Southern Weddings

Y’all, long distance is hard — I mean both long distance relationships and long distance wedding planning. I am in awe of how beautifully Audrey + Jordan’s turned out considering that they planned it while overseas in Asia working for a college ministry AND while they were both five hours apart from each other. Their wedding day came together with what looks like the ease, comfort and elegance of the best Southern soirees. These photos by Caroline Joy convinces us that not only are Audrey + Jordan a gorgeous couple, but that they must also be superheroes.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I went shopping three months before the wedding because for the first 2 months of our engagement, I was overseas and couldn’t shop yet! My mother and stepmother and I went to some stores in Birmingham, found one dress I loved. We made the decision to get that one, but decided to wait and look around more that day. My mom urged me to go to a shop in Hartselle, Alabama, the next day just to look. When I went in, the first dress I tried on was the exact dress I had been looking for! We bought that one immediately! It had a sash that tied around my waist, which matched the ivory dress, but when I went for my dress fitting, I realized it just wasn’t the look I wanted — it was all too white and shiny. I wanted a softer, more natural look so a family friend dyed the sash a tan/light cocoa color and it was perfect!
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes, we wanted our first time to see each other to be an intimate setting without people around- and it was way more practical as far as picture-taking goes.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our food! We had pulled pork, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn pudding, black eyed pea slaw, apple crisp, pecan pies and mint sweet tea with vodka. Our decorations included quilts, hat boxes, mason jars, dough bowls, rustic wooden serving pieces that looked like they came from a barn. And the outdoor barn setting was Southern!
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Our cake was two gigantic round layers with a collection of flowers similar to our bouquets on top of the cake. The cake was placed on a giant wooden stand and had a messy buttercream frosting that looked rustic!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met in college at the University of Alabama. I saw Jordan onstage playing music for a college ministry we both were going to. I had a crush on him for a few weeks before we met at a concert. We hit it off instantly and spent every day together after that.
Describe the proposal. We were in East Asia, working for a college ministry there. I had gone to visit Jordan in his city and we were supposed to go to a friend’s house for dinner that night. I was called to go to someone else’s apartment to grab some wine for the dinner. Upon arrival, I found Jordan on a rooftop garden with flowers and candles everywhere. We wrote our names on some Chinese lanterns and were going to set them off, when I found the engagement ring tied to the bottom of one! He asked me to marry him then!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Emotional, peaceful, natural.
In what month did you get married? October
How many guests attended your wedding? About 300
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The ceremony began at sunset and we were married under a giant oak tree on my family farm.
Describe your wedding flowers: They were pastel colors- peaches, greens, creams, a lot of dahlias and some berry looking plants. I wanted them to have a wildflower look. I pretty much gave our florist/decorator my wedding invitation from Rifle Paper Co. and told them to use the flowers illustrated. The flowers were tied with some lace, and my bouquet was tied with an old piece of knitted fabric I found at a second hand store.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000 -50,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Over-communicate about details to be sure you have everything taken care of and know who is doing what!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Establishing our life together in Birmingham and enjoying each other as husband and wife. We are looking forward to knowing each other more intimately and having more and more fun every day.

Photographer: Caroline Joy Photography // Planner: Randy Roper // Venue: Private residence // Florist: In Bloom, Huntsville, Alabama // Wedding Cake or Dessert Baker: Cake by Cakes, etc, Desserts by Mary Lynn Carlton // Caterer: Mary Lynn Carlton // Rentals: Limestone Bay Trading Company // Lighting: In Bloom // Paper Products: Invitations from Rifle Paper Company // Bride’s Dress: Robert Bullock via Something Blue Bridal Shoppe // Bride’s Shoes: Pour Le Victoire // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Urban Outfitters

If you love this wedding, might we suggest these?
Holly + Chase’s homemade Alabama wedding here
Melissa + Eric’s peach, green and grey wedding here and here
Lauren + Tommy’s outdoor ranch wedding here and here

Written with love by Nicole