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I can’t help but smile every time I see Jamie and Blake’s wedding in V6! Jamie, a University of Texas alum (like me!), and Blake bought their gorgeous house shortly before choosing a venue, and with just four months to plan their wedding, they decided to open their own doors to the 230 loved ones who joined them–the ultimate in Southern hospitality. This was no small feat, but with the help of Mary Beth Events, their wedding became a true celebration of their relationship and their love for the city of Austin. I always tell people that Austin is so easy to love, and likewise, it’s easy to love Jamie and Blake’s fabulously fun, lively wedding!

We’re so grateful to Cameron & Kelly Studio for sharing Jamie and Blake’s wedding with us!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met in 2011 at a little start-up called Facebook, where we both work. Ever heard of it? Our relationship actually started when I sent Blake a friend request (which he accepted in 2.2 seconds), even though we had never officially met. Blake was much more senior at the company and all of the girls had crushes on him. A few months later, we were both in NYC for a company event and I swear Blake followed me to get coffee so that he could say hello. And so the fairy tale began, with every weekend spent traveling between Austin and Westport, CT, where Blake was living at the time. Ten months later, Blake, along with his son Spencer, proposed in NYC at the Gramercy Park Hotel over Christmas. Not surprisingly, everyone’s Facebook news feeds were literally flooded with the news and pictures.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. This was actually fairly easy for me. My mom and I always thought we would find my dress in NY, but I was quite impressed with selection in Dallas and Houston. I ultimately purchased my dress from the original Neiman Marcus store in Dallas. Neiman Marcus is a client of mine at Facebook, so the decision to purchase there was an easy one. I did have to do an eight-week rush on my dress, and it arrived one week before the wedding. It was perfect though.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? The ceremony was very intimate, and one of our favorite parts of the weekend. A Facebook colleague and friend of ours, Kirsten Neville Manning, co-officiated the ceremony with Tarrytown pastor, Margot Perez-Greene, and was absolutely brilliant. It was very personal, heartwarming, and hysterical at times. Blake’s son, Spencer, walked me down the aisle and stood at the front as the ceremony took place.

I always knew that I wanted to get married in Austin, but finding a venue with less than year lead time is pretty impossible. When I called places in December 2012, they were not available until 2014! We had just purchased a new home in Austin that we are totally in love with, so it made sense to build a platform and put up tents and have everyone at our home. It was much more intimate and we could plan the wedding exactly the way we wanted to.

Did you have a cocktail hour? If so, what was it like? We had a ceremony with just our close family, so the cocktail hour was truly the start of our celebration. We arrived at our wedding reception greeted by all our wedding guests welcoming us in front of our home. It was incredible to see all our family and friends at our home at one time! The cocktail hour was hosted in the courtyard and featured passed appetizers, a signature cocktail (a Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita), pink mini-bottles of champagne, and a variety of cocktails. The passed appetizers included shrimp creamy cheese grits, shrimp scampi, red-eye gravy served in mini mason jars, beef tenderloin canapé with speck aioli, port gastrique, and sweet corn fritters with chipotle honey

What was the design inspiration for your reception? I love the contrast of fun and lively colors with pops of bright white. Mary Beth Events designed the decor around a gorgeous bright pink and orange ikat fabric, which was beautiful and fun at the same time.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? There were two things. One was timing. We didn’t want a long engagement, which made it challenging with some timelines/vendors. We had four months to plan a big party! In the end, it was plenty of time, but we definitely had moments of panic because some things seemed so last minute! Second was logistics/space at our house. Our backyard is on the small side and we have a pool. We chose to put tables out there for the cocktail hour. The side lawn is huge, but uneven, so we ended up having a 13-feet tall floor/platform built in so that we could use the entire yard. No one knew they were dancing 13 feet in the air!

