Southern Weddings

In fairness, Ginny definitely is a bride after my own heart, what with her all-white décor and all, but you’ve got to agree that there’s something effortlessly elegant and even a little chic about the couple’s Carillon Beach nuptials.  I’m sure the appeal of this Florida wedding has something to do with the talented photographers who snapped the pictures – hey, Rae + Wesley Leytham! – but I’m all about the clean, sophisticated whites + ivories the bride chose: ivory roses + hydrangeas from Nouveau Flowers, a towering all-white cake from Confections on the Coast, a vintage-inspired lace Melissa Sweet dress… you get the idea.  Totally me, right?  The bridesmaids’ sapphire blue gowns courtesy of Bill Levkoff add a welcome pop of color and are the perfect accent for a seaside wedding.  Thanks again to Rae + Wesley Leytham of Rae Leytham Photography for sharing their work with us.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Brad and I have known each other since we were twelve-years-old.  We grew up down the street from each other in Crestview, Florida, and fell in love in the 8th grade while singing together in chorus.  We have loved each other for as long as we can remember, but after high school, the timing wasn’t quite right, and we were accepted into different colleges.  We kept in touch over the years, finally reconnecting last summer after we both moved back to the Destin area to practice law.
Describe the proposal. Brad proposed on my 30th birthday on the beach in Destin near the restaurant where we had our first date.  He asked me to walk on the beach with him, and I noticed a man taking pictures near where we were standing.  Then Brad got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  Little did I know, the photographer was taking pictures of us!  Brad arranged the whole thing: he wanted to capture the proposal on film.  It was a wonderful surprise.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Romantic, Sweet… and FREEZING!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: The dress was an ivory Melissa Sweet French lace sheath with a sweep train. It was the first dress I tried on, and I fell in love with it instantly!
Describe your wedding flowers: Ivory roses and hydrangeas.
Describe your wedding cake: A French vanilla four-tier cake with a lace fondant pattern that matched my dress.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Time!  We had a very short engagement (4 months).  Luckily, I had a wonderful wedding planning team at Carillon Weddings who coordinated everything and made it wonderful.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We decided to see each other before the ceremony so that we could have a quiet moment to ourselves and take photos with just the two of us. The most memorable moment was walking into the empty chapel and seeing his face.
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, but we did have a reading of John Donne’s “The Good-Morrow,” one of my favorite poems.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We are really excited about buying a home in the Bluewater Bay area in the next few months and are looking forward to just enjoying our time together as a couple.

Congratulations, Ginny + Brad!  Welcome to the newlyweds club!

Rae Leytham Photography is a Southern Weddings sponsor.