Southern Weddings

It’s true, wedding planning can be stressful, y’all. But, that said, it can also be a time to really grow as a couple–you can learn what is deeply important to your future spouse, and how to compromise. For Lindsay and Josh, their wedding planning served as just that: a way for them to become better partners in life through becoming partners in creating a day that truly reflected their love story. Our Blue Ribbon Vendor Kim Starr Wise even helped them add personal details into their florals by including peaches and oranges, a nod to their home states of Georgia and Florida. Another sweet detail I love? The vintage lights that are now hanging in Lindsay and Josh’s dining room as a daily reminder of the day they became husband and wife!

Big hugs to Kaylynn Marie for sharing this beautiful day with us!

P.S. Extra congratulations to Lindsay and Josh! They’re expecting their first child in December!

Our florist was incredible and spent a ton of time learning about us. At our first meeting, she and Josh were talking about where we are from (Florida and Georgia), and the idea of including peaches and oranges into the wedding was born. Additional inspiration came from our bridesmaid dresses (dark blue) and our love of burlap and lace. I knew that I wanted each table to look different, and our florist took it from there. The chuppah that we were married under was also her creation, and we loved it!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Hands down, weather was our biggest challenge. When we picked our wedding weekend, we knew we were smack dab in the middle of hurricane season and the day after the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We always had to be aware that canceling was a real possibility, and had to ask each and every vendor what their hurricane policy was. As it turned out, our venue had the best policy, and several of our other vendors changed their policies to match the venue’s, so we knew we would be okay in the event we had to cancel. Double planning for everything was a pain, but I’m so glad that we did. The morning of our wedding, it poured! It was so bad that the weather here was making news elsewhere. As soon as we boarded the bus to our backup portrait location, the rain slowed down and we ended up taking almost all of our pictures at a carousel inside City Park. Had it not rained, that part of the park would have been open to the public, but since the rain came, we had the carousel to ourselves and took SO many pictures there. Definitely a blessing in disguise!

Josh and I are super outdoors-y people, so we knew we wanted the venue to speak to that side of us. Finding a venue in New Orleans can be tricky because many, many venues are not big enough for a 200-person wedding, and that narrowed down our options quickly. Additionally, Josh had been to many NOLA weddings and wanted a venue he had never been to before to make our wedding special and different from all the others. We had heard that City Park had several great venues, and two specifically could accommodate our numbers. Both were pretty spectacular, but we ended up choosing Popp Fountain and the Arbor Room for the blank slates that they were. They were also right next to each other so our guests wouldn’t have to change locations after the ceremony–a rarity here. It all ended up being the perfect backdrop for our personalities.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows. We had a traditional Jewish ceremony and recited the traditional Jewish vows.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We chose “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri for me to walk down the aisle to because of our long history. We waited so long for one other, and we’d both wait 1,000 more years if we knew we’d still end up together.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We put so much effort into the branding of the weekend. The person who designed our stationery also designed every other personalized detail that went along with it, from the cocktail napkins, to the program, to the cake topper, to the go-cups and second line hankies (both NOLA standards). We knew what details we were willing to spend extra money on (the J&L vintage lights, our ketubah, the personalized cornhole set), and what meant less to us. I love that the lights now hang in our dining room and are an awesome accent that people always comment on. Our ketubah (marriage license) that hangs in our bedroom is a paper-cut, one-of-a-kind piece that is both a nod to our love of the outdoors and our first meeting at a camp. The trees are even arched to mimic the oak trees that line many New Orleans streets.

