Southern Weddings

I love talking about weddings (probably a good thing, considering my job!), but when I scrolled through Jo and JT’s celebration, I found myself a bit speechless. It’s so evident that they were truly present as they became husband and wife–they soaked in and really felt every single moment. It’s breathtaking and inspiring to see, and I know y’all will love taking a peek into their special day as much as I did!

Didn’t Brandon Chesbro capture these moments perfectly? We’re so thrilled he shared Jo and JT’s wedding with us!

The venue that we chose was a private residence where my cousin grew up. The current owner doesn’t typically do weddings on her property, but when she found out about my family, she invited us to have the wedding there. It was so special to us to be married in such an intimate and gorgeous setting.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? JT and I decided to do a first look, mainly because we were both nervous, and we were able to ease each other’s nerves by getting to spend some time together before the ceremony. The few glasses of champagne we shared helped as well!

JT and I are both musicians, and it was important for us to use songs that were meaningful to us. Some of those songs included the Harry Potter theme song by John Williams, “There She Goes My Beautiful World” by Nick Cave, and a few Max Richter pieces. During the ceremony, my bandmate Louis Johnson sang “But Beautiful,” which is a special song for my dad and I.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had The Prayer of St. Francis read: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.”

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? When JT and I sat down to eat brunch at the head table, we had a view of everyone sitting at their tables, laughing and sharing a meal. It was exactly what we had planned for our wedding day, and finally getting to see all of our loved ones in front of us was just perfect.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was the place cards. We had a poem from a book I bought JT for our one-year anniversary, “I Like You,” printed on them. It was a very special and personalized touch that meant a lot to us.

Having Brittany from Ring The Bell as our planner was such a treat. She made the day of our wedding stress-free and kept everything running smoothly. Since our wedding was very DIY-heavy, it was really nice to have someone there the day-of to make sure none of our details were overlooked.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Go easy on yourself. Don’t sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day, you are marrying your best friend and all of the rest is just icing on the cake…pun intended.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. JT and I met at a 4th of July party in Nashville. I was new to town and didn’t know many people there. He had been a local for 10 years and quickly noticed the “new girl.” He had noticed some of his friends checking me out, but when no one made a move, he decided to introduce himself. We talked and flirted all night, and after some much-needed liquid courage, I decided to ask if he would take me on a motorcycle ride. I put my number in his phone, and we made plans to meet up later in the week. Since that night, I can’t think of a day that I haven’t talked to JT. I always think it’s corny when people say “love at first sight,” but JT and I knew quickly that we found something special.
Tell us all about the proposal! Our proposal was very intimate and special to us, so we’re keeping some of the details to ourselves. What I can tell you is that it was raining, JT was on one knee, and I cried. It was Halloween, so we went to Target afterwards to find finishing touches for our costumes. We ended the night with a bunch of friends at a dive bar in Nashville, dressed as Wednesday Addams and a hand grenade (JT is pretty inventive with his costumes). Of course, there was a lot of showing off the ring.
When did y’all get married? November 8, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 120
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I didn’t do the typical dress hunt like most brides. My brothers-in-law actually found my skirt for me and had it shipped to my house! It fit perfectly and made the process really stress-free. I did go try on a few dresses at a store with a girlfriend as well, just for fun.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wanted to keep our vows traditional, but also specific to us. We wrote them with the help of our good friend and officiant, Raleigh McCool.
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We joked to friends that our marriage counseling was watching the show Parenthood and discussing it after each episode. Our real marriage counseling was spending a lot of time with married couples that we respect and look up to.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? JT and I didn’t feel we needed all of the bells and whistles to make our wedding special, which definitely helped us keep the cost down. Simple was best for us.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are enjoying sharing our first holidays and birthdays as husband and wife, and are looking forward to all of those to come.

Photographer: Brandon Chesbro / Planner: Ring The Bell Weddings / Venue: Private Residence / Florist: 57 Treasury / Cake Baker: Sweet Weddings / Caterer: Culinary Outfitters / Rentals: Taylor Rental / Band: Chad Howatt and Louis Johnson / Calligraphy: Megan Towle / Paper Products: St. Augustine Paper Co. / Menswear and Bride’s Skirt: J. Crew / Bride’s Top: Louloudimeli / Bride’s Hair Accessories: Urban Outfitters / Hair and Makeup Hues Hair Salon / Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles for BHLDN / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Annabelle” in Mayan Blue and Lapis Blue by Jenny Yoo

Written with love by Lisa