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Did y’all feel like this week went by really slowly? It was a great week in the Southern Weddings office. We’ve been getting lots of fun props in for our upcoming V6 shoots and have been designing some pretty new things for Lara’s shop! Still, I think, something about this week took its time. That’s okay with us, though, as it allowed us to soak in all the beautiful weddings we featured!

We’ve been enjoying everyone’s opinions and experiences in the middle name vs. maiden name debate. Though some Southern traditions dictate replacing your middle name with your maiden name, we like that there’s more flexibility these days. Weigh in here.

Pollen has officially taken over Chapel Hill, but we can’t be too depressed about it since it means flowers are blooming! We are very lucky to have beautiful blooms like the azalea in the South.

April’s Southern Bride of the Month is getting married tomorrow, y’all!! We loved hearing about Sarah’s wedding, so be sure to give her some love and offer up some advice for her biggest question.

We can’t get enough real weddings!

Lauren + Michael’s wedding was bold and beautiful — proving to us that winter weddings can be full of color and life! See it here.

Jessica + Chris may not have met in a traditional way, but their wedding deeply wove in traditions that honored family. Take a look here.

Shannon + Victor’s wedding is definitely swoon-worthy. The mix of classic and contemporary was the perfect way to style a wedding based off the couple’s personalities and their celebration of family. See it here and here.

Caitlin + Jared approached their wedding with the mindset that “less is more.” We love the way their Southern touches look against the plantation backdrop! See it here.

A big hug and congratulations go out to all the belles and beaus who are getting married this weekend!!

Before y’all head out to celebrate the weekend, be sure to stop by our Facebook Friday for an engagement session by Katie Lamb.

Happy weekend, my friends!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
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Y’ALL. Before we even get into how much I love this wedding, can we just talk about how adorable these little sheep are??

I had to get that out of my system. As soon as I saw the images in this post, I emailed Marissa and squealed about the furry farm animals to her! Though it’s a huge plus, it’s not the only thing we love about Casey + Craig’s wedding. Casey actually said she had trouble figuring out exactly how she wanted the wedding to look within their five-month engagement. “I had always wanted to get married, but for some reason I always skipped the wedding and dreamed about the marriage itself. Which is good, but not so much for wedding planning!!” Thankfully, Casey’s friends gave her a lot of advice. However, to me, it feels like the couple made each decision based on what they like, not what matched their inspiration board — and I kind of love it. The result feels elegant and easy. Big hugs to Landon Jacob Photography for sharing this one with us!

These invitations kill me. The bold black calligraphy is so fun! After searching fruitlessly for invitations that she loved, Casey actually drew out the invitations herself and then took them to a local printer. I also love Casey’s pick for her bridesmaid dresses. They’re romantic and flow beautifully, but her bridesmaids will probably rock them for multiple other occasions!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
I found my dress at Evelyn’s Bridal in Lugoff. It was the second place I visited, and I’m so glad that I did. They were extremely patient with me as I tried on dress after dress after dress. I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for, which made starting difficult, but they were so helpful! The dress I ended up loving was unlike anything I’d seen, but still so simple and classic. The bow was definitely a selling point for me because it was different from all the lace that’s in style right now. The buttons also went all the way down the back, which I found so romantic and sweet.

Describe your wedding flowers. 
I love flowers, but I really wanted to keep things simple and classic, so I wanted a lot of greenery and just a few white flowers for contrast. There were white tulips and hydrangeas and magnolia leaves everywhere. Honestly, my favorite of all the flowers was my bouquet. I wanted something less structured but still very pretty, and Jordan really delivered — I loved it!

I die!!! Too cute.

We did decide to do a “first look” and it was honestly my favorite part of the day. I stayed with the bridesmaids at Old McCaskill’s Farm in Rembert, about a 15 minute drive from the ceremony site, so everyone popped over for pictures beforehand and it made the transition from ceremony to reception seamless and easy (the ceremony was done on one side of TenEleven Galleria and the reception on the other). After all of those were finished, Craig stuck around for five or ten minutes and we got to just be still together and enjoy a few minutes of calm before things got crazy. It was such a sweet moment for us to get to enjoy each other’s company while engaged for one last time. It definitely helped to ease both of our nerves before the ceremony. I was originally concerned that it would take something away from how special my walk down the aisle would be, but I think it actually added some excitement and comfort and reminded me of how completely ready I was to be this man’s wife. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s considering it!


