6.7.21
In retrospect, it seems like Becca Zimmerman and John Hardy were destined to be together. They first met in high school youth group, and their families, who live just ten minutes away from each other, were already friends long before the two started dating. It didn’t seem quite so obvious to Becca when she and John reconnected after college — in fact, it took eight dates before she was sure that they were even dating at all! Eventually, though, John clarified that he was interested in more than friendship, and the pair began dating officially.
A little over a year later, they both knew that they wanted to get married. John had hinted that Becca should expect a Christmas proposal, so she was surprised when he popped the question at Thanksgiving!
They began coordinating their 2020 wedding, but their plans quickly changed. With the pandemic looming “like a cloud” over their wedding plans, they scaled back their guest list by 50-70 people and had a more intimate ceremony at the Woolen Mill in Fredericksburg. Becca is the talented graphic designer behind much of Poppy’s marketing, and her vision for her wedding was bright, colorful, and happy. Flowers were key to the aesthetic, appearing in the beautiful invitations that she designed herself.
Creativity runs in the family — her mother handcrafted paper flowers to adorn the chairs of their venue.
For the rest of the flowers, of course, Becca chose Poppy. She worked with the Poppy’s Wedding Team to realize her vision of “something beautiful and a little bit different” in a palette of vibrant oranges and pinks with pops of cream and white.
Despite all the uncertainty in the planning process, Becca and John still had the beautiful wedding that they’d dreamed of. “Poppy made my vision come true, even though things felt so up in the air,” said Becca. “I was worried it wasn’t even going to happen. So for it to exceed my expectations was incredible.”
As many 2020 brides have learned, a hitch in a couple’s plans can lead to a moment they’ll never forget. Becca had intended to walk down the aisle to the classic Elvis Presley tune “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” but the music system suddenly stopped! Her quick-thinking bridesmaids decided to hum the song instead, and to Becca’s surprise, all of her guests joined in. “I started to sob and I still want to cry when I think about it!” she said. “It was a perfect example of something going wrong and then turning into my favorite thing.”
Photographer: Taylor Rose Photography