Southern Weddings

The time has come, SW friends.  We have finally convinced one Miss Katharine Waterman to give up (some of) the goods on her impending nuptials.  Anyone who’s met Katharine, even for as little as five minutes, can probably attest to the fact that she is not your typical bride, nor your typical, umm, wedding magazine editor.  Which should make this interesting.  Without further ado…

From Katharine:

I think Emily said it as best – and as nicely! – as she could: while I’m not your typical bride (some – myself included – would go so far as to call me the anti-bride), I always have been very vocal about my likes and dislikes when it comes to weddings.  Likes: As my father’s daughter, I love all things classic and formal.  Think engraved Crane’s stationery, men in black tie (with cummerbunds, not vests), evening ceremonies and gold accents.  Traditional, classic and “boring,” as my sixteen-year-old sister / maid of honor would say.  Disikes: Splashes of color, tons of florals, anything “cute.”  Yes, I do work for a wedding magazine.  Go figure.

With the help of my co-worker (who also happens to be one of my lovely bridesmaids!), my September wedding to my college sweetheart magically – and somewhat unbelievably – is shaping up to be the wedding of my dreams.  (I can’t believe I actually just said that.)  We’ll be tying the knot in an after-six ceremony on September 11, five years to the day after our first meeting on the very first day of freshman year.  We’ll even be exchanging vows at our alma mater and starting the bridal procession from the exact same spot on Harvard’s campus where we first met.  Cute, right?  (For more about our first meeting and five-year love story, visit our wedding website – hosted by Wedding Window – here!)

I don’t want to jinx it, but with just three months until our big day, everything seems to be coming together perfectly.  Even the ominous 9/11 wedding date has taken on an intensely special meaning for us.  Best yet?  I’m marrying a really, truly incredible man with the usual “Mr. Right” qualifications: handsome, tall, intelligent, athletic, sensitive and funny as all get-out… and so on.  Seeing as how my ultra-choosy father loves him and has given us his wholehearted support and blessing, I know I’ve picked right!

With a little not-so-gentle prodding from my co-workers, I’ve decided to share some of the behind-the-scenes from my planning process.  When it’s all said and done, Kyle and I will have enjoyed a short-ish nine month engagement, jam-packed with the usual pre-wedding frenzy.  So from now till “I do,” I’ll dish on everything from bridesmaid dress selections (hint: Emily was my muse!) to wedding dress shopping, from photography portfolios to florists, and everything in between.

And just as I could not (no, seriously: could not) plan or survive this momentous occasion without her… my right-hand maid, Miss Emily Ayer, will be weighing in on her side of the planning!

Wish us luck!

From Emily:

Well with that kind of an introduction, how can I go wrong?  Way back in August, I made an inspiration board for Katharine as a pseudo-birthday present (great idea for the girl who doesn’t like weddings, right?  Go me!).  She wasn’t engaged at the time, but I already had a pretty clear idea of what she was looking for in a future wedding.  This was (pretty much) the board I came up with:

Image credits, clockwise from top left: hair comb from Flowerwild, Ralph Lauren ad, ceremony photo by Clifford Brunk via Style Me Pretty, invitation by Lilikoi Design via 100 Layer Cake, portrait from Brides, bow tie by Johnny Miller, exit photo by A Bryan Photo via Snippet & Ink, shoe shot by Brandy J Photography via Southern Weddings

You can see the original board here.  As you may have noticed, there are no flowers in this board, as Katharine doesn’t particularly like flowers.  (What?!  I know, I know.)  I also included a photo of a bride in an overcoat, as KTW had said she thought a winter wedding would be perfect (see above, re: not liking flowers).  As she explained above, I also knew she wanted white or ecru stationery, black bridesmaid dresses, and an evening ceremony.  Most importantly, the end goal was classic, timeless, and elegant.

Fast forward a few months.  Katharine is now legitimately engaged, and months of wedding planning have ensued.  Ideas have been refined, vendors have been booked, (a very select few) crafts have been planned, fashion has been bought, and a new inspiration board has been put together to reflect the updates.  Here’s what we have now, just about three months out:

Image credits, clockwise from top left: hair comb from Flowerwild, Ralph Lauren ad, ceremony photo by Clifford Brunk via Style Me Pretty, white rose bouquet, bow tie by Johnny Miller, photos from Amsale, cake by Maples Wedding Cakes, baby’s breath photo by Leigh Miller via Southern Weddings, escort card photo by April Smith via Style Me Pretty

Pretty, no?

That about wraps things up for today, but we want to know: what would you like us (or one of us) to talk about next? The wedding dress?  (Ooooo, it’s pretty.)  The (begrudgingly ordered) flowers?  The cake?  (A.k.a. Pretty much the one thing that excites Katharine about this wedding besides Kyle?)  Let us know and we’ll be happy to oblige!

Love,
k + e

Wedding Window is an SW advertiser, but Katharine had her website before Wedding Window became an advertiser. We just love em : )