Southern Weddings

Andrea + Tres’ evening nuptials at the Southern Oaks Plantation in New Orleans combines a touch of glam with down-South charm. Andrea walked down the aisle with a beautiful bouquet of white roses, courtesy of Fat Cat Flowers, and some killer blue Christian Louboutin pumps. I love that Andrea had her nine bridesmaids, wearing Watters dresses, carry single magnolia blooms down the aisle. The newlyweds rode away in a horse and carriage after being pronounced husband and wife as fireworks shot off in the background–now that’s the way to celebrate a marriage! Thanks Armosa Studios for sharing this gem!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met at work. Tres had just moved to Memphis from Knoxville, and a big group of our work friends were going to dinner after work. After dinner, the two of us got into deep conversation. We were having so much fun talking to each other that when we finally looked up, all of our friends had left!
Describe the proposal. It was perfect. We had just left Napa Valley after wine tasting for a few days and were headed to San Francisco for the rest of the week. We drove to a park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and Tres asked me there. Aside from the wedding, it was the most exciting day of my life. There’s a funny story that I have to mention, though. Tres set up the video camera so we could wave into it in front of the Golden Gate Bridge when what he really wanted was for our proposal to be on camera so my parents could see it when we returned. After the proposal, we couldn’t wait to watch it. We got in the car and turned on the camera. The shot of us waving was perfect, but literally the second Tres got down on his knee to propose, the wind moved the camera so that the only thing seen was the Golden Gate Bridge. We still laugh about it and, bridge or not, I love that we have some of it on camera!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Timeless, fun, perfection
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Everything about our wedding was Southern! Our theme was Southern vintage, and our venue, Southern Oaks Plantation, set the tone for all the details. The front lawn of the antebellum home served as our ceremony site with a horse and carriage incorporated into the ceremony. Magnolias played a big role in our wedding, as I’m from Mississippi, and it’s the state flower. My girls carried magnolias down the aisle, and magnolias were also included on our invitations and our wedding cake. To give the guys a Southern touch, they wore cotton bloom boutonnieres. The food was completely New Orleans style with everything from jambalaya and gumbo to crawfish and oysters being served.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I went to Atlanta to find the dress of my dreams with my my mom, grandmother, aunt and cousin, who all came in from Austin, TX. It only took two places and about 10 dresses before I put on the one I loved most. I knew I wanted a dropped waist silhouette and a sweetheart neckline, but not taffeta. Well, the perfect dress just happened to be taffeta! My advice? Never say never!

Written with love by Nicole