Southern Weddings

While it wasn’t quite love at first sight for Grace and Kartwright, it certainly was when these two found their wedding venue, Vinewood Planation. The giant pecan tree on the property fit Grace’s wedding dreams to a tee, and with the help of their sunset ceremony time, the flickering lanterns the bridesmaids carried down the aisle, and the meaningful vows they exchanged, the venue proved the most magical location for them to become husband and wife. Even more than the details they included in their celebration though, I love Grace and Kartwright’s perspective on their marriage. Don’t miss the story of how it impacted their first dance song choice, as well as Grace’s wise advice for brides–as she says, “Put more emphasis on what you invest in for your marriage long-term than the day of the actual event. Whatever happens that day is just icing on the cake!”

Thank you kindly to our Blue Ribbon Vendor Ben & Colleen for sharing this sweet day with us!

I’ve heard endless debates on whether or not to do a first look. I don’t think there is a definitive wrong or right option for anyone. For Kartwright and I, there were both practical and impractical reasons we decided to do a first look. For one thing, our wedding was at sunset, so if we wanted any decent pictures of us together, we had to have them taken before the ceremony. On a more impractical level, I wanted our first moment of seeing each other to be OURS. We shared a lot of special memories with a lot of important people that night, but that first, intimate look of perfect and complete joy was something that we alone wanted to witness. We didn’t realize that apparently our entire wedding party was watching from windows nearby, so that was ironic. If privacy is important to you, make sure and clarify that with all related parties beforehand! It still was a PERFECT moment for us, and I have zero regrets about doing a first look.

I actually hate shopping for clothes, so needless to say, I was concerned searching for my dream dress was going to be pretty traumatic. Luckily, that was hardly the case. Everyone I worked with was very personable and helpful, and made my search for the right dress a really meaningful and enjoyable experience. I went into the experience wanting a very bohemian, antique style of dress, but once I started trying on dresses, I discovered a lot of unique styles I hadn’t previously considered wearing. You quickly realize that dresses you thought you were destined for look different on you in person than they do on models. After not finding the right dress at either of the first stores I visited, I was beginning to panic. At one salon, Bravura, I was looking through the rows of endless tulle and lace and chiffon with the assistant when I came across a beautiful A-line that caught my attention. As soon as I tried it on, it was the first time I felt the hope that I’d found the one.

Describe your wedding flowers. I wanted to stay with an ivory and green color palette; very clean and simple. I also wanted a little bit of a Tuscan feel to my flowers. We had a bit of a challenge with the heat, considering it was August in Georgia, so we decided to include lots of greenery around the ceremony site to avoid wilting flowers, and it ended up being perfect for my taste. My florist incorporated a beautiful combination of olive and eucalyptus leaves at our ceremony site, which added a lot of texture to it. Since our ceremony was at sunset, my bridesmaids carried lanterns instead of flowers down the aisle. We had small cuts of olive leaves attached to them to add some texture and softness. For my bouquet, there was a mix of olive leaves, eucalyptus, gardenias, freesia, and several other soft ivory flowers.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We both wrote our own vows, as well as taking brief and traditional vows afterwards. My favorite lines from our vows were actually from my husband. He quoted a few lines from our favorite song that perfectly exemplified our convictions entering into our marriage. The song is called “Alamo” by David Story, and is the song we chose for our first dance as well. Historically, we know that the men who went to the Alamo in Texas knew that the battle they were headed for was already lost. But they went anyway, and died defending the place they loved. For us, that is what love is. A marriage isn’t a casual commitment. We knew going in that there was no “out” for us. For better or for worse, this was our holy war, and we were willing to die in it. We knew that going in. “This is my battle march, this is MY Alamo, this is my last remark: I will never let go.”

