Southern Weddings

I am in love (nay, obsessed) with the silvery-grey custom frocks Meredith’s bridesmaids wore to her Texas wedding.  Can you believe the bride designed these sophisticated sheaths herself before enlisting the experts at Bridal Portfolio to bring her vision to life?  A-mazing.  Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can focus on the flower girls’ darling yellow + gray plaid jumpers and those incredible wildflower-inspired bouquets from A Twist of Lime.  Special thanks to Jenny McCann for reminding me why I love Southern weddings so darn much!

How did the two of you meet? Well, it is a very fun story. We were neighbors for about 2 years, living in the same condo complex in Dallas, TX, yet had never met. Then, we were introduced to one at a party by a mutual friend.  Neither of us thought anything of it, and just said “Wow, that’s cool… we’re neighbors!”   After that December evening, we didn’t talk again until March, when I was out at lunch with our mutual friends. Patrick’s name came up and they asked if I would be interested in meeting with him since they thought we would get along well.  So Patrick and I made plans to meet and the rest is history!  We remained neighbors while dating and, when Patrick accepted a job in Chicago, I followed him to the Windy City after a year of distance dating.
Describe the proposal. I had just moved to Chicago and, while we were getting settled into our new condo, Patrick surprised me with a last-minute trip to New York City… one of my favorite places since I lived in the city for about three years. Patrick had never been so I was happy to play tour guide. It was an amazing weekend! Patrick waited until the very last day (if not the very last minute!) of the trip to propose near a little chapel. 


Three adjectives that describe the day are: Southern, charming and cozy.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? The love my mother had for the live oak tree was a huge inspiration for my wedding. She and my step-father built their house in a spot so she could see the tree from the kitchen, living room and back porch. 
It is over 300-years-old and I love what a tree stands for: roots that merge into one trunk and spreading branches.  To me, a tree symbolizes family and how it all comes together. What was your favorite design element of your big day? The use of the natural elements like the oak tree, raw silks, the gourds and pumpkins of the season.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The flowers and the Southern comfort food and Southern dessert bar we served at the reception.  I also loved the peanuts I got for Patrick since I call him “P-Nut.”
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I was so lucky to work for Bridal Portfolio while living in Dallas. It is a couture gown salon that has amazing dresses from top designers like Anne Barge, Romona Keveza, Rivini and many others. The ladies are amazing and it is such a special place. During all my years at the salon, I had not come across a dress that really excited me.  Then one day I was unpacking a box and Debbie, the owner, told me to open a box containing a dress she had seen on the Anne Barge runway.  She said she thought of me when she saw that dress and just knew she had to order the sample.  I am not a fan of silk satin for an outdoor wedding so we contacted Anne and she and her team were happy to change the fabric for me.  I ended up with an Anne Barge couture drop-waist, deep V-neck shantung taffeta gown that featured Chantilly lace a custom-made veil. It was amazing and I would wear my dress again and again if I could.