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With the help of their planner, Courtney Kappus of Moore & Co. Events, Laura and Neil transformed the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club into a fabulous venue that was completely unique, and totally their own! I love how they used colorful blooms to complement their black, white, and gold decor, and how fun is that marquee above the band? As they celebrated while dancing under a beautiful tent dressed with glittering lights, surrounded by rolling hills and running horses, Laura and Neil always kept their focus on why they were celebrating in the first place.

We’re so happy Jeff Frandsen of Brooke Courtney Photography was on hand to capture this lovely day!

We met at the pool of our apartment building. I was one of the first people at the pool that day and I saw him walk in. I remember everything about that moment. I willed him in my direction and he sat right next to me. I obviously said nothing, too bashful to even look up from my book. About 30 minutes passed before my friend arrived, and I asked if she wanted a glass of wine. The cute guy next to me, my back now to him, announced “I would love a glass.” Done and done. We introduced ourselves, talked till the sun set, and have been inseparable since that moment.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We wanted something different–a place where our guests had never attended a wedding before. We wanted a location that reflected the season and the beauty that is the Maryland countryside. The fox hunting club had understated elegance, and the fact that it was not a venue at all allowed us to play up a unique theme with just a few whimsical details

We wanted elegant and classic music for the ceremony that was a bit more interesting than the standard choices. We had “Stranger in Paradise” and “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera played for the prelude, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Bach for the seating of the families,”Rondeau” by Mouret for the processional, and “Te Deum” by Charpentier for my walk down the aisle. The recessional was to “Water Music” by Handel. Having a trumpet play seemed quite fitting given the steeplechase and fox hunt surroundings.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The whole feeling of the night was Southern–we danced under a beautiful tent dressed with glittering lights, surrounded by rolling hills and running horses. We also really like chicken and waffles and ham biscuits, so naturally, we needed to have them served at cocktail hour!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The lanterns hanging from the trees and above the dance floor made our reception so magical. I also loved the boxwood around the dance floor, the marquee sign that hung behind the band, the Rifle Paper Co. notecards we made into table numbers, the signature cocktail we named after our sweet labrador, Mya, and the overall color scheme of the day.

I borrowed a white coral beaded bracelet that belonged to my grandmother. My mother and my aunt had both worn it on their wedding days, too. For my something old and blue, I carried a handkerchief that Neil’s twin sister made for her own wedding two years ago out of their late mother’s wedding dress. It was embroidered in blue with their initials, and she gave it to me at my bridal shower. My something new was my sparkly gold glitter shoes.

Don’t miss Laura and Neil’s video from Wise Films!

Tell us all about the proposal! I hurried through the door of our home hoping to make it to a friend’s party on time when I heard “our” song playing. I turned the corner to find Neil on bended knee, in a tuxedo, with champagne, holding a ring box, sweating bullets. He told me how much he loved me and finally asked, “Laura Jane, will you marry me?”
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 155
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I had visited four shops and found a few dresses I liked, but I ended up going with something completely different than what I had envisioned. I walked out of the fitting room and felt like a movie star. The dress was simple, but elegant, and I liked being able to add my own touches with my lace-trimmed veil and sparkly beaded sash.
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We wanted our own special moment to connect before the chaos of the day, so I am so glad we chose to do a first look. It helped ease a lot of nerves so that we were really able to enjoy the day of our marriage.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our cake was super simple because Neil and I really wanted individual strawberry shortcakes–the real kind, with a shortbread biscuit, fresh strawberries, and lemon crème fraiche.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We prioritized what was important to us and I did a TON of research. I recommend hiring a planner, as they can save you money through the relationships they have.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t drive yourself crazy striving for perfection. Don’t worry about what other people might think of your wedding details. Remember why you are celebrating in the first place, and always remain gracious.

Photographer: Jeff Frandsen of Brooke Courtney Photography / Videographer: Wise Films / Planner: Courtney Kappus of Moore & Co Events / Venue: Elkridge Harford Hunt Club / Florist: Petal and Print / Cake Baker: Mary Elliott / Caterer: Laurrapin / Rentals: Party Party and Loane Brothers / Lighting: Davinci / Band: Spectrum / Special Details: XOXO Vintage / Paper Products: The Pleasure of Your Company / Bride’s Gown: “Dakota” by Nicole Miller / Bridal Salon: Garnish Boutique / Bride’s Earrings: Kate Spade / Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel / Bride’s Sash: Untamed Petals / Hair Stylist: Devon Baltimore / Makeup Artist: Blend Makeup Artistry / Bride’s Shoes: J. Crew / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Assorted styles in Vanilla, Guava, Blush, and Opal by Amsale / Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse / Ties: The Tie Bar / Draping: 27 Studios / Boxwoods: Plants Alive / Linens: Linen Hero / Farm Tables: Vintage Affairs

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Wedding Video Wednesday XXVI » Borrowed and Blue Occasions reply

    […] Wedding Video is off of Southern Weddings and is so […]

  2. avatar Jennifer Quillen reply

    Beautiful wedding! I love the picture frame seating chart. Can you tell me where you got the picture frames?

