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I’m just going to come right out and say it: I am smitten with Leah and Austen’s wedding! From the most charming location (Fearrington is an office favorite–we even took some of our V6 team pictures there!), to the prettiest bouquets, to Austen’s sharp Southern seersucker, to the sparkling reception, there are so many details to love. Even more than that though, my heart absolutely melts seeing their faces in these pictures. All of their big wedding moments–the first look, the vows, the dances, and so much more–were so clearly full of true love and overwhelming joy. Plus, I can’t help but have a soft spot for emotional brides, considering there is about a 99.9% chance that I’ll someday be one of them! :)

Big hugs to our lovely and talented friend, Nancy Ray, for sharing Leah and Austen’s wedding with us!

Austen and I met in class at the University of North Carolina. The summer before my junior year, I was living with one of my closest girlfriends, and we both decided to pick up a summer session class at the last minute. The stars must have aligned to make us choose that class, I swear. Austen and I were randomly paired up for a partner project in that very class. We had both noticed one another earlier in the semester–he sat diagonally to my front left–but hadn’t talked that much, and after the project was done, we didn’t go out of our way to stay in touch. He was always just the cute, funny guy from class. We’d see each other out and about around Chapel Hill, but that was it. Or so I thought–apparently, he’d called his mom at the start of the class to tell her about “a pretty girl who wears sweatpants to class.” Ha! I never thought my casual attire for early morning classes would be a good thing! A few weeks after our fall semester classes started, Austen got in touch with me to give me a hard time about my favorite football team. I’m a Green Bay Packers fan, and he pulls for their conference rival, the Minnesota Vikings. After some banter back and forth, he finally asked me for my number, and our “first date” was a trip to the grocery store in his old Jeep Wrangler. I was officially hooked!

