Southern Weddings

Anyone who takes their wedding party portraits on a real-life Kentucky racetrack is okay by us!  We love (love!) the simple Southern elegance of these shots at Keeneland (courtesy of Bella Grace Studios) and can’t get over how perfect the venue was for an authentic Kentucky wedding like Katie + Craig’s.  But what really takes the cake (no pun intended) at the newlyweds’ swanky reception are the two fabulous confections from Judy Myers.  The four-tiered mint julep cake with quilted icing and delicate floral details is everything a Southern wedding cake should be while the groom’s adorable lab coat cake (complete a stethoscope and real lollipops!) was the perfect way to honor Katie’s doctor-husband.  Congratulations to the new Dr. and Mrs. Alexander!

Describe your wedding cake:  My wedding cake was a four-tiered Mimosa cake with quilted icing and draped fondant.   the icing was quilted with pearls and draped fondant. It was beautiful and delicious!  The  chocolate groom’s cake was a surprise for Craig.  It was made to look just like his white lab coat with a stethoscope and real lollipops.  It was adorable!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Since Craig is a doctor, we had little RX prescription cards printed that said, “Prescription for a happy marriage.” Guests wrote us well-wishes and then hung them on a tree with hydrangeas and curly willow.  We had so much fun reading them after the wedding!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  Our reception was held in several different areas rather than in one big room.  We wanted to make sure everything flowed.  It turned out perfectly!  We had an outdoor cocktail hour, a lovely dinner in the ballroom and then hit the dance floor in the party room!  Keeneland is a big space but it still felt very intimate.
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was:  Craig rented a vintage Bentley for us to drive away in!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite verse, phrase or line?  We didn’t write our own vows, but the preacher had us write letters to each other months before the ceremony.  He used these letters for the sermon and it was very sentimental.  We were also honored to have Craig’s dad read our scripture verses.
What’s next for you as a couple? Craig has a long road ahead finishing his residency and fellowship.  We will be leaving the great state of Kentucky for a few years but are looking forward to the adventure!  We’re also excited about starting a family of our own.

Congratulations, Katie + Craig!  Good luck on your travels!

Written with love by Lara Casey

We all know the Kentucky Derby is about as Southern as they come, so Katie + Craig’s decision to host a derby-inspired wedding at famed Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky was a moment of pure Dixieland genius.  An extra big hug for Josh Meredith at Bella Grace Studios for sharing this Kentucky wedding, planned and designed by Leann Shields of Wedding Bliss.  Katie, in a stunning lace-trimmed Alfred Angelo gown and Craig, in a classic black bowtie,  exchanged their vows in a traditional ceremony at the First Methodist Episcopal Church.  We love the subtle splash of color in the bridesmaids’ sea-blue Watters & Waters halter-neck sheaths and the pink bouquets from Chambliss Design.   Check back soon to see the reception details and even some bridal party portraits on the Keeneland race track!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  Craig and I met at the University of Kentucky eleven years ago.  While we were living in the same apartment complex, we became friends and had lots of mutual friends.  We reconnected in 2007 tailgating before a CATS game at Commonwealth Stadium. The rest is history!
Describe the proposal: I had been planning Craig’s surprise 30th birthday for months.  I was feeling very distracted with the party and was trying to leave the house when all of a sudden he drops down on one knee and proposes. This was early December.  He had said he was going to wait until Christmas Eve and do something special, but he decided he could not wait and proposed on a whim! We both ended up surprised that day!  It was so fun to celebrate his birthday and our engagement with all of our friends!
What was the design inspiration for your wedding?  My design inspiration was our reception location, Keeneland, which is one of the most beautiful landmarks in Kentucky. It’s a very classic, historic and, of course, Southern venue.  We incorporated horseshoes, hydrangeas, magnolia leaves and horse racing wherever we could.  My favorite colors, blue and green complemented the venue perfectly!
Favorite design element of your big day: Everything Kentucky!  I loved the julep cup vases, horseshoes, and the “Daily Racing Form” my father surprised us with.  The reception location , of course, was just breathtaking.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I found my dress at the first place I went shopping. I had a dress in mind when I went shopping, but when I put on the dress I just knew it was the perfect one for me.  It was very classic, traditional and had a very vintage look to it.
Describe your wedding flowers:  My flowers were blue and green hydrangeas, green roses, white and pink roses, pink and white lilies and curly willow branches.  My bouquet had blush roses, ivory roses, stephanotis, hydrangea, ranaculus and lisanthus.  I attached the bracelet my great-grandmother wore to her own wedding in 1914 to my bouquet.
Three adjectives that describe the day are:  Happy, genuine and classic.

