Southern Weddings

S + S look really sweet and really, really happy to be married – and Georgia-based photographer, Melissa Schollaert, got just the right shots.  The newlyweds toasted their marriage at the Fair Weather Farm with their signature drink (spiked sweet tea!) served in Mason jars and a 3-D turkey cake (courtesy of Cakes by Darcy) in honor of the turkey-hunting groom.  Baby Cakes designed the couple’s green + white wedding cake, and Carole Parks Catering coordinated the traditional Southern fare.  Kudos to Simply Charming Events for planning this Georgia farm wedding!

See all the photos from Sarah + Steve’s wedding in their Real Wedding Gallery!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? Both Steve and I were born and raised in the South, and knew we wanted a farm wedding here in Georgia. All the cotton used for the wedding was hand-picked by my younger sister, Amy, from a cotton farm in South Georgia. Burlap was the fabric of choice. My father made home-made Spiked Sweet Tea for the signature drink and served it in Mason jars. The food was traditional Southern fare: ried chicken, beef tenderloin, shrimp and grits, mashed potatoes, butter beans, sweet potato biscuits and corn bread muffins.
Describe your wedding flowers: The hand-picked cotton centerpieces were arranged in large Mason jars. The groomsmen wore cotton boutonnieres with a hint of green hypericum berries. My bouquet was made with cream Amelia roses, cotton blooms, green hypericum berries, dark centered white daisies and white freesia with the stems wrapped in burlap. The bridesmaids’ and mothers’ bouquets were similar  to mine, and had a touch of orange tea roses to give them a pop of color.
Describe your wedding cake: Our wedding cake was a simple, yet elegant square design that had stripes matching the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses with pearl drop icing lining the edges. The groom’s cake was a surprise from me. Steve is an avid turkey hunter, and our wedding was on the opening day of turkey season. I gave the bakery a picture of one of Steve’s stuffed turkeys and they make a 3D chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The band! The farm had never had such a big band before, so we had to make sure that ten-man troupe would fit in the venue and have enough electricity. We also had to reserve the venue for extra so that the band could set up and do sound checks. It was well worth it, because the band was awesome!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? After the ceremony, we were walking in the fields while the photographer was taking pictures of just the two of us. It was a quiet moment that we enjoyed together as husband and wife. We were surrounded by such beautiful scenery and the sun was just about to set. It was perfect. 
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?  We now live in a small rural town in Kentucky where Steve practices as a mixed animal veterinarian. I am continuing my work as a photographer and graphic designer, and also enjoying decorating our new home. We are looking forward to finding a good church and starting a family in the next couple years.

Okay Erin, from one bride to another: your lace-embellished Melissa Sweet gown (“Fern,” for all you need-to-know brides!) has been one of my all-time favorite dresses since – like – forever.  And, girl, you are rocking that dress and veil!  SW favorite Skip Hopkins photographed the couple’s nuptials at the Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tennessee.  The groom looks like he stepped right out of a fashion shoot in his silk neckerchief and feather-embellished boutonnière, and I’m loving the father of the bride’s low-key Southern look.  They’re all so darn good-looking, in fact, that I’m still not convinced this a real wedding, though Emily promises me it is.  Check back soon for more details from the reception!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Adam and I met at a non-profit charity event for diabetes in Nashville the third week I moved to Nashville.
Describe the proposal. Adam took me to the hotel where we met for Christmas dinner. After dinner we wanted to walk around the hotel and reminisce about the night that we met. I especially wanted to see the rooftop again since the view is amazing and as it was where we shared our first dance. When we got up to the roof, there was a table with roses, candles, champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries…. I knew something was up. Adam got down on one knee and asked me to spend my life with him.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The gorgeous setting. There is nothing like it. The garden was so beautiful!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Being in the wedding industry for so long, I always knew exactly what I wanted. Finding that in Nashville was another thing entirely! I had a photo on my desktop of Melissa Sweet’s “Fern.”  It was the perfect dress!  After a bit of hunting around the internet, I found that a local Nashville boutique carried the line. It was meant to be!
Describe your wedding flowers: We used beautiful white ranunculus, gorgeous mums, large garden roses and peonies and green berries.