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Monthly Archives: October 2014

Oh my word, today’s post is pulling at my heartstrings! Three things in particular always make me homesick for Texas: Friday Night Lights reruns, bright orange sunsets (Texans, y’all know the kind!), and the thought of really good tacos. When the adorable Rachel and James sent us their five favorite date ideas, we couldn’t resist sending them off on a taco tour date for Southern Newlywed. This low-key date idea looks like so much fun, and even if you don’t live in a place surrounded by mouth-watering Tex Mex, it’s easily adaptable to whatever delicacy your home is famous for. Might I suggest a barbecue tour for my fellow North Carolina residents?

Thank you so much to Rachel and James for sharing with us, and to the talented Heather Hawkins for capturing this fun date!

By day: James is a Clinical Specialist with an emphasis on pacemakers and defibrillators, and I am the Director of Project Development for the Touch a Life Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides long-term rehabilitative care for children rescued out of slavery in West Africa and Southeast Asia.

How they met: We met in 2011 through a mutual friend who introduced us while James was in Dallas (where I lived) for a conference. At the time, James lived in Tallahassee, but we clicked immediately–on that first day, someone actually asked us if we were engaged. As he headed home the evening after we met, he told his friend that he was going to marry me–and he was right! After a few months of exchanged phone calls and a couple more visits to Dallas, we made our relationship official on July 1, 2011. James moved to Dallas a few months later–as a native Texan, he couldn’t have been more thrilled about the move. We got engaged in May 2013, and married the following April.

Their wedding: We got married on April 13 at Le San Michele, a beautiful outdoor venue located just outside of Austin. After our sweet ceremony in the gardens, our guests mingled amongst the beautiful plants and drank margaritas during cocktail hour. The reception was filled with family-style dining, champagne toasts, a surprise musical performance by the groom and his groomsmen, tons of freshly baked pies (blueberry, peach, and Heath toffee pecan, oh my!), and the most memorable dance party ever. It was the perfect day, and I often find myself reliving every single moment of it!

Rachel and James’ top five favorite date ideas:

1. Taco tours: We love tacos–like, a whole lot. Luckily, there is no shortage of taco joints in Dallas, so we’ve made it a commitment to try out all of the note-worthy spots in the area (we even keep a record of notes because we love tacos a little too much). We especially enjoy dog-friendly spots so we can bring Callie along. Some of our favorite places are Good 2 Go Taco, Velvet Taco, Rusty Taco, Torchy’s Tacos, and Taco Joint.

2. Picnics at the park: This is, hands down, one of our favorite ways to spend an evening together. We’ve celebrated everything from anniversaries and Valentine’s Days to job promotions and random Tuesday nights with a delicious meal (sometimes home-cooked, sometimes from our favorite Mexican restaurant), good wine, a blanket, our puppy, and each other while overlooking the water at White Rock Lake Park. Since we love this tradition so much, James actually planned his proposal to me accordingly and set up a table for two, incredible food, and string lights on one of our favorite docks. It was perfect!

3. Attending concerts: My husband plays a variety of instruments (and shares a name with an iconic musician) so he loves going to concerts. We like all different kinds of music, and we’ve seen so many great shows in Dallas together. We also love checking out local shows in Deep Ellum.

4. Meeting for fancy cocktails: When we want to have a night out on the town without spending a fortune, we like to compromise and hit up our favorite spots for fancy cocktails and appetizers. We’ll get dressed up and pick a spot that’s typically a pinch out of our price range (but justifiable if we’re just going to grab some snacks and sips at the bar). We love the food, drinks, and bar vibes at places like Gemma, R+D Kitchen, Bolsa, Meddlesome Moth, Stampede 66, Victor Tangos, and True Food Kitchen. We always order stiff drinks (I like martinis and specialty cocktails while James typically chooses whiskey) and a variety of savory appetizers to share.

5. Going to baseball games: James is a huge baseball fan, and I am a huge ballpark food fan, so going to watch Rangers games is a fun date night for us. James actually prefers to root for the Astros when they’re in town (and I typically cheer for the Cubs), but regardless, it’s fun to spend an evening watching baseball under the stars (and, on Wednesdays, consuming a few too many $1 hot dogs).

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

    Love these sweet ideas and sweet photos! Thanks for sharing, y’all!

