Southern Weddings

Lisa and I always talk about how we knew we’d be friends even before she started working at Southern Weddings, and that we’d love to hang out and just gush over gorgeous weddings and epic love stories! Well, I feel that same way about Blakely, and I know Lisa would absolutely accompany me with sweet tea in hand to a front porch chat with her!

Not only is Blakely my kind of gal, but her and Curtis’ wedding was also full of sweetly crafted details and meaningful decisions that made their day a perfect reflection of their joy! Based on the gorgeous photo from Natalie Franke of the twinkle lights and the completely packed checkerboard dance floor, I can’t help but imagine how fun their wedding must have been. Be sure to read their adorable interview below for even more cuteness, like this line from their vows: “I promise to have a crush on you always, and to flirt with you even when we are old and wrinkly.” Gah, I love it!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Curtis and I both grew up on the Severn River in Annapolis, Maryland, but we did not meet until he was a junior and I was a freshman at the College of Charleston. I thought he was devastatingly handsome and completely out of my league. For fall break, I was driving back to Charleston from Annapolis with a friend, and Curtis was flying, so he met up with us so that we could drive some of his stuff back, but I had no idea. As soon as I pulled up, I swore to my mom that I couldn’t get out of the car–Curtis Little was there and I was wearing my “Saturday jeans” (my frumpy jeans). My mom forced me out of the car anyway. Curtis offered to help me carry some of my luggage, and on top of my laundry basket that he picked up was one of my paintings. He held it up and exclaimed, “This is amazing! Did you paint this?” “Yes,” I replied, “but you’re actually holding it upside down.” Mortified at the whole situation, I got into the car and decided to avoid Curtis for the rest of my life. Curtis says it was the first time he really saw me for me, a painter in my Saturday jeans. He decided that the next time he saw me, he would ask me on a date. And for two months, whenever I saw Curtis on campus, I walked the other direction, hid in an alcove, or delved into conversation with the nearest stranger. Finally, on a cold and grey day in December, I was walking out of the library when Curtis came flying down the street on his bike. The way Curtis tells it is, “Among all the black and grey winter coats, there was my girl in a red flower coat and turquoise high tops.” Curtis slammed on the brakes, hopped off his bike, and ran toward me. There, he asked me out on a lunch date. I’ve adored him ever since, and that painting that first made Curtis notice me is hanging in our dining room, upside down!

So darn cute!

I kept telling dress shops that I wanted something that looked like a white oyster shell or whipped cream, with no sparkles. I ended up finding a dress that I thought was the one, but after putting it on at my first alteration appointment, I realized that I did not like it anymore. I thought I would just have to fake it and pretend, but my mom looked at me and said, “I know you don’t like that dress, and you are only getting married once, so let’s find YOUR dress.” She was only in Charleston for one more day, so we searched and searched. We ended up at Bridals by Jodi in North Charleston. There, they had one section where you could you mix and match tops with bridal skirts. I fell in love with this skirt right away–it was a huge mix of tulle with no rhyme or reason. Our amazing seamstress, Nayada, took the skirt, helped me design a really simple top, and built it all into one dream wedding gown.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We chose two readings for our ceremony. The first was 1 John 4:16-19 and the second was Matthew 19:4-6. We wanted our whole wedding to show how our relationship with God is first and foremost. Without God’s love for us or our relationships with God, we would never be able to love one another. We felt those two verses truly captured how we wanted to put Christ at the center of our life and wedding, but still showed joy and fun!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? I have always dreamed of having my wedding in our 100-year-old colonial-style home. We moved there while I was in elementary school, and it has weathered birthday parties, graduations, proms, and much more. On that back porch was where Curtis decided he loved me, and in our family room was where I decided that I loved him. It was perfect. I got ready in my parents’ room, where I could see guests arriving though the back window. We had the ceremony out back, overlooking the Severn River. Guests then moved to the front yard for lawn games, hor d’oeuvres, and cocktails. We rang the dinner bell that came with the house when it was first built, and guests then headed to the tent for dinner. Finally, we paraded to the backyard for dancing and dessert. The backyard had been totally transformed from ceremony site to dance floor, complete with twinkly lights. It was magical!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We had a John Daly as our signature cocktail, which is a combo of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and lemonade. We called it “A Little Southern Charm,” because I figured we should play up our last name, Little. Our other drinks were served out of a rowboat. We also had a brass band play through dinner, and they led a parade from the dinner to the dancing in our backyard. The backyard was transformed with a checkered dance floor, twinkly lights, and lanterns hanging off the porch. These elements combined to give us the fun, laid-back atmosphere that defines what we adore about the South.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. For our wedding cake, we did lots of little cakes on different shades of turquoise cake stands. They were all round, but were many different sizes and texture of frosting. My brother said it was the best cake he’d ever had, and admitted to having four pieces the next day. Curtis’ favorite thing in the world is ice cream, so we rented an ice cream cart filled with cookie sandwiches, Choco Tacos, Reese’s Ice Cream Bars, and more. The guests loved this little surprise. It was perfect for a summer night.

