Southern Weddings

Since I was obsessed with Dorothy’s ruby red slippers as a child, I guess it’s not that surprising that my very favorite detail about Amy + Carl’s Texas wedding from Perez Photography is the bride’s own red shoes!  Aren’t they the perfect complement to her paper white Casablanca gown and her bridesmaids’ black Calvin Klein frocks?  Since we’re talking fashion here today, I especially love the delicate lace detail on the chapel length veil (something old borrowed from her mother!).  While the bride’s is wonderfully vintage, the orange blossom on her groom’s boutonnière (courtesy of Apples to Zinnias) gives the wedding party a modern and updated look.  Come back soon for their reception photos!

Describe the proposal: Carl spent part of our dating relationship living in Charleston, South Carolina.  I went to visit him for his birthday one summer in the middle of an intense heat wave.  One afternoon, we decided to head to one of our favorite spots, Folly Beach, to look for some seashells and watch the sunset.  Just as we got out of sight of any other visitors, Carl held out a seashell and said, “Here, I think you might like this one.” The shell rolled over in my hand and out fell a beautiful diamond ring!  Carl then dropped to one knee and said some very touching words that I barely remember because I was laughing; I was just overwhelmed with happiness.  I said “Yes!” (of course!) and we headed back up the beach for some celebratory beer and tacos.  It was the perfect proposal for me.
The weather on our wedding day was: Gorgeous and sunny. We were so nervous about the weather given our outdoor venue, but the heat and the rain stayed away.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Our venue, an arboretum and historic home, already provided such a beautiful backdrop that we wanted to keep our own decorations minimal so as not to distract from the natural beauty.  We wanted to create a casual garden party atmosphere that was functional and comfortable for our guests, so we started with a light palate of sky blue, white and chocolate brown, and went forward from there, trying to choose things that were classic and summery.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I looked at pictures of wedding dresses for months before I actually went shopping and, in my mind, pictured myself in something ivory, with lace and cap sleeves.  Because we were planning from afar, I only had a few days to visit different bridal shops.  At the first shop I visited, I found myself a little overwhelmed by just seeing myself in the dresses, and thought I’d found my gown after only trying on four or five.  However, after sleeping on it, I was filled with so many doubts that my very wise mother took me to another store for a second shopping trip.  That’s where I found “the one.”  I knew it was the dress for me because I didn’t want to take it off; I wanted to wear it home!  It was white satin gown, without a stitch of lace or beading.  It was totally different from what I originally had envisioned but was just right for me.  I wore my mother’s veil.
Describe your wedding flowers: We gave our florist, Juan, a lot of creative freedom with our bouquets and centerpieces.  I talked with him about the setting and general feel of our wedding and listed some of my favorite flowers, including hydrangeas, orchids and gerbera daisies, and then I let him create the arrangements.  I loved the final product!  Although I felt like a bride once I put my veil on, I really felt like a bride with my veil and my bouquet.  I also thought the orchids were a wonderfully exotic touch to our otherwise classic arrangements.