Brady Drake
Photos by Bushel & A Peck Photography
Web: bushelapeck30.mypixieset.com
Facebook: /bushelandapeckphotographynd
Instagram: @bushelapeckphotographynd
When did you get married and how would you describe the day in two sentences?
August 30, 2025. As cliche as it sounds the day was truly perfect. Everything went according to plan and the day was filled with the overwhelming love of having all of our favorite people in the same place!
What made you choose your venue? And what venue did you choose?
We wanted a venue where everything could take place in one location and one where it was already beautiful without needing to add much to it, which is why we went with Pines Black.
Thinking back to your wedding, what did you love most about the experience at the venue?
Having a manager on site the day of to help with any questions, changes, etc. while also allowing the freedom to let us do what we needed to do to have the perfect wedding day.
What’s one fun story or unique memory from your reception?
Being we weren’t able to have our cat Theo there, my brother had a fathead made of Theo’s face. We didn’t realize he would be such a hit and everyone wanted a chance to dance with him!
What’s your best wedding planning advice for future couples?
Book the vendors as early as you can, this allows the rest of the process to flow and you can use them as a resource for which step to do next, as they have done this many times!
What was the most difficult part of the planning process?
Picking colors, flowers, decor, etc. and not being able to see it all come together until the day of. You are left hoping everything looks beautiful and mesh’s well, and trust me it does!
What problems or situations surprised you about the planning process?
How truly easy it was. We were told over and over how stressful it was but we did a few things each month over the course of one year and it went so smoothly!
What was the easiest part? And what was the most fun
Picking our venue was the easiest! The Pines was wonderful! Picking our playlists of songs for the DJ was the most fun!
What did you envision your wedding to be like before the planning process started and how did that change throughout?
Neither of us had really thought about our wedding or how it would look. We just knew we wanted a day with our favorite people—so we really went into the planning process blind, which I think helped us both stay stress free and enjoy each moment of the process!
What were your top priorities for planning the wedding right after the engagement?
Our top priorities were booking the vendors and figuring out our guest list.
Did you take any special steps to maintain a budget?
No, we knew we wanted to stay within a certain amount but quite honestly it is very difficult even with altering or changing certain aspects. We tried to prioritize what was important to us and what was worth spending money on!
What was the most valuable lesson that you learned that you would like to pass on to others?
Every single couple will say this but the day goes by so, so fast—take time throughout the busy day to breath, be present and realize you will never have day like this again so enjoy every aspect of it
Everybody says that you should have fun and enjoy the wedding planning process, but it is easy to get stressed! Any recommendations on how to stay calm during the stressful parts?
At the end of the day you are marrying the love of your life so we didn’t let the little things bother us and we knew the stress was temporary so why get worked up over things that will more than likely end up just fine!
What were the standout vendors or products you found that made your day memorable?
Take the Leap DJ was hands down the best— Corey seriously made our day so smooth, and he kept the dance floor popping all night long
Love Always Floral also did a beautiful job decorating our flowers and making the bouquets—they truly made the visions in our heads come to life.
Last our photographer, Bushel & A Peck Photography also helped the day flow and had soo many ideas for photos, We had zero stress and knew she would take all the photos we needed and would love!