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. I wanted to have a non-traditional take on desserts, so we opted for a dessert station that we called Ellie Mae’s Sweet Shop, in honor of our beloved maltipoo. Mary Beth Events created a gorgeous dessert station featuring a variety of delicious desserts that came from all around Texas—french macarons, brownie pops, Tiny Pies, pie pops, fabulously decorated cakes in a variety of flavors, lemon bars, mini cupcakes, caramel and chocolate popcorn, chocolate covered almonds and decorated sugar cookies, just to name a few! It was amazing!

What was your reception like? We wanted our reception to include elements of our personality and things we love, including Texas, Austin’s independent spirit, great music and lively dancing, the natural beauty of Austin’s landscape, and delicious drinks and cuisine. Since I’m a Southern girl from a big football school, I surprised the guests with a full cheer, featuring The University of Texas Cheerleaders (my alma mater) and me. We had a vintage airstream photo booth for guests to capture their memories from the evening. The Maxx played all night in the Boom Boom Room, a secret tent created by Mary Beth Events. We loved being outdoors on a beautiful Austin spring evening, and a clear-top tent allowed guests to celebrate under the stars. A Southwestern margarita was our signature drink. Guests also loved our Southwestern comfort food, especially our mac and cheese bar. Mary Beth Events seamlessly blended outdoor and indoor environments with a clear-top tent for dining and a draped tent for dancing. The reception featured various areas for seating and incorporated bright pink, orange and white colors.

We spent our wedding night at our house, but knew that we would have to leave so that our guests wouldn’t stay all night! Our guests lined our sidewalk with sparklers in hand as we raced to our pedicab and drove away carrying a large Ropollo’s pizza. We hung out around the corner eating pizza on the bike until the house was clear!

Describe the proposal: From Blake: It was during our “Christmas wish” weekend in NYC, where Jamie, my son Spencer and I each got a wish to do something. At the Gramercy Park Hotel, Spencer came up to me before dinner, after I had chickened out at the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, and told me it was time. He orchestrated the whole moment, including how I would drop my napkin to get on my knee in the restaurant.
How many guests attended your wedding? 230 people attended the reception. We could only fit 90 people into the Chapel for the ceremony portion.
Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: There are so many details that I loved, but my favorites were either the hot pink bottles of Pommery Pop Rose that we passed to our guests as they arrived, or Ropollo’s, the late-night food truck that served pizza to our guests. It’s a 2 a.m. staple on 6th Street in Austin and brought everyone back to our college days. I loved that we chose to do a hashtag (#chandleepartyof2) that was printed on napkins and various signage. Now we have over 100 pictures that we can search on Instagram.
Describe your wedding flowers: They were romantic and whimsical florals consisting of peonies, roses, orchids, hydrangea, snapdragons, ranunculus, and stock in a bright spring palette of oranges, hot pinks, corals and pops of lime green.
How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your ceremony? I had a bridal brunch with all of my girlfriends and family that my aunts hosted at Z’Tejas. Since I didn’t have bridesmaids, it was nice to be able to spend the morning of my wedding with all of my closest friends. Blake hosted a large group at Abel’s on the Lake, one of our favorite restaurants, that sits on Lake Austin! Our wedding was the same weekend as the Masters, so we didn’t have to do too much entertaining during the day.
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony? My girlfriends from college and I have a white lace handkerchief that we pass down as each person gets married. It’s monogrammed with our names and wedding dates, and each girl carries it around her bouquet. Such a sweet tradition!
What kind of food did you serve? Our menu, coordinated by Mary Beth Events and created by Pink Avocado in Austin, featured delicious, Southwestern-style comfort food, including a build-your-own stuffed avocadoes station, a gourmet mac and cheese bar, and a beef tenderloin bar.
Tell us a bit about your first dance. We originally wanted our first dance to be “Stuck on You” by Lionel Richie, and we actually tried our best to have him at the wedding as a surprise for our guests. It ultimately didn’t work out and we opted for a song that our band knew, rather than playing one on our iPod. “Stand by Me” ended up being the winner.
What was the funniest moment? The funniest moment was that someone did a cannonball into our pool. Sadly, we missed it, but we were able to see pictures from those that caught the moment!
What was Southern about your wedding? We know a good Southern home is one that is open and inviting. We loved welcoming our friends and family to celebrate with us in our home.
Did you take a honeymoon? If so, where? Yes! We spent a couple of days in Dubai and stayed at the Burj al Arab. We were able to go on a desert safari and even had time for a little shopping in the gold souk. We then hopped on over to the Four Seasons Maldives where we spent nine days in total paradise. The flight home was a little rough. 30 hours—ouch!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Starting a family and settling into our home in Austin, although we split our time between there and NYC. We have exciting trips to look forward to over the next months, as traveling is one of our favorite things to do together.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Don’t sweat the small stuff. If those custom cocktail napkins don’t turn out perfectly, is it really going to matter? Make sure you trust your wedding planner, and have a great photographer and florist, as well as good food, booze and entertainment. The small stuff is just icing on the cake!