Describe your wedding flowers. I wanted a fresh, just-gathered-from-the-garden feel for our flowers. Our “official” color palette was blush, peach and gold, but we didn’t want everything to be too matchy-matchy. My bridesmaids were wearing beautiful beige chiffon dresses, and Austen and his groomsmen were in blue seersucker suits, so I wanted simple, muted flowers that would pair nicely with everything without taking over. Our florist did an amazing job, especially considering I’d given her basically zero input! The bouquets and centerpieces were exactly how I had pictured them, and I could have never articulated that to her–she just “got it.” They were textural, asymmetrical arrangements in hues of pink, peach, ivory, and fresh greenery. My bouquet was wrapped with sparkly gold ribbon, which I loved!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did! At first, I was against Austen seeing me before the ceremony. I thought it would “take away” from the moment he saw me walking down the aisle, but he convinced me that our ceremony would be just as special, even if we’d seen each other first. And I am so, SO glad we did. We’re both pretty emotional people, so doing a first look was the perfect way to ditch the pre-ceremony jitters and get the “ugly cries” out of the way. As soon as I stepped out of the bridal suite and saw Austen standing with his back turned to me, the waterworks started. We laughed a lot, hugged a lot, and prayed a lot–it was absolutely perfect. It’s one of the only moments from the day that didn’t go by in a complete blur, and one of the only times reserved for just the two of us. The photos from our first look are some of the only ones we were able to take outside, thanks to the rainstorm of the century that rolled in right as the ceremony began, so I am so, so grateful for them! The lighting was beautiful, and the emotions we felt were so perfectly captured in the photographs. They are definitely some of our favorites from the wedding day!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The weather! It had been the rainiest summer I could remember here in North Carolina, and a few weeks out, Austen and I talked about having rain on our wedding day. We both decided to just roll with whatever happened, so I was mentally prepared when rain was in the forecast. The morning of the wedding, it was overcast and drizzly, but we held out hope that it would clear. It did, for a few beautiful hours before the ceremony when we were able to get some stunning outdoor photographs, but then the sky darkened again, and it rained on and off (mostly on) throughout the rest of the day. If that old saying holds, we’ll have our fair share of good luck! Thankfully, our venue was great with a last-minute change to the ceremony location to accommodate the weather. Honestly, I loved the space where we ended up getting married even more than the outdoor location we’d originally chosen. It was an huge terrace with all the windows and sliding doors open so that we could hear the rain falling softly. The plethora of natural light pouring in was just the icing on the cake. Our wedding planner did such a fantastic job decorating the space and dealing with the crazy weather (not to mention shuffling 175+ guests around in the rain!) that when Austen and I look back on our wedding day, we forget that the weather wasn’t cooperative!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, we knew as soon as we got engaged that we wanted to write our own vows, and since Austen’s grandfather married us, we were able to completely customize our entire ceremony. We kept our vows a secret from each other until the big day–we had my maid of honor proofread them to make sure they were similar in length and seriousness, and agreed to both use the phrase “I promise” as a general structure. Standing in front of all of our loved ones, saying the words we’d written to each other was one of my absolute favorite moments. They were incredibly personal and very “us”–we both made each other laugh and cry. I don’t think we stopped smiling the entire time. My favorite line from Austen’s vows was: “I promise to never settle for less for our family, and to conduct myself in a way that you will always be proud of. But most importantly, I promise to never let us forget why we love each other.” His favorite line from mine was: “Life will take us on many journeys–some good, and others not so good, but I promise to spend the rest of my days making sure you know how much I love you, and appreciate you loving me.” We also both ended up referencing the other’s football preferences, which I think is hilarious, because that’s how we really started “talking” in the first place!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Austen grew up in Iowa before moving down to North Carolina in high school, but let me tell you–he’s a Southern boy at heart! I have lived below the Mason-Dixon my entire life, and I always knew that I wanted a sweet, Southern soiree on my wedding day. Fearrington was the perfect place for us to tie the knot–we fell in love with the beautiful pastures, the gorgeous barn, and the sweet Beltie cows! It exuded Southern charm effortlessly, and needed very little decoration on our part to be stunning! Austen chose blue seersucker suits for him and his groomsmen (which made me swoon!), and rounded out the look with pink linen bow ties and classic white bucks. They looked so dapper on our wedding day. The seersucker ended up being a fantastic decision because we had some serious humidity to deal with, so I was relieved the boys weren’t melting in tuxedos! We served Southern food and local NC brews at the reception, and I surprised Austen with a groom’s cake.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding?
There are two that I just couldn’t have gone without–Erin of Erin McLean Events and Nancy of Nancy Ray Photography. Originally, my mom and I thought that since we had a year and half to plan the wedding, we could handle it without a coordinator. Wrong! Planning a wedding is a full-time job, and hiring Erin literally took every ounce of stress out of it. I work for Southern Bride & Groom, a local wedding planning magazine, and I found Erin through their vendor recommendations, and thank goodness for that! I truly enjoyed the entire process, and I would do it again and again if I could have Erin by my side! She came up with absolutely wonderful ideas, sweet details, and took care of everything, while being honest about what details we should and shouldn’t skip to help our budget. My maid of honor introduced me to Nancy Ray’s blog right after Austen and I got engaged. I fell in love with her sweet story, her business ideals, and of course, her gorgeous photography. Nancy and her husband (who was also her second shooter!) also got married at Fearrington (in the rain, too!) so I knew they’d have beautiful ideas for our wedding photography. They captured our wedding day so perfectly–every time I look at the photographs, I relive every detail, and that’s something I will absolutely treasure forever. Not to mention, she’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met!

Toward the end of the reception, our DJ played some Carolina favorites–“Wagon Wheel” and “Carolina in my Mind.” Most of the crowd had whittled down, and it was mostly our college friends and immediate family left. Everyone linked arms in a circle around Austen and I, and I just felt so, so loved!

