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With a wedding as lovely as Elizabeth and Patton’s it’s hard not to get lost in the details…especially the magical florals that Oxford Florals created and the fun yellow front door of the ACRE Restaurant. In fact, said front door set the tone for the entire theme of Elizabeth and Patton’s decor, from the bridesmaid dresses to the cake! They wanted their wedding day to embody that same feeling of “home” that they instantly felt when they visited ACRE for the first time. Looking at their photos, I was already smitten, but after reading their interview, there was so much more that I fell in love with about their wedding. My favorite detail was that Elizabeth grew up picturing her grandfather officiating her wedding. He was not only able to do just that, but he did so in the church she grew up in!

Thanks to Cameron Reynolds for being on hand to capture such a sweet day!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? A September wedding was a natural fit for our timeline. Not only was the church available, but my grandfather was also free. My entire life, I had always imagined my grandfather, a retired Presbyterian minister, marrying me in my home church in Memphis, Tennessee. While my ideal reception venue, taste in wedding colors, and dream wedding dress have changed throughout my life, my desire to be married by my grandfather and walk down the aisle of Second Presbyterian Church has always remained a constant. Once the church was set, the rest of the details began to take shape. After exploring many options, we decided to have our wedding reception at ACRE Restaurant. Not only was ACRE conveniently located close to the church, it immediately felt like home. I found the neutral interior colors soothing to my soul. As I walked around to each dining space, I could envision the evening of our wedding reception, and the atmosphere seemed perfect. But my most favorite part of ACRE was the bright yellow front door! The contrast of the yellow door against the dark gray house and lush green landscape set the tone for the entire theme of our wedding. The flowers, wedding paper, bridesmaid dresses, cake, and many other details would soon be created to embody that same touch of home.

Every girl dreams of her perfect wedding dress, and my dress did not disappoint! I knew I wanted a classic lace dress with cap sleeves, but it was not until I put on this dress that I knew I had found my dream dress. I felt beautiful and classy. Since we decided months earlier not to have a first look, I couldn’t wait to see Patton’s face when he saw me for the first time as I walked down the aisle.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Of all the things that brought Patton and I together, the most important thing that holds us together is our faith. Patton and I wanted our wedding to be a worship service, so each song we selected was specially picked for that purpose. A string quartet welcomed our guests, and Patton actually played the prelude since music is one of Patton’s greatest passions. He has enjoyed playing instruments for most of his life, so I knew I wanted to weave that into our day. The mothers and grandmothers walked in to “Be Thou My Vision,” which is a tradition that goes back for three generations in my family. The bridesmaids walked in to “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” one of my favorite hymns! I also gave each of my bridesmaids a framed calligraphy print of this hymn to thank them for being part of our special day. I walked in to “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” and the entire congregation sang “To God be the Glory.” Once Patton and I were announced husband and wife, the congregation rejoiced by singing “The Doxology.”

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! A special pocket was made on the inside of my dress to hold a four-leaf clover that has been worn by many generations of women in my family when they got married. My grandmother, mother, aunts, and sister have all carried this special heirloom on their wedding days. I was honored to carry this good luck charm as my something old and something borrowed on my special day too! My something new was my wedding dress, and I wore a blue diamond-studded ring as my something blue.

I absolutely loved the natural look of ACRE and I wanted our wedding flowers to take on this same look. A simple green and yellow watercolor was the backbone of our paper details, and I wanted the flowers to incorporate this theme. The flowers scattered throughout the wedding and the reception took on the loose, natural look of ACRE, and each flower detail incorporated the butter yellow and green colors of the watercolor we used for our paper details. My favorite flower detail was the flower guitar that adorned the mantle above the groom’s cake.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? While the details are important, the most important detail is the marriage that the wedding represents. That is the true gift! As a bride, I wish I had remembered to take a step back and breathe more. If you are planning a wedding, remember that the perfect day pales in comparison to the gift you will receive in marriage. After all, the wedding details are simply memories. Life will go on… you will be married! However, in the meantime, enjoy the process. The real party has just begun!