Photographer: Cameron & Kelly Studio / Planning, paper, lounge furniture, lighting and linens: Mary Beth Burrow of Mary Beth Events / Ceremony venue: Tarrytown United Methodist Church / Reception venue: private residence / Florist: Posey Floral and Event Design / Caterer: Pink Avocado Catering / Cake and desserts: 3 Brothers Bakery / Bride’s gown: “Amaranth” by Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s veil: Toni Federici / Bride’s ceremony shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bride’s reception dress: Jovani (jovani.com) / Bride’s reception shoes: Yves Saint Laurent / Hair and makeup: Miss Z / Rentals: Swift Events / Tent: Aztec Party Rentals / Band: The Maxx / DJ: El John Selector / Photo booth: Airstream Photo Booth / Getaway car: Capital Pedicab / Pizza truck: Roppolo’s Pizzeria

lisa Written with love by Lisa
9 Comments
  1. avatar Cameron Clark | Cameron & Kelly Studio reply

    It was an absolute delight to work with Jamie & Blake and photograph their true love and special day. Pie pops in the shape of Texas? Yes, ma’am. Mary Beth Events and Posey Floral outdid themselves this time.

  2. avatar Lindsay {Everistta} reply

    Oh wow! This wedding is simply stunning from beginning to end! I absolutely love the fun color scheme. Stunning!

  3. avatar Emily reply

    I adore their cake wall and Texas pie pops! Very good looking sweets at this wedding :)

  4. avatar Wedding Rental Supplies reply

    Gorgeous wedding! Each and every details looks just so pretty! Loved the pretty bright pink used for the decor and also the floral details looks so beautiful.

  5. avatar Surprise Engagement Session by Love, The Nelsons and Hey Gorgeous – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] is a good week for me–the Southern Weddings blog has been full of Austin love! First, we had Jamie and Blake‘s fabulous backyard wedding earlier this week, and now, we’re delighted to share this […]

  6. avatar Jamie and Blake AustinTexas Backyard wedding-Austin Wedding Photographer-Cameron & Kelly Studio reply

    […] this wedding with you. It was accepted as a feature in Southern Weddings Magazine V6 and also on their blog This couple could not have been easier to work with! They just wanted to have a fun wedding day and […]

  7. avatar colorful bouquet @ wish-upon-a-weddingwish-upon-a-wedding reply

    […] Thanks southernweddings.com […]

  8. avatar Happy Valentines Day, xoxo Everthine – Everthine Bridal Boutique – a bridal shop serving Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Boston, and Beyond reply

    […] by Tim Gibson via Oh Happy Day  *Mini champagne bottles image by Cameron & Kelly Studio via Southern Weddings *Heart wall decals available via Darling Clementine *Pink and red centerpieces image by Lauren Ross […]

  9. avatar TX wedding musician reply

    What a great couple and wedding party. Looks like everyone had a blast. And spectacular reception decorations!