Tell us all about the proposal! After about two years of dating, Austen and I talked about getting engaged. I made the decision to graduate from school a semester early so that we could move in with one another and start our lives together, so I knew that a proposal was on the horizon. I just didn’t know when or how it was going to happen! On January 30, 2012, we were watching a movie at his apartment and talking about when we were going to get engaged. Austen mentioned he already had the ring, and it was just sitting in his closet. He knew that would be a successful way to completely throw me off, and he was right! I knew, I just KNEW, he’d want to follow tradition and ask my parents before he popped the question, and with his crazy work schedule, I thought there was no way he’d had time. Of course, I was wrong! That same night, he got down on one knee beside his bed and asked me to marry him. I’m pretty sure I said yes at least three times before he even finished asking. The moment was just so true to us–we were both in our pajamas spending a quiet night at home, and I had my hair piled in a messy bun on top of my head. Looking back, it makes me smile every time, because I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The diamond in my engagement ring has been in my family for generations–it was the stone in my grandmother’s engagement ring, and she was married to her husband for over 50 years, so it made the moment even more special. For graduation, my dad had given me the stone set in a necklace. I had thought that I lost it, and was so distraught, but it turned out that Austen had snagged it when I took it off before going to bed one night to have it set in a ring!
When did y’all get married? May 19, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 178
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I have a long-standing love affair with weddings. My friends in high school and college always joked that I would be the first to take the trip down the aisle. I fell in love with TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” in high school, and my mom and I had a running joke that when I got engaged, we’d go to Kleinfeld in New York to look for my dress. After Austen proposed, my mom surprised me by saying, “Well, when are we going to the city?!” I was absolutely giddy–I love New York, and of course, I was thrilled to get the chance to look for my dress at the famous bridal salon. We made a weekend out of the trip, and my mom, my maid of honor, one of my bridesmaids and I had a blast looking at all of the gowns. I had very specific instructions for my consultant–I wanted all lace, no beading or embellishments, and absolutely no dropped waists. Well, sure enough, she brought in a beautiful, all-lace gown that I immediately loved on the hanger, but when she told me it had a dropped waist, I almost refused to try it on! She urged me to just try it, and thank goodness she did, because I completely fell in love with it as soon as she zipped me up! It was only the third dress I tried on, and it had a gorgeous train and the most delicate scalloped hemline. The consultant added a thin tulle sash, and it was absolutely perfect!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? One of my best girlfriends from college read Tyler Knott Gregson’s “Typewriter Series No. 1,” because when I first saw it, I fell in love with the line: “I am filled with wonderings, questions, and doubt, but of one thing I am certain: it will always be you that gives flight to the butterflies inside me, calm to the sea I have become, and hope to the darkness all around us. It is you, and it has always been you.” The rest of the piece is just so beautifully written, and it really stirs something in my soul. I feel like it describes love so perfectly, and how when you meet “your person,” you just know. Then, after we said our vows and exchanged rings, my cousin read Colossians 3:12-17, which has always been one of my favorite Bible verses.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Austen and I (and many members of our bridal party) either graduated from UNC or are diehard Tar Heel fans. We wanted to give a nod to our alma mater, so my bridesmaids walked down the aisle to James Taylor’s “Carolina in my Mind,” played by a violin and guitar string duo. I walked down the aisle to Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years.” Honestly, I was hesitant to stick with my selection once I found out it had been in one of the Twilight movies, but I just loved the song so much. I am so glad I didn’t change my mind–it sounded so incredibly beautiful on the strings, with the rain falling outside as I walked in with my dad (the rain stopped just long enough for us to walk the 50 or so yards from where we were waiting to the ceremony site, but started up again immediately after we got under cover!) I still get goosebumps whenever I hear it! We walked back down the aisle to “Here Comes the Sun,” which is hilariously ironic, because it was absolutely pouring! Austen and I did our first dance to Zac Brown Band’s “Free.” We both love the guitar in the song, and felt like the words really fit our relationship as young newlyweds.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our wedding cake was pretty basic–a tiered vanilla cake topped with white, whipped buttercream and fresh flowers. What I was really excited about was Austen’s groom’s cake, which was a total surprise! As a student at UNC, he’d frequented an old dive bar called He’s Not Here with his friends, going almost every Monday to watch football. I knew their iconic “blue cups” would make an adorable cake, and it came out perfectly! Not to mention, it was absolutely delicious!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Austen’s grandfather, Buddy, performed our ceremony, and it was such a sweet detail. When I met Austen up at the altar, all three of us shed a few tears. Because of the change to the ceremony site, we were unable to have a sound system. At first, I was upset by the fact that all of our guests would be unable to fully hear all the words we’d so carefully put together, but in the end, I think it was a blessing in disguise. It allowed the ceremony to be incredibly intimate, despite having almost 180 people present.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! Yes! My something borrowed was a pair of earrings from my great grandmother. They’re simple stud earrings with a cluster of three pearls, and they’ve been worn by several women on my mom’s side on their wedding days. My something blue was an embroidered handkerchief I carried that belonged to the great grandmother I was named after. My something old was a sixpence that has been worn in the shoe of brides on my dad’s side of the family for generations. It’s a Southern tradition for good luck, and I was so honored to be inducted into the wonderful group of ladies who have worn it before me! My something new was my wedding dress, my gold heels (which I’m absolutely obsessed with!), and a pearl bracelet my stepdad gave me the Friday before the wedding.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There were so many! But one of my favorite moments was having both my dad and my stepdad give me away. I walked down the aisle with my dad, but when we reached the end, my stepdad stood up, and Austen’s grandfather (our officiant) asked “Who has the honor of presenting this woman to be married to this man?” and they responded, in unison, “We do.” I thought it was the perfect way to honor both of the men who have been so integral in my life, and I thought it was a great spin on tradition for less-than-traditional families. Austen’s favorite moment was when Nancy (our photographer) and her husband snuck us away during dinner for a few photographs outside between rain showers. Not only are the photographs absolutely beautiful (we got some with Fearrington’s famous Beltie cows!), but it was so nice to take a moment away from the craziness of the reception and just enjoy each other, and the fact that we were finally husband and wife. I loved that moment too…it was totally worth getting my dress completely filthy!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Everyone warned me that the actual wedding day would fly by in a complete blur, but I thought they were exaggerating. Well, they weren’t! There are several, extra special moments that really stick out in my mind, but until Austen and I got our photos, I couldn’t have told you if half the details we’d planned actually became a reality.
So, my advice would be to try and take a breath, look around, and soak it all in. The craziness of having all your loved ones in one place, of being shuffled around on a schedule and being overwhelmed and anxious and over-the-top excited. Of being so happy, and so in love. Just enjoy it all…every single second. Even the ones you don’t think will matter in the long run, because trust me, they will. Everything about that day matters. And it will fly by faster than you could ever imagine!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Austen and I just moved into our second apartment together. He’s got a little less than a year of school left to become a math teacher, and I’m working as the lead blog writer for Southern Bride & Groom. We’re so looking forward to expanding our family beyond us and our two sweet rescue pups, eventually. But for now, we’re just enjoying this season of our lives–this post-grad, sometimes unstable and almost always unpredictable, but absolutely wonderful season.