  2. avatar Rachel Brown reply

    What an honor to have our favorite date night featured on this beautiful site! Heather is so incredibly talented and she captured our fun evening just perfectly. Thank you for this opportunity!

  3. avatar Erin reply

    Oh this makes me so homesick for Texas’ amazing tacos!!! Such great ideas!

  4. avatar Leon Bailey reply

    A date night with margaritas is always a great date night.

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By day three of Bridal Market, we were feeling a little bit exhausted, but thanks to the gorgeous fall weather, we woke up energized and ready for another exciting day! We saw a huge range of styles on Sunday, from sweet and classic to edgy and ethereal–further confirmation that there is a dress perfectly suited for every single bride!

Our wonderful photographer for the weekend, Briana of Divine Light Photography, snapped a few shots of our outfits in between capturing all of the bridal fashion–I wore a Lilly Pulitzer tunic that I bought during their summer sale, a J. Crew skirt, and Badgley Mischka heels. Emily borrowed Morgan’s adorable French Connection shirt, which she paired with Gap cropped pants and Express ankle boots.

Along with runway shows and private presentations, the main attractions of Bridal Market are the two convention center-type venues that house tons of amazing dress, accessory, and even shoe brands. We started our Sunday at one of them, The Piers, to check out the Nouvelle Amsale collection. If you love all things Amsale (like we do!), but have a lower budget set for your gown, we can’t recommend this line enough!

A few other favorite stops at The Piers were Elizabeth Dye (who designed the gorgeous gown Marissa rocked during our V7 team shoot) and Olia Zavozina. The buttons on the back of the last Olia Zavozina gown are actually pearls–Olia’s right hand gal, Somer (who the dress is named after), wore a similar design at her own wedding, and is having a necklace made out of the pearls. Such a great idea!

One of our favorite Bridal Market discoveries was Jane Summers–an adorable line of cocktail and little white dresses! Each gown is inspired by the trifecta of classic style icons, Grace, Audrey, and Jackie, and is complete with a few sweet surprises, like their signature “Carolina melon” lining. We wanted to pack up the entire booth and bring it back to our closets!

The Judd Waddell collection was such a delight to see. Classic brides, this is a designer you won’t want to miss–the silhouettes were timeless and the detailing was incredibly lovely and subtle. We couldn’t get enough of the sweet point d’esprit and scalloped lace he used!

The Ivy & Aster collection was inspired by travel and adventure. The Game of Thrones-esque hair and makeup were certainly adventurous on their own, but the gowns were also beautiful and artistic. Some of the simpler designs were our favorites, and the flower girls who kicked off the show were cute as can be!

Our last show of the day was at the incredibly gorgeous London Hotel, where Sareh Nouri was showing her new collection in the penthouse. The view was almost as gorgeous as the dresses! Sareh worked with famed lace maker, Sophie Hallette, to source the most luxurious lace and tulle, and the quality and craftsmanship of both the materials and the design were evident in each gown.

We ended the day at the Tassels and Tastemakers party, hosted by our sweet friends at Be Inspired PR and Lover.ly, which was so much fun! We loved seeing old friends, making new ones, and of course, posing in the photo booth!

We have one more day of Bridal Market to recap for y’all, but first, which gown is your favorite from day three? I love the pearl buttoned fit and flare at Olia Zavozina and the scalloped lace dress at Judd Waddell, and Emily’s top picks are the low back gown with floral appliques and the 3/4 lace sleeve gown, both from Sareh Nouri!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar ROSA NOVIAS reply

    Love these wedding dresses!Amazing

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It’s a good week here at Southern Weddings for my fellow pink and gold glitter-loving gals! After thoroughly gushing over yesterday’s wedding, I considered reigning in my enthusiasm a little for Katey and Matt’s post, but decided against it. If you know me, you know that when I get excited, I talk WAY too fast, so please read this quickly and drink in all the prettiness below!

As a wedding planner herself, Katey had so many creative ideas, but she knew she didn’t want to go overboard. Armed with Kate Spade as her inspiration and the beautiful Sanderling Resort as her backdrop, she created a perfectly preppy celebration! I think she found just the right balance of big and bright (hello ah-mazing paper flowers at the ceremony) and sweet and subtle (that LulaKate bow belt)! It’s also completely romantic that Katey and Matt held their wedding weekend in the same place where she realized he was the one for her–swoon!

I’m so glad Meaghan Elliot was there to capture this wedding!

