Southern Weddings

The importance of family in the South can’t be underscored enough, and for today’s couple, Brittany and Joel, it means everything–without the wisdom of Joel’s mother, the two of them would not have even met! The front porch of Joel’s childhood home subsequently made the perfect backdrop for this lovely couple to become husband and wife. For their backyard reception, Brittany was inspired to make guests feel as though they had stepped back in time, and achieved it in such a charming way, thanks to a “drive-in movie” slideshow, a barbershop quartet, and an impressive assortment of vintage china.

Thank you so much to Blue Ribbon Vendor Kt Crabb for sharing Brittany and Joel’s wedding with us!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I was working for The Cotillion Southern Cafe. When I went to the owner, Kathi Vincent, to give her my two-week notice before going home to my family in North Carolina, Kathi quickly said that she had a strong feeling I should stay to meet her son, who was coming home for the holidays from Utah. Joel came home a week early and I stayed to meet him. We hit it off so much that I went back to Utah with Joel to get all of his things, and our relationship began. A year later, we were married!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We both wrote our own vows. Joel’s were the best!! He also had his vows to me printed in a frame waiting at our private villa on our wedding night.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance was to “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds. I walked down the aisle to “Make You Feel My Love” and we walked back up the aisle to “Oh Happy Day.”

Our wedding flowers looked like we had just walked outside and picked them. We used roses and baby’s breath, as well as all the wonderful flowers my mother-in-law, Kathi, grows around the family home. All of the wedding party carried handmade fabric flowers that Kathi made of fabrics from her wedding dress, my mother’s dress, and Joel’s sisters’ wedding dresses.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We were married on the front porch of the house Joel was raised in. We also had a pie bar, a biscuit bar, fried chicken, and mason jars to drink out of. In our invitations, we asked everyone to wear bow ties and big hats.

We did not want a DJ at the wedding because we wanted people to feel like they were stepping back in time, and we did not want a party–we wanted a celebration. We played all classic oldies music that we set up on a playlist. Joel’s brother also used the playlist in a “drive-in” slide show that played throughout the wedding.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had three wedding cakes and about twelve different pie flavors. The cakes were coconut, salted caramel, and a steel magnolia cake. The pies were pecan, key lime, hoochie mama, butterscotch, peanut butter, blueberry, pumpkin and sweet potato. I made all of the cakes and pies at the family restaurant The Cotillion Southern Cafe–Kathi has been teaching me!

I adore this shot of the barbershop quartet–what a perfect addition to a vintage-inspired wedding!

Tell us all about the proposal! He popped the question on the top floor of our first apartment together, so we could always go back to where our engagement started.
When were y’all married? November 23 2012
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 250
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did not do a first look because we wanted to keep our wedding very traditional.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Honestly, finding a dress was the most simple part of the wedding (other then marrying the man of my dreams)–the first and only dress I tried on was the one!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed was pearl jewelry that my father gave to my mother, which I wore with my dress. My something old was all of the fabric in my bouquet, and my something new was a spoon bracelet I wore. I gave matching bracelets to my bridesmaids as well.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Timing, because we planned our wedding in six months!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We would have to say working with our photographer, Kt Crabb, because she was really one of our only vendors. We did all of our own foods and desserts, as well as decorations and set up.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are both looking forward to a future with many children. We are expecting our first child September 20, 2014!

Photographer: Kt Crabb / Venue: Private residence / Florist: Mother of the Groom / Catering and Desserts: The Cotillion Southern Cafe / Bride’s Gown: Style MS251001 by David’s Bridal / Veil and Shoes: David’s Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: Their own / Hair and Makeup: Ashyln Showley

Kt Crabb is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Lisa