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Southern Weddings

Author: Emily

Bride Lacie shares her colorful and joy-filled Texas wedding!

There is so much to love about today’s wedding. Despite having what is objectively a gorgeous celebration (those colors! that bouquet!), what truly shines in the photographs is Lacie and Stewart’s joy — so appropriate, then, that her advice to future brides is this:

“Your wedding will be beautiful no matter what. Your guests all love you, and they won’t be able to recall what flowers went in what vase — all they remember is how beautiful and happy you two looked, and how much fun they had. We live in a such a picture-perfect, social media/Pinterest-driven world, it makes us think we have to have all of these little things to make the perfect wedding, which isn’t the slightest bit true. And don’t ever lose focus of your relationship: planning a wedding isn’t more important than your relationship with your future husband. Your wedding is one day, but your marriage is forever!”

Too good to not include in full. Whether you’ve heard those words before or not, friends, I hope you let them sink in today!

Many thanks to Hannah Mayson for sending along these photos – especially the magical ones of Lacie and Stewart’s surprise confetti recessional!

The wedding invitations were definitely one of the hardest parts of planning. I’m a graphic designer, and have designed and letterpressed tons of wedding invitations. Choosing colors and style for myself was so difficult since I have such love for so many styles and colors! I can’t even pick a favorite color! I also hand drew the borders of each card insert and hand-letterpressed my invitations myself, so it was so much more personal to me.

Tell us your love story in one sentence. We met through mutual friends in a small West Texas town and dated long distance for four years.
Tell us all about the proposal! He proposed with his great grandmother’s wedding ring before dinner. I thought he was going to ask if his shirt looked okay, and when I turned the corner he was on one knee! I did not see it coming (but I love surprises!)!
When did y’all get married? November 11, 2017
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 220

My mom actually found my dress during a Reem Acra trunk show and sent me a picture. We quickly made an appointment, and after trying on a few dresses, everyone agreed it was the “one.”

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Before we were engaged, we spent Thanksgiving at my family’s ranch outside of Marfa, TX, and on our way home we both talked about how we loved the mountains and the feel of West Texas. When we got engaged, my stepdad was the one to suggest Lajitas. We visited the next week and fell in absolute love with the whole place!

What were some of the most meaningful or special parts of your ceremony? My uncle, whom I am very close with, is a pastor, so we knew we wanted him to do the ceremony. I trusted him completely and let him choose what he wanted to say. After our kiss and official announcement, we turned to our family and friends and all of a sudden confetti started raining down on us! I am obsessed with confetti, and my mom had secretly planned on handing out confetti wands to our guests. I had no clue it was happening! The pictures speak for themselves when you see my and Stewart’s reactions!

What was Southern about your wedding? Well, we had amazing food that was pretty Southern: it included beef tenderloin, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and much more! We also had the entire wedding party sit at one large table and served our food family-style. Finally, we did a South Texas spin on a New Orleans second line tradition: the mariachi band that led our guests from the ceremony to our cocktail hour! It was also a nice moment to honor my grandfather who had passed away two weeks before my wedding, who loved nothing more than mariachi bands!

Lajitas is a very remote location, so our guests came and stayed the entire weekend. We really got to see and spend time with all of our guests, which was amazing! Both of our love languages is “quality time,” and thats exactly what we got on one of the most important days of our lives.

We went traditional with our ceremony music, but our first dance song was called “Dancing Shoes” by Green River Ordinance. They are a band out of Fort Worth, which is where I went to college, and the song perfectly describes us. Not to mention, Stewart is not a planner, so the line, “in a world that gets lost in making plans just be my woman, yeah, and I will be your man” nails it! It’s my favorite line in the song!

What did you serve for your wedding cake or dessert? We chose a baker out of the city where I was living before marriage and close to where we both grew up. She makes the most delicious cakes — I didn’t care what we did as far as design, I just knew I wanted her cake! We served a bunch of small cakes and kept the design simple to make it easier to transport them from San Antonio to Lajitas. We also did a really fun groom’s cake with an oil rig, a Texas Tech golf bag, and a Spurs flag, because Stewart is a petroleum drilling engineer and a Spurs fan who graduated from Texas Tech!

