Southern Weddings

It’s a chilly day here in North Carolina… what a perfect day to showcase this lovely winter wedding! Brooke + Justin found inspiration for their celebration while on a hike in Colorado. The couple achieved a natural and organic vibe with handmade rustic programs, bridesmaids carrying lanterns instead of flowers, and a gorgeous woodland cake, to name a few of the natural elements incorporated into their celebration. Brooke fell in love with a {Monique Lhuillier} gown from {The Bride Room} and added a chocolate satin sash to make it her own.  Flowers by {Elaine Mccord Floral Designs}.  {Michael Howard} captured the special day at Wightman Chapel in Nashville, Tennessee.  Catering by {Chef Penelope’s Catering}.  Wedding cake by {The Sweetest Day}.  Bridesmaid’s dresses by {White House|Black Market}.  Planning by {Weddings by Mary Natalie}. Be sure to check out more of Michael’s lovely shots from this wedding on his {Blog}.  How unique and fun are these pinecone bases for the tall arrangements!?

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met after a show Justin played. I was friends with the musician he was playing for so we all went out to dinner afterwards, and Justin and I sat by each other.
Describe the proposal: We made our favorite dinner together at my place, and then when I was least expecting it he got on his knees and popped the question and then told me to put on a dress because all of our friends were at a restaurant down the street for our engagement party
What attracted me to my husband was: His love for God and people and his depth.
Why do you love your husband? Just because.
What attracted me to my wife was: Her smile and kindness
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Going on the road with him while he was on tour. It was a long date :).
The weather on our wedding day was: Picture perfect for January in Nashville, blue skies and 60 degrees.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Justin and I were on a hike in Colorado this summer, and we found the most beautiful pinecones everywhere. We wanted our wedding to have a natural, organic feel so those pinecones became the theme of our wedding.
Favorite design element of your big day: My programs were handmade by my mom so definitely those were a favorite and then I had the idea to have my bridesmaids carry glass lanterns instead of flowers. and they were so unique. They loved them.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My mom and sister flew in from Texas to surprise me the night I got engaged and my sister, being a new bride herself, was so excited that she informed me that she had already scheduled appointments for me to try on wedding dresses the next day. I fell in love with a Monique Lhuillier (Elle) ball gown. To make it a little more me and a little less ball gown, I added a chocolate satin sash that we tied in a bow off to the side in the front. When we all cried I knew it was the one.
Describe your wedding flowers: My bouquet was very natural with green cymbidium orchids, white lisianthus, freesia, lotus pods, seeded eucalyptus, and green hypericum berries. The altar centerpieces were beautiful arrangements of white French tulips, winter greens , berries, branches, and hydrangeas in tall glass cylinders with green apples. They were coming out of these large round vases made out of pinecones.
The reception decor consisted of many natural elements: Tall square vases filled with green apples, cedar, pinecones and tall white french tulips. Large short square vases filled with snow, votive candles, cedar and pinecones. Tall cedar branches coming out of birch bark wrapped containers. We had lots of wooden lanterns, pinecones, reindeer moss, snow , and winter branches lit up the dance floor.
Describe your wedding cake: My wedding cake had four tiers. It had an ivory base and then green ferns all over it! It could not have been more perfect.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Probably our programs that my mom handmade. Justin and I also added a page of all our favorite quotes at the back of our program.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I am not detail-oriented and my mom is, and we were trying to do it on a budget that was a bit tight so it was challenging to trust that all the hard work on the details was going to be worth it….BUT it most certainly was.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? No
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Seeing Justin as I walked down the aisle and taking our first communion together.
Funniest moment? We had a friend of ours teach the whole reception square dancing! It was a blast, and everyone loved it!
Hardest decision you made in planning? The groomsman suits.
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: I cant think of anything that happened that was unexpected!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Meaningful, Joyous, Beautiful
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Breathe deep. And remember in the planning why you are planning and that the most important part of the wedding is the person you are marrying.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Justin has another year of school, and I am focusing on building my career as a personal trainer and healthy lifestyle consultant.

Congratulations to Brooke + Justin.  We wish you the best as your careers take off!