This wedding was captured by Shawn Connell of Christian Oth Studio and planned by fete, who also did the decor and flowers. Take a look at the stunning Valentino gown that Ceara wore — I love the detailing on the sleeves! Those who liked the yellow bridesmaid dresses will be happy to know they are from the Jenny Yoo collection.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met as freshmen in college but did not start dating until our junior year. A few friends of mine were joining me at my family’s property south of Charleston for spring break, which also happens to be turkey season. I always knew Nate would love our place, as he grew up in northern Minnesota and was already an avid fisherman and hunter. I coyly mentioned my spring break plans to him one night and happily he invited himself before I had to. He was the first to arrive and within 24 hours he had bonded with my father, a fellow hockey defenseman, and crashed our Suburban. A few days later he got his first turkey and before the end of the week we were together.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? We immediately wanted the wedding weekend to be about the location – the marshy wetlands and diverse bird life of our land and the spirit of the house, which my late grandmother had decorated in sunny yellows and oranges. These inspirations were drawn upon to create a natural, elegant and light-hearted atmosphere. The paper products set the tone, all incorporating birds and the color yellow in some way—the invitation was the most formal, designed to open like an old-fashioned hand-written note. The ceremony was outside in a huge field dotted with hay bales (we found square ones for the guests to sit on). Mozart’s Magic Flute then greeted us in the dinner tent, which had a maze of long green silk-draped tables with silver candelabras and a peacock feather on each plate. After dinner everything shifted to the other side of the tent, which had a Moroccan feel—large elephant palms, mercury balls clustered above the dance floor and lots of cozy chaises.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I tried on dozens of gowns. When I first saw my dress on the rack I thought it was crazy—an explosion of lace and silk flowers. My fashion-forward little sister insisted I try it on and the moment I did I was in love, but worried it was not the easiest gown to wear. Over time I began to have visions of the beautiful lace train with its big, silk flowers against the grass of the field we would be married in. In the end there was no question that it was the dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: I wanted all of the wedding flowers to be natural and organic, like they had been plucked that morning and (skillfully!) thrown together. Jung and her team at Fete captured my vision perfectly and pushed it in new directions, suggesting sunflowers for the ceremony and bridesmaids’ bouquets to pick up the yellow of their dresses. For the dinner tent we sought a gracious, old-world feel, and the predominantly white arrangements worked beautifully.
Could some one please let me know more information on the bolero…My son is getting married in November and I would love to treat my daughter-in-law to be to this beautiful accessory!
What are the names of the flowers used in the bridesmaids bouquets, besides the sunflowers!? Please!