Southern Weddings

There’s a special place in my heart for black and white weddings and, like any great B&W event, this swanky Georgia affair from Allison Reisz is the perfect blend of traditional elegance and modern flair.  The bridesmaids’ dramatic Vera Wang gowns perfectly complemented Marianne’s chic Amy Michelson dress while the classic whites and fresh greens of the floral arrangements by Garden on the Square breathed new life into traditional black and white sophistication.  I’m an especial fan of the military traditions the couple incorporated into their big day (the bride and groom cut their cake with Carl’s grandfather’s West Point sword and many of the wedding guests were servicemen newly home from Iraq!) as respectful nods to the groom’s service to our country.  And I think all our brides-to-be eager to dance the night away after their I-Do’s could learn a thing or two from Marianne + Carl’s ingenious (and oh-so-practical) “Dancing Shoes” flip-flop basket!  Like today’s wedding?  Check back on Friday for another amazing Morgan Gallo affair!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Carl was stationed at Ft. Stewart, GA and I had been living in Savannah for about five years.  We met downtown while each spending an evening out with friends.  It took weeks to actually connect by phone and a few more weeks after that to finally go on a date.  Our first date was at a cozy Italian restaurant only blocks away from where we originally met.  

Describe the proposal: Carl took me to Forsythe Park one Saturday afternoon.  He grabbed a blanket and a bottle of wine and was acting very strange.  We set up the blanket right next to the Forsythe fountain in a grassy area and after a few minutes of nervous sweating, he popped out the ring and got on one knee.  Millie, our Great Dane, was there to witness the entire thing! 

Three adjectives that describe the day are: Elegant, fun and happy.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding invitation?  I wanted the invitations to look like a real-life Southern scene in Savannah.  I found an oak tree design that was exactly what I was looking for!

Favorite design element of your big day: I really wanted a feel of historic Savannah to come through in the design.  My wedding planner, florist and I came up with a way to use Spanish Moss and big curly willow with hydrangeas as the table centerpieces.  I loved looking around and seeing little touches of Savannah everywhere!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: It was a very simple silk Amy Michelson dress with an open back.  I tried on the dress about fifteen times before I actually bought it.  I think the shop was getting sick of me coming in and always trying on the dress so the owner gave me a little discount on it.  I knew I did not want something strapless but I definitely wanted something simple and elegant and that’s exactly what I found!

Describe your wedding flowers: I LOVE hydrangeas!  I wanted hydrangeas to make up the bouquets and centerpieces and even decorate the arbor.  I had a combination of white hydrangeas and roses in my bouquet and the bridesmaids’ bouquets were made of two green hydrangeas.  I didn’t want to spend very much money on my flowers so my florist worked with me and came up with a way to use several large vase centerpieces full of curly willow and accent the room with candles. 

Describe your wedding cake: My wedding cake was made by a friend.  Her cakes are the kind that melt in your mouth and make you eat second and third pieces.  She made a three-layer white chocolate cake with Italian buttercream icing and then wrapped  each layer with a green and black ribbon.  We cut our cake with Carl’s grandfather’s West Point sword. The sword was used to cut his parents’ cake as well as his aunt and uncle’s.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The photo booth was such a hit!  People are still reminding us what a great idea it was.  We had two copies of each photo strip printed so we could keep one and the guests could take one home.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Carl was deployed to Iraq for fourteen months of the planning.  We got engaged in August of 2007 and he left in October 2007 and did not come home until the following December.  We were fortunate enough to be able to plan over the phone as often as we could, but it took a lot of help from Morgan Gallo to plan with him out of the country.

Were there any wedding traditions or new ideasyou included in the wedding? We wanted our parents and best friends to be included in our promises to each other.  We asked them all to stand with us while we exchanged our vows.  We wrote our own vows and our favorite line was that we accept each other exactly as we are, without hesitation.  We also had Millie, our Great Dane, act as the ring bearer.  My mother knit a pillow that she tied on to the harness she wore as she walked down the aisle.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle towards Carl and knowing that this was the beginning of the rest of our lives together.  I also loved just looking around the reception venue and seeing all the people I love most in one place.  I never wanted that night to end!

What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Use a wedding planner.  Ours actually ended up saving us money in the end, so she paid for herself.  There are so many details that wedding planners take care of that keeps the planning fun and easy for the bride.

Who was your most honored guest at the wedding? We were especially thankful that many of the men Carl served with in Iraq were able to come and celebrate with us on our wedding day.  It felt as much like a celebration of our marriage as of their return from Iraq.

Any DIY items? My step-father made the arbor we stood under out of wood from Home Depot. My aunts decorated the arbor with hydrangeas we ordered from a wholesale florist. It turned out to be beautiful.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are planning on attending graduate school and probably moving away from Savannah.  We will never forget Savannah for its beauty, history and romance, but we want to be able to travel and live in a bigger city before we have children.

The SW girls would like to thank Carl for his service to our country!  Congratulations on your marriage and best of luck on this exciting time in your lives!