Southern Weddings

I’m loving the soft colors in Heather + Sam’s reception. Light pink blooms backed by mint and seeded eucalyptus were made at home in blue mason jars. They look even more darling on top of burlap table linens and vintage lace doilies! The Southern details kept on comin’ with good eats and a cake buffet! Multiple sweets options? We like. But what sticks out most to me in this wedding is Heather’s most memorable moment. I adore that she remembers the post-wedding bliss that hit her as she and Sam walked back the house after the reception. Thanks again to Our Labor of Love for sharing this lovely wedding.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our ceremony and reception location, The Hill, was definitely full of Southern charm with its sunken garden and various restored historic antebellum homes. The decor was also very Southern – burlap table cloths, blue ball mason jars and vintage lace doilies. And let’s not forget the food! We had a bit of North vs. South for the appetizers (since I grew up in Pennsylvania), which were pierogies and fried green tomatoes. The highlights of dinner included smoked beef brisket, pulled pork with apple BBQ sauce, tomato bread pudding, and cheese grits – yum!
Describe your wedding cake: Sam and I opted to have a cake buffet rather than the traditional tiered wedding cake. Two cakes were white velvet raspberry flavored, two were Spanish lemon and one was chocolate. For the chocolate cake, the baker was able to print Sam’s family crest onto edible rice paper as a surprise.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Probably the DIY projects. I had very lofty aspirations, especially with the save the dates and invitations. Despite the fact that we had an almost two year engagement, I waited until the very end, when we finally had a concrete vision, to work on most of them.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? We are so, so happy that we splurged on the photography and cinematography. Heidi Geldhauser from Our Labor of Love and Andy Jackson of Portal Films do such beautiful work and they created so many tangible memories of our day that we will cherish forever.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Sam said that his was seeing me for the first time in my wedding dress while walking down the aisle. Mine would have to be at the very end of the night. Sam and I were staying in another house on the property and I remember walking hand in hand down the gravel road in the pitch dark, tired and sweaty from dancing all night, perfectly content and so unbelievably happy in that moment to finally be married.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? One of our favorite lines was, “In the name of God, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife/husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love.”
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? In my husband’s words, we are looking forward to “going through the adventures of life as best friends”

Photographer: Heidi Geldhauser of Our Labor of Love // Videographer: Andy Jaskson of Portal Films // Planner: Diana Ryan of Consultants Unlimited // Ceremony venue: The Hill (Epting Events) // Reception venue: The Hill (Epting Events) // Florist: Epting Events // Wedding Cake Baker: Cecilia Villaveces Cakes (via Epting Events) // Caterer: Epting Events // Paper Products: DIY by the bride // Bride’s Dress: Anne Barge, Purchased from Kleinfeld’s // Bride’s Veil: Anne Barge, Purchased from Kleinfeld’s // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Lula Kate via Bella Bridesmaid // Hair and Makeup: Ariane Turner of Pretty Girl Group // Wine Box: Mike Pendleton of MP Custom Made (etsy shop here); Lid design by bride, laser etching by MP Custom Made // Fingerprint Tree: Bleu de Toi // Groom’s Suit: Brooks Brothers

Written with love by Nicole