Southern Weddings

Katie + Dwayne’s wedding is definitely one-of-a-kind, especially since a lot of the wedding was DIY. The couple and their family decorated the entire wedding and did all the cooking for the reception–except for the cakes, which were baked by Paula Harmon. The groom’s cake, made to look like some of the most meaningful books in the couple’s relationship, was Katie + Dwayne’s favorite detail of their big day. The bride wore a dress from {David’s Bridal} and flower arrangements were by {Heritage Florists}. To see more of Katie + Dwayne, check out {Simply Bloom Photography}.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Dwayne was attending church where my parents attend. When I returned home from school for a weekend visit, we began talking. We exchanged book suggestions, poetry, and music regularly and a true friendship quickly evolved into a deeper relationship.
Describe the proposal: I (Katie) had been in Paris, France for ten days straight with no great way of communicating with Dwayne. So, I immediately called him when the plane landed in the Atlanta airport and stayed on the phone with him while walking to gather my bags. Then, I heard on the line “I see you!” and, click, the line went dead. I saw Dwayne running towards me (dodging oncoming crowds), but he stopped about ten feet from me, held up his hands and said “stop right there.” Then he dropped to his knees and proposed! When I said yes, I dropped to my knees to kiss him and he said, “then put this on” and handed me the ring that he was wearing on his bandaged finger (he had put a screw through it accidentally while I was away). As we kissed a crowd of people that had stopped to watch began clapping and cheering.
What attracted me to my husband was: His adventurous spirit and sense of humor. Dwayne is the perfect mix of adult man and teenage boy. He keeps me on my toes!
Why do you love your husband? I love Dwayne because he is a genius. He’s the most intelligent and talented human being I’ve ever met.I love him because no matter what we are doing we are laughing and the conversation is never ever dull.
What attracted me to my wife was: What immediately attracted me to Kate was her intelligence, wit, and ability to be completely honest.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: We literally laid around in an open field for an entire day together just talking and laughing. It was straight out of one of our books.
The weather on our wedding day was: Rainy, cold, and beautiful!
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? There wasn’t one alone. It was a melting pot of sorts. During my training as an artist, I was exposed to a lot of different works and techniques which all seemed to influence my wedding ideas.
Favorite design element of your big day: Hands down, the groom’s cake. I had is made as a surprise to Dwayne… it was a stack of three of the most influential books to our relationship.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My dress was very classic. It was strapless, A-line, and covered with antique looking lace. I’m a sucker for antique or vintage anything!
Describe your wedding flowers: The flowers were all white with hints of blue and green. All the boutonnieres and corsages had peacock feathers instead of greenery. Flowers were really less important than candles at our wedding, though.The bridesmaids all carried candles in crystal holders.
Describe your wedding cake: My wedding cake was completely an accident! What I had ordered was very fragile and broke while being transported to the reception. Mrs. Harmon (the most brilliant baker on the planet) improvised and worked her magic, however, and it turned out beautiful. She added some of my extra flowers and peacock feathers for a very “My Fair Lady” effect.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Each other. When it comes down to it, that is the only thing that matters. The cakes, decorations, flowers, etc are all fun but we were just so happy to married!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Mainly time. We basically planned the entire thing in 2-3 months.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? Not really. We tried to break the mold as much as possible. We had two maid’s of honor, two best men, two officiants, and my mother walked me down the aisle!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? (Dwayne) Seeing Kate walk down the aisle. That image will never leave me!
Scariest moment? My 4 year old little brother, Ryan, was our ring bearer. He is a little unpredictable so we didn’t know what he would do. However, we were up for anything because he’s adorable. The plan was to have him walk down with his dad (who was a groomsmen), but when the time came he had a come-apart and wouldn’t go. Turns out, he just wanted to walk down alone! When his dad walked down, Ryan followed and walked perfectly to the front. After a few circles around the stage, he found his place and stood there.
Funniest moment? I received a card from Dwayne right before the wedding that just said, “Mine?” I wrote back, “Yours.”
Hardest decision you made in planning? Whether or not to go with a Marie Antoinette theme—I still think it would have been a blast!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Romantic, emotional, fast!
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Have an organized mother!
Who was your most honored guest at the wedding? Both of our families were extremely involved so we can’t choose just one person. We were just happy to have everyone all together!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are looking forward to a long life of adventure together!
Any DIY items? Oh, EVERYTHING at the wedding was DIY. We and our families cooked all the food, decorated, and even arranged some of the music!
Favorite inspirational blogs or sites (if any): Southern Wedding, the Knot, and Simply Bloom Photography!

Congratulations Katie + Dwayne! We wish you the best on all the adventures your life together will bring you!