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Monthly Archives: July 2014

After a long distance romance, Amanda and Adam took to planning a beach wedding that told the story of their love! They mixed Southern touches in honor of their roots with chic vintage decor to create a lovely bohemian vibe. The contrast of the dapper gents in black bow ties and the organic handpicked wildflowers play off each other perfectly! I must say, I love Amanda’s advice for folks planning a wedding: “You can’t avoid the craziness, so just embrace it!” Such sage advice that can be applied to all aspects of life!

Special SW thanks to Kaytee Lauren for sharing this gorgeous day with us!

Could these fellas get any more dapper? So very GQ!

Since our wedding encompassed a vintage and bohemian vibe, I knew immediately that I wanted organic, handpicked wildflowers to complement the antique and rustic decor. We had every type of colorful wildflower you could imagine, with pops of pink peonies and bright billy balls. My favorite floral detail was the magnolia leaf garland we hung from our driftwood arbor and our sweetheart table. It was absolutely stunning.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? The Outer Banks is one our favorite places in the world. We have both spent a lot of time there over the years, but more importantly, it was the first place we visited and spent time together as a couple, almost five years ago to the day that we got married.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We decided to recite traditional vows, though we exchanged letters to each other prior to the ceremony that expressed our love to each other in our own words.

No first look for us. As much as we wanted to shy away from a lot of the formalities of a traditional wedding, there were still a few traditions that we wanted to retain. There’s something truly romantic about waiting to share that first look moment right before the ceremony–we will cherish that for the rest of our lives.

Adam’s late grandfather was a Baptist minister, and he had married countless couples over many years. He had a prayer he said for every ceremony that we incorporated into ours. It was beautiful.

Both of our rings hold special meaning. Mine were custom-made by a small, family-owned jeweler in NYC. They symbolize the start of our marriage in one of the greatest cities in the world. Adam decided to use his late grandfather’s wedding band. He and Adam’s grandmother were married for over 60 years. Adam had the inside of the band engraved with his grandfather’s initials, followed by his own, with the intention of passing it on through our family.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We did a simple buttercream cake for cutting, but also wanted to offer a variety of our favorites desserts for our guests to enjoy: key lime pie, glazed doughnut holes, and cupcakes.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. From Adam: Amanda and I met in 2008 through work and mutual friends. Just as we began to feel our relationship could be something more, Amanda moved to Nashville, Tennessee to finish school. Almost six months after she moved, I flew to Nashville with a buddy for a weekend. Amanda and I reconnected and I ended up canceling my flight home so that I could stay an extra day. From then on, we traveled to see each other whenever we could, and lived for the moments that we got to spend together, even if they were only a weekend at a time. We knew that if we could make that situation work, we could get through anything together.
Tell us all about the proposal! My family was vacationing in Virginia Beach, where I was raised. The night before we headed home, we went out to dinner and then decided to take a walk to enjoy our last night of vacation. When we got to the street I grew up on, Adam took my hand and we walked out onto the beach. The sun was going down and it was gorgeous. We stood there together just looking out at the ocean when Adam turned to me and dropped down on one knee. The next few moments were a bit of a blur, but it was incredible to be able to say YES!” in a place that means so much to me.
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 85
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I think finding my wedding dress was the easiest part of the whole wedding planning process. From day one, I knew the exact vibe I was going for and I immediately fell in love with a Sarah Seven gown I had seen online. I booked an appointment at Lovely Bride in NYC, and after trying on the “Practically Perfect,” I was sold. It was the perfect beachy boho dress.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We wanted to stay true to our Southern roots without going over the top, and we knew that food was the easiest way to get that right. We served Carolina BBQ, coleslaw and potato salad–as traditional as it gets. Burlap and vintage doilies covered the tables and we used mason jars for glassware. In lieu of a traditional guest book, we had our guests sign vintage postcards from our favorite Southern cities.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We saved money by choosing our venue, Pelican’s Landing. It’s the perfect classic beach house located on the oceanfront in Corolla. It’s a one-stop shop that includes everything from ceremony benches to place settings. The property owner also owns a local catering company, which we used to cater our wedding, and our guests couldn’t stop raving about the food.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Relax, don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy every second. You can’t avoid the craziness, so just embrace it! You’re getting married and that is the most important thing. Also, don’t skimp on a day-of coordinator–they are life savers!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are enjoying life in New York City and looking forward to what the future holds. We’re getting the chance to begin our journey as husband and wife in a place neither of us had ever imagined, so we are living for the moment and making the most of each day.