Photographer: Nancy Ray Photography / Planner: Erin McLean Events / Ceremony Venue: The Garden Terrace at Fearrington Village / Reception Venue: The Barn at Fearrington Village / Florist, Caterer and Wedding Cake Baker: Fearrington Village / Groom’s Cake: Simply Cakes / Rentals: CE Rental / Band: Liquid Pleasure / DJ: Ryan from SPIN / Bride’s Gown, Sash and Hair Piece: Kleinfeld Bridal / Paper Products: The Green Kangaroo / Hair and Makeup: MakeUpForYourDay / Bride’s Shoes: “Charm” by Kate Spade / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bari Jay / Men’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank / Bridesmaids’ Gifts: Kate Spade “As Good As Gold” Bangles / Groomsmen Gifts: Engraved Case Pocket Knives / Ceremony String Duo: Arioso Strings / Calligrapher: Calligraphy by Carrie / Pie Pops: Raleigh Cake Pops

lisa Written with love by Lisa
13 Comments
  1. avatar Leah & Austen • Wedding Day | Nancy Ray Photography reply

    […] bit thank you to Southern Weddings for featuring their beautiful wedding today. Be sure to leave a comment over at Southern […]

  2. avatar Emily reply

    Love the video message from the groom!! That must have been so emotional to watch on the morning of the wedding!

  3. avatar Emily reply

    AHHHHHH, I cannot even tell y’all how loudly I squealed when I saw this feature. Being the maid of honor in this wedding was literally a huge honor for me and seeing these beautiful images from Nancy again I can just barely contain my smile! Thanks so much for featuring Leah and Austen, they deserve it!

  4. avatar Leah reply

    Still makes me giddy to see this — thank you so, SO much for featuring me and Austen, we love getting to relive that day through Nancy’s beautiful photographs!

  5. avatar Weekly Link Love » Colorado and Texas Wedding Photographer: Dash Photography reply

    […] Southern Weddings Mag-Glitter and Seersucker Wedding I love LOVE love this wedding. I love the glitter, the outdoors, love love and the girls praying together just melts my heart!! […]

  6. avatar Dana reply

    the seersucker suit and bow tie are perfection

  7. avatar The World’s Longest Blog Post — 2013 Year in Review and 2014 Goals | the organized chicken reply

    […] during the rainstorm of the century. Our wedding was featured on several wedding blogs (here, here and here), fulfilling a silly, girly dream of […]

  8. avatar Orangerie Events – NC Wedding Planner reply

    I love the elegance mixed in with the DIY! Everything is breathtaking. Thank you for sharing!