We didn’t have any readings at our ceremony, however we were very concerned about the pastor’s remarks — we wanted it to be a ceremony full of truth about the Gospel and what marriage is really about. Jon did such a great job, and I really think the Lord was glorified. I like to think we tricked many of our friends and family who don’t know the Lord into coming to a service to hear about Him. Ultimately, we wanted things to be about Jesus, not about us.

What was Southern about your wedding? 
One of the biggest Southern things about our wedding was the food at our reception. In the South, we’re big on comfort and hospitality, and as a couple, we wanted everyone to feel welcome and warm and comfortable. So we had a coffee and hot chocolate bar, a mashed potato bar (with regular AND sweet mashed potatoes — seriously my favorite ever), and parmesan-encrusted chicken with macaroni and cheese bites, which were perfectly warm and cheesy and AMAZING.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. 
As people were arriving, we had Travis and Ashley sing “Forget Me Not” by The Civil Wars, one of my favorites. Mothers and grandmothers walked to “Where the West Wind Blows” by Green River Ordinance, which was very light and sweet, two things I really wanted the music to convey about our relationship. We have so much fun and are definitely goofier than subdued, but there have been such sweet undertones to our relationship from the beginning. I really felt like the music we chose for the ceremony reflected that well. I walked down the aisle to “I Am Yours” by Bethany Dillon, which was meant to be a reminder that even though from the ceremony on, I’ll be Craig’s, I belong to God first. We walked back up the aisle to “Gone, Gone, Gone” by Phillip Phillips. For the reception, we had the bridal party introduced to “Sexy Back” and we walked out to “Ignition (Remix),” which was some of the most fun I had! Our first dance was to Frank Sinatra’s “You Make Me Feel So Young” — it’s always been a song we love, but it grew a lot in sweetness as we realized how applicable it will (hopefully!) be in 40 or 50 years. I loved our first dance. It was appropriately sweet but still upbeat and so much fun!