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I am tickled pink to share today’s gorgeous wedding, which you may recognize from the pretty pages of V6. New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite days of the year, and when you add in the gorgeous setting that is New Orleans, the most beautiful couple, a breathtaking cathedral ceremony, and lots of sparkly details, I’m in wedding heaven! Lynze and John did an amazing job crafting a meaningful, family-oriented ceremony, followed by one of the most festive second lines and receptions I’ve ever seen. And don’t even get me started on their confetti-covered kiss as the clock struck midnight–it’s magical!

We’re so glad Trent Bailey was on hand to capture every exquisite moment and detail, and then share it with us!

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? Our wedding date! So many of our guests told us how excited they were to get all dressed up and have somewhere to go on New Year’s Eve—a holiday that can be a letdown—so we wanted to play off of the New Year’s Eve festive spirit. Our goal was to have the whole evening feel celebratory and glamorous: a new marriage for a new year.

I asked each bridesmaid to choose a long dress in gold that had New Year’s Eve zing! It turned out fabulously, and there were many comments about how exciting it was to see each bridesmaid come down the aisle wearing a different style. I loved that.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I lucked out! I tried on 15+ dresses, but I was just not finding the dramatic, classic gown that would be perfect for a New Year’s Eve celebration. Fortunately, a very lovely bridal assistant nailed it and declared that I was Ines DiSanto bride. Although she did not sell the Ines line, she made an appointment for me at another salon in NYC. I knew it was the right fit when I tried on eight dresses from the line, and ended up buying the eighth! The tears from my mom were enough, but when another mother-of-the-bride in the salon, who I did not know, came over and told me “I’ve seen all eight, this is YOUR dress, don’t leave without it,” I knew it was my showstopper!

What did the men wear? The groom, groomsmen, ushers, fathers, and grandfathers all wore bespoke tuxes from Knot Standard, John’s company. The men looked so dashing and the suits fit perfectly! I remember getting teary-eyed seeing my grandfather wearing a perfectly-suited tuxedo and thinking, I will always remember him looking so dashing.

The location proved to be the trickiest aspect of the wedding. I grew up in Ohio and John moved there in third grade. Our parents were both married in Ohio. Two of my brothers were conveniently married in my parents’ backyard. But when it came time to decide on the location for our wedding, the idea of Ohio felt awry. No part of our formal five-year courtship was spent living in Ohio together. We both went away for school, Michigan and Texas respectively. We had lived and were currently living in New York City. But the bulk of our relationship was spent together in Dubai. Knowing that our guests would hail from all over the world, we wanted a location that was easy to access, a date that would accommodate those traveling from far away, and a city that could hold its own in culture and entertainment. New Orleans has always been a part of the Ballays’ French Cajun heritage and rose to the top of the list.

Who participated in your ceremony? My twin brothers opened the door for my dad and I. I had no idea that they were planning on doing that, and when they opened the doors and I saw them standing there, I nearly lost it.
What songs did you use for your ceremony? I walked down the aisle to Ave Maria played by a live saxophonist, which was really amazing, as the song has special meaning to John’s grandmother, Audrey. When the organ stopped and the saxophone started, it brought a calm to the church, and set the tone for the important covenant we were about to make.

We kept it simple in the church, choosing to let the white Christmas poinsettias be the focal point at the altar and to have candles with petals in hurricane vases dotting the aisle. I loved the intimate, yet dramatic, feel of the church. We dedicated all of the flowers to the church in honor of our loved ones that have gone on before us. When we walked in and saw the church brimming with beautiful white Christmas poinsettias, it was as if their spirits were all around us.

The excitement we felt during the Second Line parade was truly amazing. John and I knew it was going to be a wedding highlight, as many of our guests had never experienced a Second Line, but to have more than 200 (in festive New Orleans tradition, we had some local joiners in the back!) of our loved ones singing, dancing, and waving hankies down Canal Street was overwhelming! We heard from multiple guests that the Second Line was the most fun thing they had EVER done. The city and spirit of New Orleans really shined in that moment.

What was your cocktail hour like? Dreamy. When we ended the second line at the Board of Trade courtyard, it was like being in a movie. Hundreds of candles hung from the trees and around the Spanish fountain, oysters were being shucked, and glasses of champagne were being toasted, all to the sound of a NOLA jazz band.

