Southern Weddings

Leave it to a true blue Southern girl to strike the perfect balance of simple elegance and down-home comfort when planning her wedding.  And leave it to Michael Howard to find the perfect way to capture every detail for your Thursday morning pleasure! Kayela + Spencer’s sweet Kentucky affair at The Club at Olde Stone is wonderfully vintage and classically chic!  Lace (how stunning is the bride in her timeless Monique Lhuilliher gown?), pearls (I am in love with the antique pearl broach on the bride’s sash and her vintage hairpiece!) and cream-colored flowers (courtesy of {Deemer Flowers) all come together to create a classic black-tie event.  But, like any good Southern wedding, the couple found ways to pepper their celebration with reminders of the bride’s hometown and hints of Southern hospitality.  We love the novelty of the horseshoe place cards almost as much as the requisite barn shots that show off the bridesmaids’ green silk sheaths from Simple Silhouettes.  Since we’re clearly on a food kick this week courtesy of {Emily}, food critic extraordinaire, I would be remiss to not point out the dramatic five-tier cake from Dessert Designs!  This would be the perfect cake for my twenty-third birthday tomorrow, right?

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met the summer before eighth grade when Spencer moved into the house behind mine. When Spencer officially met me in homeroom on the first day of school, his first thoughts were, “This girl is going to give me trouble!” Boy, was he right! Every since that fateful meeting in middle school, we have been great friends who only grew closer during our high school and college years. 

Describe the proposal: It was nearing Spencer’s birthday and, in an effort to through me off the trail, Spencer decided to propose to me on his birthday! Despite his best efforts to keep it all under wraps, I was on to his plan. I know him too well! What was originally supposed to be a quiet night with a home-cooked meal turned into a trip to Sonic Drive-in (my favorite fast-food restaurant). After picking up a Diet Coke and hamburgers, we headed to the park at Folly Beach. Spencer had safety pinned the ring in his pocket for safekeeping. While walking down the beach and holding my hand, he somehow managed to distract me long enough to unpin the ring and get down on one knee. He said beautiful things and , of course, I said yes! I guess you can say I was his best birthday present!

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I honestly have no idea what the design inspiration was for our wedding, but I knew I wanted three things: a welcoming atmosphere for our guests, a day steeped in family sentiments and a very Kentucky affair. 

Favorite design element of your big day: There were so many little details I loved but something I really loved were the flowers. The florist was such a joy to work with and made choosing flowers so much fun. When thinking about decorating the children’s room with lollipops and gumballs, he got so excited to play “Willy Wonka.” I’ll never forget that. 

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Since Spencer is my best friend, I wanted more than anything to take him dress shopping with me, but resisted the urge. I always thought I would get the poofy princess dress but realized I got lost in all the tulle and beads. As soon as I tried on the lace Monique Lhuillier dress, I knew that was it. Putting that dress on was a feeling I will never forget. I didn’t want to take it off!

 Describe your wedding flowers: I love flowers! I wanted a very simple palette of creams and greens with a garden feel. Each of the different rooms at the reception had a different feel, but the cream-colored flowers tied everything together beautifully. We decorated the cocktail tent with tall vases filled with green apples topped with lush floral arrangements. In the formal ballroom, we filled silver julep cups with different flowers and used tall candelabras decorated with hydrangeas, bells of Irelands and roses.  

Describe your wedding cake: In a word, DELICIOUS! Spencer and I could not pick just one flavor so we chose several, hoping that a variety would please our guests.  

Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? My father passed away when I was seven and I always knew I would walk myself down the aisle, as no one could ever fill his shoes. I collected his wedding ring, as well as my grandparents wedding rings, and a locket and pin Spencer had given me and had the floral designer tie these charms into my bouquet. Knowing that these special people were with me as I walked down the aisle and said my vows gave me great strength.   

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I remember when they opened the doors for me to walk down the aisle and I saw Spencer’s smile. I knew then and there that this walk down the aisle that I had been so afraid of since my father’s death was going to be okay. I walked to him with the biggest smile on my face. I was so happy to be marrying him. People have told us they thought they were going to cry, but looking at us and seeing how happy we were made it impossible to cry!  

Scariest moment? Driving to the wedding, I realized the box holding my garter wasn’t among the things sent to the reception. Spencer had been talking about the garter toss for as long as I could remember. One call to the wedding coordinator had everything under control. Later, I find out the maintenance man from our church drove it to our reception. How nice it that? 

What are you looking forward to in the future? We are looking forward to continuing our journey and making more memories together. Our time together has always been full of laughter, so there is no doubt there will be much more of that in our future. I think we are just excited at the prospect of learning about each other as a married couple and building a life together as husband and wife.