Did you decide to do a first look? Yes, Stewart is usually not an emotional person, but when he proposed he cried — hard. I’m usually the crier, and I held it together because I had never seen that amount of emotion from him — it was a total surprise to both of us! We mutually agreed that it was best that we see each other first so he wasn’t as emotional in front of everyone. It was the best decision.
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day? The whole day was amazing, but standing as husband and wife for the first time and having confetti rain down on us as we walked down the aisle was magic – it felt like a dream. The confetti was so thick we could only see each other!
What advice would you give to someone currently planning a wedding? I tell any bride I come across not to sweat the small stuff. Your wedding will be beautiful no matter what. Your guests all love you, and they won’t be able to recall what flowers went in what vase — all they remember is how beautiful and happy you two looked, and how much fun they had. We live in a such a picture-perfect, social media/Pinterest-driven world, it makes us think we have to have all of these little things to make the perfect wedding, which isn’t the slightest bit true. And don’t ever lose focus of your relationship: planning a wedding isn’t more important than your relationship with your future husband. Your wedding is one day, but your marriage is forever!

Photographer: Hannah Mayson Photography | Videographer: Sight and Sound Films | Planner and florist: Viridian Design Studio | Venue and caterer: Lajitas Golf Resort | Desserts: Cakes by Cathy Young | Groom’s cake: The Exclusive Cake Shop | Band: Drywater Band | Paper products: Zella Press | Bride’s gown: “Dalma” by Reem Acra | Reception hair accessory: What Katy Did Next | Hair stylist and makeup artist: Angelica Zamora | Bride’s shoes: Valentino via Saks Fifth Avenue | Bridesmaid dresses: Dress the Population, Rachel Zoe, and Asos | Menswear: Tommy Hilfiger from Mens Wearhouse

emily Written with love by Emily
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Possibly because it feels like summer almost year-round in Florida, I always reach for this Sunshine State editorial from our ninth issue as the temperatures climb here in North Carolina. The vibrant color, thoughtful details, and Art Deco location add up to an inspiring look at how to make a wedding your own, especially if you’d like your celebration to reflect the destination you’ve chosen. Our St. Augustine location was a huge source source of inspiration for these photos, from the citrus and flamingo-inspired palette we used, to the tropical blooms Ashton Events arranged, to the graphic, Art Deco patterns that popped up throughout.

We’re so grateful to our longtime friend and Blue Ribbon Vendor Justin DeMutiis for capturing all the fun!

P.S. Spot any familiar faces in our beautiful bridal party? :)

Twinkle & Toast created the most beautiful and pop-y invitation suite to announce our colorful soiree. The die-cut invitation shape, inspired by Florida’s art deco pools, popped up several more times throughout the shoot.

Our bride’s bouquet, by Laura from Ashton Events, included Yves Piaget, Romantic Antique and Lemon Pompon garden roses; Coral Charm peonies; daffodil;, fritillaria; boronia; ranunculus; Mambo and Majolika spray roses; salal; fern; and gardenia.

Working with ghost chairs at your ceremony? Order vinyl cling-on names to mark reserved seating for loved ones.

It’s safe to say our whole team is obsessed with this tablescape, from the matte black chairs to the banded linen, colorful flowers, and poolside locale! Ashton Events, Wish Vintage Rentals, Luxe Party Rentals, and Kate Ryan Linens knocked it out of the park!

Planner, stylist, and florals: Ashton Events | Photographer: Justin DeMutiis | Film processing: Richard Photo Lab | Ceremony venue: St. Augustine Lightner Museum Garden Courtyard | Reception venue and catering: Casa Monica Hotel | Hair and makeup: Amanda Hopcraft | Cakes and desserts: The Pastry Studio | Popsicles: Hyppo Popsicles | Paper goods: Twinkle and Toast | Linens and rentals: Kate Ryan Linens | Rentals: Wish Vintage Rentals | Chargers: Luxe Party Rentals | Bride’s gown: Kate Spade New York | Bride’s veil: Yuri C. Wedding Shoppe | Bridesmaid dresses: Ralph Lauren | Menswear: The Black Tux | Bow ties: Rock Avenue

Ashton Events and Justin DeMutiis are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
3 Comments
  1. avatar Janna Toruno reply

    My bachelorette is going to be in St. Augustine! Love this Florida wedding inspiration! :)

  2. avatar Jennifer Anderson reply

    I love all the pops of color at this wedding! Makes me miss home! (I was raised in Florida!)

  3. avatar Kelsie reply

    What a beautiful wedding day!

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I’m about to get a little sappy, friends, and I’m not even ashamed of it.

