Southern Weddings

Samantha + Graham celebrated their nuptials at 411 West in Chapel Hill, where fluffy pink poms hung from the ceiling and white flowers in blue glass mason jars decorated clean and simple tables. Fun Fact: Those adorable drink skewers spearing a bright orange slice and a maraschino cherry were from Pearl and Pearl, Emily’s Etsy shop! I’m a little bit in love with Meredith Perdue’s photos of the happy couple dancing. After the wedding, S + G honeymooned in France. How dreamy!

See all the photos from Samantha + Graham’s wedding in their Real Wedding Gallery!

Describe your wedding flowers: I work with Charles, the owner of University Florist, every week and so it was no question that we wanted him to do our wedding flowers. They were perfect, a mixture of cream and blush garden roses. Also, Maggie from Purple Puddle helped turn the backyard into a beautiful site with magnolias, lilies and the most beautiful orchids.
Describe your wedding cake: It was simple and delicious. It was chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. It was all white and Charles added some beautiful fresh flowers.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We knew that we wanted to have a sit down dinner. It was challenging to plan a meal with three options for 130 people. Our caterer, 411 gets all the credit for making it happen flawlessly.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? We absolutely love the way our programs turned out. We asked a friend to do a small watercolor painting of the rose garden. It was such a personal and special touch that we will cherish forever.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We loved our first look. Meredith helped make everything run so smoothly, and we were both ecstatic to see each other. We also love everything about our ceremony. It was full of personal touches with readings and musical numbers.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We just got back from our honeymoon in France, and we are ready to settle into our new house. We are looking forward to traveling, learning and growing together as a team. Eventually we want to start a family, but for now, we are enjoying every minute with our puppy, Bolo.

Photographer: Meredith Perdue // Ceremony venue: private residence // Reception venue: 411 West // Florist: University Florist // Wedding Cake Baker: Mark Tachman // Caterer: 411 West // Paper Products: Fourth and Folded // Bride’s Dress: Pronovias // Bride’s Shoes: Nina // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ann Taylor // Bridesmaid Jewelry: Emily Hansel Designs // Bride’s Hair: DB Sutton // Bride’s Makeup: Make Up for Your Day // Drink Skewers: Peach and Pearl // Poms: PomLove // Flowergirl Dresses: Crewcuts // DJ: DJ Joe Bunn // Groom’s Bowtie: Brooks Brothers // String Quartet: Arioso Strings // Invitations: Fourth and Folded

Written with love by Nicole

I love seeing local weddings! If you’re from Chapel Hill, this will make you happy like it did for me. Samantha + Graham exchanged vows at the groom’s parents house, where Purple Puddle filled the yard with magnolias, lilies and orchids. The giant wreath of magnolia leaves and flowers hanging from the gate, E. E. Cummings poem written on a window pane, and the custom watercolor painting on S + G’s invitations are all details that I love. They match beautifully with the bride’s Pronovias gown and her ‘maids’ blush pink Ann Taylor frocks. We’re so thankful for Meredith Perdue, who shared this romantic wedding with us.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Graham and I met when I was a sophomore in college and I had just returned from studying abroad in Florence. We became friends right away, but it took us a few years to begin dating. We grew close as friends, and one day I looked at Graham and saw that my friend was very handsome. We started going on fun lunch dates, and during the summer of 2008 we had our first official date. Graham cooked me dinner and we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine. During dinner, Graham got a phone call that his grandfather passed away, and a few minutes later I got a phone call that my sister was in labor. That night we talked and cried together, and I believe we fell in love.
Describe the proposal. Graham picked me up from work on a seemingly normal Wednesday afternoon. We went to the store and bought ingredients for homemade pizzas. We were in the middle of pizza making when Graham got down on one knee.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Genuine, lovely, and magnificent.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: A musical prayer (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) performed by my sister, Graham’s brother and a close friend.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The Olde South Trolley company spent the day driving our large wedding party around. We each had seven attendants, two flowergirls and a ringbearer. In my family, my grandmother makes each girl a quilt when she gets married. I was so excited to receive my wedding day quilt, and I know that Graham and I will treasure it forever.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I found my wedding dress in October with my mom, sister and lifelong friend. We visited Lana Addison bridal in Cary, and immediately fell in love with their adorable shop, friendly staff and affordable selection. I liked a lot of dresses, but I loved the first one I tried on by Pronovias. I loved the material and the way it felt, but I didn’t love the straps. I decided to make the dress strapless and add on an Amy Kuschel pearl sash.

Photographer: Meredith Perdue // Ceremony venue: private residence // Reception venue: 411 West // Florist: University Florist // Wedding Cake Baker: Mark Tachman // Caterer: 411 West // Paper Products: Fourth and Folded // Bride’s Dress: Pronovias // Bride’s Shoes: Nina // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ann Taylor // Bridesmaid Jewelry: Emily Hansel Designs // Bride’s Hair: DB Sutton // Bride’s Makeup: Make Up for Your Day // Drink Skewers: Peach and Pearl // Poms: PomLove // Flowergirl Dresses: Crewcuts // DJ: DJ Joe Bunn // Groom’s Bowtie: Brooks Brothers // String Quartet: Arioso Strings // Invitations: Fourth and Folded

Written with love by Nicole