Photographer: Kaytee Lauren Photography / Planner: A Premiere Event / Venue: Pelican’s Landing / Florist: Bells & Whistles / Cake Baker: Hibou Pastries / Caterer: Coastal Provisions / Rentals: Metro Rental / DJ: Outer Banks Music Masters / Bride’s Gown: “Practically Perfect” by Sarah Seven / Bride’s Accessories: Ivy & Aster / Makeup Artist: Rebecca Wood / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Groom’s Attire: Zara / Groomsmen Attire: J. Crew / Ties: The Tie Bar

marissa Written with love by Marissa
11 Comments
  1. avatar Alisha reply

    Kaytee is my photographer too! She did such an amazing job on this wedding and I can’t wait until mine in September! :)

  2. avatar kristin partin reply

    yeah kaytee get it girl!! these are incredible.

  3. avatar Loverly reply

    Absolutely stunning! Looks like a dream-come-true wedding!

  4. avatar chapel2chapel reply

    Wow! Loved this. The groom’s suit–fit, texture, the whole nine–was absolutely amazing!

  5. avatar Emily reply

    Reminds me a bit of the portraits at my wedding – also black tie on the beach! Of course I love :)

  6. avatar katelyn james reply

    Awww! So fun!!! Small world! This is Michael’s cousin and his beautiful bride!! :) Yay!!! Love this Marissa!!!! xoxo

  7. avatar Wedding Venue TX reply

    I love the concept about this black tie beach wedding, looks like a music video with a happy ending, lovely couple and the beach just make the day perfect

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Meaningful, Southern, and joyful are some of our favorite buzz words around here, and I can think of no better way to describe Blaine and Brian’s West Virginia wedding! You can read all about the special ways they brought their love story and family heirlooms into their wedding day in their wedding post, but to fully see the joy and laughter of this special day, I highly recommend taking a peek at their beautiful video by Birdhouse Productions. I couldn’t stop smiling while I watched it!

See more of our wedding films here!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Hannah reply

    Wow. Completely obsessed! Some of the best wedding videography I’ve ever seen.

  2. avatar Abby reply

    This is gold. Natalie, you really know how to make any story come to life. And this one is the best I’ve seen. It was a joy to tell this story alongside your creative mind.

  3. avatar Natalie reply

    Thank you so much for featuring Blaine + Brian’s film! It’s such a huge honor to be featured on your site, and especially with one of my favorite weddings ever. <3

  4. avatar Mikkel reply

    Love this video and love Natalie and Mark at Birdhouse!!! :-) Awesome job, great feature!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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In the Sweet Tea Society, we say we believe in history and heritage, and that there is nothing on this earth more important than family. Y’all find such creative ways to honor the families you come from as you join together to create a new family, and today we’re sharing a neat way of displaying family photos at the ceremony. We love the idea of walking down the aisle past generations of family members, surrounded by your dearest loved ones!

Big hugs to White Rabbit Studios for sharing these photos!

From Rebecca, the bride: Prior to getting engaged, I became obsessed with Ancestry.com. I researched my own family back to the 1500’s, and then I started researching Sam’s family. I lucked out by discovering a family photo of Sam’s great grandfather (whom he’s named after) and his great-great grandparents. No one in Sam’s immediate family had ever seen this photo before, so I considered it a very exciting discovery! After that find I tried to collect and gather as many family photos as I could. I reached out to numerous extended family members, and eventually I had photos of all of our great and great-great grandparents. We even received a photo of Sam’s 3 times great grandparents, from 1855, 16 years after the first photography portrait was ever taken.

I think that it’s natural when starting a new chapter and embarking on a new life together, that we reflect on those in the past that came before us and contributed in no small way to who we are in the present. By searching through the old family photos we got the opportunity to connect to our past and learn more about one another and the new family that we are creating. Just as we wanted to include all our friends and loved ones in our wedding, we wanted to include those in our celebration who are with us only in spirit.

emily Written with love by Emily
4 Comments
  1. avatar Rebecca reply

    Thank you for including these photos from our wedding!

  2. avatar Loverly reply

    Such a special way to include and honor family members – love this!

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  4. avatar Kathleen LaFlure reply

    what did you find was the best way to attach the robbons to hang from the pews

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