Southern Weddings

Although Ashley + Alex went to high school together, their courtship didn’t begin until “re-meeting” at a lake house party after college. Soon this playful duo was making plans to spend the rest of their lives together (be sure to read Alex’s adorable proposal that even included a card from their pup!). After reading their interview, I knew they’d have fun and sweet Southern details galore. Boy, was that an understatement! Just based off their koozie caption “sure as cornbread goes with greens, you’re the answer to my dreams!” I wish I’d been a guest at their big day! Then hearing how the entire crown at the ceremony enthusiastically responded with with “WE WILL!” after the preacher asked “Who would bless this marriage?” I am so thankful Reese Moore was there to capture all the joy since I wasn’t invited! ; )

I love these ruffly bridesmaids dresses — they even have a bow!!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. My mom and I walked into a local bridal store in Irmo, SC (Jo-Lin’s Bridal) and my dress was hanging on the mannequin. I told the ladies in the store that THAT would be my dress, because it was perfect for dancing. After trying on a few others, I was finally able to try on “the one.” After what seemed like hours of staring at myself in the dress, we decided this was defiantly THE ONE.

We decided to do a first look to have a few moments for just the two of us before the ceremony began. It helped to calm our nerves and get excited about the ceremony. It was a very intimate moment, with our closest friends (my bridesmaids, mom, and mother-in-law) watching from the windows inside. We were also able to get more pictures of the two of us together before the party began!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, but the preacher asked both sets of parents and the crowd, “Who would bless this marriage?” and the crowd responded with an enthusiastic “WE WILL!” What an exciting and awesome feeling to start our married life together. We were able to look at the crowd of family and friends and see all the faces of people who loved and cared about us and our marriage.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Yes, Ruth 1:16-17 was read by my grandfather, who is known as “Papa.”

On the lawn at the reception, guests could play on corn hole boards, which were made by the groom and decorated with our favorite football team, the Carolina Gamecocks. We gave away hot boiled peanuts as the favor, along with homemade dog treats, glow sticks, sparklers, and huggers (koozies). Our huggers said “Sure as cornbread goes with greens, You’re the answer to my dreams.” We had monograms everywhere: my dress, the cake, the programs, signs, etc. From the wraparound porch at the reception, guest could enjoy a beautiful atmosphere of the creek with a backdrop of Charleston.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We invited a friend from our home church in Lexington to travel with us to the wedding in Sullivan’s Island. He played the guitar and sang “God Gave Me You.” The words perfectly describe how we feel about each other. At the reception, Alex picked our song. He chose “Hey Pretty Girl” by Kip Moore, because he said the first time he heard it, all he could think about was me. We have loved the song ever since it became a hit and he knew I would love to have our first dance be to “Hey Pretty Girl.”

Our cake was not only beautiful, but delicious. Molly from D’lish on Daniel Island created our cake. It was white tiers with small pearl accents on the bottom of each tier. On the second tier, Molly created our monogram in a circle with a pearl border. We had three favors for the guests: chocolate with chocolate buttercream, red velvet with cream cheese buttercream, and carrot with cream cheese buttercream. Our cake sat on a sweetgrass basket made by a very talented lady at the market in Charleston.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The groom and groomsmen wore cotton boutonnieres. I wore my sorority pin by my heart on the inside of my dress. My grandfather read a Bible verse and blessed us during our ceremony. My dad and our ring bearer wore seersucker suits with pink bow ties. Our flower girl went barefoot down the aisle. We served Firefly and Lemonade during the cocktail hour. At the cocktail hour, the guests were entertained by a gospel choir. We served BBQ, macaroni and cheese, rice, ribs, fried chicken, and many other Southern delicacies. My dad and I started with a slow dance and surprised the crowd with a shag to “Carolina Girls.”

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We attended high school together in Lexington, South Carolina, but it wasn’t until June 2010—after we had both graduated from college and returned to our hometown—that our romance began. We “re-met” at a mutual friend’s lake lot on Lake Murray while celebrating Alex’s birthday.
Tell us all about the proposal! Alex gave me two cards and a bag full of gumballs to help me celebrate my 25th birthday. Since we had a long-running joke that Alex would propose with 25-cent ring, I suspected it was all a setup. The first card was from our Golden doodle pup Jax, but the second card instructed me to root around in the bag of bubble gum carefully. After some digging, I uncovered a ring box—with a genuine diamond ring inside—and I knew Alex’s proposal was the real deal. After asking “Does my dad know?” and receiving an affirmation, I said “Yes!”
When did y’all get married? July 27, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 180
Describe your wedding flowers. Our wedding flowers were very light and simple. I carried a bouquet with white hydrangeas, pink garden roses, and pink mini roses. The bridesmaids carried bouquets with white hydrangea. The father of the bride wore pink mini roses with his seersucker suit and the groom and groomsmen wore cotton boutonnieres. At the reception, we decorated with white hydrangeas and baby’s breath.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite details of the wedding were the simple, laid back decorations. We loved the cotton and burlap touches around the ceremony and reception. I also love monograms so adding the simple detail of the monogram to everything was great!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed and old was my grandmother’s brooch that I attached to my bouquet. My something blue was my monogram sewn into the skirt of my wedding dress. My something new was a diamond necklace that Alex gave me before the ceremony began.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We wanted to make sure everybody was happy! While planning, we worked very hard to plan so that each guest would have a great time, no matter where they were or what they were doing!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our photographer! Reese Moore was absolutely wonderful. She was very professional while making me feel like she was my best friend. She was so easy to work with and took ALL the pictures we talked about before the actual day. I can’t imagine our wedding day without her there.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment from our wedding day was standing in front of the packed church and hearing the crowd yell “WE WILL” after asked who would bless our marriage. We could feel the love for us as a couple through each loud yell in the church! What an amazing feeling knowing so many people care about you!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Sit back and enjoy the ride. It all goes by so fast, so enjoy every moment. These are the times you will look back on and think about how loved you are by all your family members and close friends.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are loving everything about it. It is great to have somebody to come home to every night and just talk about your daily adventures. We are looking forward to buying land and building a house together in the near future. As one of the my kindergarten students said, “Love is when you follow someone around and you don’t know why.”

Photographer: Reese Moore / Ceremony Venue: Sunrise Presbyterian Church / Reception Venue and Caterer: I’On Creek Club / Florist: Diane Thrower / Wedding Cake: D’lish / Rentals: Event Works / Band: Permanent Vacation / Bride’s Gown and Accessories: Jo-Lin’s Bridal from Allure Bridal / Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Stella Nova / Bride’s Shoes: Jean’s Bridal / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jo-Lin’s Bridal / Men’s Attire: Jos. A Bank / Get-Away Car: Matt Buero’s Convertible 1950 Lincoln

Written with love by Marissa