Music is one of Patton’s greatest passions. He has enjoyed playing instruments for most of his life, so I knew I wanted to weave this into our day. During the prelude at the ceremony, Patton played the piano, but I also wanted to surprise him with something special at the reception. With the help of both the Flour Garden and Oxford Floral, a room at ACRE was designed just for Patton. He was not only surprised by the groom’s cake that looked exactly like his banjo, but the reaction on his face was priceless when he noticed that the stone mantle above the cake was adorned with flowers made to look like his guitar. We also handed out blow-up banjos and tambourines on the dance floor, so that our guests could actively enjoy the music of the evening with us. Our wedding cake was also beautifully designed by the Flour Garden. It was a simple five-tier white cake. Each layer was either buttercream or coconut cake, and the cake tasted as good as it looked! The cake was adorned with beautiful yellow and green sugar flowers that were made to match the flowers scattered throughout the reception. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought the sugar flowers were real.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Patton and I met during out freshman year at Ole Miss. We were friends for the first couple of years of school, but things turned to more than friendship during our junior year.
Tell us all about the proposal! It happened on February 4, 2016 in the parking garage of my office in Birmingham, Alabama. I walked out of work to find Patton on one knee with a ring in his hand. Completely surprised, I was overjoyed to say yes!
When did y’all get married? September 10, 2016
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 350
Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Patton and I decided not to do a first look. We wanted our wedding to be very traditional, so seeing each other for the first time when the doors of the church swung open seemed fitting. I wanted to see Patton’s genuine reaction as I walked down the aisle towards him. His reaction was perfect!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My dear friend Sarah read Ephesians 3:14-21, and my grandfather gave a homily on a passage that has been very special to Patton and me throughout our relationship: Romans 8:1-11.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Guests traveled from near and far to support us, and I wanted each person to have a token of our gratitude. Gift boxes filled with water bottles, caramel corn, and cookies were waiting at the hotels upon their arrival. The cookies were in the shape of Mississippi and Tennessee, and little red hearts were placed over Patton’s hometown of Jackson and my hometown of Memphis.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The perfect ending to the perfect beginning was driving away from our smiling family and friends in a 1957 FORD Thunderbird… I can’t imagine a better way to start my life as a Ford! From getting ready at my childhood home to the ceremony being performed by my grandfather at my home church, September 10th was an absolute dream. As I reflect back on my wedding day, I feel like I have been given the most amazing gift. So many people worked extremely hard to make every detail perfect, and I will forever be thankful.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Our next chapter is going to be filled with adventure! After dating long distance for the past couple of years, we are thrilled to begin our lives together in Jackson, Mississippi.

Photographer: Cameron Reynolds Photography | Videographer: Caitlin Colcolough Films | Planner: Audrey Hurst Weddings | Ceremony Venue: Second Presbyterian Church | Reception Venue and Caterer: ACRE Restaurant | Florist: Oxford Floral | Wedding Cake: The Flour Garden | Rentals: 12th Table | Lighting: White Door Events | Band: The Soul Shockers | Paper Products: Sue Corral Ink | Bride’s Gown and Veil: Maggie Louise Bridal | Hair Stylist: Annie Shackelford of Juve Salon | Makeup Artist: Makeup by Kendrick | Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BHLDN | Men’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank

12th Table is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt this way, but after reading Molly and Eric’s real wedding interview for their feature in V7, I kind of wanted them to be my best friends! The couple behind Maggie Louise Bridal is sweet, hilarious, thoughtful, and totally smitten with each other, and especially knowing how hard they work together to serve darling Memphis brides, I was excited to find out how they relaxed and reconnected. I hope y’all enjoy reading about their favorite dates as much as I did!

Thanks so much to Jon Sharman Photography for these fabulous photos!

By day: Soon after celebrating our first anniversary in April, we had a lot of big life changes in the career category! Eric finished his Master’s degree in May, and shortly after, he joined me full-time at our bridal boutique, Maggie Louise!! Since opening the boutique back in 2012, Eric has been behind the scenes, helping me grow this sweet blessing into what it is today. After lots of prayer and consideration, he decided to join me in this crazy adventure, and life hasn’t been the same since. As a couple who now lives, commutes, and works together, we’ve experienced a lot of changes over the last year and a tremendous amount of growth as a husband and wife team. It has been so rewarding to watch God’s plan for our lives unfold and to do what we love together. But, we’ve also realized just how important it is to unwind and escape together for a date night!!!
Where they live: We live in Memphis, Tennessee in a downtown loft that has a rooftop overlooking our wonderful city. Memphis is full of live music, grounded with tons of history, and growing rapidly before our eyes. We love living downtown during this season of life and being able to walk to some of our most favorite places.

