Southern Weddings

Radiant.  Yep, I think that pretty well sums up Quiana’s look on her wedding day.  It was the stunning (seriously: stunning) black and white portrait midway down that first caught my eye on Gandy Photographers’ teaser post, and though Quiana + Jon’s Florida destination wedding has some lovely details, it was really the love this couple has for each other that told me we had to share this wedding.  Of course, Quiana’s custom dress from the Tailored Edge ([email protected]) and Bird Cage Veils head piece, the florals by Convington’s Catering, and the cakes, by Yes It’s Cake, don’t hurt.  We also like that the couple picked a ceremony and reception location — the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center in Lake City — with personal history behind it.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. We met on the island of St. Croix at a going away party for a mutual friend, and the sparks flew.  Sparks aside, we didn’t start dating for almost two years after that initial meeting.
Describe the proposal. The proposal was a two-part affair. We took a trip to St. Lucia for Jon’s 30th birthday. It had been a while since we had been on a couple’s vacation, so were very excited! On Jon’s birthday, he called my mother to ask her for her blessing while I was out of the room. That evening, Jon popped the question while we were watching the sunset from the deck of our bungalow. Very sweet, very romantic, very simple, very us!  In his haste to get to the airport at the start of our trip, however, he had forgotten the ring! But before we had even had a chance to bring our suitcases in from the car at the end of our trip, Jon got the ring from the bedside table and proposed to me again in our living room. I told him I wouldn’t mine him proposing every day!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fun, easy and natural.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Everything! I was amazed that we (our families included) could pull our wedding together in only eight weeks. We were engaged in September and married the day after Thanksgiving.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Because Jon and I live in the US Virgin Islands – not to mention the handicap of planning a wedding in 8 weeks – I searched for a dress on the internet. I have a friend and former client who is a fabulously talented seamstress. Once I found the design I loved, I went to one of the two fabric stores on the island and browsed through their bridal laces, which were very limited. I really left it up to fate to decide because I was not leaving the store until I had my bridal lace! As fate would have it, I found a lace that was perfect and it was the last three yards! I took my own measurements sent the fabric to my seamstress who lived 42 miles away on another island. She had a dress made in three days. I had my first fitting later that week. The following week, I had my final fitting and my dress was ready to go!
Describe your wedding flowers: My wedding flowers were a mix of pinky/orange roses and deep plum tulips.
Describe your wedding cake:  We served a sour cream cake with apricot and amaretto cheesecake filling. It had white chocolate fondant with pearl embellishments around the seam of each layer.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? When Jon and I saw each other for the first time, and every time we danced together.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?  We are looking forward to starting a family and building on our land here in the Virgin Islands.

Congratulations, Quiana + Jon!  Hugs and kisses from your friends at Southern Weddings!

Written with love by Emily

I have a soft spot for cute couple shots like these ones of newly-married Esther + Jeff playing croquet before their rustic reception at the Texas Old Town, and especially love the easy playfulness the photographers at Table4Weddings was able to capture!  The talented florists at Simply Abundant Blooms styled earthy wildflower arrangements, and Bountiful Bakery created the sugary spread of chocolate, pecans + lemon bars.  I liked the long, classic lines of the bridesmaids’ Jim Hjelm gowns so much I had to visit the photographer’s original blog post for a few more shots.  You should, too!

Describe your wedding flowers: We wanted flowers that would mesh with our Southern-style wedding, so we used wildflowers in everything from the bridesmaids’ bouquets to the groomsmen’s boutonnieres.
Describe your wedding cake: For us, it was more about taste than looks. We didn’t want a traditional three-tiered cake, so opted for a simple chocolate cake for photos and lemon and pecan bars for our guests to enjoy. Since we got married on my father’s birthday, there was a birthday cake for him, too!
What was our favorite part of planning the wedding? We loved the decorative details, many of which were our own handiwork. We used leftover invitations to make the bird ornaments that decorated the reception space, printed our programs on brown paper bags filled with dried lavender for our guests to toss. Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yup, we wrote our own. The best line came from Jeff. He told me, “I promise to maintain my hotness.” Everybody got a good laugh out of it.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  What’s next? Hopefully a dog!  We still haven’t gone on our honeymoon, so are really looking forward to that.

If there were an award for Best Wedding Shoe, I’m pretty sure Kate Spade’s Clarice pumps would win.  Hands-down.  We’ve featured at least a half dozen brides on the SW blog who donned the flirty shoe – though usually in fuchsia – for their big day, so I’m loving that Esther opted for my favorite wedding shoe color of all time when it came to picking her Kate Spades.  Pair these scarlet red heels with her bridesmaids navy portrait-collar gowns (Jim Hjelm, of course) and you have a winning wedding combo.  Esther, in an asymmetric drop-waist Melissa Sweet, and Jeff were married in true Hill Country style at the aptly-named Texas Old Town.  Table4Weddings was on-hand to photograph the Southern celebration planned by Nita Teng.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  The boy from Oklahoma and the girl from Boston met in Austin, Texas. We both went to the University of Texas and shared the same group of friends. Right before sophomore year ended, Jeff asked me for my number so we could talk over the break.  I declined, so he had to settle for Instant Messenger conversations, instead. At the end of that summer, he asked me out on a date (on IM, of course!) and I accepted! That kicked off our six-year dating relationship.
Describe the proposal. Jeff and I had been dating long-distance for four years while he was in Texas and I in Boston. In 2009, Jeff bought a plane ticket to visit me and emailed me a fake itinerary showing his arrival for February 6. Little did I know he was actually flying in the day before to meet with my parents and ask for their permission to propose. Sneaky, sneaky! I didn’t suspect anything until Jeff met me at work on the 6^th. He had supposedly come straight from the airport, but had no luggage with him. Suspicious. Later that night, he cooked dinner together at my apartment. As an after-dinner treat, he pulled out a ring and proposed!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Jeff says his favorite part was watching me walk down the aisle on my father’s arm, and I loved hearing Jeff say his vows.