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Monthly Archives: August 2010

W. Scott Chester, Ashely Baber + Amy Osaba all united for one wedding, and all featured in one post?  If this doesn’t qualify as a major SW love fest, I don’t know what does!  We love these vendors, and the Chesters’ images from Jen + Richard’s reception at the Dunwoody Country Club are proof of just how talented all three really are.  A highlight from the evening?  Amy’s gorgeous, full blooms that we know and love.  Stunning!  Mosey on over to the Chesters’ blog for more images.

Describe your wedding flowers: Prior to our engagement, I really didn’t know much about flowers other than my favorites being peonies, ranunculus, and anything else exploding with petals. Our flowers were lush and organic with bright pinks, purples, and greens. From my bouquet of lush peonies and dreamy alter flowers at the ceremony to the ranunculus wreaths and centerpieces of varying heights and flowers at the reception, each arrangement was a million times more beautiful that I had pictured in my mind.
Describe your wedding cake:
Insanely delicious! Our cake had alternating layers of vanilla cake with raspberry filling and chocolate cake with ganache and strawberry filling. Richard’s groom’s cake also had alternating layers; one chocolate and the other carrot. We planned on enough cake for 50 additional guests… both were demolished!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?
A long engagement is great because you can really plan for the exact wedding you want. However when you have so much time it’s easy to change your mind whenever a new idea emerges or something new catches your eye. Looking at several wedding blogs a day didn’t help!  I did learn that little changes can be ok because they helped shape the vision I had of my dream wedding into something that was even more incredible than I had ever imagined… even though it rained!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?
The most memorable moment was without a doubt the moment we were announced at our reception and our first dance. Everything seemed so surreal as we entered the ballroom to find ourselves surrounded by all the people in our lives we love most. It was our first chance to really look around and see everyone’s smiling faces that came to celebrate our special day. Our friend Dave started singing an unbelievable version of “You are the Best Thing” for our first dance and before we knew it, the song was over. I think what made our wedding day the most memorable was that despite the rain that seemed to last almost the entire day, everything was effortlessly smooth  and exactly how I had always wanted it to be- rain or shine, it was perfect.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?
We’ll continue to make attempts at getting settled in and hopefully, sooner than later, we’ll get a puppy! My fingers are crossed for a golden doodle!!

Written with love by Southern Weddings
1 Comment
  1. avatar WeddingXpert reply

    Beautiful! The floral arrangements are to die for!

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Check out the bright pops of color + dreamy images from our friends at W. Scott Chester Photography.  Jen + Richard’s Georgia wedding, planned by Ashely Baber, just screams summer to me, and I think the bride’s hot pink wellies seal the deal for me.  (The rain boots are just as cute as her equally-pink Kate Spades!)  Take note, summer brides: you can make bad weather work for you.  J + R sure did.  The bride braved the rain in a romantic, drop-waist Melissa Sweet, and decked her maids in Anna Elyse frocks. 

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  One day in early 2007, a mutual friend told Richard about me and that she thought we’d hit it off. When he heard my name, he realized he knew exactly who I was since we grew up in the same neighborhood. Despite some of his friends telling him he didn’t have a chance with me, Richard decided to take his chances and lured me in with tickets to Monty Python’s Spam-A-Lot. Even though I was really embarrassed by his loud laughing throughout the play, it was the best first date I had ever been on!
Describe the proposal.
  My parents had invited Richard’s family over for Christmas Dinner and because this wasn’t the first time our families had spent a holiday together, I really didn’t think much of it. I was in the kitchen helping my mom get everything ready for dinner when Richard came up to me and told me he wanted to sit with me and relax before eating. We went up this tiny spiral staircase to an intimate room of windows that overlooks the lake my parents live on. We started talking and he began to transition down to one knee and leaned in and asked me to marry him. We came down the stairs to find all of our family anxiously waiting for us with champagne. My parents’ lake house will always be a special place for us where we can revisit our engagement anytime we want!
Three adjectives that describe the day are:
  Dreamy. Rainy. Perfect.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was:
THE PHOTOBOOTH! There was a constant line of people anxiously awaiting their photo sessions. All night friends and family were telling us how much fun they were having playing with the props and taking hundreds of pictures. The part we loved most was coming home from our honeymoon to find that our wedding guests were using their photobooth photos as their facebook profile pictures. I’m still hearing about how much fun everyone had in the photobooth!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:
I did what every bride does after getting engaged: I bought every bridal magazine I could get my hands on. Each and every magazine had various designers and hundreds of dresses to ogle over but there was one dress by Melissa Sweet that continuously caught my eye. I didn’t want the typical A-line style nor did I want something so trendy that the dress would wear me. I made myself try on several different designers before trying on the Melissa Sweet dress I had been drooling over. Just as I had hoped, the dress not only fit perfectly but the style, shape, everything was exactly what I had wanted!