Tell us all about the proposal! We were with my family in the Bahamas over the holidays. Although it seemed like the perfect time to propose, I had no idea it was coming, as we had briefly talked about getting engaged sometime in 2014 and then getting married in 2015. This vacation was in 2012! My sister and I gifted our parents with professional family photos on the beach as a Christmas present. While the photographer was snapping pictures, I turned around to check out the sunset, and when I turned back around, Matt was on one knee. It was the shock of a lifetime!

Oh, nelly! Wedding dress shopping was so much fun! For the first shopping trip, I brought my mom, sister, best friend, and a few aunts. We had a large group, but it was such a special time to share with some of the most important women in my life. I went back with just two ladies a few weeks later and found my dress! To make it more “me,” I found the perfect bow belt from LulaKate and a veil with three stripes on the bottom, which really helped complete my look and personalize it a bit.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes! I felt as though nothing would take away from that iconic moment when I walked down the aisle with my dad and saw Matt at the end waiting for me–even if we had seen each other before. I loved being able to see him and it helped settle a few nerves. We were able to get some pictures together and with the bridal party, which allowed us to enjoy more time with our guests after the ceremony.

Our bridal party walked down the aisle to “In My Life” by The Beatles, We thought that was a great song to celebrate all of our friendships with our bridal party. We went very traditional for the other songs–I walked down the aisle to “Bridal March,” and “Wedding Chorus” played when we were announced man and wife.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Matt and I were taking pictures on the beach at sunset when we came up over the dune to join everyone else who was already dancing. We stood up on top of the dune for a few minutes and watched our friends and family celebrating our marriage at one of our favorite places. The sun dipped into the bay and we went to join in on the party…we’ll never forget that!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: It sounds corny, but it was so amazing to have so many of our friends and family not only in the same state, but in the same 400-foot radius. Our loved ones are spread out all over the country and to have them all in the Outer Banks for a few days was so nice. As for the details, we didn’t even plan this, but guys ended up putting their escort card flowers on their shirt or suit pockets, so it was like all the men had boutonnieres. It really added a fun pop of color to the wedding in an unexpected place.

Describe your wedding flowers. Working with Renee Landry was fantastic, and with my ideas and her creative genius, we ended up with three looks for the tables. They were all rectangle or square and were inspired by a bright, colorful, Kate Spade look. We did small bud vases with massive peonies in them for the longer tables, and we sprinkled in garden roses as well. Everything was bright and bold and I loved it! We also spray painted artichokes gold to stick the table numbers in, and they turned out beautifully!

Since my family is from Pittsburgh and we are Italian, we followed a big Italian tradition in Pittsburgh of a cookie bar, where tons of family members bake cookies and serve them at the wedding. Since we had a destination wedding, we knew this wouldn’t exactly be possible. I ended up doing a cookie display with cookies that represented some of our favorite things–our hobbies, dogs, favorite sports teams, and of course, our monogram!

To see more of this gorgeous wedding, take a peek at Katey and Matt’s video by our Blue Ribbon Vendor, Blueberry Creative!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I lived in DC for awhile working on Capitol Hill, and then headed up to Baltimore to pursue a career in advertising. Mutual Virginia Tech alumni friends brought us together a few times, but it wasn’t until Halloween that we finally met while aboard the Urban Pirate Ship that sails around in the inner harbor in Baltimore (kind of a hilarious place to meet!).
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 225
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? I grew up going to the Outer Banks, and some of my fondest memories have happened there. After about a year of dating, Matt and I and some friends went to OBX in October for a long weekend. It was the first time many of my friends who didn’t live close by were able to meet Matt and hang out with him. Everything went so well (I figured it would, of course!), and it was on that vacation that I realized he was the one for me. How special to go back and marry him there! Guests stayed at The Sanderling, and we celebrated the welcome party, ceremony, reception, and brunch there. We wanted our wedding weekend to be a vacation for everyone.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had our bridesmaids read our wishes and promises to each other instead of readings. Some were funny and others were more serious–one wished us a lifetime of love, laughter, and strength through life’s ups and downs. In another, I promised not to not force Matt to eat all of the crazy healthy meals I make, like cauliflower pizza!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Being a wedding planner and working in weddings every day, it was hard to “stop.” I wanted to do so many things and had so many ideas/etc, but I didn’t want to go overboard or over budget. There’s just so much inspiration out there and it’s hard to narrow down ideas.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? More than $100,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? I had our bridesmaids carry the boxes with the wishes instead of flowers. Since I chose a very expensive flower for the reception, I knew we needed to save somewhere. It was a fun unique twist for bridesmaids, and it saved me from having to buy 12 bridesmaid bouquets! A few of the girls carried huge paper flowers too.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? When you and your fiancé need to do some planning, go to an interesting place, like a park, a bench on the water, a restaurant (with Internet of course), etc. That way, even if you’re talking about less fun topics, it is not as bad if you’re eating a great meal or watching sailboats go by–we did lots of planning on Baltimore’s waterfront! Also, it’s never too soon to start purchasing things for the wedding! After you nail down your color palette and vision for the day, if you see a cocktail napkin design on Etsy you love, order it, even if the wedding is still five months away. Nothing is worse than praying for a shipment to get in on time!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We just can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. We’re in such a great time in our lives–so many of our friends are having babies, buying homes, and creating their lives together. We can’t wait to join in the fun with them!

