Southern Weddings

Merriment Events and Don Mears Photography make my heart happy. Alex + Paul’s May wedding was a springy garden-like celebration that boasted bright florals, which looked even more amazing against Alex’s bridesmaids’ teal green dresses. I love how each gal wore a style that most flattered her, while still color-matching. Of course, I’d be remiss if I neglected to highlight the beribboned wreaths on the doors and the adorable send off. Guests congratulated the newlyweds by ringing dozens of bells as Alex + Paul made their way to their bright blue vintage car. The bells belong to Paul’s family and it’s tradition for them to be rung at family weddings! Now that’s a great way to start a party, no?

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We became friends during our senior year of college. During the years after graduation, we would bump into each other in random places (twice in Europe and once in Las Vegas!) and the friendship developed into a relationship.
Describe the proposal. I grew up on the beach in Montauk, and over the course of our relationship it became a special place for me and Paul. Paul wasn’t able to plan a trip up to Montauk for us because of my schedule, so he brought Montauk to me to set the scene for the proposal. We came home from dinner to find my backyard transformed into a beachscape—covered in sand with a projection of a Montauk sunset onto a movie screen.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Unique, personal and intimate.
In what month did you get married? May
How many guests attended your wedding? 250
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We wrote individual notes to each couple attending the wedding and left them on the table prior to the guests’ arrival. We knew we wouldn’t have much time with everyone so this was a unique way to tell them how important they are in our lives. Dinner was served family style, which was a personal touch that we wanted to incorporate into our day. Gay Berry of A Pimento Catering created an intimate dining experience for 250 people, cooking and managing her staff out of a 20 x 20 tent.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I was determined to find my dress in one day, so my mom, my sisters and I set out on a whirlwind bridal tour of New York City. I put a deposit down on a dress and was ready to cancel my last appointment but my mom and sisters convinced me to go anyway, just in case. I walked into Gabriella’s salon in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York and saw that a bridal designer was there for his trunk show. There was one dress of the several I tried on that I kept going back to, but something was missing. We asked to take the straps down, and with that minor tweak it turned into the dress I knew I wanted to wear on my wedding day.

Photographer: Don Mears Photography // Planner: Courtney Spencer // Ceremony venue: St. Bridgets Catholic Church // Reception venue: Maymont // Florist: Flower Girls // Wedding Cake Baker: Sweetest Thing Bakery // Caterer: A Pimento // Rentals: Tent from Skyline // Linens: La Tavola, napkin rentals from Classic Party Rentals of Virginia, other rentals from Beehive Events and Festive Fare // Bride’s Dress: Matthew Christopher // Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade // Paper: Reception calligraphy by Ginny Rogan // Makeup: Stephanie Parker

*Merriment Events is a Southern Weddings sponsor.

Written with love by Nicole