Southern Weddings

More reception details!  Just to catch you up, we’ve got florals by The Treasured Petal, a wedding dress by Ulla Maija, hair and makeup by Joyce Luck, linens by Elegant Designs Specialty Linens, a magnolia-trimmed wedding cake and a groom’s cake (GO DUKE!) by the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.  The stunning reception took place at the Ritz Carlton (ceremony at the Mariners Church in Irvine), and, if you’ll remember, the planning was done by the one and only Angel Swanson.  Another HUGE thank you to Trista Lerit for letting us share your work on the blog — it’s been hugely inspiring!

Describe your wedding flowers: Our talented and sweet florist, Kristin, did such a great job carrying out our wintry Southern theme by filling the ceremony and reception with lush white florals, branches, magnolia leaves, pinecones, rosemary and cinnamon sticks in wooden boxes and julep cups. The arrangements were huge and stunning!
Describe your wedding cake: Our wedding cake had sugar magnolia flowers and leaves delicately placed along the different tiers. It was so beautiful! We even saved some of those magnolia flowers!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day: Our personal vows. We decided early on that we wanted to write our own vows, but because of our hectic schedules leading up to the wedding day, we both did not end up writing them until hours before the wedding! Mike’s vows were so touching and were words that I will never forget. I even asked him for the notebook paper he wrote them on!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are slowly unpacking Mike’s stuff and plan on doing some home improvement and decorating our first place together. We look forward to spending time with each other as husband and wife, and eventually getting a house with a big yard for our Boston terrier, Sammie.

Okay, a confession: this Southern Wedding of the Week is not actually Southern.  As in, it took place in California.  The groom, however, is Southern, and Jen and Mike, today’s couple, infused a real Southern sensibility into their soiree. 

So that’s why they’re a SW of the Week.  But to answer a larger question that a few of you may be wondering, why, in general, does Southern Weddings feature weddings that, well, didn’t take place on Southern ground?  The answer’s pretty simple, really — we believe wedding inspiration can come from all corners of the globe, and certainly all corners of the country.  The modern Southern bride wants to combine one part region-less, oh my gahhh beautiful inspiration with one part old-school Southern tradition, and we’re here to inspire both halves of that equation.  Plus, so many of the best wedding vendors are willing to travel these days, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on the chance to work with one of them.  (Sidenote: remember Lindsey + Drew’s wedding?  It took place in South Carolina, but they hired uber-talent Leo Patrone to be their photographer.  Leo is based in Utah, but Lindsey found him through SW.  Just sayin.’)

We’ll be back with more soon!

Three words that describe the day are: Fun, family and friends.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We had so many favorites. Mike’s favorite was his groom’s cake. Mike wanted something to reflect his love of Duke basketball and Auburn football, so I surprised him with a cake of Cameron Indoor Stadium and Jordan Hare Stadium. My favorites included my wedding gift from Mike, which was his grandmother’s engagement ring, and also the bridesmaids’ dresses.  Each bridesmaid wore a unique navy dress from Vera Wang gold shoes and matching rings.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: When I first started looking for a dress, the only think I knew was that I preferred a dress that wasn’t strapless and didn’t have a sweetheart neckline. Of course, I ended up with both. I went to Saks in Beverly Hills and the bridal consultant pulled a Ulla-Maija for me. Once I put it on and showed it to my mom, my great aunt and my bridesmaid Jenny, I had a feeling it was the one. I didn’t try on any more dresses after that!

Hey y’all!  It’s Friday, which means it’s time for a Southern Wedding of the Week!  Today we’ve got a special treat for you.  This wedding comes from photographer Trista Lerit and planner Angel Swanson of Events of Love & Splendor, and when we saw the wintry goodness put together by these two and today’s couple, we just knew it had to be an SW of the Week.  To tide you over until part II — the cobalt bridesmaid dresses are by Vera Wang and the amazing florals (including anemones!) were designed by SW fave The Treasured Petal.

P.S. As some of you may have deduced, this Southern Wedding of the week didn’t actually take place in the South — explanation coming soon!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Mike and I met in college at Duke University. While we did not spend much time together there, we did have a few mutual friends. After graduation, Mike moved back home to Birmingham to go to medical school, and I went back home to Southern California to pursue a graduate degree. Several years later, while I was studying for the bar, Mike moved to San Diego for his residency. My roommate Jenny (also a Dukie) and I were the only two people Mike knew in the city, so we both helped Mike acclimate to Southern California. I immediately noticed what a kind and thoughtful guy Mike was, despite being a busy resident. After awhile, Mike and I started going to the same church and we would often hang out with our friends, with my dog, or just with each other.  One evening after dinner, Mike stopped me and we had a conversation… and I realized I had to be with him. The rest, as they say, is history.
Describe the proposal Last June, I found out I would be spending a week in New York for work and Mike decided to join me. Unbeknownst to me, Mike had planned to propose that weekend in Central Park, while taking a rowboat around a lake and having a picnic. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, so Mike suggested that we go to the Met instead, hoping to propose there. While there were some beautiful galleries, the museum was bustling and there was not any privacy, even after 8 p.m. Mike was disappointed until he realized that it was no longer raining an that we could take a walk through Central Park. At a bench next to a pond – the exact setting in which he had hoped to propose hours before – Mile then began talking about our relationship and his hopes for our future.  It just so happens that I said, “Yes” at just the right moment!