Their love story: Eric and I were introduced in college back in 2007 and I fell for him at first sight. We remained friends for several years, and in 2010, we had our “first date.” I was doing a pretty good job of playing hard to get, so he asked if he could simply pick me up for Sonic. I have never gotten so dressed up to go to America’s Drive-In, but I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing him pull into my driveway. To this day, it is still one of my favorite dates because it is so us–we like to keep things simple, and it reminds me to enjoy the little moments together that make life so much fun. We were engaged in September 2013 and married the following April. Eric even earned some extra brownie points when he showed up at Maggie Louise in May with a Route 44 PowerAde Slush in hand to celebrate our five years together.
Their wedding: We got married on April 4, 2014 at ACRE, a cozy Southern home that was turned into a modern fine dining restaurant in East Memphis. Our goal for our wedding (and every day in marriage!) was to keep it simple, have a good time, and honor the Lord. We are still so very honored to have our special day featured in Southern Weddings V7–click over to read all about it here.

Molly and Eric’s five favorite date nights:

1. Home sweet home: Sometimes, our days quickly turn into nights, so being home can be good for the soul. Since dinner plans are occasionally on a whim, we are thankful to have some of the best restaurants right in our backyard. Our ideal date night at home would be to bring home a lobster pizza from Spindini and eat it on our rooftop, overlooking the Mississippi River. We choose to end the night with dessert from our favorite bakery, Muddy’s, and, more than likely, a Netflix movie!

2. Summer concert and subs to go: One of the best summer date nights in Memphis takes place at the Levitt Shell–an outdoor venue that hosts free concerts with up-and-coming local artists. We love to grab a blanket, a bottle of wine, and a sub from Fino’s (our all-time favorite Italian deli in Midtown). I couldn’t ask for more than live music with the one I love as the sun sets over the city.

3. Celebration/splurge date night: The best date night memory I have was a last-minute surprise from Eric to celebrate some exciting things going on in our lives. We walked to a fancy restaurant downtown that both of us had always wanted to try and enjoyed dinner on the outdoor patio, complete with café lights and a bottle of rosé. That night in particular reminded me of how lucky I am to do life with my best friend, and that is worth every penny!

4. High-speed date night: Poor Eric did not marry an outdoors-y girl, but luckily, I do love a thrill ride. And what better way to get your heart racing than with a little thrill and competition! Our ideal Friday date night would be a trip to the indoor (!) high-speed go-cart track, followed by our all-time favorite: Mexican food!

5. Sunday funday: Sundays end up being the sweetest days for us together. We love starting the morning at our church home, beating the crowd to our favorite brunch spot, and spending the afternoon at our home, whether that means taking naps or just taking the entire day slow. Since we work at the boutique on Saturdays, Sundays are sacred–they are our day to unwind and refresh for the week ahead.

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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Y’all have no idea how excited I am to share Molly and Eric’s wedding with you today! I just adore this couple–Molly owns a super chic bridal salon, so you know the fashion at their wedding was on point, down to Eric’s custom Olia Zavozina tux and gold pin dot bow tie! While that was so lovely, Molly and Eric spoke straight to our hearts when they felt led to scratch planning a big wedding. Instead, they decided to move up their date and keep things as simple as possible, making their wedding a reflection of their love story and a time for friends to be with their loved ones. I also can’t help but love that they chose their first dance song (“Have a Little Faith In Me”) because of their “imperfect love story,” and as a reminder “to fight the good fight together.”

We’re so glad Annabella Charles shared this beautiful day with us in V7!

P.S. Lisa and I may have shared an ugly cry session after watching their proposal video–I highly suggest watching it, but grab your tissues first!

