Though they may be romantics, Sarah and Wes knew that they wanted to have a simple celebration when it came to their wedding festivities. The couple opted for a morning ceremony in front of a beautiful, yet understated, wall of roses and vines, followed by a brunch at one of their favorite Memphis eateries, Acre Restaurant. With such a lovely venue, they didn’t need to add much more decor, but of course, the talented Haute Horticulture added just the right amount. She filled the tables with vintage milk glass, fresh flowers, and locally harvested peaches that flawlessly showcased Sarah and Wes’ sweet peach, blush, and light blue color palette!
Their simple and refreshing wedding was the perfect addition to our ninth issue! We’re thrilled their planner and photographer, Annabella Charles, shared it with us!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? I bought my dress at Low’s Bridal, and I think I tried on maybe seven dresses before I decided this was the one. My favorite parts were the lace and the train. I have wanted a dress with lace and a train since I was a teenager!
I chose my colors (peach, blush and light blue), and let the florist have fun from there. We didn’t want peachy pink flowers against peachy pink bridesmaid dresses, so we went outside the box and went with these pretty light blue flowers called nigella wrapped with a matching light blue ribbon.
Our wedding was on August 1 at 10:00 A.M. at Acre Restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee. The wedding ceremony was held outside and the reception was inside the restaurant. It was absolutely stunningly beautiful. Acre is located in our favorite part of Memphis, where we spend a lot of time. We had a fairly small wedding, so the venue was perfect for us.
Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Wes: We got to choose our own music, so we walked back up aisle at the end to the theme song of our favorite TV show, The Office. Sarah: I loved that we got to choose our own music too. We also wrote our own vows, which was special.
Who participated in your ceremony? Family members, friends? If so, what did they do? Everyone in the bridal party was a family member. My sister was the maid of honor and my sister-in-law was the second bridesmaid. Wes’ father was his best man, and his brother and his sister’s boyfriend were groomsmen. Wes’ daughter was the flower girl.
What kind of food did you serve at your reception? We went with a brunch theme because of the early ceremony. We had bacon towers, doughnuts, chicken and waffles, and so much more. It was incredible.
What was the design inspiration for your reception? The great thing about the venue was that it is already designed so beautifully that very little was needed. Our amazing florist created this beautiful wall of roses and vines for the ceremony and reception, and the tables had vintage milk glass with flowers and locally harvested peaches in them. Since all of the fruit was handpicked locally and inexpensive, we were able to incorporate it everywhere in the décor. We tried to keep everything within the season to keep costs down.
Our cake was so beautifully crafted by Laura of The Flour Garden. To go along with our theme, the cake was put on a peach-harvesting basket from the orchard that the peaches were from. It was surrounded by beautiful fruit and flowers.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met in a local service program. We quickly became friends, and over time, our friendship grew, and eventually, we fell in love. We are both so grateful that we remained friends for a while before dating. This friendship is our foundation.
Describe the proposal: It was on Halloween, and neither of us likes Halloween, so now, the holiday has special meaning. He said that he needed to run an errand, and we drove to a local theater where we parked in this spot that is very special to us. It is a spot where we would go to sit and talk for hours–a spot where our relationship grew. It was just the two of us, and he asked me to marry him. It was the most romantic and intimate way he could’ve proposed to me.
How did you prepare for marriage while planning your wedding? Asking every couple we know in a long marriage what the “secret” is, and we went to marriage counseling for a little while before the wedding.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? We both love anything romantic, but neither of us cares for anything over the top. We prefer things simple. We chose some colors we like, I chose some flowers I liked, and we let Annabella (our planner) take care of pretty much the rest of it.
What was the most memorable or touching moment of your wedding day? Sarah: Seeing my husband-to-be standing and waiting for me at the end of the aisle. Wes: Taking my WIFE to a movie that night.
Did you try anything new or nontraditional? We decided not to do several of the traditional wedding festivities, like tossing the garter/bouquet, first dances, etc. Our focus during wedding planning was on what is most important to us: spending time with family and each other…and food!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are taking time to enjoy being married for a little while–continuing to date, going on some vacations, and just learning about each other and growing!
Photographer and Planner: Annabella Charles | Venue and Caterer: Acre Restaurant | Florals: Haute Horticulture | Wedding Cake: The Flour Garden | Bride’s Gown: Casablanca | Bridal Salon: Low’s Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: Francesca’s | Men’s Bow Ties: J. Crew | Paper Goods: Archer and Olive
Love the soft colors. I don’t think I’ve ever seen bridesmaid dresses like that in all my years filming weddings. The whole theme of the day looks great.