Southern Weddings

I love this couple.  Plain and simple.  Love the bride’s classic Amsale gown (check out the fun bustling in the back!) and her loose, carefree up-do, love the groom’s smart silver-grey suit and sunny boutonnière, and la-la-love the intimate hand-holding shots of the happy couple.  Jennifer’s attendants wore slate-colored frocks from Melissa Sweet and Connie Alford designed the bride’s ultra-sweet bouquet.  Thank you to Nashville-based photographer, David Molnar, for sharing this dressed-up backyard wedding.  P.S.  Jennifer + Michael completed this interview via Skype while the groom, an Army sergeant, was stationed overseas.  Too cute!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  (According to Michael)  We’ve known each other for pretty much our entire life.  We grew up at the same church and went to the same high school.  According to Jennifer, we weren’t dating at the time, but I had other intentions for our future.  After several months of “just being friends,” we made it official.  That was almost nine years ago, and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing but it certainly has brought us very close to each other.  She is my best friend and the only person I can ever see myself with.  Life wouldn’t be the same without her in my life.
Describe the proposal. (According to Michael) The proposal came after we had been apart for the better part of a year.  I joined the Army in February of 2007, and we spent the next several months dating other people.  During Christmas of that year, we spent some time together and I even left a family holiday event around midnight just to drive over four hours and see her before I returned to my duty station.  During our visit, I told her that we were going to get married and that she should move back to El Paso with me.  She was speechless.  After several months of a long distance relationship, I proposed on a mountaintop in Texas. She was very surprised.  I set it up very nicely if I do say so myself!
Three adjectives that describe the day are:
(According to Jennifer) Laid-back, charming and surreal.
(According to Michael) God-Made, transcending and exhausting.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: (According to Michael) The bluegrass quartet that played our music
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  (According to Jennifer) My mom, sister and Michael’s mom came up to Nashville one weekend to dress shop. Our last appointment after a long day of shopping was with The Bride Room in Green Hills. They only carry a select number of dresses, so it wasn’t dress overload like most other salons. After realized I probably wasn’t going to find the dress I had in my mind, I decided to try on some unexpected beauties. A gorgeous Amsale dress snuck up on my and stole my heart. As soon as I put it on I began running around the room, carrying the train as if I were running through a field in a movie. (Totally ridiculous I know!)  When I found out the dress had pockets, I was sold!
Describe your wedding flowers: (According to Jennifer) Our color scheme was yellow and grey, so we went with yellow and cream flowers. Cabbage roses were my main priority. I love how puffy they are!
Describe your wedding cake:  (According to Michael) It was the coolest cake ever, especially for a guy.  We had an antique wooden serving tower filled with cupcakes and topped off with a custom-made cake topper in the likeness of me and my bride.  My groom’s cake consisted of an array of pound cakes.  I wish I could tell you what they tasted like, but I never made it to the table.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? (According to Michael) In the near future, we’ll be spending some much-needed quality time together after my yearlong deployment in the Middle East.  I’m looking forward to having a family with Jennifer in the next few years and traveling to all the different places the Army and God take us on our journey.

Congratulations, Jennifer + Michael!  Best of luck traveling and settling into your new life together.