Evergreen Love

A decade of “always” culminates in a wedding of wildflowers and wonder.

Chelsey Butler & Kendall Taylor
Hico | 05.18.24

Written by Julie Perine

Photographed by Josh Lykins Visuals

It was during the unusual and widely noted 2021 Texas winter storm when Kendall Taylor got down on one knee and asked Chelsey Butler to become his wife.

Everyone was excited—even their dog Hank, who pounced on Kendall and sent the engagement ring flying into the deep snow. “We dug for a really long time to find it,” Chelsey says. “I had waited nine years for it. I was going to find that ring!”

at the start

It all started in the spring of 2014, when Chelsey and Kendall were attending high schools in Williamstown and St. Marys, respectively, about 30 minutes apart. Mutual friends thought they would be a good match, and their hunch proved to be right. The relationship flourished, even while Chelsey earned a bachelor’s degree at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, and Kendall took a construction job in his hometown. “I came home on weekends, and Kendall came up to see me when he could,” Chelsey says.

They often sent letters. “We would write to each other on holidays and special occasions, heartfelt letters that always ended with the word ‘always,’” Chelsey says. “It was something special to us throughout our relationship.”

Fast forward a few years to when the couple was living in Carthage, Texas. Kendall was working in the oil and gas industry while Chelsey was a zookeeper. He felt the time was right to pop the question. “I got the ring, and I talked to Chelsey’s dad, Buddy, about it,” he says. “I probably had the ring for two to three weeks, waiting for the right time.”

rooted in love

Having recently started new jobs, the couple wasn’t in a rush for the wedding, which gave Chelsey plenty of time to put her vision into action. “I knew I wanted moody greenery—forest-like vibes, with wildflowers and ferns,” she says.

May 2024 arrived with plenty of anticipation. The setting at The Confluence Resort was just as Chelsey had envisioned, the outdoor ceremony location along an overlook lending serene beauty to the celebrations. But when Kendall first saw his bride, it was more than he had imagined. “She started down the aisle, and I couldn’t talk. I knew she would look beautiful, but I was in shock,” he says.

Chelsey made her way to the ceremony on the arm of her stepfather, wearing a white floor-length fit and flare gown with swirling lace and a plunging neckline. As they approached the aisle, she was passed along to her father, who escorted her to where Kendall waited. Her attendants wore juniper green floor-length dresses, complementing those “forest-like vibes.” Kendall opted for black-on-black tuxedos for himself, his best man, and his groomsmen. Blossoms and Buds of Hillsboro provided the flora, including Chelsey’s bridal bouquet, a lively and natural arrangement of fern leaves accented with white anemones and other wildflowers—simple yet stunning, letting nature speak for itself.

When the bride and groom read the vows they had written, there was even more emotion. Chelsey’s first reaction, she says, was that Kendall’s vows were better than hers. But in hindsight, they both captured their mutual love and devotion. “They were very good and really heartfelt. It was nice hearing everything put into words,” she says. “They were such special moments. For a little bit, we forgot other people were even there.”

To Kendall, it seemed like they had written the vows together. “But it was the first time we heard what each other wrote,” he says. Each had ended the vows with the word “always,” which couldn’t have been more perfect.

The ceremony also featured the watering of a resurrection fern. “I’m a plant nerd, and I had heard about this when I was in college,” Chelsey says. “I thought it was symbolic of a marriage. It doesn’t die if it is nurtured. It will come back to life. We were able to see it unfurl throughout the ceremony, and the guests got to see that happen.”

into the always

The fun started early in the reception as Chelsey and Kendall led their wedding party into The Confluence’s modern and industrial reception space, each couple dancing, to the guests’ delight. Sincere speeches from the newlyweds’ friends and family kept the room full of love as the evening went on.

The Taylors shared their first dance to “Shake the Frost” by Tyler Childers. “We constantly sent each other songs back and forth, and that was one we had sent to each other because we liked the words so much,” Chelsey says. She and her dad danced to “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton, and Kendall and his mom danced to “Don’t Blink” by Kenney Chesney. Another special dance—Chelsey with her grandfather—featured Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

Then came fun festivities, including a game of bridal party musical chairs. A list of items had to be collected from the crowd to advance through each round. “It was a good way to break the ice and transition from the first dance to the reception,” Chelsey says. “It was hilarious watching everyone run around and getting stuff, like belts and shoes, from people.”

After an evening of dancing and enjoying their loved ones’ company in the waning light of a West Virginia sunset, the couple took to the skies, landing in Greece for their honeymoon on the 10th anniversary of their first date. Seeing the islands of Athens, Meteora, Milos, and Crete was the perfect way to celebrate it all. “Taking it all in—the islands and the inland—and seeing the different landscapes was amazing,” Chelsey says. And they returned home with matching tattoos: the word “always.”

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