran with the design. The entire event was so fun to design simply because their love story and personalities were so magnetic, but specifically the event being hosted on Juliana’s family ranch forced the uniqueness on us, in the best way! The old timey aesthetic of the reception space, the beautiful grounds of the ceremony – Everything about their property created a beautiful foundation for us to build from. We started the unique design with custom stationary from YB Graphics, and followed through with those unique details on their wedding day with all custom signage + paper goods, custom hats for guests, J’s mom’s getaway car, and so much more!

Leslee: How did you make Juliana and Luke’s vision come to life so beautifully?

Katie: Like I said, the property speaks for itself, so that really helped us immensely. Every vendor we chose for the event showed up and showed out – They listened to our dreams, visions, and plans and helped us pull everything together so seamlessly. It’s also so easy and filled my cup to be able to design + plan for such amazing souls. Juliana + Luke are the real deal! 

Favorite Wedding Memories

Leslee: What are your favorite memories from your wedding day?

Juliana: Everything about June 15th felt so perfect to us. Our first look was of our favorite moments from the day because we finally got to see eachother as the bride and groom, not just fiancés anymore. We read private vows and got to be excited together about the rest of the day. It was so incredibly special and Leslee caputured it beautifully. Our ceremony was also so sweet because my grandfather married us and my aunt sang during communion. It reflected Gods love for us and our love for eachother so well. And lastly, our reception was just pure fun! The band was amazing and we had so much fun celebrating with our people. Truly our the best day ever!

To Hire A Videographer? Or Not?

Leslee: What would you say to couples who are on the fence about hiring a videographer? 

Juliana: If anyone is on the fence about hiring a videographer I would say there’s only two things you get to physically keep from the wedding day, and that’s the photos and videos. Photos are sweet memories, but having a professional video is like reliving the whole day over again everytime you watch it. You feel the exact butterflies, excitement, and love as you did that day but from a whole new perspective. Hiring Leslee as our videographer was one of the best decisions we made! We were blessed with the best wedding team that made it all possible. Leslee and her husband were a joy to spend the day with, along with all our other incredible vendors.

I asked the same question to wedding planner, Katie.

Katie: Hiring an experienced videographer is one of the top comments I hear back from my clients that they either 1. Are SO happy they splurged in that area, or 2. Are SO sad they don’t have any video footage from their day. I think it’s so important to not only hire a video team, but one like Leslee that is calm in the chaos and so professional! I am so thankful as a vendor to have the video footage of J + L’s wedding day, but also as a friend/IG follower to be able to watch footage of their love story from that day. It is priceless! 

Such Much to Be Thankful For!

As the videographer, I feel incredibly grateful to have been trusted to capture Juliana and Luke’s sacred day from start to finish. It’s always the best feeling knowing I’m witnessing the beginning of a marriage that will last a lifetime. To Juliana and Luke – CHEERS! I pray God’s blessings upon you and your family!

The Wedding Vendor Team

PLANNING: Katie McIntire

PHOTO: Raegan Buckley
VIDEO: Leslee Layton Films + Photos
Content: Sincerely Sadie
RENTALS: @whitedoorevent @marquee_rents
DRESS: @moniquelhuillierbride
LINENS: @bbjlatavola + @nuagedesignsinc
FLORIST: @xohaleighkenney
CATERING: @brancatoscatering
CAKE: @shelbylynnscake
MAKE-UP ARTIST: @beauty_spotbystepheny
HAIR STYLIST: @natural.beauty.co_ @paintbox.hair@d.h__hairstudio
ENTERTAINMENT: @patricklentzentertainment
INVITATIONS + PAPER GOODS: @yellowbrickgraphics