Describe your wedding flowers. Oh, the flowers! Credit where it’s due, my mom has an award-winning garden in Ohio and has a wonderful decorative eye, but we had no idea just how amazingly the flowers would turn out. When I walked into the Board of Trade, I was stunned by how beautiful the tablescapes were. I specifically wanted people to be able to see each other across the tables, and there was just the right amount of height from the flowers and the candelabras that the tables felt elegant, but cozy. I loved that you could still have a conversation across the table.

During dinner, a couple who has been friends of the family for a long time, and also married for 30 years, told us how special they thought our vows were. They had also spoken unique vows on their wedding day, and every year on their anniversary, they say them to one another once again. I thought that was the most beautiful idea and have looked forward to speaking those token words of truth, honesty, and loyalty to John on our anniversaries ever since!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. I fell in love with the lovely ladies of the Royal Cakery and their sweets right from the start. The second you walk into the bakery, you know these women have it down to a sweet, moist, and fluffy science. The cake was divine. After much back and forth on design, I decided on an intricately detailed, all-white, traditional wedding cake. It added a sophisticated air to a very festive room and was so beautifully and carefully crafted. We had salted caramel layers for me, chocolate cake for him, and almond amaretto for the moms!

Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: When the clock hit midnight and the confetti poured down. The whole crowed gathered to count down together from the dance floor in their top hats and party masks, and when the confetti fell, everyone kissed and sang Auld Lang Syne (we had it printed on the tables) together. It doesn’t get more festive than that!

We rode away in a pedicab with a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Since it was New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, we were short on vehicle options and were actually really excited about driving off in the pedicab. The driver was great, and we did two laps around the neighborhood, which was bustling and bursting with people celebrating New Years and having a great time. It was amazing!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. As the youngest of five, and the only girl, my house was always filled with older boys, but I never imagined that one of my brothers’ pals would become my husband! John played high school soccer with my twin brothers and our families were friends. He took me to homecoming my freshman year – we were in the same group as my brothers, mortifying! – but it wasn’t until two years later when John went off to college in Texas that we began to track one another from afar. As chance would have it, John moved to NYC after graduating, where I was spending the summer interning between years at the University of Michigan. We reconnected as friends in the city, but after spending three months exploring New York together, we realized we were much more than friends, though not yet ready to commit, being in different states and at different points in our lives. When I decided to study abroad the next year in the Middle East, John was my first visitor. And when, once again, I came back to NYC to spend the summer interning, and we spent every spare second together, we decided that not being together was out of the question. That is, until I received a great opportunity to move to Dubai to work after graduating. We had officially been dating for six months at that point, and I remember feeling like I had to take this job, but had no idea where that left us. John loved NYC and had a fantastic job in finance. Could we do long distance dating from that far?
We went to his favorite Mexican spot, where I broke the news. It took John all of two seconds to decide he would move too. I attribute our entire relationship to this two-second decision timing and his sincere confidence in our relationship so early in the game. We moved shortly after, and sure enough, Dubai became the city that we built our relationship on. After four years of living abroad, traveling the world together, and creating a family of friends overseas, he planned an elaborate proposal with 30 of our friends on the beach.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Glamorous, festive, romantic
How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
What was the design inspiration for your reception? On our wedding programs, we had the saying “New Year. New Life. Together.” That was really the theme. It wasn’t only about New Year’s Eve, but that our marriage was a celebration of our new life together. Even though we had been dating for years in advance, we knew our marital commitment meant a new start for us together. We also included a lot of little details. For example, each of the table numbers included a New Year’s marital-themed resolution. Our menus had a countdown from ten to one to signify a new start of a new year. Each guests received a NYE top hat or a Mardi Gras hat.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Trust your vendors! Explain your ideas and desires and then give them enough space to use their creativity. We’d never planned a wedding, but our vendors had been part of hundreds of them. Of course, they knew what was right in the end, and we trusted them to make the best decisions on our behalf. On the wedding day, every vendor we hired blew us away! They knew how to throw a party without us micromanaging the process.
Who was your favorite vendor and why? I will always be indebted to Ms. Emily Sullivan! She managed to seamlessly coordinate 200 people over the course of three festivity-filled days. But more than that, she understood from the very beginning that our wedding was a weekend about family. She reached out to our parents often, helping to put them at ease and calm any fears, as well as to understand what a blissful wedding weekend meant to them. She kept us all working together and happy! Not an easy feat. On the wedding weekend, I was truly blessed to have her work her magic. Everything came together so beautifully.

