Southern Weddings

Abigail’s dramatic Priscilla of Boston gown and sophisticated green pumps take the cake (pun intended) in today’s North Carolina wedding.  Abigail Seymour photographed the happy couple at the picturesque Raffaldini Vineyards.  The bride’s nine attendants wore wheat-colored sheaths from Bella Bridesmaid and donned cute black + bowed heels.  The ceremony pictures are lovely, but come back soon and we’ll share the reception photos with you.  (But only ’cause we love you!)

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We met while studying abroad together in Perth, Australia.  However it wasn’t until 4 years later when I moved to Atlanta after graduate school that we saw each other again.  Two of my roommates and I all have August birthday’s.  So to celebrate we decided to throw a party.  A friend who also studied in Australia was going to make a guest appearance at the party, so upon expert advice from my roommate Laura, I decided to invite Joe to Atlanta for a mini Australia reunion.  On a whim Joe decided to make the trip down from North Carolina, and the rest is history!
Describe the proposal. To help support public radio (and get a coffee mug!) I made a modest donation to the North Carolina NPR pledge drive.  As luck would have it, I ended up winning a week long trip for two to Paris!  With some thoughtful negotiation with the travel agent, the trip turned into a two week adventure across France and Italy.  After a week in France (with no signs of a proposal in sight) we arrived in Torino, Italy with plans to make our way through the Piedmont wine region.  Catching me totally off guard, Joe waited for the perfect moment to propose outside of Cascina Garona in the Barbera D’Asti region.  After 9 days of carrying around the ring in a brown paper bag in the bottom of his backpack, Joe completely surprised me with an amazing, one-of-a-kind proposal. 
Three adjectives that describe the day are: rustic, elegant, and fun!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Instead of walking down a traditional aisle from behind the guests, we walked down a beautiful flight of stairs in front of all the guests.  I just loved facing forward and making eye contact with everyone during the big moment, it felt very personal and intimate.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My mom came down from Maryland one weekend to wedding dress shop.  I found lots of beautiful dresses, but nothing that wowed me.  After searching online, I finally found the dress that was exactly what I pictured in my head.  A local wedding dress shop ‘borrowed’ it from the designer for a day for me to try on.  I loved it, but needed a second opinion.  I drove up to Priscilla of Boston in DC to try it on with my mom and maid of honor, and it was everything I hoped it would be!  As soon as I put it on, I knew it was the one!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? On the eve of the wedding we had a big “Welcome to North Carolina” party for all the guests – complete with local BBQ, bluegrass, and drinks.  Also, after the wedding we surprised the guests with Bojangles biscuits at the hotel after-party.