No matter how many photos I’ve seen of anniversary sessions, I will literally never tire of them.

That’s because one of the most cherished dreams of my life is reaching old age with my husband, because that means we will have had the opportunity to live all of those years alongside each other – something that not everyone is so lucky to do.

If I am granted those years, I can’t help but think that I’ll look at the age spots on both of our hands with tenderness instead of regret or disgust (reactions which seem so common in our youth-obsessed culture). Those age spots will mean we’re still by each other’s side, holding each other’s hands. And in a world where it seems so easy for things to go wrong even for people who do everything right, that is nothing short of a miracle.

Friends, please enjoy these anniversary photos of Judi and Dave, by their friend, photographer Hannah Forsberg. And don’t miss the thoughts from all three of them, sprinkled throughout!

From Hannah: In a culture that often treats love and marriage as disposable, Judi and Dave are a couple that have a beautiful and rare story of just the opposite. Not only are they such a joy to be around and wonderful mentors, but they are also dear friends. I’ve had the privilege of watching their marriage for years and the way they love each other unconditionally is an inspiration and testament to the popular verse that is so often recited during weddings — “love never fails.”

While getting coffee with Judi and hearing her advice on love and marriage, I realized that I needed to share their story with the world. During the wedding planning process, it is so easy in this visually-driven society we live in to become caught up in the things that will pass away – forgetting that your marriage is what matters most and that it is hard work. Love goes beyond the wedding day. You only have your venue for a few hours, your flowers will fade, your wedding dress will go into storage, and your wedding album will be sitting on your living room table. But your marriage? That is what matters most and that is what will have the lasting effect. I hope that these images serve as a reminder that love is a commitment – a commitment of humility, patience, and forgiveness.

From Dave: Judi and I met in Cheyenne, Wyoming where I was serving in the Air Force and Judi was attending stewardess training for United Airlines. It was a short four and a half weeks of getting to know one another, but in that short time, we fell in love and promised to marry each other. The only obstacle was I had an overseas commitment left in my tour of duty. I was sent to Puerto Rico, and we began writing letters to each other every day for the next two years until I finished my tour of duty. After I was able to obtain leave of service, we became engaged over a New Year’s weekend on January 1st, 1963 at 12:01am. We married that same year in September after I was discharged.

What was important to both of us was to be together after waiting and being separated by distance for almost two years. We had hardly any money, so our wedding day was very simple. We loved each other, and that is what mattered. Our wedding was one bridesmaid, a borrowed wedding dress, and one best man in a church in Judi’s home town of Downers Grove, Illinois.

My favorite thing about Judi is that she loves learning and is very diligent in her pursuits. She makes wise choices with her gift of creativity, which is shown in every room in our home. She is always industrious, and I love telling others how much of a Proverbs 31 woman she has become in our almost 55 years of marriage. She works hard, plans ahead, respects me greatly, is a wise counselor, and is a wonderful model of a Godly woman.

From Judi: What I love about Dave is that he is a patient man, asks good questions, and is not a rash decision maker. I have learned a lot from him. He is conservative by nature, orderly and thorough at everything he does. I trust him implicitly. He is kind and generous and has given me a lot of freedom to develop my interests without demanding anything from me. Of course, this causes me to want to serve and love him more. The most honest thing that I can say about love is that love is learned behavior. It can be romantic, but often it is just living and serving each other, working together toward healthy living with family, children, parents, in-laws, etc. The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years and give as advice to other couples is to accept each other and don’t try to change the person. Pray for your spouse, ask God to make changes in YOU, and let God move your spouse’s heart.

Photographer: Hannah Forsberg | Film Lab: The Find Lab | Florist: Ginger Rose | Hair stylist and makeup artist: Erin Ryser | Calligraphy: Morphosis Studio | Cake: Gingerspice Bakery | Lace Top: BHLDN

emily Written with love by Emily
2 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa Hays reply

    What a sweet couple! They are indeed lucky to have had each other for such a great period of time. My husband and I were high school sweethearts who went our separate ways but came back together and blended 2 families. We knew we not might see 25 years but we are praying for 20 as he battles cancer. To all the sweet, young brides I say follow Judi’s wisdom and be thankful for every day since we are only promised today.

  2. avatar Sara Dunn reply

    Oh my gosh! What gorgeous photos. Don’t apologize for getting sappy, this is so beautiful. I hope my husband and I can do this 43 years from now ;)

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