Photographer: Trent Bailey / Videographer: Daniel Jones at Lumehouse Weddings / Planner: Emily Sullivan at Get Polished Events / Ceremony Venue: The Church of the Immaculate Conception / Reception Venue: New Orleans Board of Trade / Florist: Bella Blooms / Catering: Pigeon Caterers / Cake Baker: The Royal Cakery / Bride’s Dress: Ines DiSanto / Bridal Salon: Bridal Reflections / Bride’s Shoes: “Straptease” by Hey Lady Shoes / Bride’s Jewelry: Haute Bride / Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel / Hair Stylist: Kelly from Get Polished Events / Makeup Artist: Daphne from Get Polished Events / Men’s Attire: Knot Standard / Paper Products: Village Invites Midtown / Carriage: Mid-City Carriages / Rolls Royce: Unique Transportation / Pedicab: Need a Ride Pedicab / Limo Buses: American Luxury

lisa Written with love by Lisa
17 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    Everything about this wedding is stunning! The love the couple shares together is the most sparkly detail of all.

  2. avatar Emily reply

    So many things to love about this wedding — the gents’ snappy duds, the gals’ glamorous dresses, Trent’s beautiful photography — but my very favorite might be Lynze’s lovely interview answers!

  3. avatar Nancy Ray reply

    Beautiful work, Trent! LOVE her getaway dress!

  4. avatar Somer reply

    Gorgeous wedding! Where is her getaway dress from?

  5. avatar Gold and Garnet Decadence | Whiter Than White Weddings | UK Wedding Style Blog reply

    […] Credits: Top left to bottom right 1. Jose Villa | 2. Jenny Packham | 3. via OneFabDay | 4. via Poise Boston | 5. Shannas Creations | 6. BrideBop | 7. Photo: Trent Bailey […]

  6. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] We love real weddings! Lynze and John’s New Orleans New Year’s Eve wedding was featured in V6, and it was the perfect way to wrap up our year on the blog! Don’t miss their gorgeous video tomorrow, and see their wedding here. […]

  7. avatar Black Tie New Orleans Wedding Film by Lumehouse Productions – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] can find Lynze and John’s wedding on the blog here, and lots more wedding films […]

  8. avatar Dacey Doehrman reply

    I was wondering where the bridesmaids found their dresses? This is the exact color scheme and look I want for my wedding but I am having trouble finding the dresses for my girls. Thanks! Beautiful pictures and wedding!

    • avatar Kim Nguyen reply

      Would you be able to provide where the bridesmaid dresses were from?

  9. avatar richelle reply

    ABSOLUTELY obsessed with all the bridesmaids dresses!

    I would be ETERNALLY grateful to know where they allllll came from!

    Phenomenal wedding and photography.

  10. avatar Emilia Jane reply

    Holy amazing flowers batman! GORGEOUS work Trent :-D

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  13. avatar Katie reply

    I woudl love to know where the getaway dress is from! I am doing a New Years Black Tie wedding and its so perfect! thanks!!

