Southern Weddings

Considering our roots in the Tar Heels state, it’s not surprising that we love North Carolina weddings, and this little gem from Whitebox Weddings, is no exception.  Katy + Ryan’s afternoon ceremony at Luola’s Chapel at Orton Plantation is everything a Southern wedding should be: sweet, natural, and wonderfully personal.  Planners Jennifer Rose Sandy and Laura Willt from Salt Harbor Designs helped create a true Carolina wedding with light yellow, white and green bouquets while the bride’s sister (and lone bridesmaid) added a splash of color with her self-designed and custom-made blue frock.  So lovely!  How fitting is that romantic and ultra-feminine Enzoani gown for a bride as naturally beautiful as Katy?  Our very favorite detail about the couple’s homespun reception at The Balcony on the Dock are the perfectly Southern mason jars of sweet iced tea and pitchers of fresh lemonade.  Of course, it wouldn’t be right if we neglected to point out that too-good-to-eat three-tiered confection from Alison’s Cakery.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ryan and I met in college. We were introduced through my older brother, Joe, and became good friends. Many picnics, long walks and late-night conversations later, we realized we had become much more than friends. Four years later, Ryan proposed!
Describe the proposal. So many of our first conversations as a couple occurred over a picnic. Determined to keep the proposal a surprise, Ryan picked me up the day after my birthday (after he’d already given me great gifts the week before) and took me on a picnicatour favorite park. He’d already set up a beautiful picnic when we arrived with layered blankets and rose petals scattered everywhere.  After eating, Ryan handed me a book he’d made himself. Every page had a picture he’d taken of our most memorable locations with a description underneath (where we met, where we first held hands, our first date, our first kiss, etc.). On the last page was a picture of the park bench right behind where we were sitting with the caption ‘where we got engaged’. Confused, I re-read the caption several times, glancing back and forth from the park bench back to the caption. By the time I looked up at Ryan, he’d already dropped to one knee!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Finding a wedding dress proved difficult for me until I stumbled into ‘A Carolina Wedding’ in downtown Wilmington, NC. I was dress shopping alone since I found it less stressful to choose a dress that I really loved without worry about other people’s opinions. Itwas also a lotof fun to surprise my family and friends with the ‘mystery gown’ on my wedding day. A great sales-rep asked me about my personal style and thetypeof the wedding I was having. She pulled dresses she thought would compliment that andI ended up finding -and loving-my Enzoani gown.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Peaceful, heartfelt and intimate.
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding? Ryan and I did our best to be at peace on our wedding day. We both wanted to savor the special moments of the day and to not allow them to pass by too quickly. I spent an hour alone when I woke up before all the primping began. I wanted to first prepare spiritually and emotionally before anything else.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We altered traditional vows only slightly. A favorite moment was when our friends read our favorite Bible verses in the middle of the ceremony and Ryan’s sister sang’Faithful’ by the Worship Circle.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? Jennifer of Salt Harbor Designs helped incorporate details of our dating relationship into our wedding day. It was more than a combination of “pretty things;” she was able to truly tell our story. Not only did she make everything beautiful, but shesincerely cared that our day was everything we’d hoped it would be.
Describe your wedding flowers: I chose garden roses, lilacs, sweet peas, tulips and scented geranium. The smell was breath taking!
Describe your wedding cake: Alison, Ryan’s cousin, designed our wedding cake after my grandmother’s wedgewood jewelry box she left to me after she passed away. The cake topper was Ryan’s parents’ from their own wedding day.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Too many to name just one! I really loved our table names. Each one was named after one of our favorite spots. I also loved our flowers. They were beautiful and smelled amazing! Our photo booth was such a fun thing for our guests and the pictures were hilarious to sort through!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Far more thrilling than planning our wedding was planning and preparing for our marriage. Currently we’re busy moving in to our new apartment, beginning new jobs and settling into life as a married couple. Long-term plans include many more trips overseas, mission work and eventually starting a family.

Congratulations on your marriage and new life together, Katy + Ryan!