Aside from saying “yes” to my groom, choosing the dress was one of the easiest decisions in all of wedding planning. I didn’t even try it on before deciding it was, without a doubt, the one for me. Amahlia, designed by Maggie Louise designer, Rivini, was a part of Rita’s spring 2014 collection and embodied everything I had ever dreamed of wearing. I felt the top of the dress resembled my style, classic and more on the simple side, and the bottom matched Eric, who is more of a risk-taker and modern in his taste. When it walked down the runway that spring, we both looked at each other and knew it was everything I had hoped for.

What did the groom wear? Eric wore a custom tuxedo that he designed alongside Olia Zavozina, a wedding gown designer at Maggie Louise and a dear friend of ours. She took all of his ideas and created a masterpiece! Eric didn’t tell me a single detail about the tux and kept it a secret until the day of the wedding. The tux was solid black with modern twists. He chose a black bowtie with gold pin dots, my favorite detail!

We got engaged in September and originally began planning our wedding for October of the following year. After a few long discussions, we both knew that honoring God in our commitment to each other was far more important than a wedding day that would take us over a year to afford and plan. It was then that we decided to move up the date and keep things as simple as possible! We knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony at Acre, so with the Southern heat in mind, we ruled out the summer months quickly, and landed on April 4, 2014. Our venue, Acre Restaurant in Memphis, is an older home that has been revamped into a very organic, rustic, chic restaurant venue. We knew we wanted our wedding day to be a reflection of our love story, and we wanted a ceremony that glorified God (not us). We didn’t fuss with having a bridal party or costly details. We simply wanted our friends to come with their loved one and let the night be a reminder of the love they share, all while enjoying a great meal, a few cocktails, and cutting loose for a bit. We began our Friday night at with a cocktail hour in the courtyard where we were getting married. As the ceremony approached at 6:30 P.M., our coordinator simply parted the sea of loved ones. Our families were escorted to the front and I walked down the cobblestone aisle on my father’s arm to “Til Kingdom Come” by Coldplay. After the ceremony, we kicked off the party with our first dance under the outdoor tent behind Acre, and spent the rest of the night getting smooth with Yacht Rock Revue.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. From Eric: Our officiant was Andy Savage from Highpoint Church in East Memphis, Tennessee. Andy “does a great wedding” (his famous quote), but an even better pre-marriage class. We graduated with honors. A special part for me was when he asked us to turn around at the beginning of the ceremony and gaze at how many friends/family came to support us. Man, that was a cool moment.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? We allowed the beautiful venue to naturally set the tone for the design of our wedding. In order to keep everything under budget, this worked perfectly with our individual and non-traditional wedding styles.

The food was by far one of our favorite parts in all of wedding planning. Andrew Adams, the chef at Acre, spent months designing a custom menu for our wedding day that told the history of who Eric and I are and where we come from, including my family’s Southern roots from the Mississippi Delta and Eric’s Italian heritage reigning from Chicago. In our efforts to keep the night as fun and simple as possible, we felt it was key to let all of our vendors have fun with doing what they do best. Andrew went above and beyond to create the perfect menu for our night. Although we decided to forgo many wedding traditions, I couldn’t bear to pass on the cake cutting moment. A local cake designer and friend of mine, Laura Jackson (owner of The Flour Garden), surprised us with a small cake on the wedding day, and it was nothing less than a masterpiece. Eric and I cut it before the ceremony so I could have a few of those traditional, yet priceless, images.

Our first dance was to John Haitt’s “Have a Little Faith In Me,” sung by a dear friend of ours, who happened to serenade everyone the night of our engagement as well. I came across this song a few years ago and have always felt it was such a beautiful reflection of us. Eric and I have always been open books about our imperfect love story. Over the last four years of our dating relationship, we did a lot of growing both individually and as a couple. Even on the days when it wasn’t easy, we continued to place faith in the Lord and each other–which is all we need in order to fight the good fight together!

