Southern Weddings

Britt + Heath’s October wedding in North Carolina was a idyllic Southern dream for the bride. Playing on the colors blush and bashful (Steel Magnolias, y’all!), the couple planned a wedding that would be as sweet as the Carolina air. Britt fell in love with her Allure gown as soon as she tried it on. She then paired the lace beauty with killer accessories like her gold heels, feathery bouquet and an embroidered handkerchief that she inherited from her grandmother. The two said their vows at First Presbyterian Church before making off to the reception. Stay tuned for Part II, where Crystal Genes Photography shares even more of this glamorous day.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. When I transferred from Florida State University to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, we met through mutual friends at a fraternity party. We were friends for a few years before we ever dated. We liked each other but the timing was always wrong, because one of us always had a boyfriend or girlfriend. The summer of 2010 we were like peas and carrots. We spent most of our time going to country concerts, playing corn hole and just having fun. After going to my cousin’s wedding weekend in Banner Elk, we realized we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Funny how weddings will do that to you.
Describe the proposal. Murphy’s Law has a daily presence in our lives, and the proposal was no different. Heath planned to propose on a vacation we had planned for mid-December to celebrate my college graduation, but he couldn’t wait. He planned a romantic dinner at my favorite restaurant, and as usual, everything went wrong – but that’s what makes for the great stories and memories! The restaurant was supposed to reserve us a romantic table in the back by ourselves, but we ended up at the closest table to the door where all the traffic was. Our server ended up being a friend, so he spent a lot of the time at the table talking to us (obviously he didn’t know Heath was trying to propose). Heath rehashed his plan and as we were leaving, he walked me to the car and acted like he was opening the car door for me and got down on one knee and popped the question.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fairytale-like, romantic, perfect
In what month did you get married? October – perfect weather for this Carolina Girl!
How many guests attended your wedding? 150
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I can’t pick just one, so we’ll name the top 3. My childhood friend, Colby sang Miranda Lambert’s “Makin Plans” for our first dance and Sara Evans’ “Always Be My Baby” for the mother/son, father/daughter dance. Having Colby sing made these moments even more special. My mom had a special appearance planned and surprised Heath and I with the Carolina Panther’s mascot, Sir Purr. Our first date was to a Panther’s game so it was only appropriate. Sir Purr had everyone going hog wild dancing all night!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My grandmother had a beautiful collection of hankies, and when she passed away, I inherited all of them. I embroidered a personal note on each of them and gave one to my mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law and heath’s grandmothers on the morning of the wedding. I got my favorite one embroidered with our names and wedding date and wrapped it around my bouquet. The most Southern part was definitely the food. We served meatloaf, cornbread, fried chicken, crab fritters, sweet potato casserole and collard greens. We had Southern Belle cocktails with sweet tea vodka. Our wedding favors were corn muffins and jam and honey. I stayed up until four in the morning the day before the wedding with some girlfriends baking the muffins and making each favor basket. For the reception, I changed into my cowboy boots for the reception so I could dance.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Saying “yes” to the dress was the easiest part for me! I knew the style I was looking for (lace, with a sweetheart neckline) and as soon as I tried on the second dress, I didn’t want to take it off. After buying my dress, I played “dress-up” just for fun and tried on 20 more dresses! It’s one of those special memories I got to share with my momma that I will never forget.

Photographer: Crystal Genes Photography // Planner: A Plum Perfect Affair // Ceremony venue: First Presbyterian Church // Reception venue: The Hotel Concord // Florist: Reception flowers by Linda Alexander, and bouquets, boutonnières, alter arrangement and church wreaths by Chelish Moore Flowers // Wedding Cake Baker: Nona’s Sweets // Caterer: Union Street Bistro // Linens: Party Rentals Plus // Paper Products: A Plum Perfect Affair // Bride’s Dress: Allure via New York Bride and Groom // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Veil by Custom NY Bride and Groom, Fascinator from Etsy // Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka and vintage Laredo // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jim Hjelm via NY Bride & Groom // Accessories: Grandmother’s Jewelry

Written with love by Nicole