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Tag: St. Simons Island

The phrase “beach wedding” can stir up some cheesy connotations, but I daresay that people whose minds automatically go to Hawaiian shirts and stargazer lilies have never been to a coastal wedding in the South! From Rosemary Beach to the Outer Banks to St. Simon’s Island (where today’s gorgeous celebration was held), Southern brides certainly know how to turn a beach locale into a completely elegant place to tie the knot. Lindsey and Daniel chose St. Simon’s Island for their wedding because her small hometown wasn’t easy to travel to from New York or DC, where Daniel’s family lives. That was only the first of many ways they infused their day with Southern hospitality, and I imagine their Northern guests left both totally enchanted with the South and grateful to have witnessed such a meaningful union.

Thanks so much to The Willetts for sharing this beautiful day with us!

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! By accident, after a day of shopping with my Mom in NYC, I found a pair of blue shoes that I loved. They ended up being my wedding shoes. Danny gave me a pair of pearl and diamond earrings, and I borrowed my maternal grandmother’s pearl bracelet.

I always loved my mom’s long-sleeve lace wedding dress, which she actually borrowed from her best friend. Once I was engaged, I asked my mom if she thought it was possible for me to also borrow it for my wedding. Unfortunately, the dress had not been preserved well and I couldn’t get it zipped, so I began looking for my own version of a long-sleeve lace dress. I finally found it in New York City and I love it more than anything! Nothing would make me happier than to see my sisters wear it someday too.

My favorite part about any wedding is seeing the groom’s face when the bride walks down the aisle. It is such a beautiful and emotional moment to watch. I definitely wanted to experience that moment at my own wedding, so being the traditionalist that I am, we did not do a first look.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Our ceremony. From the beginning, I knew I did not want a big wedding, and our ceremony turned out perfectly. It was in a small white chapel overlooking the water, and we were surrounded by 130 of our closest family members and friends. Of course, arriving at the reception was a lot of fun too, because I finally got to see all of my ideas brought to life. Everything was just perfect!

I’m from a small town in southwest Georgia, and it is not the easiest place to travel to from New York City or DC (where Danny’s family lives). I’m too traditional and practical to have a true destination wedding, so we finally decided on St. Simons Island, Georgia. It was still close to home, and it was at the beach, and a place I grew to love during my college days. Getting to St. Simon’s was easy for everyone too, so it made perfect sense for us.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The best Southern combination, in my opinion, is boiled peanuts and beer, preferably at the beach. I made sure that a big bucket of fresh boiled peanuts was at the bar so everyone (including the Northerners in attendance) could indulge in my Southern favorite with me!

My best friend in New York City, Emily Ellison Sharp of Emily Ellison Studio, is a florist. She has the best taste and unbelievable talent. I knew from the beginning that I wanted her to do my flowers and I completely trusted her with all of my ideas. The flowers are something people are talking about today. Everything was absolutely gorgeous!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Just wait until you are married! It is SO much fun!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Danny and I were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in New York City. Our first date was dinner at a cute West Village restaurant on Banks Street. Unfortunately, a new restaurant opened in its place, but we still go back on March 29 (the anniversary of our first date) every year!
Tell us all about the proposal! Danny knows how much I love the beach (summer or winter–it doesn’t matter!). For Christmas, he gave me an overnight trip to our favorite place in The Hamptons. Before dinner, he insisted that we go to “our” beach to see it in the snow–a phenomenon I’m not familiar with, being from the South. Not expecting what happened next, I looked down and Danny was on one knee in 12 inches of snow, with more snow falling on the windy beach. It was like being in a real life snow globe! I said yes, and we ran back to the car so that he could officially put the ring on my finger. That night, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner at an old inn in East Hampton by the wood-burning fire. It was magical!
When did y’all get married? April 11, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 130
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we did not write our own vows. However, Danny and I agreed that the ceremony was the most important part of our wedding, so we had our preacher from New York City marry us so that it was someone we both knew well and who knew us as a couple. During our ceremony, our preacher said, “Love must act as light must shine and fire must burn.” I find the quote so beautiful and relevant in our very practical day-to-day life and relationship.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are in the process of buying an apartment in New York City (gulp!). I can’t wait to start our life together in our new home and enjoy living in one of the greatest cities in the world! Of course, decorating our home will be fun too! We are truly so grateful!

Photographer: The Willetts / Videographer: Todd Urick Films / Ceremony Venue: Lovely Lane Chapel at Epworth by the Sea / Reception Venue: Village Creek Landing / Florist: Emily Ellison Studio / Caterer and Cake Baker: Halyards Restaurant / Rentals: Beachview / Band: Sandy B and the Allstars / Painted Details: Ashley Curry / Paper Product Printing: Dabney Lee / Bride’s Fascinator: LeFlowers / Bride’s Shoes: French Sole New York / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Groom’s Attire: Custom by Holland and Sherry Bespoke

lisa Written with love by Lisa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Elizabeth L. reply

    Beautiful pictures, and I love the advice from their preacher!

  2. avatar Sabrina reply

    I’m in love with the bride’s dress! Could you tell me what label it is ?

  3. avatar Friday Fresh Squeeze #208 – Floridian Social reply

    […] perfectly neutral coastal soiree with lots of bistro […]

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Happy early Valentine’s Day, my dear friends!! We’re always full of love in the office, but today we’re especially excited since this wedding is a red, pink and purple beauty.

When I first saw Valerie + Kevin’s wedding, a few thoughts popped into my mind. First, Valerie is a beautiful bride (and I immediately started singing Amy Winehouse when I heard her name). Second, how gorgeous are those mixed hues of pink dresses? Third, string lights win. Every time. You’d be surprised to know that those lovely ladies flanking Valerie aren’t her bridesmaids. With such a huge group of close friends, the bride chose to keep the wedding party to just family, but invited her girlfriends to wear their choice of dress in any shade of pink. Genius!

