I swoon for glitzy affairs, but Nicki + Mike’s sweet wedding at the Eden Gardens reminds me what Southern weddings are all about – starting with the gents’ robin’s egg blue seersucker suits. Add a real life Spanish moss-draped oak and hand-selected navy bridesmaid frocks, and you’ve got a good old-fashioned Dixie celebration. (I’ll also be happy to borrow that pint-sized ring bearer for my own wedding if no one minds…) Pure 7 Studios photographed the Florida wedding, and Shelby Peaden Events handled planning and design. Come back soon for the reception pics, ya hear?
How did the two of you meet? Mike and I met at a party thrown by mutual friends. Immediately, he grabbed my interest. I have never met anyone quite like Mike. He has an insatiable appetite for life…I was intrigued. It was a slow start because he was clocking some pretty mean hours at his firm while working towards his MBA at night and I had to relocate to Oxford for my job. We agreed to see where it went and saw each other on the weekends. Long distance relationships are the pits, but weekends were better than no Mike at all… So glad we gave it a whirl!
Describe the proposal. It was Mike’s turn to make the haul to Oxford. I was in the kitchen cooking red beans and rice with my six-year-old, Joe. I’m pretty sure the ring was burning a hole in Mike’s pocket. As I was stirring the beans, I saw him moving behind me, when I turned around he was on one knee asking me to be his wife.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Beautiful, Relaxed, and HOT!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Definitely Pure 7 Studio’s Fun Booth… The guests had a blast playing with the different props and taking wacky photos. It was a great way to include everyone in the fun!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Everything! I wanted a truly Southern garden wedding. For starters, the ceremony site was under a 600 year old live oak with Spanish moss draping down. The groom and his groomsmen wore seersucker suits which is traditional attire for the Southern lawyer. (i.e. Matlock) The décor consisted of lace, burlap, vintage mason jars and Wolfe studio birds -a must collection for any southern girl. The guests were greeted at the reception with our signature Southern cocktails of lemonade and firefly sweet tea served, of course, in mason jars. Townsend Catering served Southern food with flair. There was a wishing tree where guests could write wishes for the future or share advice for a happy marriage. My something old was my great grandmother’s wedding band. It was attached to my bouquet so she could escort me down the aisle…4 generations of steel magnolias and 122 years old…now that’s old! My something new is the Sorrelli bracelet that Mike bought me. Sorelli’s are designed to become heirlooms, handed down through generations. My something borrowed was the cake knife. Mike’s parents used it at their wedding, 37 years ago! And my something blue were my bridesmaid’s dresses and a very cheesy garter belt!
Love the seersucker suits! And surprisingly, royal blue has been such a refreshing wedding palette for the summer. What a beautiful wedding!
what a sweet wedding!! Love the seersucker and that tree is amazing! M:)
beautiful beautiful wedding! one quick note though: i’m pretty sure that tree is actually an oak with spanish moss hanging on it, *not* a weeping willow. (google image search to double check):)
that willow tree is AMAZING! I love it + the wedding of course
fabulous fashion..beautiful bride!
Hi Allison!Pretty sure you’re correct, though I’m no botanist. Change made!Emily @ SW
wow! the post(s) look great! thank you so much for featuring nicki & mike’s wedding on your blog. this has definitely been one of our favorite weddings to shoot.. from the venue to all the fabulous vendors, to the AWESOME bride & groom! xoxo, the pure7studios crew
what a perfect wedding!
I’m in awe…
The only thing missing from this Southern masterpiece is an Armadillo groom’s cake! Good luck narrowing down your photo selections – they’re all amazing!
This just makes we want to do it all over again and again and again :)))))
SUCH a GOREGOUS wedding!!! It’smore than I could ever dream of! What a way to make Southern style alive and fashionable again! The photographs are absolutely positively magical!
Beautiful wedding! Everything about it is amazing!!!
Amazing photos!!!
This is a Southern Wedding at its finest. The stately oak and the spanish moss are a backdrop only God can create and a smart bride and groom know that all is perfect.
