Southern Weddings

Vintage pastel: that’s what I’m calling Stacey + Chris’ sweet lovely color palette.  Pastel weddings are always lovely, but there’s something extra sweet about the soft blues, lilacs and tangerines the couple chose for their Alabama nuptials at the Union Grove Art Gallery.  SimplyBloom Photography wows us again with their touching and heartfelt images… lovely!  And what do y’all think of the bride’s J. Crew frock?  She totally has my vote!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  I had been living in Seattle for four years and enjoying the music scene and all the local markets before I decided to move home to Huntsville.  Once there, I began to get involved in local politics, which is where Chris and I met.  We met up for some Thai food, but little did I know that Chris was not a fan of Thai.  We talked over dinner while Chris pushed his food from side to side and I happily dug in. We finished the date with Pan’s Labyrinth and some redneck loudly yelping about the subtitles and strange language.  When we both started laughing I knew that this was going to be a good match.
Describe the proposal.  The proposal was more of a conversation on the couch just before Chris was leaving for Christmas break.  We were talking about what was in store when Chris finished school and before we knew it a bottle of wine was gone and we were on the phone to our families.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Chris says, “Super duper awesome!”
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? To be honest, I spent hours online.  I looked at countless blogs, pictures and craft pages. I looked at Etsy.com.  I also tried to think of things that felt warm and inviting.  I have always loved fall and knew that was when we were hoping to get married.  I created inspiration boards and took note of anything that inspired me while walking around or talking with people.  I had to remind myself that I only had time to craft so many projects and, at one point, there was even an intervention from my Mom and Chris.  They told me that no more ideas were allowed!!  Luckily I have many friends that are getting married so I am passing the ideas on.  I tell you: this stuff is addictive!
What was your favorite design element of your big day?  I loved the art gallery we got married in.  It ihasa beautiful one-room chapel from the 1800’s.  The art department at UAH restored it and now uses it for events and art exhibits.  It is the perfect blend of rustic and homey with great lighting.  The white steeple and all the beautiful trees around just made my heart flutter.  I would close my eyes and picture all the leaves changing and this perfect little building sitting waiting for us.  I really loved every bit of that place.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Oh there were so many, but the best thing about the whole event was my family playing music together.  Both of my brothers are musicians and my sister-in-law sings like an angel.  I knew I wanted them to perform and, thankfully, they all agreed.  I still think about everyone eating dinner together with Mara’s and Wade’s voice floating through the air.  It meant so much to us.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I was terrified of blowing my budget on a dress.  I really avoided typical wedding dress shops and looked at everything from vintage shops to everything online.  I settled on a creamy silk confection by J.Crew.  The cut was beautiful and it had the best details.  I was comfortable and felt like a really beautiful bride.

Check back soon for more of Stacey + Chris’ lovely Alabama wedding!