Southern Weddings

Since y’all liked Michael + Charlie’s wedding so much (here + here), I have a hunch you’re going to be equally huge fans of Whitney + Jeff’s. It’s also set in Florida, and Whitney is also rocking a fabulous ruffled dress by Vera Wang. But Whitney + Jeff’s wedding has a style all its own: a lovely pink and grey color scheme, peonies for days, a poolside ceremony, and an overall vibe that manages to be both modern and romantic. Check back soon for part two with more fabulous photos by 1313 Photography!

P.S. Don’t you love those Plum Pretty Sugar robes Whitney and her girls are sporting? I think they’d make a perfect bridesmaid gift, especially paired with a monogrammed tote!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Jeff and I met in 2002 when we were both in college in Washington, DC. Jeff was a sophomore at George Washington University and I was a freshman at American University. We were both working at Abercrombie and Fitch and had our first conversation while we were walking in Georgetown after work. It was going great until my bus came and I hopped on without giving Jeff my number! We didn’t reconnect until several months later when we both had to come in for a staff photo. I drove Jeff back to his dorm and, after noticing I was listening to country music, he asked me to go to a Pat Green concert with him later that month.
Describe the proposal. Jeff wanted to surprise me, so he planned a secret trip to New York City. I thought we were just visiting his parents for the weekend, but he woke me up at 6 that Saturday morning and said he had something special in store for me. We drove to the city, where we checked into the gorgeous Jumeirah Essex House Hotel right on Central Park South. I was immediately whisked away for a spa treatment. When I returned to the room, a bottle of wine from the year we met and some chocolates were waiting for me. At that point, I started to get suspicious, but Jeff threw me off by taking me to a nondescript diner for lunch. Afterwards, a cab drove us up the West Side Highway to the Cloisters, a gorgeous French monastery that was transplanted in Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River. When we approached the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, Jeff got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. As I cried “yes!” I heard the clicking of a camera. I turned around to find one of my best friends, who had been lurking in the shadows and captured the entire moment on film. We spent the afternoon celebrating with friends and capped off the day with a delicious dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, overlooking the city.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Chic, romantic and fun!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our ceremony. After being together for more than eight years, we wanted to have a really personal ceremony to reflect the different elements of our personalities, religions and relationship. Other than our personalized vows, my favorite moment was listening to our friend sing the song “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. Her voice was so beautiful, it gave me chills!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I knew I wanted something somewhat unexpected that had a “wow” factor without being too over the top. I went shopping with my mother all over South Florida, and tried on about 50 dresses! I fell in love with the origami folds of my Vera Wang gown. I felt like I was walking on a cloud the moment I tried it on. The dress made a statement, but was still romantic at the same time. I put my spin on it by modifying it to a sweetheart neckline and swapping out the grosgrain sash for a crystal Jennifer Behr belt to add a little glam factor.

Photographer: 13:13 Photography // Day-Of Coordinator: Karla Blanco // Venue: The National Hotel // Florist: Petunia Florist // Wedding Cake Baker: We Take the Cake // Caterer: The National Hotel // Paper Products: Blush Paperie // Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Bella Bleu Bridal // Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale

Written with love by Emily