Written with love by Southern Weddings
5 Comments
  1. avatar F and S @sanebride reply

    I bsolutely adore this, especially all of the colors..beautiful bride

  2. avatar microb reply

    SO AWESOME!!! THIS IS AMAZEBALLS USA

  3. avatar WeddingXpert reply

    The pops of pink and purple are soo exquisite – especially the rainboots! What a cutie :)

  4. avatar Shawn reply

    The color makes me think of the bouganvillea that’s blooming on our front porch. Gorgeous and sweet. Very romantic- I can almost feel the rainy drizzle….Congratulations!!

  5. avatar Stephanie Baxter reply

    The wedding was as magical as the pictures appear before you! We definately made the best of the rainy day and got some fun pictures and memories from it!

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Since y’all enjoyed Kyle’s perspective on all things wedding last week, we thought we’d ask him back for another groom-centric post. This time, it’s all about what the men will be wearing!

From EmilyFor a 6pm wedding that’s black-tie invited, there was only one option for the male half of the bridal party: a classic tux.

Image credits, clockwise from top left: J. Crew, The Knot, Todd Pellowe via Southern Weddings, The Parsons via Southern Weddings

Little did I know, however, that it’s not as easy as saying “tux” and crossing one more task off the to-do list.  We like to joke that Katharine is something of the wedding newbie in our office, since she doesn’t “know” weddings like Lara and I do.  But every so often, she busts out with some incredibly specific, incredibly detailed knowledge of a very particular wedding-related arena.  Like tuxes.

From KatharineI may not know flowers like Emily or photos like Miss Lara, but I do know men’s wear.  (Coincidentally, I also know a lot about ironing, but Emily doesn’t think pressing + starching are really wedding blog appropriate, so I have yet to find a forum for my quirky domestic knowledge.  More on that later.) 

But now L + E are giving me my very own SW soapbox, from which I can share my love for men’s clothing.  (Weird, right?)  But let’s start at the beginning, with my father, the master of sartorial splendor. Here he is in all his Southern glory:

While most men take advantage of office-wide casual Fridays, my Southern lawyer father opts for “Bow Tie Fridays,” where he proudly dons one of his many bows.  Bow ties, in fact, are a wardrobe staple not just on Fridays, but on weekends and special occasions, as well.  That, friends, is straight from the (clothes) horse’s mouth.

Between the two of us, Emily + I had the fairer members of our wedding party covered (in stunning black gowns, I might add), but when it came time to outfitting the gents in the group, I had to turn to the expert.  Dad promptly educated me on the three types of basic tuxes, and the not-so-subtle difference (apparently) rests in the style of the lapel.  Would we go with the basic notch, the flashy peak or the ultra-traditional shawl?  The low-dipping shawl collar paired with my dad’s assertion that the u-shaped lapel was the most formal and most enduring of the three tuxedos was enough to sell us on the black tie classic.

A formalwear purist, my father also is a firm believer that tuxes should not be worn with either long ties or vests, so my groom + his attendants will be wearing basic black bows and satin cummerbunds.  Another dad quirk?  He prefers tux shirts with a ½ inch pleat to those with the thinner, rufflier ¼ inch pleat.  So there you have it: ½ inch pleats, gentlemen.