  9. avatar Happy Birthday, Lisa! – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] at a first look (like in Leah + Austen’s wedding by Nancy […]

  10. avatar Marcie reply

    I love the wispy twiggy lights? What kind are those and do you know where I could buy some? Just breathtaking !

  11. avatar Chelsea reply

    Hi!

    I absolutely love the color scheme of this wedding. Can you tell me the brand/style of the bridesmaids dresses?

    Thanks!
    Chelsea Putnam

    • avatar Lisa reply

      Hi Chelsea! They’re mismatched styles in beige by Bari Jay :)

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I am a big believer in the idea that when it comes to the person you’re meant to be with, when you know, you know. Today’s beautiful bride and groom, Erica and Danny, are the perfect example of this. They met when they were kids, but they didn’t start their relationship till years later. When they finally got together, they both knew right away that they had found “the one” and committed wholeheartedly. I love how Erica described their first year together when she said, “We confidently jumped in head first and never once considered putting floaties on.” That takes courage, y’all, and as you can see here in their overflowing-with-love wedding pictures, it was completely worth it.

Thank you so much to Megan Thiele for sharing Erica and Danny’s wedding with us!

I put off wedding dress shopping for a year. I didn’t feel great about my body after being pregnant, but I was worried that if I waited any longer, I wouldn’t be able to get the dress of my dreams in time for the big day. To my surprise, I loved almost every dress I tried on. I planned to buy one of the dresses from the first boutique I went to, but my mom convinced me to try one more place. At the Wedding Gallery in historic downtown St. Charles, I tried on three dresses and again, loved them all. The dresses were now starting to run together, so my mom suggested trying something different than the lace mermaid gowns I had been trying on, and I agreed. The wedding dress specialist asked me what I envisioned I would look like on my wedding day. I laughed and said, “A princess, of course!” I told her I loved beaded dresses but was afraid that with a rustic venue and wedding, I would look out of place. She said, “I think I have something” and brought out a beautiful Martina Liana beaded and lace dress. I thought the lace gave it the vintage, rustic look I was going for, but the beads gave it a glamorous look too. I had my mom wait outside the room until I had the belt and veil on too. When she walked in, she didn’t say a word. My mom is not a crier, so I knew I wasn’t going to get any tears out of her, but I thought she’d at least have something to say about it, so I asked “Well, aren’t you going to say something?” She replied, “You look like a princess.” Needless to say, that was the dress I wore on my wedding day.

Mismatched navy dresses, cowboy boots, and some seriously gorgeous bouquets? This bridal party has style in spades!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Danny and I have known one another since we were kids, but the stars just never quite aligned — that is, until New Year’s Eve 2010. I truly believe we were always meant to end up together, just not until then. I believe it takes heartache and mistakes to learn what you want in a relationship and who you want to be in a relationship. I also think it takes knowing what “wrong” feels like in order to know what “right” feels like. With that being said, when Danny and I had started dating, we both knew right away, this was right. This was it. We confidently jumped in head first and never once considered putting floaties on. Within the first year of our relationship, we moved in together, bought and built our first home, got engaged, and brought a beautiful baby boy into this world.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There were two moments in particular that will most definitely stick with me forever. First was when Danny started to cry while reading his vows. In the many years I’ve known Danny and the three years we’ve been together, I have never seen him cry. I think everyone was shocked and it caused quite the chain reaction. The second one was when my dad said in his speech, which will make me cry writing this, “I love my daughter with all my heart and I know Danny does too, but nobody could possibly love her as much as that little blonde-haired, blue-eyed grandson of mine does.” Everyone knows how much I adore my little boy and Connor is most definitely a mama’s boy, but hearing my dad say that really tugged at my heart strings. I felt that my father was really proud of the person and mother I had become and that I was doing a good job as Connor’s mom.

