Southern Weddings

It’s rare our editor-in-chief, Lara Casey, steps in to make an image board, but this down-home affair captured by the talented W. Scott Chester and designed by M&W Events blew all of us away!  Jennie + Alec were married in true Southern style at the bride’s family home, Magnolia Cottage, in Georgia.  After seeing the sweet vintage lapel pins and fresh wildflower bouquets from Flora Events}, I’m certain there’s never been so perfect a union of rustic and elegant. 

For these high school sweethearts, it seems especially fitting that the bride wore a modified version of her debutante gown from Marisa Bridals when she exchanged vows with her one true love.  We especially like how the bridesmaids’ teal Jenny Yoo} dresses highlight Jennie’s matching sash. Because we know how truly amazing this wedding is (and how you are going to fall in LOVE with it as much as we did!), we have not one but two more image boards for your to enjoy!  Happy Friday from Southern Weddings!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We’ve actually known each other since junior high when we met in youth group. We remained friends throughout high school and even kept in touch some during college, catching up over the holidays when we were both home. It wasn’t until our senior year in college when things changed. My roommate had friends that went to college at Hampden-Sydney, where Alec attended, and I would tag along with her on visits. One particular visit, Alec and I ran into one another and ended up hanging out for the evening having a great time. When I got back to UGA, we started talking on the phone on a regular basis for hours on end. After a few visits back and forth, we started officially dating and have been together ever since! 

Describe the proposal: I was hoping that Alec would propose before too long, and every time we’d be at a nice dinner or walking on the beach I was kind of holding my breath! He managed to totally catch me off guard! We were home for Thanksgiving and I had been out shopping for the day with my mom and sister. We returned home just in time to quickly get ready for Alec’s sister’s 30^th birthday party. As we were rushing around changing and trying on shoes, the doorbell rang. My mother basically pushed me down the hall to the door. When I reached the door, my father had already opened it and I saw Alec standing behind him. It was then that I started thinking something fishy was going on! When I asked why he was at my parents’ house when we were supposed to be leaving for his house, he pulled out a ring, hit his knee and asked if I would like to wear it and marry him! I pulled him to his feet and accepted his proposal with a huge hug. We ran inside to tell my family and then for an impromptu engagement celebration at his sister’s party, which she happily shared with us! 

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I wanted the wedding to be rustic and casual but also to have some fancy elements to it. For instance, we covered hay bales with beautiful fabrics and turned the most casual seating arrangement into something more formal by adding silks and satins!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My wedding dress was actually the same dress I wore for my debutante party about five years ago. When I first bought the dress, I told my parents that I would wear the dress at my wedding but wasn’t so sure I really would when the big day actually came. After Alec and I got engaged, I pulled the dress out of the attic and tried it on. It still fit beautifully and had a classic look that still spoke to me. We thought adding some detailing to the bust of the dress would really transform it and give a new feel for the wedding, so we took it to a wonderful seamstress who patiently worked with me to add lace to the top of the dress! She also added a beautiful sash that was the same color as my sister’s bridesmaid dress.

Check back shortly for part II…