  14. avatar Rustic Metallic Wedding with Silver and Gold Leaf Accents | Hey Wedding Lady reply

    […] Silver Sparkling Bridesmaids’ Dresses – Photography by Trent Bailey Photography via Southern Weddings | Gold Leaf Embellished Bridal Hairstyle – Photography by Erich McVey, Styling by Ginny […]

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    […] Sequin Bridesmaid Dresses (Image Courtesy of: Trent Bailey Photography via Southern Weddings) // Gold "Love" Wedding Cake Topper // Large Kraft Flowers (Image […]

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Y’all are in for a real treat! While we Southern Weddings ladies pick the confetti out of our hair and revel in the amazingness that we were able to celebrate with so many of y’all last night at the launch party, you get to enjoy this super fun wedding! Before I gush over all the goodness, I have to say that Kristin Vining, the photographer of this gorgeous soirée, and I share a common bond. Both of our darling husbands actually played on the same baseball team in Charlotte, though sadly, at different times! I’m tickled to know her!

Now to gush over Rachel + Zack’s day. Lisa and I kept looking at the photos and saying how fun this wedding looked! Maybe it’s R + Z’s outlook on life: “We want to live like the world is our playground, even though the farm will always be home.” Or maybe its’s that Rachel’s outlook on flowers: “go big, or go home” (my personal theory on hair and eyelashes). Either way, we can’t help but smile when we scroll through this wedding!

Big hugs to Kristin for sharing it with us!

We were so honored to have LulaKate outfit us for the Launch Party–we didn’t want to take our fun frocks off! I imagine these gals felt the same way!

For flowers, we used the concept “go big, or go home.” My bouquet was a monster, but an insanely gorgeous monster. I wanted peonies, and a whole lot of them. Our florist spared no expense at making each table feel lush, with the most beautiful flowers. My mother and my grandmother have always loved flowers, and we managed to knock even their socks off. I will never regret our flower budget.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Absolutely. We wanted to have some time together prior to all the craziness, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Also, we wanted to have the majority of the pictures out of the way prior to the ceremony, so were free to party with our guests after we became husband and wife.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We decided to do traditional vows, and we were very happy with that choice.

Gah, they look like they are having so much fun!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We walked down the aisle to “Marry Me.” I have loved this song since the day it came out and found it fitting to walk down the aisle too. We walked back up the aisle to “Signed, Sealed, and Delivered.” We wanted it to be fun and peppy (plus, we wanted to lighten the mood and start the party!).