Whenever I envisioned my wedding, I had idealistically dreamed about getting married under a huge tree outside in the summer heat. When I first saw Vinewood Plantation, I knew almost instantly that it was where I wanted to say “I do.” As soon as you step onto Vinewood’s property, you see this huge, ancient pecan tree in the distance. The sun filters through its branches and casts rays of light over the beautiful backdrop of the hillside and rolling pastures beyond it. It was everything I’d ever wanted. I also appreciated the rustic, old South feel of the stables and plantation house. I loved the idea of having the reception at the same location as the ceremony–it made for a seamless transition between the events. What finally sealed the deal for me was my introduction to my future wedding planner, Jamie McPherson. He co-owns Vinewood, and was an indispensable asset during the entire planning process. He was knowledgable, capable, and dependable, and was the reason my mom and I didn’t lose our sanity during the planning process and wedding weekend.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? In the end, I can honestly say that I hardly remember any of the details of the reception. I was a very type-A bride and worked hard to make the vision of my wedding I’d created on Pinterest a reality. I would tell other soon-to-be brides not to sacrifice their sanity or the relationships of the people around them for the price of a few wedding details. Put more emphasis on what you invest in for your marriage long-term than the day of the actual event. Whatever happens that day is just icing on the cake!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We had a string quartet play during our ceremony, but chose more modern songs so that the ceremony wasn’t completely traditional. I chose “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol to walk down the aisle to and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey to walk back up. For the reception, we had a band out of Atlanta called The Retreat come in to add a more personable, contemporary atmosphere. They played their own version of the song we quoted in our vows (“Alamo” by David Story) for our first dance. It was perfect.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I was a girl in love with coffee, community, and Christ. He was my handsome graduation counterpart. Honestly, we are both pretty passionate (read: opinionated) people, and we butted heads at first. We didn’t really connect in a meaningful way until a few years later in college when I was exploring America for my Adventure major, and he was studying in Italy for a semester abroad. We messaged each other online and sparks flew. He set my heart on fire. We were engaged seven months from the day we made our relationship official.
Tell us all about the proposal! It was our seven month (dating) anniversary. I was back from my six-week internship in Zambia, and Kartwright was finishing up his work with WinShape Camps in Rome, Georgia for the summer. Kartwright whisked me away for an adventure day, starting at Amicalola Falls. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Cool breezes and warm sunbeams followed us as we made our way up the main trail to see the waterfall and picnic at the top. We ventured out to a local restaurant for dinner, and then Kartwright told me he had one more surprise in store. Our car wove through the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains until we finally emerged at the base of Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia. Kartwright chose this particular spot because I had mentioned in a past conversation that I wanted to be proposed to on a mountain. We climbed towards the top of the hill, and as the sun began to set fire to the edges of the mountains, Kartwright dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
When did y’all get married? August 9, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 250(isn)
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? The most challenging and important part of planning for our wedding day was the preparation we did for our marriage. In reality, the wedding day is exactly that: one day. But a marriage is waking up every day learning how to choose the other person and place their needs and desires above your own. We worked through several books together that gave us lots of of advice and counsel. I think the best advice we were given came from a couple who graciously met with us once a week to help us prepare for our marriage. They noted that marriage isn’t a 50/50 sort of relationship. There are going to be times in your marriage where the other person isn’t giving 50%. They may not be giving 15%. But your goal in your marriage is to give 100% of yourself to the other person, regardless of what they are bringing to the table. And you can’t do that through your own strength. You have to lean into God’s strength and ask for His provision and grace in your relationship daily so that you can be the spouse you are called to be.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I was still finishing up my undergrad degree at Kentucky, and my wedding was taking place in Newnan, Georgia, seven hours away. I mostly relied on phone and Skype conversations with my wedding planner and vendors to plan every detail of the wedding. Thank God for my mom who also took on a huge load of the work and planning. Without the help of my mom and Jamie, my wedding would have consisted of me and my husband standing in our backyard!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The rich sounds of the string quartet filled the air as the bridal party marched through the rows of antique chairs into the ceremony. My dad and I finally stepped out onto the lawn to make our way down the aisle. Right as the crowd of guests came into view, I saw a deer bounding ahead behind the wedding tree, and the sun rays moving in dappled light through the branches, casting playful flicks of light across my soon-to-be husband’s face. It was a flawless moment that I’ll never forget.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We’ve always dreamed of backpacking through Europe together, and there is a good possibility that that will be happening for us this fall! We’re planning on spending a few months traveling from Greece to Italy, up through Switzerland, and down through the Northern coast of France to Spain. Grad school is also in our near future, so we’re excited to see what the future holds for us in our careers.

Photographer: Ben & Colleen | Planner: Jamie Elliott McPherson | Venue: Vinewood Plantation | Florist: Southern Stems | Cake Baker: Blooming Flour Bakery | Caterer: Simply Catering | Rentals: Crush Events | Lighting: Crush Events | Band: The Retreat | Special Details: Southern Vintage | Bride’s Gown: David Tutera | Bride’s Accessories: BHLDN | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew | Menswear: C.S. Toggery

Ben & Colleen is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Lisa