Southern Weddings

Let’s talk flowers.  (No, you’re not imaging things: it’s really me, Katharine, talking about flowers.  Just go with me on this.)  I love the fabulous, full blooms used in Marie + Robert’s Texas wedding at the GJ Ranch.  Kudos to the design team at Bergner and Johnson for successfully opening the eyes of a traditional rose kind of bride to the gorgeousness of these peonies.  Ben + Laura Harrison of Harrison Studio captured the sweetness of this Southern ceremony – not to mention the chic fashion choices!  The bride took a modern approach to vintage in an Alexia Gavela gown, and dressed her pretty maids in summer-ready frocks from Anthropologie.  Come on back soon for Part II!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We met through a friend the first day I moved to Austin. Although I noticed Robert right away, it took a second meeting for him to notice me. But once he did, we became inseparable pretty quicky. We started dating about a month later and two years after that, he proposed.
Describe the proposal. Robert decided to plan a day of fun as my Christmas present. After drinking coffee and playing scrabble all morning, we went to the gym. He told me that he’d left his running shoes at my grandparent’s ranch (a 1.5 hour drive away) and really wanted to get them. Thankfully, I was a good sport about it and agreed to drive out there. We stopped about 5 minutes from the Ranch for a beer at a tiny little bar where he handed me a journal. I opened it to find a sweet written note rambling on about how he knew he was not the most thoughtful with gifts, but how he was so glad I was so understanding…and would I marry him? I was completely shocked and looked up to see him on one knee with a beautiful ring. Of course, I said yes. As if things could get better, we went to the ranch to “get his running shoes” and out walks my entire extended family and his too –friends and family who had driven hours and even some who had flown to Texas to be there. I was completely surprised again. We all stayed for the night and had a huge celebration together.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Surreal. Miraculous (because of the rain clearing up). Heavenly.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Getting to have it at my grandparents’ ranch. It was incredible to see such a familiar place metamorphosize into a beautiful venue. I have so many memories there and Robert quickly fell in love with the ranch. Its now become even more special to us now that we’ll always be able to stand in the place where we said our vows with the sun setting and the lake in the background.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration?  What was Southern about your wedding? Well, the ranch is pretty southern! We had lemonade for people before the ceremony started since it was a little hot. I borrowed pearls from my grandmother, mother, and mother-in-law. The white lucchese boots were the perfect choice since things were a little muddy and I knew I’d want to cut a rug later. The band was country and the first dance was a waltz to an old Anne Murray song (Could I Have This Dance). After that, we two-stepped the night away.  The bridesmaids changed into boots for the reception. During the ceremony we stood in front of a moss-covered cross borrowed from the church I grew up in.