This couple was such a joy to work with! I have to thank the bride for putting her full faith and trust in SPE. We had the best vendors on the Emerald Coast which makes weddings like this one stand out from the crowd. I was so pleased with the end result as well as the amazing images from Pure 7 Studios!
That bouquet is fantastic!! Beautiful photography!!
Beautiful wedding, beautiful photos!
Amazing Wedding!!
gorgeous wedding… the venue, the couple, all the little touches!
This was the most beautiful wedding to attend! I was lucky to be a guest! Pure 7 captured the moment perfectly!! Everything was perfect for a much deserving bride!! Congrats Nicki and Mike!! XOXO
One of our favorite weddings of the year! Nikki was a beautiful bride and Pure 7 captured our work beautifully!
Stunning and elegant!
i love the wink…. the tree, the smiles, the sox; what’s not to love about this great day?
The photos are amazing! The photographer has captured the true elegance of the South, from the Brides gracefulness to the comforting Oak tree overlooking the serene setting. The blue in the gorgeous bridesmaids dresses adds a modern touch to the natural green sprinkled throughout the soft details of the color scheme. You want to be there soaking up the warmth. You know it’s the south…all the women are so beautiful :-)
Wonderful pictures! …though the setting itself is so beautiful that it would be impossible to take a bad photo :)
What a lovely wedding! So many details adding to the beauty, like the bouquets, so unique and eye-catching. I want to aee more pictures. Plus, the script paints a wonderful picture.
Fab photos!! Gorgeous wedding/setting.
What a wonderful day…..yes, it was hot, but that hardly mattered because it was beautiful, touching and the small details made the celebration so personal. This was the epitome of a true Southern soiree. I am so honored to have been part of Mike and Nicki’s special day.
how could this have been more beautiful! Loved the groomsman’s wink (at his wife?) the bride’s sister..amazing photography
Beautuful wedding full of tradition with a twist and the photos made me feel like I was there!
Amazing wedding! Congrats to you both!! You lookied amazing and what a venue!!!
Absolutely amazing photos! That last shot of the ceremony under the tree gave me goose bumps!
This wedding looks like a fairy tale event or a dreamscape, especially the long shot towards the wedding party under the tree. Gosh, please show more.
Wow, really beautiful photos and love the table decor. Chic.
OMG that tree is unbelievable!! What a magical spot!
Being there was, of course, very nice. Everyone thinks so, but… seeing these photos really opens your eyes to what you actually witnessed. The details of this wedding belong in a magazine. The photos are true time machines and will always serve to transport us back to this wonderful event. Thank you Pure 7 Studios.
This was such a perfect Southern wedding and the gorgeous photography will be evidence in years to come of a truly perfectly coordinated event. The attention to details was covered beautifully by Pure 7 Studios.
Awesome photographs from an obviously excellent and creative photographer. BEAUTIFUL photographs! Wish I could have been there! Susan Street
GORGEOUS wedding! Between the blog and the photos I almost feel like I was there.
wonderful memories created on a perfect day!
What a beautiful wedding! Everything was beautiful–setting, bride, groom, attendants! A true Southern setting–large oak tree, draping moss, shrimp and grits, seafood, music, and more!!!
Jos A. Banks for Seersucker Suits…If you have a local store go in- You can negotiate a lower price if you have several people buying. Otherwise you can buy them online.
Now that is what I imagine when I hear about a SOUTHERN WEDDING! Gorgeous, simple, elegance with a twist of sweet old fashioned fun! Beautifully captured – I was not a guest but the day's story is perfectly laid out in the photos! Congratulatoions and thanks for sharing!
Beautiful Southern wedding! The photos are amazing!
What a lovely wedding. The pictures have captured the "Southern Charm" details wihile staying true to the event, the exchanging of vows between Nikki and Mike and sharing this special day with family and friends.
[…] friend of SW’s, and we’ve been honored to feature her work several times (still love this wedding we featured last year!). I also think the shoot we snagged images from above (with […]