I LOVED my wedding cake! I had such difficulty discerning how I wanted my wedding to look. I really struggled with wanting to make sure it wasn’t too “pinterest-y,” but I also wanted it to be sweet and cute and very much inspired by who we are as individuals and as a couple. That said, choosing my cake was an absolute breeze. I had seen a picture of a petal cake that I loved, so we basically replicated it with different flavors for each tier. The bottom was vanilla with cream cheese filling, then marble with chocolate filling, the third tier was lemon with lemon filling, and the top was vanilla and cream cheese. I LOVE all things lemon, so that third tier was really all for me, but I also loved giving our guests some options to choose from. I was so pleased with how it turned out. The stand was a big thing for me, as well – I didn’t want anything too big or shiny because I thought the cake itself would be much more beautiful on its own. We found a round pre-cut piece of wood from Lowe’s and stained it dark brown — it was absolutely perfect.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
We met at the beginning of summer 2011, when we had the same group of friends from church and hung around each other all summer. We never had much of an individual friendship until the smoke detector went off in my house with super high ceilings — while I was in the shower! I couldn’t get it to stop and couldn’t reach the detector without jumping from a chair, and he was the only one to answer my phone call and come to the rescue. He’s super tall and fixed it with ease, cleaned my blood off the ceiling (because I had somehow cut myself trying to turn it off) and then sat down and began asking me about myself. That was really when I decided that I thought he was pretty cool. We were friends for a few more months, and then one night my roommates and I had everyone over to watch a movie. One by one, everyone left except Craig, and he and I ended up on opposite sides of the couch talking about everything from our families to broken bones to the things we wanted to do in life. Before I knew it, it was 6:00 in the morning. So he promptly left and I got a few minutes of sleep before my exam that morning at 8:00. We both just found each other so interesting, and he began texting me throughout the day and calling me pretty much every night and we’d talk for hours and hours. One of those nights, he called and said he wanted to pray about pursuing me as his girlfriend. We started officially dating a little while later, and exactly a year to the day after he told me he wanted to pursue me, he asked me to be his wife!!
Describe the proposal. 
I was SO convinced it wasn’t happening that I didn’t catch on, though I should have guessed what was happening. Earlier that day, I had lunch with a friend and I specifically said that I knew it wasn’t happening because we had “plans” with his sister after our date, and that just didn’t seem very indicative of a proposal to me. However, that night I met him at his apartment where we ate dinner that he had prepared. Afterward, he told me there was a “part two” to our date, so we went to his car and he blindfolded me while I sat in the front seat (howwww did I not know?!) We drove for what seemed like FOREVER, and then finally parked. He carried me on his back for a few minutes. When he finally put me down and took off the blindfold, we were in the middle of Williams-Brice Stadium, our alma mater’s football stadium, which seats more than 80,000 people. It was empty but the lights were on, so it was one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life. His speech was short but sweet. We had saved saying “I love you” for engagement, so getting to finally hear those words was the absolute best. I had always said I would never cry, but I bawled like a baby. Then he blindfolded me again and took me to my best friend’s house, where all of our closest friends and family were gathered to celebrate with us. It was the BEST. I loved getting to share one of the best moments of my life with those people I care about most.
In what month did you get married? 
February
How many guests attended your wedding? 
175
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
I asked Craig what his favorite detail of the wedding was (just out of curiosity) and his reply was, “You! Your dress, seeing you — you were my favorite thing.” (The perfect answer, right?!) But when all is said and done, I agree with him. There were so many special and fun details that I loved. The mink I wore was my great-grandmother’s and the chandelier in the ceremony space — oh that chandelier, I fought SO hard for that thing! All I wanted was a crystal chandelier for that window, and we couldn’t find one for what we thought was a reasonable price. We found a working chandelier and spray-painted it an antique bronze. My sweet dad drilled holes and we strung thin pieces of wire through them to connect the crystals, most of which had been a part of my great-grandmother’s crystal chandelier. The venue was another favorite. As soon as we walked in, we both said, “Yup! We’re getting married here!” It just had such a warm and relaxed feel, which was something we really wanted. But however much I am in love with all of those things, on the day of the wedding the only person who was there to me was Craig. Seeing him and being with him, that was my favorite part. Because once the wedding is over, your marriage is what’s important and I just felt (and still feel!) so blessed to even know him, much less get to spend my life with him.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? 
Staying with my bridesmaids at Old McCaskill’s Farm! It was such a pleasant and relaxing experience. And the LAMBS!! They had the sweetest lambs that we got to take pictures with; getting to play with them was one of my favorite parts of my wedding day.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
When I think about my wedding day, I automatically picture myself on the porch steps with Craig after our first look was done, hugging and giggling and repeating over and over, “We’re getting married today!!” It was definitely my favorite moment of the whole day.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
Don’t get too caught up in the details. I think weddings now are great because they’re less traditional and give the bride a chance to make things more personal, but I also think that lends itself towards putting a lot of pressure on her to have a very detail-oriented day; I know I definitely felt that. But in reality, the day is SUCH a whirlwind that those things you thought were important just aren’t anymore. No matter what things look like, you’re getting married!! And that’s the whole point.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
Right now, we’re living in Columbia and learning how to be married, which has been so much easier than we thought, and the most fun I’ve ever had! We’re still praying about where the Lord wants us to be and looking forward to growing together in Him as a couple and individually. I just know I’ve already learned so much about God’s grace and patience through the way Craig loves me and patiently cares for me, and it’s so great! Marriage has been the BEST.

Landon Jacob is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
18 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    Wow! They are absolutely gorgeous together, and I love their wedding planning perspective and advice!

  2. avatar Emily reply

    I never ever comment on posts (something I’m working on!) but there is something special about this wedding. Not only is incredibly beautiful, it is so heartwarming to see a couple so in love with each other and with God. I particularly enjoyed the sheep pictures, the simple flowers, the brides handmade invitations, and their sweet love story!

  3. avatar Madi Sanders reply

    Now I have loved a lot of weddings on here, and I don’t know if I’m just feeling super emotional today or what…but this one just makes me misty! I love the sweet simplicity of every detail and Casey- your words about marriage and your love for one another is truly inspiring! I just love this so much!

  4. avatar Shelby reply

    Oh my lucky stars, this wedding couldn’t come closer to perfect if it tried. The lambs are the cutest things I have ever seen, but besides the adorable overload, her flowers were pure perfection!!