One thing you can count on?  I personally will be giving each of our gentlemen’s shirts a good pressing right before our ceremony.  Light starch, naturally.

Image credits, left to right: Jos. A. Bank via The Knot, The Deal Diva Bridal Guide, Tuxe Top

Luckily for all of you, the shawl collar tux is a favorite among leading men.  Take a gander at these lovelies, all modeling our chosen tuxedo style.

Image credits, clockwise from top left: Getty Images, The Image Architect, Just Jared, Just Jared Jr., The Fedora Lounge, The Urban Gentleman, The Oscars

Yes, yes we did include The Rock in our shawl-collar collage.

From EmilyWhile we’re on the subject of grooms and groomsmen, we thought we’d ask Kyle to share what he’s gifting his studly buds in thanks for their wedding day service.  Since we’ve gotten several emails from y’all asking for groomsmen gift ideas, we’ve rounded up a few more below, as well.  P.S. If you like these, just wait until V3!  We’re devoting a whole section to groom fab finds and groomsmen gift ideas.

From left to right: Bird Dog Bay silk quail hunt necktie; Forage bow tie; Terrapin Sunray Wheat beer, made locally in Athens, GA; power saw pizza cutter; and Happy Balls!  (That’s handmade bourbon balls, mind you.)

From KyleWow!  Two posts in as many weeks must mean that there is a place for a groom’s perspective on wedding blogs, after all.  This week, I’m turning my groom expertise from (funfetti) wedding cake to gifts for those gents who stand beside you for emotional support when you say those two scary words: “I do.”  (I’m kidding, Katharine.  But seriously.)

Mr. Waterman was the inspiration for my groomsmen’s wedding look – not to mention 75% of my daily wardrobe – so it only seemed right that I ask him for help when it came to selecting a thank-you for my nine (count ‘em: 9) groomsmen. 

Mr. W (yes, after five years, we’re almost on a first name basis!) said I should complete the guys’ wedding ensemble with cufflinks that commemorated our special day.  Seemed like a safe and smart choice, but the challenge would be finding a way to keep basic links from being too… well… basic.  Never fear!  Mr. W had a fashionable solution.

After coming across the British-based Martin + Shirley Hewett who make custom cufflinks from international currency (quarters, nickels, six pence, and so on), Mr. W suggested we create our very own cufflinks out of 2010 crimson- and gold-plated dimes.  2010 because that is the year we’ll be tying the knot, and dimes because, like me and my bride, FDR also was a Harvard grad.   To make my pair extra special, Kat will be giving me a set with one 2005 dime to mark the year we met and one 2010 to celebrate the year we’ll wed. 

Practical?  Definitely.  One-of-a-kind?  Absolutely.  Awesome?  You bet.  Keep your eyes peeled for pictures of the finished product.  I’ll be the dapper gentleman in a tux!

Up next?  It’s back to the bride (for now!).  Veil, hair, makeup, accessories… plus a few VIV (Very Important Vendors, naturally).

Weigh in: What will your groom be rocking on his wedding day?

Previously:

Intros + Inspiration Boards // The Bridesmaid Dress // The Photographer // The Wedding Website // SW Goes to Kleinfeld // The Paper // The Flowers // The Cake


Written with love by Katharine
15 Comments
  1. avatar Kelly reply

    My traditional, preppy Southern fiancee will be in navy seersucker of course. I am still looking for the right suit though. Suggestions welcome!

