Southern Weddings

Um, wow.  The Georgian Ballroom at the Atlanta Biltmore Ballrooms is incredible… incredible in an “I–want–to–have–my–wedding–there-too” kind of way.  While I’m recovering from my momentary venue envy, made all the more real by the noteworthy design talents of event designer Steve Bales and coordinator Ashley Baber, let’s take a minute to marvel at the couple’s dinner + dessert spread courtesy of famed caterer Bold American.  Figures two self-professed foodies would go all-out for their big day, and I’m willing to bet their guests were sure glad they did!  Other things I love?  Simple yet sophisticated escort cards from Etsy vendor Little Retreats, the classic banquet tables spanning the length of the ballroom and, my personal favorite, a many (many) tiered confection from Caryn’s Cakes topped with – wait for it – a salt + pepper shaker, no less!  Our Labor of Love, you outdid yourselves once again!  Be sure to take a peek at David + Kendrick’s personal post from the evening here. P.S. That crazy face at the DJ table is none other than Michael Antonia of The Flashdance.  With a Smilebooth to keep guests occupied as well, the whole OLOL crew was out in force for Jennifer and Jay!

Describe your wedding cake:  As we looked at wedding cake designs, we instantly knew fondant was not going to find its way onto our cake. It sure looks all smooth and pretty, but it tastes like paste. We also decided we didn’t want to do any fancy fillings or flavors. Wedding cake, in our humble opinion, should be white cake with buttercream icing. We made our way among many wedding cake providers around the city and came up short. Too sweet. Too dense. Too fake tasting. We were stumped until our fantastic wedding planner, Ashley Baber, saved the day and recommended a place around the corner from our home: Caryn’s Cakes. We were sold after one bite of her fluffy white cake with vanilla buttercream. It was amazing and tasted just like you’d imagine a beautiful white wedding cake should. A girly floral design was out of the question. Our wedding was modern and we wanted something that matched the design. Owner Caryn Nash modeled the cake after a favorite vase of mine from Jonathan Adler, which is where our kooky cake toppers came from: they’re actually salt and pepper.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Working up the nerve to do the father-daughter dance.  Since my family is from Mexico, we wanted to infuse some of the culture into our wedding. My dad suggested we do the Mexican Hat Dance together. I was a nervous wreck because I’d never done the dance before and we didn’t have time to practice. My dad told me to follow his lead and we just went with it – sombrero and all. It was so much fun and the crowd gave us a standing ovation.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Jay’s steadfast eye contact and smile throughout the entire ceremony.   Jay says my walking down the aisle to Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” and my nervous laughter throughout the ceremony were the most memorable moments of the day.
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we didn’t, but we had an amazing Rabbi that many people call “The Rock and Roll Rabbi.” We knew he was the right Rabbi for us when we went to meet with him the first time and he had a poster of Bob Dylan on the back of his office door.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? I’m looking forward to moving into a bigger home, traveling more as a family and just being together as much as we can.

Congratulations, Jennifer + Jay!  We wish you all the best with your new life + family!

I know weddings are supposed to be all about the bride (and trust us, she is lovely), but can I just say I think the flower girl’s frilly tights and sparkly slippers totally stole the show?  Cute, cute, cute!  (And even cuter once you find out said cutie-pie is also the groom’s lovely daughter.)  David + Kendrick from Our Labor of Love captured Jennifer + Jay’s wedding celebration at the gilded Biltmore Ballrooms in downtown Atlanta.  SW favorite Ashley Baber of Ashley Baber Weddings coordinated the lavish affair, and Steve Bales + crew at Bold American designed the entire event, including the lush white bouquets carried by the bride and her attendants.  The bridesmaids looked distinctly un-bridesmaidy in simple floor-length sheaths from J. Crew, while the bride was ultra-feminine in a strapless Rivini gown – the perfect touch for her black-tie optional fete.   I’ve always loved formal weddings, and after seeing J + J’s soiree, I’m definitely considering a similar style for my own wedding.  So question for all our dear readers: what’ the best way to inform guests of a dress code for your wedding?  And what’s better: black tie or black tie optional?  Check back soon for Part II of this fabulous celebration!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. We are both huge food lovers and met through a local food forum here in Atlanta. I was seeing someone at the time, but Jay and I quickly became lunch buddies.  After a couple years of being friends, I broke up with my boyfriend and started dating again.  I’d always had a crush on Jay—I’ve got a thing for Italian boys from New York and was touched by the fact that he was such an amazing full-time single dad to his adorable daughter, Siena.  I didn’t think I was his type until I ran into him while I was out on a date and he greeted me with a hug and whispered in my ear: “I’ve been thinking about you all day. You shouldn’t be here with him, you should be with me.” My heart melted and I ditched my date. We’ve been together ever since.
Describe the proposal. It’s embarrassing. I’m a little… hyper-organized.  Jay had been living out of a bag and I’d ordered new dressers so he could have more storage.  On the day that they arrived, I started putting all of his stuff away and found an oddly lumpy sock. I reached in a pulled out a blue box and proceeded to freak out.  It was hard not to peak inside, but I exercised some super-human willpower and put it back where I found it.  When Jay got home, I tried to play it off like I hadn’t found it, but he figured out what was going on within five minutes. His planned proposal (we were going to Mexico in a week) was pretty much ruined so he broke down and proposed one Sunday afternoon in bed. We still get a good laugh out of the whole debacle.
Three words that describe the day are:
Jennifer: Blissful, warm and delicious!
Jay: Kissing, kissing and more kissing!  Plus, a beautiful bride.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I’d have to say the room. My mother gave me some great advice when I started the planning process. She told me to choose an ornate room so I wouldn’t have to spend a lot on décor. It was perfect and grand. The LED dance floor was my second favorite detail. Jay’s favorite part of the day was the food, the wine and the cake.  If I had a dollar for every guest who told me it was the best wedding food ever…