Check back soon for Part II of Katie + Craig’s Kentucky wedding!

Written with love by Lara Casey

Considering our roots in the Tar Heels state, it’s not surprising that we love North Carolina weddings, and this little gem from Whitebox Weddings, is no exception.  Katy + Ryan’s afternoon ceremony at Luola’s Chapel at Orton Plantation is everything a Southern wedding should be: sweet, natural, and wonderfully personal.  Planners Jennifer Rose Sandy and Laura Willt from Salt Harbor Designs helped create a true Carolina wedding with light yellow, white and green bouquets while the bride’s sister (and lone bridesmaid) added a splash of color with her self-designed and custom-made blue frock.  So lovely!  How fitting is that romantic and ultra-feminine Enzoani gown for a bride as naturally beautiful as Katy?  Our very favorite detail about the couple’s homespun reception at The Balcony on the Dock are the perfectly Southern mason jars of sweet iced tea and pitchers of fresh lemonade.  Of course, it wouldn’t be right if we neglected to point out that too-good-to-eat three-tiered confection from Alison’s Cakery.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ryan and I met in college. We were introduced through my older brother, Joe, and became good friends. Many picnics, long walks and late-night conversations later, we realized we had become much more than friends. Four years later, Ryan proposed!
Describe the proposal. So many of our first conversations as a couple occurred over a picnic. Determined to keep the proposal a surprise, Ryan picked me up the day after my birthday (after he’d already given me great gifts the week before) and took me on a picnicatour favorite park. He’d already set up a beautiful picnic when we arrived with layered blankets and rose petals scattered everywhere.  After eating, Ryan handed me a book he’d made himself. Every page had a picture he’d taken of our most memorable locations with a description underneath (where we met, where we first held hands, our first date, our first kiss, etc.). On the last page was a picture of the park bench right behind where we were sitting with the caption ‘where we got engaged’. Confused, I re-read the caption several times, glancing back and forth from the park bench back to the caption. By the time I looked up at Ryan, he’d already dropped to one knee!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Finding a wedding dress proved difficult for me until I stumbled into ‘A Carolina Wedding’ in downtown Wilmington, NC. I was dress shopping alone since I found it less stressful to choose a dress that I really loved without worry about other people’s opinions. Itwas also a lotof fun to surprise my family and friends with the ‘mystery gown’ on my wedding day. A great sales-rep asked me about my personal style and thetypeof the wedding I was having. She pulled dresses she thought would compliment that andI ended up finding -and loving-my Enzoani gown.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Peaceful, heartfelt and intimate.
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding? Ryan and I did our best to be at peace on our wedding day. We both wanted to savor the special moments of the day and to not allow them to pass by too quickly. I spent an hour alone when I woke up before all the primping began. I wanted to first prepare spiritually and emotionally before anything else.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We altered traditional vows only slightly. A favorite moment was when our friends read our favorite Bible verses in the middle of the ceremony and Ryan’s sister sang’Faithful’ by the Worship Circle.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? Jennifer of Salt Harbor Designs helped incorporate details of our dating relationship into our wedding day. It was more than a combination of “pretty things;” she was able to truly tell our story. Not only did she make everything beautiful, but shesincerely cared that our day was everything we’d hoped it would be.
Describe your wedding flowers: I chose garden roses, lilacs, sweet peas, tulips and scented geranium. The smell was breath taking!
Describe your wedding cake: Alison, Ryan’s cousin, designed our wedding cake after my grandmother’s wedgewood jewelry box she left to me after she passed away. The cake topper was Ryan’s parents’ from their own wedding day.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Too many to name just one! I really loved our table names. Each one was named after one of our favorite spots. I also loved our flowers. They were beautiful and smelled amazing! Our photo booth was such a fun thing for our guests and the pictures were hilarious to sort through!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Far more thrilling than planning our wedding was planning and preparing for our marriage. Currently we’re busy moving in to our new apartment, beginning new jobs and settling into life as a married couple. Long-term plans include many more trips overseas, mission work and eventually starting a family.

Congratulations on your marriage and new life together, Katy + Ryan!