Southern Weddings

One of the best things about Southern winters is that they’re chilly enough to permit all things cozy–fireplaces, hot chocolate, and furry coats, for example–but not so cold that a winter bride and groom can’t hold their wedding outside! Hannah and Jeremy prioritized showing their guests true Southern hospitality, and from the blankets that were passed out at the ceremony to the s’mores station set up at the reception, we’re sure everyone felt so loved and welcomed!

Thank you so much to Perry Vaile for capturing Hannah and Jeremy’s day and sharing it with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. When I went to go look for my wedding dress, I was really nervous. When I went to the store, I told my bridal consultant that the only two requirements for my dress were sleeves and lace. When all of the tulle dresses she brought in did not work, I asked to browse the dresses in the showroom. I walked straight up to the dress that would soon be my bridal gown. It was covered in an amazing lace, but it did not have sleeves. I had a quick consult with the seamstress, who was able to construct the sleeves that I wanted, creating my dream dress.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did decide to do a first look. We made the decision to do so after considering how early the sun would go down in November, but even more so, we decided to see each other because we both felt it would calm our nerves. Having that moment on that day that only the two of us shared is something that we will never forget.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment from our wedding day was when our photographer took us off-location after our first look to take some photos of just the two of us. It allowed us to have a moment to ourselves away from all of the hustle and bustle of the wedding day. We were able to just chat and calm our nerves and really take in the moment. It was the only moment that day when we were really by ourselves.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows, but we chose a more modern version of wedding vows than the traditional ones. Our favorite phrase was “I promise to love you without reservation.”

There were hints of the South all throughout our wedding–the small town, the mason jars, the woodsy decor. The biggest Southern tradition that we wanted to portray, however, was our hospitality. Because our wedding was smaller, we were able to shower our guests with small tokens of our hospitality–blankets to warm them up during the outdoor ceremony, hot cocoa and apple cider, s’mores, and fireplaces, to name a few. We wanted to make sure each and every one of our guests felt comfortable and content, which is what each of them has done for us for the past six years of our relationship. It was the perfect time to honor them.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We would say that the most amazing vender we included in our wedding day was our photographer. Not only did our photographer help us to capture so many important moments, you could literally feel that she was creating magic behind that camera. It also seemed like she was everywhere at once. Every time I thought, “I’d love to have a picture of that,” there she was working her magic.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Jeremy and I met a little over six years ago at our university’s summer orientation. The girl I roomed with attended high school with a guy who played on the football team, and Jeremy was on the team as well, so we met through them. After orientation, Jeremy and I went our separate ways back to our hometowns. We officially started dating during the first month of college and have been together ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! Jeremy created such an amazing proposal, it still doesn’t feel real sometimes. Unbeknownst to me (which is extremely rare, since I’m hard to surprise), Jeremy spent four months planning his proposal. On my birthday, he gathered all of our friends together to watch me open this amazing gift that everyone knew about and kept raving about. I thought for sure that it would be a ring. Instead, when I opened the box, I found tickets to see my favorite band, Mumford & Sons. In my excitement, I failed to notice where the concert was taking place–New York City, which is my favorite place. We were leaving two days later, so I started to freak out a little because I had work and arrangements to make before leaving, but Jeremy told me he had already taken care of everything with my work. He also told me to pack a really fancy outfit for one of the nights we were going to be there, so I thought that would be the night the proposal would take place. Once again, I was wrong. On the second day we were in the city, we ate lunch at a cute little pub in midtown Manhattan. After lunch, Jeremy said, “Let’s take a walk over to 5th Avenue and check it out,” to which I replied, “Nah, my belly is full. Let’s go nap in the hotel,” but he talked me into it. When we got outside of the pub, we noticed it had started to snow, which really made me want to nap, but I went along anyway. On the way over to 5th Avenue, we passed the LOVE sculpture, so of course I wanted a picture in front of it. Jer said, “Sure, let me get this random lady to take our pic.” While I waited in front of the statue, he switched the camera to video mode and came to stand next to me. Jeremy is super tall (6’9″), so when he got over to me, I told him, “Hey, you may need to duck down a bit so she doesn’t chop your head off in the pic.” He said, “Oh, you want me to duck down? Okay.” and proceeded to get down on one knee and pull out a ring. I, of course, flipped out and said “YES,” but it didn’t end there. After a few minutes of taking in the moment, I started to notice that there were two people with super nice cameras taking pictures of us. I asked Jer if he knew them, and he said he had hired them to be there. Not only that, but the random woman had taken a complete video of the entire encounter. And it STILL doesn’t end there! That evening was the evening for the fancy dress, which I thought at that point was just so we could go out and celebrate. As soon as I stepped off of the elevator at the restaurant, my jaw dropped. Straight across from me was a table of three of our closest friends, who had driven up from North Carolina to celebrate with us!
When did y’all get married? November 30, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 75
Describe your wedding flowers. We used succulents with splashes of blush flowers. We thought the succulent was a unique option for a fall/winter wedding.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. A family friend made our simple, but elegant, three-tier wedding cake. The top and bottom tiers were Jeremy’s favorite (carrot cake), and the middle tier was my favorite cake (lemon). The cake was covered in a smooth buttercream icing and was topped with a miniture LOVE statue replica, like the one in NYC that Jeremy proposed in front of.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I did have something blue, old, and new. My something blue was a pair of antique earrings that my nana gave me, which are nearly a century old and are adorned with a single sapphire stone. My something old was the gold bangle bracelet that my nana was given on her wedding day by her husband. My something new was my beautiful lace wedding gown.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge Jeremy and I had to overcome during the wedding planning process was to learn what was really important to us. People may think we are completely insane when we say this, but from the time you get engaged to the time you get married, life is an absolute whirlwind. It feels like the two of you are sitting completely still and everyone and everything around you is moving in fast motion telling you, “Do it this way,” “Put that there,” “Stand here.” During that time, Jeremy and I had to stop and focus on what really mattered, which was not just planning a wedding that would last one day, but rather, a marriage that would last a lifetime.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Take in each moment! We had so many people tell us during the planning process that the wedding day goes by so quickly. We found that if you have prepared yourself to take in each moment, it will go by at your own pace. I even had one of my bridesmaids remind me throughout the day to take in the moment. Tt was like a breath of fresh air every time she told me to take a mental picture, because it was so easy to get carried away and forget to seize the moment.

Perry Vaile is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Lisa