If I had to choose one detail that was my most favorite, it would be the table design. I wouldn’t say it was one detail, but every part of it was so well thought out and detailed. We had navy linens on the guest tables, and on the head table, we used hemstitched tablecloths over navy linens. Each person had a chevron, polka dot, or stripe placemat with a rattan charger on top and a light blue linen napkin. Each place setting had a vintage mismatched flowered china plate, just like my grandma’s! The silverware was wrapped in twine and had a yellow billy ball and blue thistle tucked into it. My centerpieces were flowers in wood boxes or mason jars on top of wood slabs or wood pillars, and there were metallic candle holders all around them. Our guest sat in white chiavari chairs, and Danny and I each had an oversized wood chair with signs that said “Better” and “Together.”

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Susie G’s Bakery made us three simple but delicious wedding cakes. They were white cake with raspberry filling, covered with buttercream icing. Our dessert bar was much more elaborate. We had assorted cakes in mini mason jars and yummy chewies that were inspired by Danny’s love for turtles, provided by Susie G’s Bakery. We also had a variety of freshly baked cookies from Grandma’s Cookies, s’mores cupcakes from Sarah’s Cake Shop, and assorted fruit pies from Sugaree Bakery. At the end of the night, my wedding planner said she had never seen a dessert bar picked over as much as ours was. Both my family and Danny’s have a sweet tooth!

