Perfect Imperfection

Wedding days can be chaotic, but a Morgantown couple embraced each and every minute of it.

Devin Rochelle Lacy & Cyle Derrick Wickline
Wilkesville | 1o.01.22

photographed by KCBilek Photography
WRITTEN BY Tara Wine-Queen

A ring-warming ceremony, in which friends and family of the bride and groom take a moment to bless the rings the couple will exchange, has a hidden benefit. At the wedding of Devin Lacy and Cyle Wickline, it meant hands-on blessings as the rings were passed along the aisles where their immediate families sat bearing witness to the union—held by each of those most precious to them, just as those same people had held the bride and groom through all the stages of their lives. But it also gave the couple a minute together out of the limelight to pause and fully appreciate the moment.

Hands-on is a theme with Devin and Cyle. When they couldn’t find an outdoor venue that had everything they wanted, Cyle suggested using the family farm where his grandparents lived and where the couple had spent time together over the years caring for the animals and sharing meals with his family. What the farm didn’t have already, they would build with the help of the people whose hands would bless their wedding rings moments before they exchanged them.

Still, they experienced some anxiety leading up to the day over whether they would be able to pull it off or not. They were conjuring an outdoor chapel from scratch—including a pair of whitewashed doors that would act as an entrance to the aisle and cathedral-style windows suspended along a leafy perimeter—and, though its foliage may be stunning, autumn’s weather can be unpredictable. “We didn’t have a backup plan,” Cyle admits, and the potential for rain became a genuine worry as the day drew closer and the forecast was bleak.

pinky promise?

The October day that Cyle and Devin chose to hold their wedding was indeed rainy and cold. The grass became soft, threatening to ruin shoes. Birds were released unexpectedly at the end of the ceremony, to the shock and delight of both guests and most of the wedding party. And the bride slipped and fell when she disembarked from the carriage on the way to the reception. All in all, the day contained a fair bit of chaos.

But as their dearest friends delivered their speeches to the happy reception crowd, Cyle was squeezing Devin’s hand and she was squeezing his back, and both of them were crying the ecstatic, overwhelmed tears of two people very much in love and very much loved by not only each other but the vast collection of generous souls who had accompanied them down their path to this most joyful of days.

Their ceremony, while mostly traditional, had special touches to honor the pair’s particular brand of laid-back love, with their nephew elatedly wielding a bubble blower down the aisle and the ceremony including that chance for the couple to simply stop, take a moment together, and share a prayer as their rings made their way through the aisles. “It was like putting the wedding on pause. We chatted and laughed, waved to a few guests, and just took a breath,” Devin says. A sweet pinky promise topped off their vow exchange. “Pinky promises are a big deal in our house. When it comes to big things or serious conversations, we always make a pinky promise.”

After the two exchanged vows, they met the guests at the doors back at the top of the aisle. Greeting and thanking each attendee individually was important to the newlyweds, and they wanted to ensure a few one-on-one moments with each guest before the reception got underway.

This detail was one of countless thoughtful touches crafted by the couple and their loved ones for the reception. Favors were servings of the groom’s favorite coffee and the bride’s favorite tea that they hand-packed themselves. A LEGO bride and groom gifted to the pair by Cyle’s brother and his wife graced the serving space where the rustic two-tiered cake and cupcakes sat, the figures a nod to Devin and Cyle’s love of the bricks. A mouth-watering candy apple bar offered scrumptious toppings for the seasonal treat, and a coffee bar was available to help guests power through the fun and festivities.

lucky in love

Even when things didn’t go exactly to plan, all felt as it should be, with those tiny touches of imperfection adding to the authenticity of the day. When the two were pledging their vows, for example, both of them messed them up a bit, a misstep that ended up being Cyle’s favorite moment from the day. “We were just so eager to be married,” he says.

There’s an ease between the husband and wife, whether they’re telling a story or gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes, a trust that was built up over years of friendship and the relationship they shared before marrying and shines through it all. It was reflected in the joy on the faces of their family and friends, happy that these two had found the ones they were meant to have. At one point during the dancing, a slow song came on, and, without prompting, several of their friends wrapped their arms around them, drawing them into the center of a group hug, offering them their wholehearted blessings with both hands.

Enveloped in the love of their friends, it was a moving reminder of how blessed they were: in friendship, in family, and in the safety of one another’s hearts and arms. Even in the midst of so much excitement, Cyle and Devin found themselves marveling over their luck in love. “The rain, the temperature, the noise, the people—it would all disappear for a minute, and we were just totally present and focused on each other,” Devin says. “I was so, so happy to be in those moments and sharing them with him.”

GET INSPIRATION FROM OTHER REAL WEST VIRGINIA WEDDINGS

CHECK OUT OUR VENDOR GUIDE TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR SPECIAL DAY