Knowing we had to feed a lot of people, we ended up with a four-tiered almond cake with strawberry filling. Our cake topper came from a suggestion by the woman who designed our invitations. We were chatting one day about cake toppers and she said she had someone who could laser cut wood. It sounded awesome and we said yes. I love having that topper in our home, mixed with some dried flowers from our wedding day.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. The story of “us” begins in the summer of 2002 at summer camp. Josh was a CIT at his summertime home, Camp Coleman in North Georgia, where I had signed on to be a counselor. While neither of us remember actually meeting, I know for a fact that our paths first crossed during color-war when we were placed on the same team. From there, a pretty fabulous friendship was formed, and over the next year, Josh and I grew closer while catching up at youth group events in Atlanta. Our paths didn’t cross very often after that year, as Josh headed off to New Orleans to spend four years at Tulane “studying” and I began my career in youth engagement in Atlanta, then Boston. All the while, we remained in touch and often caught up on the phone during long road trips. In late spring of 2007, Josh decided it was time to visit me and anticipated a fun weekend that would allow us to catch up in person. My roommates quickly fell in love with Josh (they were the smart ones here), and were so excited that I had a friend who could easily be “the one.” I, however, had to make things difficult and decided that a friendship was all I had in mind. After an awkward weekend in New England, Josh headed back to New Orleans, confused and heartbroken. From there, our friendship took a backseat and we lost touch for several years. We reconnected again via Facebook in September 2012, just a few days after my birthday. We picked up right where we left off, and a few months later, we decided it was time to see each other again and put the past in the past. I headed to New Orleans for a long weekend and it was clear very quickly that love was in the air. After a weekend laughing, exploring the town, and meeting many of Josh’s friends, we were a couple. In April 2013, me and my dog, Riley, moved to New Orleans to begin a new chapter in a new city with an old friend.
Tell us all about the proposal! For his birthday dinner, Josh made a reservation for two at his favorite restaurant (also the place we had our first official date). He parked way too far from the restaurant, and after walking over six blocks blocks in heels, I was less than pleased. Dinner and drinks were quickly ordered and I snuck over to tell the host that it was Josh’s birthday. After dinner and a little surprise birthday cheesecake, the bill paid (thanks to Josh’s Aunt Laurie), and a very generous tip left, it was time to trek back to the car. Josh casually mentioned walking along the river, when I felt the need to ask “Why, so you can propose?” Josh recovered nicely, and off to the riverfront we went. Within moments, I noticed a creepy dude following us with a camera, but Josh played it off as a tourist. A random bench appeared with unlit candles around it (it was windy, so the candles didn’t stay lit), and I assumed it was set up for something else, until Josh steered me to the bench, sat me down, and got down on one knee. As a teary-eyed Josh tried to fumble through a pre-planned proposal, I sat there asking ridiculous questions (“Is this for real? Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Is this really happening?”). When the ring appeared from Josh’s sock (because he was afraid I would pat him down!), I knew it was the real deal. The question was asked and I said “Yes!” After a few congratulations from onlookers and a quick hello to the two guys photographing the whole thing, it was time to make calls to our parents before heading to Josh’s “birthday party.” Of course, this was no real birthday party, but a surprise engagement party!
When did y’all get married? August 30, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 180
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Becoming partners in wedding planning truly made us better partners in life. We learned when the other felt something was deeply important and non-negotiable. We learned how to compromise so we both felt connected to a decision. We learned how to navigate our family’s wishes and concerns and weave them into our plans. Ultimately, we learned that effective communication is the key to a solid beginning. We’ve had to rely on each other a lot in the last year and I truly feel that having planned our wedding together helped us take on many of the challenges we faced during our first year of marriage.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We’re pregnant! Josh and I are expecting our first child in early December and we cannot wait to be a family. In addition, we’re moving into our forever home in just a few weeks and look forward to settling down and making our family’s memories under one roof.

Photographer: Kaylynn Marie Photography / Planner: Lara Mintz / Venue and Caterer: Popp Fountain and Arbor Room at New Orleans City Park / Florist: Kim Starr Wise / Cake Baker: Swiss Confectionery / DJ and Lighting: LA Music Source / Special Details: Plum Street Snoballs / Paper Products: Lionheart Prints / Bride’s Gown: Modern Trousseau / Bridal Salon: Wedding Belles / Hair Accessory: “Kayla” by Courtney Lee Collection / Jewelry: Hiller Jewelry / Hair and Makeup: Blush and Bashful / / Bride’s Shoes: Abeline Boots / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Kylie” and “Nadia” in Dark Cove by J.Crew / Groom’s Attire: Macy’s

Kim Starr Wise is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Marissa