It wasn’t quite the picture-perfect finish Elizabeth Bancroft had envisioned for her wedding day. There she was on Mockingbird Lane steering a vintage Toyota truck in her wedding dress, while her groom, Charlie Bernet, and a buddy were in back, pushing. The adorable yellow truck they had borrowed for the getaway car had decided to break down. “We were going to get dropped off at the hotel but ended up pushing it to a gas station,” recalls the bride. “We got an Uber to the hotel.” 

Elizabeth and Charlie didn’t let an auto malfunction mar their big day. Not only did they still get to have the wedding of their dreams, but they’ll have a great story to share for years to come.

The wedding culminated an eight-year relationship that began as juniors at Highland Park High School. “He makes me laugh. We have a playful thing, we just really know each other, and I think that’s special,” the bride says. He proposed while on a “site visit” to scout out a venue for his firm’s Christmas party. As they stood looking out at the view from the rooftop at 400 North Ervay, Elizabeth began to suspect this wasn’t about an office party. Of course, she said yes.

The high school sweethearts approached their wedding knowing what they wanted and figuring out how to make it happen: first, the venue. “We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding from the beginning,” says Elizabeth. “We wanted to be around trees and the sun and the wind; the outdoors feels like home.” Elizabeth had lived in a house on White Rock Lake with girlfriends during college. It was the perfect spot. “I can’t believe we asked for the favor of having our wedding there,” Elizabeth says. But ask they did, and another wish was granted.

Together with wedding planner Emily Clarke, the fall wedding took shape beautifully. A deck was set up over the filled-in pool so that the ceremony could face the lake, and a tent was erected for the reception. Bows + Arrows worked their magic with their signature, garden-style arrangements in soft muted pinks, orange, and white, as well as the statement arch where the couple exchanged their vows.

Elizabeth wore a long-sleeve Kate Middleton–inspired Anne Barge gown from The Bridal Salon at Stanley Korshak. She chose soft shades to keep with the natural theme—dusty blue bridesmaids’ dresses along with lots of green and white. “It was the idea of going back to what felt warm and comforting,” she says. “I wanted to keep the soft tones with nothing too contrasting.”

With all the boxes checked for a perfect day, there was still one thing missing. The couple had their eye on the perfect getaway car: a truck they’d seen parked outside a home on Preston Road. “Later on, we found out that Charlie’s brother knows the family that owns the truck. We asked to borrow it for the evening, and it all worked out.”

After the kerfuffle with the truck, the couple spent their wedding night at Hotel St. Germain and left the next day for a honeymoon in Positano, Italy, buoyed by unforgettable memories. “I can’t believe how gracious everyone was to help make this day so special,” Elizabeth says.

—Connie Dufner