Southern Weddings

There is no way I can choose one favorite thing about this Florida wedding! I really love that Kathy wore the earrings her great grandmother wore on her own wedding day. Another favorite is the traditional Cuban wedding cake in honor of Kathy’s roots. Also, there are all the neat DIY ideas! The bridal party canned 4 gallons of Georgia Honey as party favors. Everything came together at the {Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe} and Kathy looked stunning in a dress by {Maggie Sottero}. Other fun details: Flowers by {Gerardo}. Catering by Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe. Wedding cake by {Sweet Art by Luclia}. Thanks to Karen at {The Wedding Couple} for sending these images our way!

How did the two of you meet? Marshall and I had both just started our first year of graduate school at UGA. It was the first week of classes and all the first-years went out to eat at a local restaurant. While standing in line, we introduced ourselves to one another. Marshall told me he had just received his masters from Duke and I told him I’d just graduated with my bachelors in chemistry. I asked him what he had done over the summer. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when he told me he had spent his summer landscaping, I realized how down-to-earth he was. I told him I spent my summer working as a waitress at a restaurant in my hometown. We hit it off instantly and haven’t been apart since.

Describe the proposal: It was perfect and a complete surprise for me. Marshall had been away for a month on a research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, so we planned a camping trip at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys to celebrate his return home. After snorkeling all day, we went back to our campsite on the beach for a picnic on the shore at sunset. It was a romantic candlelit dinner of sandwiches, baked beans, and beer. After dinner, we were sitting and looking out over the ocean, admiring how dark it was and how many stars we could see. Marshall pulled out the ring box and I was speechless. So much so, I think I frightened him a bit. Of course it was a, “YES!”

A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Our first surf-trip to Cape Hatteras. We were camping on the beach and it was insanely cold and wouldn’t stop raining. Still, it was the best trip ever.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Rustic and earthy

Favorite design element of your big day: We had two antique, nine-pane windows that we used as picture frames. Each pane held a different picture from our childhood. It was a big hit.

Describe your wedding flowers: We had a lot of green and white flowers in mason jars. Chrysanthemums, orchids, and hydrangeas were the main flowers but we had many others. The floral arrangements were absolutely gorgeous and our florist was amazing. We’ve recommended him to everyone we know.

Describe your wedding cake: I come from a Cuban family, so Marshall and I wanted to have a traditional wedding cake. It’s customary to have a three-layer cake from which a ribbon hangs for each of the bride’s single girlfriends. During the reception, all my single girlfriends pulled a ribbon from the cake. The tradition is, the girl who pulls a wedding ring is the next to get married, and the one who pulls a thimble will be an old maid. I didn’t include a thimble, but my younger cousin pulled the wedding ring. It was a wonderful moment, and our guests really enjoyed it.

Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? My great-great-grandmother bought a pair of earrings that she gave to my great-grandmother on her wedding day. Since then, they’ve been passed down to the first-born daughter on her wedding day. On our wedding day, my mother passed them on to me and they were the earrings I wore.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Cutting the cake with Kathy. We were busy for so much of the wedding, but at that moment I felt it was only us two.

What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Focus on the moment and on each other. Also, choose a photographer, vendor and florist who you can really relate to. Marshall and I are so very grateful to them all; without them, we wouldn’t have had such a memorable and wonderful wedding to remember.

Any DIY items? Marshall, my bridesmaid, Rachel, her husband, Aaron, and I canned 4 gallons of Georgia Honey to be given as favors at the wedding. It was a tribute to my late-grandmother. My mom and I decorated the favors, and made the place-card holders. For the place cards, we bagged M&M’s with special messages in small burlap bags and attached a small wooden name-card on each bag. My mom has beautiful penmanship and so she wrote everyone’s name on each card.

Congratulations, Kathy + Marshall!

Written with love by Lara Casey