  2. avatar Southern Weddings reply

    Hi Kelly! If we were getting married in Virginia (and in the appropriate season!), I’d be all over that seersucker :) My dad’s favorites come from Ben Silver, Joseph Banks and Paul Fredrick. We’ve had good luck with all three! Good luck and congratulations. xo, Katharine @ Southern Weddings

  3. avatar Jenni reply

    Katharine – We were just married this past March, and my groom wore exactly what yours wore! He said, "I want to look like James Bond." And he sure did. Its such a classic, timeless, debonair, he-feels-like-a-man, look. You hardly hear a girl say she gasped when she saw her groom, but I did. No lie. You will love it! And for groomsmen gifts, Paul got Hefeweizen beer mugs with his groomsmen’s initials etched into the glass, as well as "The Valley of Vision," a collection of Puritan prayers (and his favorite) and real bow ties for the guys to wear on the big day. Oh, I wish I could attach a picture. He picked everything out and wrapped it all up himself … And they turned out GREAT. I can’t even begin to say how impressed I was … Ha ha!Your groom sounds like he’s just wonderful! Congratulations to you both!! Jenni

  4. avatar Brit reply

    We opted for a really light tan/stone colored suit for the guys. I REALLY want my groom to wear a bowtie, but that might take some serious bribing.Love the James Bond look!

  5. avatar Southern Weddings reply

    Jenni, so glad to hear the shawl-collared tuxes were a big hit! I won’t be TOO disappointed if Kyle looks like James Bond on our wedding day :) Also, what unique and personalized groomsmen gifts. Love it!Birt, bowties are a must! Pictures of my father in his favorite bows should be enough to seal the deal, but if not… direct your beau (no pun intended) to Southern Proper or Vineyard Vines. Their bows are really fun. I’m a little sad we’re not using them.Katharine @ Southern Weddings

  6. avatar Kristin reply

    I literally lol’ed when I read:Yes, yes we did include The Rock in our shawl-collar collage.Great post as usual :) Love the bowtie Friday idea too hehe :)

  7. avatar Lindsey reply

    Is there a website for the cufflink company that Kyle mentioned? Thanks!

  8. avatar Belle reply

    Men are lovely, all dressed up, aren’t they? :) By the way, has anyone told your father he looks a bit like Tim Robbins? Very dapper.http://www.purplepinafore.blogspot.com

  9. avatar Olivia Soren reply

    The most southern wedding party attire that I have seen so far has consisted of seersucker suits and Vinyard Vines bow ties for the guys and Lilly Pulitzer dresses for the girls. It was adorable!http://www.weddingsdownsouth.blogspot.com

  10. avatar Dennis @ Wholesale Fresh Flowers reply

    Great picture of your father in the classic Seersucker suit with bow tie. That suit is traditionally worn with bow tie and here in North Carolina men can still be found sporting the Seersucker with bowtie.

  11. avatar Ashley Brockinton reply

    I love the first tux look. Even the white coat with the black pants and bow tie is great. So handsome.

  12. avatar Jessica reply

    I cannot wait until SW3 launches!!!!

  13. avatar Southern Weddings reply

    Jessica, you just made my morning! I can’t wait until V3 launches, either :)Emily @ SW

  14. avatar Mr. W reply

    Lindsey: Kyle’s custom wedding links are being handcrafted by Martin and Shirley Hewett at The Cottage, Brook Street, Great Waldingfield, Suffolk, CO10 ORZ, United Kingdom (England). The quality of this couple’s workmanship truly is superb, the equal or superior of enamel coin cufflinks retailed by this nation’s leading men’s shops from Charleston to Beverly Hills. Better yet, their reasonable prices and international shipping still are a relative bargain, with U. S. haberdasheries typically charging double, triple, and even quadruple. Check out the Hewett’s goods at http://www.coin-jewellery.com – and relay Martin and Shirley warm regards from Avery. Mr. W. p.s. Coins larger than one shilling – Martin more conservatively would say larger than one pound – are not well suited for cufflinks.

  15. avatar Southern Weddings reply

    Belle, Yes! My father often gets told he looks like Tim Robbins, circa 1994’s Shawshank Redemption. (As a side note, his girlfriend also looks alarmingly like Julia Roberts! Cute couple!) Dennis, Dad has a collection of seersucker suits! Blue, gray, purple, red… all are fabulous – and oh so Southern.Lindsey, I hope you do check out the custom cufflinks from Martin Hewett. They’re really fantastic!5 weeks until the big day!Katharine @ Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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