Southern Weddings

As we always say, someone’s rehearsal dinner is someone else’s wedding, and that definitely holds true for Ben + Libby’s down-home day-before bash.  Brandon Kidd’s photos perfectly capture the scene, I think (can’t you almost feel the Texas heat?).  As Libby explains below, caterer John Campbell provided both entertainment and food throughout the afternoon.  Celebration Event Rental, the Frontier Paper Company, and table supplies from Ikea and Michael’s helped the rest of the event come together.  If your mouth is watering just looking at those tomatoes, hop over to Brandon’s blog to sneak a peek at a few more photos!

From the bride, Libby:

“Our rehearsal dinner was so significant and memorable for many reasons.  My grandparents have a ranch in Graford, Texas that has been in my grandmother’s family for nearly 80 years.  My grandmother and I shared a birthday, and my husband Ben actually proposed with her engagement ring that I now wear.  She passed away earlier this year, and it was one of my top priorities in planning the wedding to be able to use her ranch as the setting for some type of activity that weekend.

Once we knew we were going to be able to have the rehearsal dinner on the ranch, the rustic setting pretty much dictated all of our choices from there.  With Ben’s family and many of our friends traveling of Georgia, we wanted to be able to give them a taste of Texas with some beef brisket.  We contacted John Campbell and his crew to bring out their authentic chuck wagon to supply all sorts of delicious food.  They arrived early in the day and cooked everything on site.  Not only was the food unbelievable, it was also the topic of conversation and source of entertainment until dinner was served!  Most guests agree that the highlight of the meal was the dessert of warm apple crisp cooked in dutch ovens on the ground all afternoon and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  My mouth is watering just thinking back on it!

Guests were greeted by both the Texas and Kenyan flags (Ben’s parents are missionaries in Africa) and welcomed with a glass of Georgia sweet peach tea made by Ben’s mom.  The SMITH sign at the ranch entrance was a gift to my parents a few years ago, and it was especially relevant on this occasion since both Ben and I were already Smiths before we got married!  A whole lot of Smiths and our guests got to watch the sun set over the sunflower field as we ate, and the weather was surprisingly nice for June in Texas.  Ben and I both agree that being surrounded by so many people we love in such a special place was truly extraordinary.”

Congratulations, Ben + Libby!  We’re sure the wedding was equally as gorgeous and special!