  5. avatar Elizabeth reply

    This is now one of my favorite weddings featured at Southern Weddings. I love that Casey and Craig personalized so much for their wedding day and didn’t lose sight of what it’s all about. They made their ceremony about Jesus and joining together for a marriage that will last with Christ as the center and foundation. I love that Casey used her great-grandmother’s mink (which is beautiful, by the way!) and her crystals for the chandelier and that dad was a part of that, too. I also love that she savored the moments leading up to “I do” both with Craig and her bridesmaids at the farm. Those sheep are so cute! I love that Craig’s favorite detail was Casey. This is an all-around gorgeous wedding. So inspired by this one. Congratulations and many blessings to Casey and Craig!

  6. avatar Jessica Leighanne reply

    One of my favorite weddings I have seen on Southern Weddings. Which is shocking for me, since I am not usually so drawn to indoor weddings. But Casey and Craig did a wonderful job at planning a wedding that was romantic, classic, and rustic all at the same time. I also loved that their love for The Lord was so evident in their ceremony! Most definitely saving ideas from this wedding! Congrats to the new bride and groom!

  7. avatar Emily reply

    I knew before I even clicked on the comments that this one was going to be a huge hit.

    Y’all, this is the best wedding you’ve ever featured on the blog, hands down. I have never been so moved by a story and by a bride’s words. Casey, your perspective is refreshing and beautiful and SO perfect for the Sweet Tea Society. Thank you for sharing and reminding us all of what is most important, the Lord and each other, and that is all. I know Lara must be loving this feature so very much.

    What a stunning couple, inside and out.

  8. avatar Ashlee reply

    What a beautiful wedding and truly inspiring story of how this couple met and got engaged! How blessed they are to have found each other. And the ceremony? I love that they centered it around the Lord. Beautiful, beautiful post!

  9. avatar Inspired by This Blog reply

    Such a simple and gorgeous wedding…loving all of it! :]

  10. avatar Lauren reply

    I love that cake so much. I love how simple but beautiful it so. Wow

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  14. avatar samantha reply

    Is there information regarding the bridesmaid dresses?

  15. avatar Teresa reply

    Where can I get the bridesmaids dresses in that light blush color in the post by nicole on 4/9/2013 for the Landon Jacob post??

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  18. avatar Nancy Sweeney reply

    Beautiful Wedding!!
    I am very interested in finding out the designer of your bridesmaid dresses. They are lovely, flowing, & perfect for an outdoor farm wedding! Thank you, Nancy

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I am so excited for this weekend, y’all! My sister is coming back home from Nashville (and bringing her pug!) to go to her wedding dress fitting and to talk about all things paper for the big day with me. Aside from snuggling with her dog, I’m looking forward to more face time with her and family dinners. What will y’all be doing?

In case y’all haven’t heard, we’re hiring! We’d love to welcome another talented member to the team. Be sure to take a look at this page for application details as well as qualifications.

It’s that time of year, y’all! We’re searching for the first few reader models to be cast in V6! In the Chapel Hill area? Take a look at this post.

Our Southern Surcees feature from V5 is one of our favorites to look back on! How could you not be smitten with all these adorable items? Perfect for gift-giving, your new home or for finding an excuse to use your new married monogram.

Real Weddings take the cake!

Chanda + David’s classic Southern wedding stole our hearts. We love that Chanda decided to wear her late mother’s veil down the aisle. See it here.

Eddie + Jordan’s wedding from V5 was “unpretentious, fun-loving and perfect!” We adore how the couple made their big day beautiful, but full of details that were approachable. See it here and here.

Happy news to start the weekend!

I Do Couture in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is hosting a trunk show for Sareh Nouri this weekend! On Friday and Saturday, Sareh will be making a designer appearance at the trunk show to meet and consult with brides. Take a look at Sareh’s site here to view her gorgeous gowns and click on over to I Do Couture’s site for event details.

We are so thrilled for all the belles and beaus getting married this weekend! Big hugs go out to all of you, including our Southern Bride Bloggers Megan and Brittany (who said “I do” last week!).

Before you go, make sure to check out our Facebook Friday! Nyk + Cali are sharing a sweet engagement session with us.

Have a great weekend, my dears!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
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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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