  3. avatar Chris reply

    I really like the His/Hers framed drink idea. Can I find out if you all used a particular template?
    Thanks!

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When it comes to mixing decor genres, I believe Southern and nautical make the perfect pair! Throwing some British inspiration into the mix could have made it more than interesting, but for Heather and Eric, with the help of their planner and florist, Crystal at Southern Posies, incorporating all the different strands of their heritage came together in an absolutely lovely day! I’m officially obsessed with the oyster shell table runner and the story behind Heather’s single magnolia bloom bouquet (be sure to read below)!

We’re sending bug hugs all the way to Austin to Mrs. Caroline Joy for capturing this pretty day!

My something borrowed was my late grandfather’s tie pin that my grandmother lent me; my grandfather was the beloved patriarch of our entire family, and we lost him just a few years ago, so I just had to have him there with us somehow. My something blue was an evil eye charm that a stranger pinned on me when I was a baby–he told my parents that “I would need it,” as they are supposed to protect the wearer from evil thoughts. My something old was my antique sapphire ring that my parents found when we lived in England. My something new turned out to be a solitaire teardrop sapphire necklace that Eric gave me on our wedding day. I also had a sixpence in my shoe that my brother’s best friend brought me over from England when he came for the wedding to surprise my brother!

The décor was an odd mix of Southern, nautical, and a little British (my family and I lived in England when I was in high school). My planner and florist, Crystal, and I picked out soft blooms in cream and blush to complement everything, and anemones, succulents, and dusty miller really brought out the nautical elements. After Crystal and I had designed a beautiful bridal bouquet, Eric and I were having a hard day with a difficult, very personal family issue. Driving into my neighborhood, I saw that the magnolia trees were in bloom, and seeing them cheered me up, so I asked Eric to stop so I could pick one. I’ve always loved magnolias, so I apologized to Crystal and asked her to change my bouquet–I carried a single magnolia bloom, and Eric’s boutonniere was a magnolia seed.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows, going with tradition. We did write promise notes to each other though, and our favorite promises were to never stop working on our marriage and to always speak kindly to each other, no matter what. That’s a promise we live by now.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I made an appointment at Ivory and White in Birmingham and showed my consultant, Molly, several pictures of dresses. She laughed and told me that all my pictures were of the same dress, and she had it in the store! I tried it on and just loved it. My momma, however, really didn’t like it. Even though it made me sad that my mom wasn’t in love with it like I was, I just didn’t see another dress I liked. We found out the designer was having a trunk show at the store in a few months, so we waited until then to purchase the dress. The day my mom, my mother-in-law, and I went to buy the dress, I tried on lots of trunk show dresses, just for fun. My mom really liked one of them, and when I put it on, I realized it had everything the first dress had, and more. The only thing this dress didn’t have was a train, but Molly told me the designer could add a train to the dress. It was perfect!

Short of the British pub table outside the church, I am not sure what wasn’t Southern about our wedding. All of the food was Southern–sweet potato fries, oysters, green beans, fried chicken, prime rib, mashed potatoes, cornbread, collards, and chicken tenders and mac and cheese for the kids. The pound cake and red velvet cake are both Southern favorites. A lot of the details included seersucker and grosgrain. We included our love for Auburn–guests signed a framed and matted print from Auburn that says “from family grows tradition,” and I had a garter from Tiger Rags. We are the fourth generation in my family to be married in June. My favorite Southern details were the hand-sewn heirloom dresses we gave to the bell ringers, because they turned out to be the prettiest ones I have ever seen. And of course, our favorite Southern tradition was our receiving line.

I really love classical music, and being a ballet dancer, visualizing things to classical music comes easily to me. When I listened to the wedding pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty, I could just see all of those walks up and down the aisle. The music is so, so beautiful and romantic and just lent itself perfectly to our wedding.