Photographer: Meaghan Elliott Photography / Videographer: Blueberry Creative / Planner: lemon & lime event design / Day-of Coordinator: Orangerie Events / Venue and Catering: The Sanderling Resort / Florist: Renee Landry Style / Cake Baker: Patti Cakes / Rentals: AFR / Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen / Lighting: Blue Steel Lighting / Band: Burnt Sienna / Paper Products: Fig2 Design Company / Bride’s Gown: “1103” by Blush by Hayley Paige / Bridal Salon: Garnish Boutique / Bride’s Jewelry: Kate Spade / Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel / Hair and Makeup: Amie Decker Beauty / Bride’s Shoes: Jack Rogers / Bridesmaid Dresses: LulaKate / Menswear: Perry Ellis / Dog Cookies: Sweet Kiera / Monogram Cookies: Sweet Goosie Girl / Beach/Ski Cookies: Miss Lizzy Cakes / College Cookies: Ruthie’s Cookies / Watercolor Calligraphy: Perch Paper Company / Cheers Signs and Bridesmaids’ Flowers: Lovelyfest Goods / Ceremony Music: Club Violin / Cocktail Hour Music: Hear Steel Drums Play / Escort Card Paper Flowers: Land of Flowers / Monogrammed Bouquet Ribbon: Oatmeal Lace Design / Wedding Signs: Sweet NC Collective / Custom Clutches: Bobbie K Designs / Table Numbers: Better Off Wed / Instagram Clay Vases: Hadley Clay / Koozies: Rouge and Co

Blueberry Creative, Orangerie Events, and the Sanderling Resort are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
12 Comments
  1. avatar Jenn – Wedding Supplies reply

    Amazing details for each any every component of this wedding design – adorable!

  2. avatar Calling Local Mama’s…. | Meaghan Elliott Photography Blog reply

    […] brides (Katey & Matt) weddings (think Kate Spade meets nautical… Outer Banks wedding) is featured on their site today! […]

  3. avatar Hadley reply

    What a beautiful, inspiring wedding! I’m SO thrilled my little instagram bud vase was included! XO

  4. avatar Lisa reply

    What a fun wedding!! Love all the creative ways they used navy and white stripes, and that ceremony space is a show stopper!

  5. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Katie and Evan did our blush and bashful-loving hearts proud at their beautiful Arkansas wedding! Katey and Matt‘s Kate Spade-inspired wedding took place at a sentimental beach […]

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    […] came across this video on one of Southern Weddings posts last week and fell in love with the paper flowers! No detail was over looked and they could […]

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  8. avatar 12 creative DIY centerpiece ideas for the crafty bride reply

    […] Meaghan Elliott Photography via Southern Weddings […]

  9. avatar Excited M-I-L to be reply

    I really must know where the Katey purchased the robes for the bridesmaids in the Kate Spade inspired wedding. Please, can anyone help me find those….??

    • avatar Lisa reply

      They are from Plum Pretty Sugar! Find them here: http://rstyle.me/ad/w7heabfdsf

  10. avatar 20 Lovely Soft Pink Wedding Bouquets – MODwedding reply

    […] Featured Photography: Meaghan Elliot via Southern Weddings […]

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    […] references: 1/ Wedding Bells 2/ The Glitter Guide 3/ The Glitter Guide 4/ Southern Weddings 5/ Lauren Conrad 6/ Best Friends for […]

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