Southern Weddings

I knew there was a reason (or two… or three!) that I liked Stephanie + George’s Florida wedding: long, family-style banquet tables dressed in simple white linens and sophisticated arrangements (courtesy of Nouveau Flowers) on what looks to be the lawn of a Southern plantation.  Clean, fresh and effortlessly elegant, especially when set against the breezy, open-air tents for lounging.  Confection on the Coast delivered wedding heaven yet again with a chic Swiss dot cake that looks too pretty to cut into.  For more images (and a fun slideshow!) from this Seaside soiree, visit East Hill Photo’s own blog post here.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was:  We loved the chandelier over the wedding cake and the candlelight. 
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  Went to Mobile, Alabama with my mother and tried on many dresses.  There was one last dress to try on that I didn’t think was that great, but once I put it on I knew it was the dress. 
Describe your wedding flowers:  A European-inspired bouquet of stars of Bethlehem, plum calla lilies, orange ranunculus, succulents, yellow ranunculus and green heleborus wrapped in plum luxe ribbon.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  The guest list, since the Seaside chapel can only seat 200. 
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?  Entering the chapel and seeing my future husband, wedding party, family and guests.  Also, dancing with my father; I will remember that moment forever.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We went to Italy for our honeymoon and want to continue traveling together for the rest of our lives.  We are looking forward to having children and raising them together. 

Congratulations, Stephanie + George!  We wish you all the best in your new life together.

If I were a little more adventurous and not quite so nutty in my obsession with black + white weddings, I 100% would have chosen purple bridesmaid dresses –  a la Stephanie’s ‘maids in jewel-tones sheaths from Melissa Sweet.  Sigh.  Another thing I wish I could steal from Stephanie + George’s classic black tie celebration?  The bride’s flowing locks and cathedral-length Rivini veil (to complement an elegent Rivini gown, naturally) that goes on for miles, and then some.  Nouveau Flowers took greenery to another level with the bridesmaids’ verdant bouquets – and I’m kind of digging it!  Rich Schamberger of East Hill Photo documented the happy couple’s big day at the Seaside Chapel.  

How did the two of you meet?  We first met each other in 2005 when I moved to Destin to take a job with the Boeing Championship. We both were very involved with different community events for our jobs, and eventually became acquaintances. In June of 2006, I took a job with Novartis Pharmaceuticals and lost touch with the happenings in Destin because of all the traveling I had to do for training. After time away, I finally returned to Destin and reunited with George at a Christmas after-hours. Towards the end of the evening, George asked me to stay for dinner, and we’ve been together ever since.
Describe the proposal:  It was a hectic day in January. I was working in Perdido Key and George was working in Panama City Beach. We decided we were going to grab dinner somewhere low-key since George didn’t feel up to cooking and I wasn’t up for cleaning. On my way home, George decided at the last minute that we were going to eat at the Ocean Club instead of our original plan. I insisted that we didn’t go there since I was wearing jeans, a fleece and no makeup. However, George convinced me to go anyways. After dinner was over, the waiter insisted that we have dessert on the house since we had not eaten with them in so long. A few minutes later, the waiter brought out a huge silver platter with all kinds of desserts, fruits, flowers and a little white box. By the time he laid the tray on the middle of the table, it was finally clear was transpiring. George took my hand and asked me to be his wife, and of course I said, “YES!”
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Enchanted, elegant and romantic.