When we told Ms. Rose Pollman, the wedding cake designer at the Staple bakery in Mobile, that we wanted a traditionally decorated cake, she was over the moon. Too funny! She made the most delicious cream cheese pound cake that we served with strawberries.Eric’s groom cake was red velvet, and the cake topper on it held special significance to us. On a road trip, we passed two horses on opposite sides of a fence that were nuzzling necks as close as they could get. We just knew they loved each other! The nuzzling birds now always remind us of those horses and to love each other, no matter what fence is in the way.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. The summer after my junior year at Auburn University, a friend invited me to go downtown one night. There, I met all of his friends, including Eric. We were instantly attracted to each other, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were both majoring in engineering. We started to hang out more and more, and not long after we met, Eric brought up talk of a relationship, which I didn’t quite respond to the way he had hoped, and apparently, I didn’t talk to him for two weeks. As fate would have it, magic was in the air that fall, and we grew closer with each date and exciting football game. A few months later, a friend of a friend blatantly asked us, in front of a lot of people, if we were “like, together?” to which Eric furiously shook his head and said that was not the case. I thought his response was a little too quick–I guess it was his revenge for the alleged “two weeks of silence,” because when I asked him if that wasn’t a possibility, he said it was possible. The next morning, on his birthday, I remember waking up so happy because I was thinking of him. I told him later that I had a birthday present for him–that if he wanted to talk about a relationship, I wouldn’t freak out. It took us six months from when we first met to put aside our stubbornness, but we’ve pretty much been inseparable ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! From Eric: It was December, and I picked the ring up on Saturday morning with a reservation at Hamilton’s Restaurant that night to “celebrate her performances in The Nutcracker Ballet.” After dinner, I convinced Heather to go on campus with me instead of going to see her family, who were in town for her ballet performances, at a nearby restaurant. After some nerve-wracking conversation, we finally walked over to the swing where we had gone to talk after our first date. After reminiscing about that date, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. After a noticeable and, once again, nerve-wracking pause, she started to cry, so I tried to lighten the mood and said “Please?” She said yes!
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 200
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We cut having a videographer pretty early on, which is actually something I really regret–I wish we had taken a longer look to cut out other things that weren’t lasting. We used a lot of our own décor, which cut down on flower costs and rentals. Also, my planner and the awesome lady who designed our paper suite are both just starting out in the industry, so their costs were not as high as most other vendors. They were both fantastic and attentive and so personable to work with, and their work turned out more beautifully than I could have imagined!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I’m a crier, and I surprised myself the entire day by not crying. I was just so happy all day! But then, we started saying our vows, and tears just started streaming down my face. The most memorable moment for me was when Eric wiped my tears away.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are just happy to be living together and having quiet days to ourselves. We are definitely looking forward to building our home, traditions, and family together!

Photographer: Caroline Joy Photography / Planner and Florist: Crystal Strickland from Southern Posies / Ceremony Venue: Fairhope United Methodist Church / Reception Venue and Catering: Steelwood / Wedding Cake: Pollman’s Bakery / Band: The Voltage Brothers through EastCoast Entertainment / Paper Products: Kara Anne Paper / Bride’s Gown: “Katarina” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Second Gown: “Sweet Dreams” by Ivy and Aster / Bride’s Veil: “Leda” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Earrings: Kate Spade /Hair Stylist: Joanna Ballentine and Molly Stilley from Morgan Ashley Salon / Makeup Artist: Celine Russell / Bride’s Shoes: “Chantilly Booties” from BHLDN / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Niceties Dress” in French Grey from BHLDN / Men’s Attire: Black by Vera Wang from Men’s Wearhouse / Bow Ties: J. Hilburn / Cufflinks: Bullet Cufflinks / Girls’ Getting Ready Robes: BHLDN

marissa Written with love by Marissa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    Heather’s magnolia bouquet is perfect, and I love their all-calligraphy invitation!

  2. avatar Hallie Deyton reply

    I loved this article! I absolutely loved her dress and hearing about all of her personal details she put into the wedding. I think that’s what a wedding should be about – the little personal details. My favorite part was her bouquet – that is something she will definitely remember for the rest of her life!

  3. avatar Stacy {Woodsy Weddings} reply

    Even the church doors match your nautical inspiration! The dress looks beautiful and I love that long dark wood table with the string of lights in the background. Rustic, comfortable, and intimate.

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

    […] Brittany and Robert loved celebrating their marriage with 650 dear friends and family members! Heather and Eric incorporated all different pieces of their heritage into their classic wedding. Jeni and Adam loved […]

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