Love in Full Bloom 

After 20 years, this West Virginia couple decided on forever surrounded by the love of family and friends—and a plethora of flowers. 

Jeni Peterson & Kevin Walker
Shepherdstown | 07.27.19

written by Andrea Fleming
Photographed by Sweet Caroline Photography

Some people spend years, decades even, planning their future weddings in their minds. They might not know yet in their daydreams just who they’ll exchange vows with, but they know every flower, the colors of the linens, and the feel of the day. 

But when both of the people exchanging vows work in the wedding industry, every detail matters. Beyond being a moment in time that they will remember for the rest of their lives, it’s also an opportunity to express themselves together creatively in a medium that they love. 

That moment in time and that opportunity proved to be a breathtakingly beautiful one for Jeni Peterson and Kevin Walker, both floral design professionals and event planners living in Shepherdstown. And even more than the flowers, a weekend surrounded by family and friends was the most important detail that this couple planned.  

Let Love Grow 

A mutual friend introduced Jeni and Kevin when Kevin took a weekend trip home from college to Martinsburg. The two went on a few dates, but nothing much materialized, and Kevin went back to school in Morgantown and Jeni attended Shepherd University. When Kevin graduated from West Virginia University in 2002, he returned home, and the pair started dating officially. 

 Jeni worked as a financial adviser for 10 years. Meanwhile, her hobby as a florist and gardener grew into a successful floral and event business. Westvirjeni grew to the point that Kevin eventually quit his sales job to join Jeni as a business partner. She got into event planning, and developed a style she describes as whimsical, bohemian, asymmetrical, and artistic. Kevin handled all of the mechanics, build-outs, and a good bit of the heavy farm work needed to grow their flowers.

Nearly two decades into their life together, the couple became clear that they wanted to get married. There was no grand proposal—just two people in love who decided on forever. 

So Many Details 

The plan was simple: They wanted one big party, yet something casual, the bride says. For the super-informal couple, a weekend surrounded by the people they love would be the perfect way to celebrate saying their “I do’s.” 

Kevin had inherited a farm that his grandfather once worked on and his father eventually owned—Wild Goose Farm—and they chose that as their venue. 

The couple went above and beyond to include personal details and moments in their mostly DIY wedding. “We Decided on Forever” became the theme of their wedding early on in the planning phase and was incorporated into the decor and wedding programs. The couple chose a palette of blue, caramel, and peach. 

An old stock trailer that Kevin’s grandfather had used for taking cattle to the stock market became a unique centerpiece for their wedding reception: He carved out time to restore the trailer, which then served as their wedding bar. Jeni had a longtime favorite vision of her father walking her down the aisle and their first dance, and those became essential details for her on the big day. 

Flowers took center stage, of course. The floral motif would be wild and whimsical with a lot of texture, including garden roses. In the end, 70 percent of the flowers in the arrangements would come right from the bride’s garden, in order to match the wedding colors perfectly. 

“We worked up until the day of,” Jeni says. “A baker friend made our cake as a wedding gift. My best friend is a florist and came to help. A friend from St. Thomas came in and helped with the flowers, too. Designers from D.C. and Baltimore even came in to help. It was a big group effort of vendors and friends coming together to help us plan and execute our wedding.” 

They Decided on Forever

On the big day, Jeni got ready at home with 25 of her closest friends. While she had her hair and makeup done, her friends finished the wearable floral pieces for everyone. She wore a white boho-style dress she found online at lulus.com for only $60. Kevin had chosen a cobalt-colored suit, and he suited and booted up at the wedding venue with his family. 

One thing Jeni had always dreamed of was having her dad walk her down the aisle to a steel pan version of “Here Comes the Bride.” The couple exchanged traditional vows in a short but sweet ceremony officiated by Kevin’s great-uncle.  

Jeni and Kevin created a casual wedding reception for more than 200 guests where everyone could relax, enjoy the party, and socialize with the whole group. The strolling reception featured lounge-style seating and kicked off with a cocktail hour with street tacos and a nacho bar. Everyone moved to the barn after the reception to find barbecue and hand-dipped ice cream. The four-tiered boho and eclectic-style wedding cake with salted caramel and bourbon drizzle was a gorgeous statement piece. 

The couple shared their first dance to “All of Me” by Jah Cure in the courtyard of Wild Goose Farm. The evening of dancing and socializing was fortified by late-night pizza and, after the traditional reception send-off, an after-party continued at the couple’s shared home. 

The day after the wedding included more time for Jeni and Kevin to spend with family and friends. It was essential to the newlyweds to share the whole weekend with everyone—especially the people who traveled so far to celebrate the happy couple. Sunday brunch with a pool party was the perfect way to tie up the affair. 

“Just a big party with family and friends was the most important thing to us,” Jeni reiterates. “It was kinda hectic, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”