Date of your wedding: April 4, 2014
Tell us about yourselves! From Molly: I was raised a Mississippi girl and moved to Memphis for college. I fell in love with the city and decided that it was, without a doubt, the place for me. I worked for 7.5 years in the photography industry with Allison Rodgers Photography and fell in love with all things bridal behind the lens throughout the years. I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2010 with a business degree in Marketing and Management. Aside from living out my dreams at the bridal boutique, my lists of “hobbies” are short, but I love food, music, a good glass of wine, and traveling with my new husband. From Eric: My boss is on the cross. I’m proudly a janitor/handyman at Maggie Louise on off-days. I love to exercise, cook healthy, and keep my ducks in a row. I bake 15-minute chocolate chip cookies for 10 minutes. I hope you never get injured, but I would love to be your doctor one day. This is my first wedding questionnaire.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met seven years ago via a mutual friend at a bar on Beale Street, Silky O’Sullivan’s. I still remember the night, December 20, 2007, like it was yesterday–where I was sitting, the second I saw him, even down to the outfit I was wearing. We hit it off immediately and hung out periodically throughout college, but didn’t make it official until three years later. In May 2010, a few weeks before we both graduated from the University of Memphis, Eric said something along the lines of “I’m ready to be your boyfriend”… I said “No way,” of course. Obviously, I caved, and we’ve been together ever since!
Describe the proposal: We got engaged on September 7, 2013. Every year, Eric throws an outdoor party at his mom’s house–an all-day affair that is the adult version of every kid’s dream-come-true, complete with a homemade slip-and-slide, volleyball, jell-o wrestling, and a belly flop contest. The day went as planned and we spent the afternoon surrounded by our family and friends, enjoying the summer heat and shenanigans. At sundown, Eric’s mom asked me to ride with her to pick up dinner for all of our guests, and I reluctantly agreed, hesitant to leave behind all the excitement and loved ones. When I returned, I saw an enormous projector screen with Eric’s face and everyone holding champagne in their hands. The video began to play, and it was filled with flashes of family and friends holding signs that said “Say Yes,” and then Eric saying he wanted to spend his life with me. At the end of the video proposal, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his bride. Here is the video!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: From Eric: Honest, holy, honorable.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? From Eric: Throwing a memorable, yet affordable, party for all of our friends to enjoy. I have champagne taste on a beer budget, and she has Jimmy Choo taste on a Target gift card budget.
Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. We bypassed serving the traditional wedding cake and let Andrew have some fun with his culinary skills for the desserts. He came up with unique, homemade ice cream sandwiches and an assorted donut bar. The ice cream sandwiches included dark chocolate brownie with cookie dough ice cream, strawberry cheesecake ice cream stuffed in a candied croissant, and ice-cream-filled chocolate éclairs. The donut creations were blueberry cake donuts with lemon-vodka glaze, Reese’s Pieces donuts, cereal milk donuts topped with Frosted Flakes, and apple cider fritters.
What are you most looking forward to about marriage? Seeing God’s plans for us unfold throughout our lives together. There is so much unknown as to what is in store, but that is what makes everything so exciting. Eric has plans of going to medical school and living out his dreams as a surgeon. I’m thrilled to see where the Lord takes us and how he uses us, both individually and as a couple.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Don’t sweat the small stuff!! Set your priorities together and don’t lose sight of them or the big picture. It is so easy to get caught up in the material aspects and expectations, but at the end of the day, people will remember seeing the happiness between you both.

Photographers: Allison Rodgers Photography, Annabella Charles Photography, Amy Dale Photography, and The Studio J / Videographer: 22 Magnolias / Coordinator: Simply Perfect Weddings & Events / Venue, caterer, and desserts: Acre Restaurant / Bride’s bouquet: Beth’s Flowers / Floral archway: Haute Horticulture / Wedding cake: The Flour Garden / Bride’s Gown: “Amahlia” by Rivini / Bridal salon: Maggie Louise Bridal / Bride’s veil: Erin Cole / Hair and makeup: Jena Bruback of Headlines Salon / Groom’s tuxedo: Olia Zavozina / Ceremony music: Jacob Zachary / Reception music: Yacht Rock Revue and Charvey Mac / Paper products: Kendyl Mounce

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Hannah Browning reply

    Wow! What is not perfect about this wedding? HER DRESS. Love

  2. avatar Debra Seger reply

    I dont know what pulled me to stop my busy life and read this beautiful story…..Im a grown woman crying of happiness for two people I have never met. Thank you for sharing, simply a beautiful story that inspired my day. Wishing you a continued life of joy!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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