Tell us all about the proposal! Danny asked me to marry him on October 14, 2011. I was eight months pregnant and we had just built and moved in to our new home. I was a bit overwhelmed with everything, so although I knew a ring would eventually come, I definitely did not think it would come then. Danny and I were both born on the 13th and Connor was not only due on the 13th, but on my birthday. I had dropped a few hints that the 13th is a great day and it would be fun if all the important things in our lives happened on the 13th, hint hint. So, on October 13, Danny spent half the day trying to carve a pumpkin that said “will you marry me,” but since he couldn’t finish before I got home from work, he decided to throw the 13th idea out the window. On October 14, I came home from work to see the carved pumpkin surrounded by flowers and candy corn (great gesture for a pregnant woman). Like a gentleman, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. He said he didn’t just love me during our good times, but that he loved me all the time, even in the worst of times, and that he never wanted to see me sad or stressed. He said his goal in life was to always take care of our family, and promised that if I would be his wife, he would never stop working to make sure our family had everything they need.
When did y’all get married? June 8, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 180
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes, we did. Our ceremony didn’t start until 5 p.m. and I just didn’t think it made sense to be apart from my best friend for most of the day on one of the most important days of our lives.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, Danny’s vows were amazing from top to bottom, but my favorite part was when he said, “I am a major believer that everything that happens in life happens for a reason, and for some reason, the man upstairs has blessed me with a beautiful angel and the sweetest baby boy a father could ever ask for.” Danny’s favorite part of my vows was, “You and Connor are what make my heart beat and one lifetime with you could never be enough”
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Our good friends, Jamie and Andy Pusateri, each wrote an original reading for our wedding. We honestly couldn’t have asked two better people. Jamie wrote and read “Love Through the Eyes of Little Ones,” which was beautiful and extremely appropriate, as she knows exactly the love we have for our child. Andy wrote and read “Love Defined.” He memorized it completely and it was honestly the best reading we have ever heard at any wedding. We told him he really needs to consider having it published!
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I walked down the aisle to the keyboardist and violinist playing David Grey’s “This Year’s Love.” The first time we heard it, it gave me chills. Danny and I had our first dance to Ingrid Michaelson’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” This song is the anthem to our relationship. I even based my vows around the quote “Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread” and ended them saying “but I just couldn’t help falling in love with you.” My dad and I danced to “My Girl,” by The Temptations. My favorite movie growing up was My Girl and I always told my friends that that would be the song I would dance with my dad to on my wedding day. It was a really hard song to slow dance to, but my dad and I took a dance lesson and practiced every morning in my living room until my wedding. Connor and I heard it on the radio the other day and he immediately started humming and dancing—he knew it was baba (what Connor calls my dad) and mama’s song!
Describe your wedding flowers. Tina Barrera did an unbelievable job on our flowers. I knew I wanted them to have a lot of pink and I wanted a rustic look, but without too much greenery or too many berries. The bridal bouquet consisted of coral peonies, white astilbe, hot pink ranunculus, ivory peonies, magenta stock, blue thistle, yellow billy balls and silver brunei berries hand-tied with lace. The bridesmaids’ flowers were the same as the bridal bouquet, except they had less white throughout and were wrapped in burlap instead of lace. All of the men in the wedding wore coral spray roses, hot pink ranunculus, billy ball and thistle boutonnieres. At our ceremony, we hung mason jars down the aisle filled with hot pink stock, coral roses, blue thistle, silver brunei, pink garden roses, yellow billy balls and white hydrangeas, which were also placed on wooden pillars of various heights on the head table. Throughout the reception venue, we used wood box centerpieces, mason jars on wood slabs, tin cans, and birch vases, filled with the same flowers that were spread throughout the venue. Upstairs, where we held cocktail hour, we had small clusters of all-white hydrangeas, stock and roses in small mason jars.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Everything! I may be from the city but I am a country girl at heart, and Danny is most definitely a country boy! For attire, Danny and the groomsmen all wore bow ties and vests and had matching navy and light blue striped socks. The bridesmaids and I wore cowboy boots. The ceremony was at a winery and took place outdoors near a pond, and the reception was in a big red barn. At the ceremony, they handed out signature wine slushies with monogramed straws. We had a lemonade and tea station, hay barrels with quilts around the dance floor, and a bonfire. We had an H monogrammed on the dance floor in chalk. Our ring bearers and flower girl came out in an old western wagon with tin cans attached and rustic signs that said “Here Comes the Bride” and “My Mommy and Daddy are Getting Married.” At our dessert station, we had tons of wicker monogrammed E+D and H signs, as well as burlap and quilt banners with cute sayings on them. Also, we were in the country, so the scenery was high grass, grape vines and corn fields. On the way there, you passed sheep and cows and other farm animals. And of course, we had mason jars galore, tin cans, wood slabs, birch vases and old wood boxes all over the venue.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something blues were my necklace and earrings. I wore Danny’s birthstone, aquamarine. My something old was my grandmother’s ring. It was passed down to her from her Grandmother and she passed it down to me! My something new was an earring of mine and Connor’s birthstone, from one of my maids of honor. I borrowed one of my mom’s rings, that included Danny’s birthstone, which I wrapped with twine around my bouquet.
What is the one details or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Katie Fogerty, owner of Kate & Co would be first. My wedding wouldn’t have been what it was without Katie. I am a complete perfectionist, and get anxiety about the smallest things not being perfect. Anything Katie and her crew were responsible for was perfect, and I couldn’t be more thankful. I also have to say my seamstress, Connie Simpson, owner of R & M Design. When I bought my wedding dress, I was still trying to get baby weight off and was also still nursing my son. By the time the dress arrived, I had lost all the baby weight, and then some. It didn’t even look like the same dress. Connie took it in six times and miraculously made me have some curves again (in the places I wanted them)! When I had my final fitting, I fell in love with the dress all over again. Also, my wedding photographer—she didn’t miss a detail and I can keep reliving the day over and over. Plus, she saved the day and drove the hubby and me to our ceremony when our trolley broke down!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Raising a baby while planning a wedding. I felt guilty focusing on the wedding and not giving Connor my 100 percent undivided attention. I didn’t think it was fair to him, so I did the timely stuff after he fell asleep or super early in the morning before he woke up. Anything that needed to be done during business hours, I did at nap time. I can’t even tell you how many of my vendors probably got emails from me at midnight.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? To do a same-day edit film, especially if you are doing pictures before the ceremony. It was extremely important to me that since we weren’t going to see each other for the first time when I walked down the aisle that everyone would be able to see our first look at the reception. It was the most beautiful short film I’ve ever seen and I’m not exaggerating when I say there was not a dry eye in the entire place. The staff was even tearing up! It started the night off just right, and those five minutes were worth every penny!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Expanding our little family. Connor is such a miracle and I hope God blesses us with more little miracles.

lisa Written with love by Lisa
8 Comments
  1. avatar Lauren reply

    What a beautiful story! I love the beading on her dress and the contrast with the ivory of the gown.

  2. avatar Dana reply

    what an adorable, happy family. i love what her dad said at the wedding!

  3. avatar Charissa reply

    What a darling wedding, love the brides white cowboy boots!

  4. avatar Joel reply

    Beautiful!

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  8. avatar Ashley reply

    Who is the designer of these bridesmaids dresses!?! I LOVE Them!!!
    Thanks!
    XOXO

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