Lauren Wright & Jeremy Garard

Lauren Wright met Jeremy Garard more than a decade ago. He was the son of her pastor in Fair Grove, Missouri, and they grew up together as acquaintances. Jeremy saw her as a little sister as they grew up and apart. But then, a home purchase and a bit of misfortune brought them together again in 2013.

“We didn’t get to know each other until the winter of 2013, when he was sent home from Baghdad, Iraq with an injury,” Lauren says. “He had just purchased a house not two miles from my family’s home, so you could say he was the boy next door.”

Much to the surprise of Lauren, Jeremy and their families, the two clicked and fell in love as he recovered from a critical injury to his knee. But then, Jeremy had to return to his job in Baghdad working security at the U.S. Embassy.

Although he was 7,000 miles from the Ozarks, Lauren and Jeremy stayed close by corresponding with each other online. Jeremy would make the long trip home for a month every three months for too-short visits. In August 2014, he visited Lauren, and the couple traveled to Grinnell Glacier in Montana for one of their favorite memories.

“Sitting thousands of miles high, overlooking three breathtaking, aqua blue glacier lakes and the sun sinking behind a magnificent glacier, he pulled a box out of his pocket and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him,” she says. 

She said yes, and on June 19, 2015, the two ended their long-distance romance permanently at the Weathered Wisdom Barn in Preston, Missouri. The couple celebrated the beginning of their forever with a romantic and whimsical wedding, sprinkled with surprising, opulent metallic details throughout.

“Love took us and everyone else very much by surprise, but we couldn’t be happier about God bringing us together,” Lauren says. “Who says long distance doesn’t work?”

Wood walls and glowing natural light from the barn’s oversized windows provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s romantic cake decorated by fresh flowers.

1. Lauren’s Ella Weiss Wedding Design dress featured a trumpet silhouette, lace and delicate beading. 2. The bride’s bouquet best illustrated her day’s overall theme: romantic, whimsical and delicately opulent. 3. Sealed with a kiss, Jeremy and Lauren ended their two-year, long-distance romance on June 19, 2015. Philippa Minner served as matron of honor, and Jeremy’s brother Jonathon Garard served as best man. 

1. On a beautiful June night, Jeremy Garard and Lauren Wright said their vows at the Weathered Wisdom Barn in Preston, Missouri. 2. Artistry in Bloom brought Lauren’s vision of natural, whimsical romance to life. Hints of gold in the décor brought a level of sophistication to the couple’s barn reception. 3. The love is in the details. For Lauren and Jeremy’s day, Lauren wanted natural elements contrasted by glittering items. 4. For most of their romance, Jeremy and Lauren had been separated by thousands of miles. But as they began their next chapter together, the couple drove off in a 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

 Lauren looks at her husband-to-be awaiting at the end of the aisle.

2. Friends and family traveled from Lauren’s hometown of Springfield to Preston, Missouri, to celebrate Jeremy and Lauren. 3. Lush greenery and glittery, opulent linens from Elegant Touch Linens created a romantic contrast of natural elements and metallic details for the head table. 4. Celebrated Occasions in Springfield designed a delicate invitation suite for the couple.

The couple was married at Weathered Wisdom Barn in Preston, Missouri, which is surrounded by plenty of gorgeous countryside.

Resources:

Venue: Weathered Wisdom Barn
Caterer: P & D Catering
Cake: Celebrations by Sonja 
Flowers: Artistry in Bloom
Planner: Janet Wright
Dress: Ella Weiss Wedding Design
Tuxedos: Suitsupply, Men’s Wearhouse
Photographer: Christine Bonnivier Photography
Hair: Philippa Minner from AVBS
Rentals: SB Bon Events and Artistry in Bloom
Invitations: Celebrated Occasions
DJ: Mathew Williams
String Quartet: Kathy Love, Elizabeth Suh, Luke Harris and Levi Harris
Harp: Meagan Compton