Be sure to watch Drawn to the Image‘s film of Blakely and Curtis’ big day–it’s so very sweet, you won’t want to miss it!

Tell us all about the proposal! After Curtis graduated from CofC, he moved to DC. We started long distance and wrote to one another in a book. I expected to get engaged the next summer, and I wanted him to write about getting the ring, asking my dad, and on and on. Curtis had more ambitious plans to surprise me. I was studying abroad for my spring semester at an art school in Florence, Italy, so for my spring break, Curtis and I decided we would meet in Greece and visit Athens and Santorini. My family told us that it was unsafe for me to travel from Italy to Greece alone, so they were going to come along. When Curtis arrived in Greece, he made it very clear that we were going on a walk in the morning so that could could have some time alone, since we hadn’t seen one another in three months. That morning, we got breakfast and walked to the top of a cliff overlooking the most beautiful turquoise water I’d ever seen. I was raving about the water and the view, my art classes, and Europe itself, when I brought up the book we were supposed to be writing in. Curtis looked at me and said, “Blakely, I can’t write in the book about all those things because I’ve actually already done all those things.” I was extremely confused and thought he was joking until he pulled out the ring. He got down on one knee, told me I was the woman the Lord had made for him, and asked me to marry him. All I could do was scream with excitement!
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote our own vows together about a week before the wedding so that we could practice and not sob through the whole thing. Curtis and I made our vows match in the beginning and ending phrases. In the middle, we made them personal to one another. One of my favorite lines that we both used was, “I promise to follow the Truth, and speak truth to you; to pray for you, and help you remain firm in your faith.” My favorite line that Curtis vowed to me was, “I promise to care for you and love you through color, through turquoise; I will laugh with you until it hurts and will always smile when I hear your sweet name.” Curtis’ favorite line that I said was, “I promise to live with you by the sea in a home overflowing with laughter and enthusiasm for life. I promise to have a crush on you always, and to flirt with you even when we are old and wrinkly.” I’m crying just rereading these!
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I am super lucky to have a singer/songwriter as my best friend. Becky Kinder (her song “Taken” is actually written about Curtis and I!) sang “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us” during the ceremony, and it brought everyone to tears. I could truly feel the Lord’s presence. Curtis and I danced our first dance to “You and Me” by Penny and the Quarters. We chose it because it throws you back in time and is such a sweet, feel-good song. My dad and I danced to “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra because when I was young, I told everyone that it would be the song my future husband and I would dance to. Since my dad knew I loved it so much, he would always dance with me if it came on. Quickly, it became our song. My brother and I are really close, and he is an amazing dancer, so we had our own dance to “You Make Me Feel So Young” by Frank Sinatra, which was one of my favorite parts of the night. Finally, in honor of Curtis’ late grandpa, we finished the night with “New York, New York.” Curtis’ family are huge Yankees fans because of his grandpa, and after the Yankees win, they play “New York, New York” as the fans leave the stadium. I loved being able to look at Curtis as we were belting the song and say “WE WON! We get to keep each other forever! We really won!”
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The turquoise door! My mom is the most fun person you’ll ever meet, and one of her “things” is that she is always painting the color of our front door to match the season or event that we are holding at our home. It’s been red, yellow, coral, hot pink, and now turquoise! She and I picked the color to match the invitations, and I thought it looked perfect!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Curtis and I moved into a sweet little apartment in downtown Charleston. We are so excited to just be together! Learning to cook dinner and eating ice cream if it fails, loving those around us well and welcoming them into our crazy home, and just praying and holding hands. Curtis has been working as a commercial real estate broker here for about a year, which basically means he knows all the cool new spots in the area. I will be continuing my career as an artist in both my paintings at Blakely Made and in floral design at Charleston Stems.

Photographer: Natalie Franke / Videographer: Patrick McNamara / Venue: Private residence / Florist: Charleston Stems / Wedding Cake: Debbie Kupfer / Caterer: Ken’s Creative Kitchen / Rentals: Rental Works / Bridal Salon: Bridals by Jodi / Paper Products: Sara Metzger Designs / Bride’s Belt: BHLDN / Makeup Artist: Bare Minerals / Bride’s Shoes: Banana Republic / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Men’s Attire: Macy’s / Alterations and Gown Top: Nadya D Custom Design & Alterations / Ice Cream: Scoops2u

Natalie Franke is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Marissa