Southern Weddings

In the middle of January, Samantha and Micah’s lovely Hilton Head wedding is a breath of fresh air! Inspired by Samantha’s family’s beach house, they set out to plan their Southern coastal wedding, complete with sentimental family heirlooms, lovingly DIY-ed details, and most importantly, an “outdoor church.” With a grove of trees covered in Spanish moss acting as the roof, Samantha and her family hunted down the perfect vintage doors and windows to display, creating an intimate space for the ceremony. Truly, every part of Samantha and Micah’s big day was a celebration of their love for God and one another!

Big hugs to Blue Ribbon Vendor Amy from Amy Arrington Photography for sharing Samantha and Micah’s wedding with us!

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I borrowed my mom’s diamond necklace and earrings. I also used my sister’s veil (she got married four months before me!). For my something old, I wanted something from each of my grandparents with me on my wedding day. My mom’s mother gave me a ring she always wore, that she knew was my favorite. She also let me borrow her locket (featuring a picture of her and my grandpa inside). I also had an old cameo broach from my father’s mother that goes back four generations. I hooked the brooch and the locket on my bouquet. My something new was my dress and my lavender shoes! My favorite item was my getaway dress. My mother, sister and I redesigned my mother’s wedding dress, and my sister also used it for her wedding rehearsal dinner dress–I guess you can say it was old and borrowed! My something blue was my garter, but I also wore my mother’s garter from her wedding day!

My family has a beach house on Hilton Head, and Micah, my family, and I have been collecting driftwood for years. I wanted to incorporate the driftwood into the decor to give everything a low country, natural feel. Henry, the owner of The Flower Garden, understood my vision and made it happen! My bouquet was a mix of greenery, white flowers, and lavender. It was wrapped in a piece of lace from my mother’s wedding dress, finished with jewelry from my grandparents.

