Southern Weddings

On my first day at Southern Weddings, the girls asked me two very important questions: do I prefer dark or milk chocolate (dark, always), and what is my favorite color–and to be careful answering because I couldn’t change it! I said peach, and as well as loving the peach monogrammed binder on my desk as a result of that conversation, I’ll never tire of peachy weddings! Courtney and Lamar hit it out of the park with the prettiest blooms and the most amazing pair of Jimmy Choos I’ve ever seen, but even more than that, I love their romantic love story. The way Lamar proposed was epic, and the last dance at their wedding sounds like a dream!

Thank you so much to Matt and Julie for sharing this lovely day with us!

We had planned a post-bar trip to Italy and had an overnight stay in Paris, but Lamar convinced me that he was not going to propose on the trip because he was too nervous to bring the ring through security and didn’t want to worry about it while we were traveling. Knowing Lamar, that made sense! Right when we got to Paris, I was ready to start painting the town, but he convinced me to take a shower and do my hair (which is great since we had just gotten off an overnight flight). I noticed he was being impatient and questioned him about why he was rushing me after he was the one that told me to get ready. As soon as we got to the bridge, we started walking to the middle and I said “Oh, I wish we had brought a lock.” He said “I actually brought one” and pulled out a lock with the words “Will you marry me?” engraved on it with our names and the date. He got down on one knee, said some really sweet things I don’t remember, and asked me to marry him. He then told me that there was a photographer on the other side of the bridge who was photographing the whole thing! She opened champagne for us and took more pictures. We spent the rest of the afternoon wondering around St. Germaine. It was the greatest day!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I looked and looked! The first time I went dress shopping, my mom and sister came with me and we had a great day. We tried on tons of dresses and had lunch at Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas. I didn’t find my dress that day, and ended up going to every store in the area over the next couple weeks, but I couldn’t find the perfect dress. Finally, I went back to Stanley Korshak to try on a dress that I had liked the first day we went shopping. While I was there, I spotted “the dress” and wondered why I hadn’t liked it the first time I went in. I tried it on and it was perfect!

First Baptist is the church I went to growing up. I was baptized there and was maid of honor at my sister’s wedding there, as well as a flower girl there many times. It was so special to finally walk down the aisle there as the bride at our own wedding.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? So many things! We had a cigar roller, our reception was at an old Southern train station, we had a country band, our signature drink was an old fashioned, and we served chicken and waffle sliders, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken and mashed potatoes, and shrimp and grits.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had a one-tiered wedding cake with smaller cakes around it on pretty white cake stands. All the cakes were displayed on antique pieces of furniture.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. When people say that you find love when you least expect it, they are not kidding. I met Lamar on a Monday night in the law library at SMU. I had chosen to study in a different area of the library, and I sat down a few tables away from Lamar. Of course, he thinks this was no coincidence! Over the course of finals, we began to talk. Talking led to a friendship, which led to our first date. Over the summer, our friendship grew, but I knew that Lamar wanted it to be something more. He agreed to give me some space over the summer, but we still hung out all the time. One day, while having dinner with my parents, I told them about Lamar, and they both said that my face lit up when I talked about him. That is when I began to think seriously about dating him. In September, Lamar told me that he was tired of being “just friends” and we decided to make it official. Dating Lamar is the second best decision I have ever made. Our story reminds me that God’s plan is so much greater than my own!
When did y’all get married? May 3, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 350
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? No, we are pretty traditional and I wanted to see the look on his face when he saw me for the first time walking down the aisle.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance was to “I Can Love You Like That” because that is how Lamar acted toward me when we first started dating. He was the one who initiated the relationship, and in the end, he was the one who could really make all my fairy tale dreams come true (part of the lyrics are, “they read you Cinderella, you hoped it would come true”)!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something old was my handkerchief made out of my mom’s wedding dress and my something borrowed was her original Tiffany’s wedding band. My something new was my shoes. My something blue was a clip-on earring from my grandmother that I used as a brooch on my bouquet.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Getting all the pieces together. We had a ton of details and a ton of vendors. Thank goodness for our wedding planner, Lottie!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We made our own photo booth–I ordered props and a backdrop. We also saved money by buying our own wine and beer.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? The Jeremy Powers Band was amazing! Jeremy did an amazing job working with us to coordinate the night. We got tons of compliments on how great their performance was!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Our last dance under the stars outside by the railroad tracks. I loved hearing the sounds of the trains going by!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Enjoy the process. Know that you cannot control every aspect, and let the day happen the way it naturally does. Some of my favorite memories were things I didn’t expect or plan!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Getting our house in order! We are in the middle of “wedding season” with our friends, so we have barely had a weekend at home. We are looking forward to unpacking and just enjoying making our home together.

Photographer: Matt and Julie / Videographer: Darren Pike / Planner: Grit + Gold / Ceremony Venue: First Baptist Church Sherman / Reception Venue: Katy Depot / Florist: Southern Table / Cake Baker: Mom’s Bakery / Caterer: At Your Service / Rentals and Lighting: Big D Rentals / Band: Jeremy Powers Band / Bridal Salon: Stanley Korshak / Paper Products: Caroline Creates / Hair and Makeup: Jill at Blushington Dallas / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew

Written with love by Lisa