Valerie + Kevin’s wedding was so full of great images that we couldn’t fit them all in this post! Be sure to check out their Real Wedding Gallery for all of them.

Valerie + Kevin’s wedding was chock full of handmade charm. Family and friends created all of the decor and centerpieces. The cake tablecloth and custom pillows were made by Valerie’s mom and the sand dollar favors were collected by the flower girls and ring bearer from a nearby beach! And see that driftwood cake stand? It’s actually a mirror that was made for the bride and groom as a wedding present and now hangs in their home. So sweet, right?

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. In April of 2009, we met through a mutual friend in Atlanta, where we were both living at the time.
Describe the proposal. On Sunday evening, November 28, while I was visiting Kevin and his family in Saint Simons Island and Sea Island in Georgia, we had plans to go to dinner at The Lodge with his brother and sister-in-law. On our way to dinner, Kevin turned to go to Sea Island and I quickly asked, “Where were we going?” Kevin said that since we hadn’t had a lot of alone time over the weekend or a chance to take our ritual walk on the beach in front of his mother’s home, he thought we’d go now before dinner and enjoy the sunset. I then realized he was playing our favorite tunes on the radio, he was wearing the tie I had given him on his birthday a few days before, and the fact that we never went for our ritual walk on the beach all dressed up! I did not want to get my hopes up in case this was not the moment, though. We parked the car and walked to the beach and within a few minutes of our walk, he kneeled on one knee and proposed. It was wonderful and a beautiful evening. We then called my family back in Louisiana with the exciting news and went to dinner where all of his family gathered to celebrate the special occasion with us.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fun, celebration and beautiful scenery.
In what month did you get married? June
How many guests attended your wedding? 140
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: the lights over the dance floor at the outdoor reception underneath the live oaks and Spanish moss
Describe your wedding flowers: Casablanca lilies, stargazing lilies, hydrangeas, roses, peonies and snapdragons where all used in arrangements. My bouquet contained Casablanca lilies, white hydrangeas and white roses. The overall color scheme was very natural with lots of white and pops of hot pink. We put the flowers in antique tin creamers purchased at Scott’s Antique Market in Atlanta, antique Mason jars from my mother’s collection and oversized silver mint julep cups. All the flowers were arranged by friends and family.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our gift bags included local Georgia Peanuts and homemade oatmeal raisin cookies by my mom, mason jars served as glassware for cocktails, sweet tea and fresh squeezed pink lemonade. As per the wedding tradition, I wore a silver sixpence in my shoe for good luck. Our save the dates had a piece of loose burlap monogrammed with the date on it, which carried over to the wedding day where we used burlap in the boutonnieres and center pieces of the tables. A quilt made by my grandmother and great grandmother served as a table linen at the sign-in table and antique lace from my mom’s wedding gown was used to make the ring bearer pillow. Food was served on an antique wagon that was restored by the Kevin. Additionally, the entire wedding weekend took place at Southern locations. Thursday evening, we went on a shrimp boat cruise with family and out-of-town guests that arrived early. Friday evening, the rehearsal dinner was on the lawn of Kevin’s parent’s home on Sea Island and featured crawfish etouffee and jambalaya, native food from Louisiana where the my parents live, and local seafood from the coast of Georgia. The wedding reception site was on the same property, 10 acres covered in live oaks, Spanish moss, palmetto’s and Tabby Ruins.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Our photographer, Melissa Schollaert.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Arriving to the wedding reception site with my husband in an antique 1915 Model-T Ford that my uncle owned and was driving. Then, getting out of the car and walking to the dance floor with Kevin holding my hand the entire way. As we began our first dance, the sun was setting over the river and marsh. A little while later when the sun was almost completely set, the lead singer of the band called an impromptu toast and drew the guests’ attention to the sunset and said “this looks like something in a movie scene” The timing was impeccable and just as I had envisioned.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Having a family, learning the ways of life in the low country and sharing that with friends, and traveling together.

Photography: Melissa Schollaert Photography // Ceremony Venue: Wesley United Methodist Church // Venue: Private River Property in St. Simons Island, Georgia // Dress: Melissa Sweet via Bleu Belle Bridal // Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew // Planner: Lindsay Pitt forTOAST of the COAST by Toast Events Atlanta // Catering: Sea Palms Resort // Stationery: Evince Design // Bride’s Engagement Ring: Harlin Diamonds // Groom’s Wedding Band: Claddagh Ring // Cake: Sea Palms Resort // Rentals: Beachview Tent Rentals // Band: Ocean Street // Transportation: Historic 1015 Model T Ford

Love this wedding? Well then we recommend:
This glam St. Simons Island wedding (in three parts – here, here, and here)
This chic beach wedding, also photographed by Melissa Schollaert (here + here)
This wedding, which also had a fabulous mix of bright bridesmaid dresses!

Melissa Schollaert Photography and Toast Events are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
12 Comments
  1. avatar Elizabeth reply

    Every detail is just gorgeous! And I love the driftwood cake stand/mirror – brilliant and beautiful:)

  2. avatar married: valerie + kevin » ali harper photography reply

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  3. avatar Tim Duncan reply

    The pinks here all go together so well! It’s definitely a good pick for Valentine’s Day! ;)

  4. avatar Lindsay reply

    It was so great to relive this wedding again, I had such a blast helping my great friend with her plans, but was also able to be a guest and enjoy this perfectly southern celebration I will forever cherish!

  5. avatar Ellen reply

    The wedding was amazing with the help of so many of the Valerie and Kevin’s friends. The wedding coordinator, Lindsay Pitt of Toast of The Coast, and Melissa Schollert Photography were outstanding and FUN!

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