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My groom is Southern to the core. He was raised in tobacco fields and hog farms. While our venue was modern and I fancy myself a lover of all things city, the food was a nod to the South, with good ole shrimp and grits, chicken tenders, ham biscuits, etc.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I would probably say the overall design. I know that encompasses a ton of details, but a good design was what made all the “itty bitty” details happen. I think having a design board to work from (courtesy of Katrina, our planner) and to provide to all the vendors was one thing that made our wedding unique. Every detail fell into our overall design. There was an “image” or “look” we were going for, and I think it was achieved in the end.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Why have one cake when you can have three? We had three wedding cakes, all with different flavors. The cakes were absolutely amazing and one of the focal points of the wedding.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met during our first year of college at North Carolina State University. One of my sorority sisters was having a party at her house and she was hoping to introduce me to one of her male friends from her hometown. Upon arriving to the party, I immediately knew that there was no connection between myself and the gentleman that she had “picked out” for me. Instead, a dark-haired, tall fellow wearing a pink polo shirt had caught my eye. We spent the night getting to know one another and exchanged numbers at the end of the evening. Zack called the next day to invite me to a movie, but I was too studious to ditch class, so I turned down his offer. Luckily, he didn’t get scared off too easily and invited me to lunch at a little Italian restaurant the next week. After a wonderful lunch and a kiss on the cheek goodbye, I called my mom and told her that he was the one. The rest is history.
Tell us all about the proposal! Zack proposed Christmas Day of 2010. After spending the day with family and friends, we were purportedly headed back to my uptown Charlotte apartment that I was living in at the time, but instead, we made a wrong turn. Before I knew what was happening, we were turning into the Ritz Carlton. Zack said we were stopping just to have a few drinks, which I didn’t think to be unusual, so I got out of the car and proceeded inside without any suspicions of what was coming. From there, I learned we were not only going to have a couple of drinks, but we were also spending the night. After checking into our room and coming back down to grab drinks, I noticed the staff to be more than attentive than usual and very chatty. I just assumed everyone was in the Christmas spirit! What I didn’t know at the time was that our suite upstairs was being turned into a candle-filled space that would become the scene of our engagement. At one point, I was so tired that I begged Zack to take me back to the room, but he kept stalling. I think he walked me around every inch of the hotel. Finally, when he allowed me to go back to the room, I opened the door to find more candles than I had ever seen in one place in my life, and out of my peripheral vision, I saw a little box on the corner of the bed. Before I had time to process what was happening, my love was down on one knee popping the question. Of course, I said a resounding YES. I should add to this story that throughout all of this, it was snowing. Yes, snowing in the South on Christmas. It was a breathtaking view looking over the candles in our room to the window of one of the top floors of the Ritz Carlton to see the snow falling outside.
When did y’all get married? April 13, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 200
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Finding my wedding dress was easy, as I found it on the very first day we went dress shopping. I had seen a picture of the dress in a magazine and found a place in Charlotte, North Carolina that carried it. Upon trying it on, I knew it was the one, but allowed myself to try on a few others and go to one other bridal boutique. By the end of the same day, my mom and I were back at the first store buying my dress and the beautiful sash to go with it.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? During the wedding planning, I transitioned from law student to new lawyer. My time was so consumed with my career that I felt like the wedding was going to be put on the back burner. By hiring a wedding planner, I was able to let someone else make sure all the details were accounted for and all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? There are actually three people that I could not have done without: my planner, my photographer, and my hair/make-up artist (who also did the fashion styling). They were the perfect trifecta. Together, they made my day absolute perfection (at least in my eyes).
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The one thing I will never forget is rounding the corner of the aisle and seeing Zack standing at the end with tears running down his face. It was at that moment that everyone and everything else slipped to the back of my mind and I was focused on getting to Zack and becoming his wife.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? I believe going at it alone is a HUGE mistake. I think hiring a good team is essential to having your day go seamlessly and having peace of mind that all hands are on deck to take care of the details. It is worth the extra money to have less stress in the long run.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? As a married couple, we want to live like the world is our playground, even though the farm will always be home. We want to sneak in as many vacations as possible prior to starting a family. We also look forward to building our very first home in Eastern North Carolina.

marissa Written with love by Marissa
8 Comments
  1. avatar Kristin Vining reply

    Eeeeekkk!! This lights up my heart and tickles me pink!!! My sweet, Marissa…love you and that little family beyond words. Thank you for sharing this amazing wedding…start to finish it was designed beautifully by Come + Together Events (Katrina Hutchins) and little Rach and Zach have imprinted on my heart forever. THANK YOU to you…AND the entire SW Team for putting together the most perfect story of this day! HUGS!!! ~ K

  2. avatar Rachel Sholar reply

    Thank you for the absolutely beautiful feature. It will forever be one of the very best days of our lives. We couldn’t be more thankful to all those that made it happen. R + Z

  3. avatar Featured: Southern Weddings » come+together events reply

    […] so much to Southern Weddings for featuring Rachel+Zacks’ big day. I can’t do it with out the amazing vendors that I am […]

  4. avatar Katrina Hutchins (Come+Together Events) reply

    Thank you ladies so much for featuring this sweet wedding! You are the best! xo

  5. avatar Emily reply

    Love their rooftop ceremony, and of course love their mini food! :)

  6. avatar Corinna Hoffman reply

    Love how they paired gray with pink & orange.

  7. avatar Southern Weddings Feature | Lindsey Regan Thorne | wardrobe stylist + makeup artist + hair reply

    […] What an honor it is to have work featured on Southern Weddings! […]

  8. avatar Hexagon Geometric Wedding Details reply

    […] Josh Gull Wedding Photography/Mr. & Mrs. Weddings and Events via Ruffled; 6- Kristin Vining via Southern Weddings; 7- Morgan Trinker Photography/Koli Nichols Photography/Spindle Photography/The NotWedding via […]

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