Essentially, we built an outdoor church. My mom, sister, and I hunted through flea markets to find the perfect doors, and then refinished them while my father constructed a frame for them so that they opened and closed functionally. The wreaths on the doors were made in memory of my deceased grandfathers, decorated to honor their military service and personal interests. There were six church windows specifically place along the aisles to represent our outdoor church setting, and the beautiful Spanish moss-filled oak trees acted as our church roof. The cross at our altar was made from 100+ year old wood and designed by a local artist.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided not to do a first look. We are pretty traditional in that way and wanted the first time we saw each other to be when I walked down the aisle! Honestly, I’m so glad we did it this way. I did, however, have a “first look” with my father. It was so special and a moment I will never forget!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We didn’t write our own vows; it was important to both of us to say traditional vows. However, my uncle and Micah’s cousin officiated out wedding. They told stories about us as a couple and made the whole ceremony personal and Christ-centered. It meant so much to us to have family as our officiants!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We chose two readings, Mark 10:7-9 and Colossians 3:12-13. These two verses really stood out to us during our premarital sessions with our officiants. We thought both of these verses displayed the love and the kind of relationship Micah and I strive for.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our ceremony underneath beautiful oak trees with Spanish moss set the tone for our Southern coastal wedding. The historical venue dated back 300 years. Each guest was given a welcome package with sweet tea or lemonade and a few of mine and Micah’s favorite goodies. The reception food was also very Southern–we served dishes such as shrimp and grits and pecan-crusted chicken.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. I found inspiration for our wedding cake from a picture in a magazine, and our baker made the cake look ever better than I could have imagined! We had two flavors–Micah chose white chocolate cake with raspberry filling and I chose vanilla cake with strawberry filling. The outside had an awesome buttercream frosting decorated with fresh olive branches and lavender.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met on the first day of our freshman year in religion class at Presbyterian College. Micah was the smart, cute guy who sat behind me. As we got to know each other, we started to spend more time together and became close friends. However, we didn’t make it official and actually start dating until our junior year.
Tell us all about the proposal! Micah: I came home from law school in Virginia for fall break, having planned with the Thomas/Black clan that this would be the weekend I would propose. My mom planned to cook an elaborate celebratory dinner for our families after I popped the question, but she needed time to prepare for everything without Sam becoming suspicious. So, I decided to take Sam to Table Rock Mountain to hike for the afternoon. I should mention, it’s a very difficult hike and I made Sam do it with a torn meniscus. After our hike, we returned home to my family’s farm, and went to the dock overlooking our pond. While we “waited on my mom to finish cooking dinner,” I tried to hide my nerves as we talked. As we began to leave, I told Samantha that I loved her and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I got down on my knee and asked her to marry me. Of course, she didn’t believe this was really happening, because I may or may not have done several “fake proposals” during our five years together. However, when she saw the ring, she realized I was serious. Both of our families were waiting on us at my house, and we had a wonderful evening celebrating together.
When did y’all get married? October 5, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 140
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I had visited several bridal shops with my mom and sister looking for “the dress.” After having a pretty bad experience at one of them, I felt a little discouraged. However, Wedding Angels in Roswell, GA was fantastic! I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and the wonderful staff members helped me find the perfect dress. I knew it was the one the moment I stepped into it and my mom started crying!
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I didn’t want traditional wedding songs, but I love the elegant sound of the cello! Our cellist worked with me to come up with contemporary Christian music that sounded awesome on the cello. My bridesmaids walked in to “A Thousand Years,” the same song my sister had her bridesmaids walk down the aisle to. I walked down the aisle to “Never Once.” I loved the lyrics and the meaning behind the words. A sweet friend sang “10,000 Reasons” as Micah and I lit the unity candle. This was one of my favorite parts of the day and it was special to have her singing for us. Our first dance was to “Keeper of the Stars.” Choosing the mother/son and father/daughter songs were the easiest decision of the whole wedding–we had both known what we wanted for years! Micah danced with his mother to “Landslide” and I danced with my dad to “My Girl.”
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? My sister and I got married four months apart, and neither of the weddings took place in our hometown. Obviously, that comes with a lot of added coordination, but the biggest challenge for Micah and I was being so far apart from each other. Micah was awesome, and whenever I asked his opinion on different things, his response was pretty much always the same: “whatever makes you happy.” That being said, it’s hard to plan a day all about the two of you when when your other half is states away.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? One would be our officiants: my uncle and Micah’s cousin. They both did a great job making our ceremony God-centered and so personal to us. My other favorite vendor had to be Amy Arrington Photography! Amy and Brandon also shot my sister’s wedding, so they are beginning to feel like family! We loved their focus on lighting and their laid-back personalities. They are both so sweet to work with and we couldn’t have been happier with the incredible pictures they took!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Samantha: My most memorable moment was lighting the unity candle while a very close friend sang. It was the first time that I was able to take a few moments to breathe and just focus on Micah and I. Micah: My most memorable moment was saying the wedding vows to my wife. Looking at her and telling her on our wedding day that I would love and support her for the rest of my life, no matter what, will always stand out in my mind from that day.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Have your wedding reflect the two of you as a couple. If you are really creative and like to do things yourself, do that. But if that’s not your thing, don’t stress yourself out. Think about the things that make the two of you unique and incorporate those things in your day. It helps make wedding planning fun and special instead of stressful.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We have had a long distance relationship for the past three years as Micah went to law school in Virginia and I got my Master’s degree in Atlanta. We love just finally being together and starting our marriage in a new town in South Carolina. We are looking forward to building a family together and creating a God-centered marriage!

Photographer: Amy Arrington Photography / Videographer: Artifice Films / Venue: Coastal Discovery Museum / Florist: The Flower Garden / Wedding Cake: Frankie Cakes / Catering and Wedding Coordination: Celebrations Catering / Lighting: Hilton Head Event Lighting / Band: The Vistas / Bride’s Gown: Wedding Angels /
Invitations: Coppia Creativa / Programs: Papel Custom Design / Napkins: With Love and Ink / Hair Stylist: The Hair Designers / Makeup Artist: Kiah from Skinzin / Bride’s Shoes: Bandolino / Bridesmaids’ Dresses Bill Levkoff / Men’s Attire: Jos. A Banks / Ties: Saks Off 5th / Bridesmaids Jewelry and Robes: Anchor of Hope Designs (the bride)

Amy Arrington is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Lisa