Southern Weddings

I know everyone’s supposed to say this, but Jessica + Jeff just look so happy to be getting married!  I mean seriously, how comfortable and in love do the newlyweds look in these sweet portraits from Josh McCullock?  The college sweethearts celebrated their wedding in the barn at Vive le Ranch in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  See how the bride’s orange and green bouquet from Mom and Me Events perfectly match the early autumn foliage?  And for a girl who weathered some serious dress drama that would make most brides pull their hair out, Jessica looked positively radiant in her flowy Casablanca gown.  1 point Jessica: 0 points Bridezilla.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Jeff and I met at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  I was one of the Resident Assistants in the dorm where we both lived.   During the first week of school, we held a series of events to welcome the residents, and that’s when I saw Jeff for the very first time.  My first impression was that he was very friendly and outgoing.  I did have a bit of crush on him, but after that day it was never more than just a hello every time we passed each other.  I got busy with school and work and saw him less and less, so I eventually forgot about him.  A year later, we met again through mutual friends.  Little did I know, he also had a crush on me that first time we met. He took me out on a date and the rest is pretty much history.
Describe the proposal.  Jeff proposed at the restaurant where we had our first date.  This was two weeks before he was deployed to Kuwait.  It was bitter sweet: I was not looking forward to see him gone for 4 months, but at the same time I was very happy to be engaged and decided I could use the time he was away to plan our wedding and keep myself busy.
Three adjectives that describe the day are:  Fun, laid-back, sweet.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My hairpiece that was custom-made by a seller on Etsy.  I adored it so much, I didn’t ever want to take it off!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  It did not take me very long to find “the dress.”  I knew I wanted  a dress with a vintage look and lace was a must.  I found and tried on a dress by Casablanca and fell in love with it instantly, so I made an order, paid in full, and was told that they would call when the dress arrived.  I called them back four months later to check on the dress, only to find out the dress was never ordered because they forgot about it.  The worst part was when they told me that I still had enough time to go to a different store to order the same dress since they decided not to carry Casablanca dresses anymore.  Jeff’s parents felt really bad so they decided to call every store in Oklahoma to see if they had the dress in the store so we could just buy it off the rack, and they finally found one that said they had it.  When we got there, it wasn’t the dress, but it was very similar and also by Casablanca.  Long story short, I decided to get the dress.  Though it was not my original pick, it was just as pretty!  The dress was not everything so it wasn’t worth stressing over it for too long.

Remember, you have until Monday, March 1st to enter the Brion Hopkins giveaway for a chance to win a wedding photography package!

Written with love by Lara Casey

Ahh… Carillon Beach in February must be nice.  Heck, Carillon Beach at any time must be nice if Katie + Steven’s wedding photos (courtesy of the uber-talented Paul Johnson) is any indication.  The modish square tables, fresh white linens and alternating orchid + greenery floral designs (courtesy of Nouveau Flowers) were the perfect accent for a beach wedding.  How cute are the seashell accents on the five-tiered patterned cake from Confections on the Coast?  (Really cute, if I do say so myself.)

Describe your wedding cake:  Delicious!  But I assume you want an actual description: varying patterns (stripes, dots, latticework) with sea-inspired accents.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was:  There are so many!  I loved the lights: we had lanterns in the tent, candles everywhere, cafe lights around the dance floor, and our venue had white lights in all the trees and through the town that surrounded our reception space.  Also, our dinner was served on three tapas plates, which was a little different and gave people some great choices.  I also really liked the flip-flops that we gave the girls for tired feet.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  Travel arrangements proved especially difficult.  Carillon is a beautiful place, but not the easiest to get to.  We were so fortunate to have so many friends and family join us.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding?  No, but we did honor my grandfather with a signature drink.  He was a big Manhattan drinker and I think would have preferred to be honored with that, rather than something too traditional!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My dad’s speech.  It was funny, touching and uniquely him.
Scariest moment? Realizing my “waterproof” mascara had made a break for it and not knowing how long I had looked like that!  So all in all, nothing too scary!
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: Discovering how really terrible we are at dancing!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase/verse/or line?  No, but we did opt for a traditional Irish blessing over a Biblical reading.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?  We’re going to continue being good parents to our dog, which hopefully includes getting him a house with a nice yard.

Congratulations, Katie + Steve!  Enjoy your newlywed status, dog and (hopefully) that new house!

Written with love by Lara Casey

Who’s ready for a sunny beach wedding?!  Good!  Me, too.  And, as usual, the talented Paul Johnson is here to deliver.  And if the Carillon Beach location isn’t enough to put a spring in your step, just take a look at Katie’s radiant smile — that is the look every girl should have on her wedding day, don’t you think?  Katie is a self-confessed SW addict (love that!), and we would love to think we had a little something to do with her fabulous style choices, including her orchid bouquet from Nouveau Flowers, her tiered Liancarlo gown, and her kelly green bridesmaid dreses from the Vineyard collection.  We’ll be back soon with the equally-stylish reception!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  I was an intern in Washington, D.C. and went to a happy hour that turned into a few hours!  Fueled by some liquid courage, I approached Steve and we began chatting.  Not too long after, Steve asked me out… a week before I was supposed to move home.  But we went out every night before I left, and decided our fledgling relationship had a chance long-distance.  That was more than six years ago.
Describe the proposal:  Steve knows my love for all things Christmas, but after telling me several times it was impractical to get a Christmas tree because we were going to be out of town for the holiday, I sadly caved.  Then one night, I came home and he had brought home a beautiful tree with tons of white lights and a single ornament.  On the ornament was the ring!  His proposal was personal and perfect and I’ll always be grateful for such a wonderful memory.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fun, personal and natural.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding?  We wanted beach-elegant, but, most of all, we wanted people to have fun, which framed all our decisions.
Favorite design element of your big day:  Well, I loved Mama Margarita.  But I think in terms of statement and general appeal the lanterns in the tent were just phenomenal and looked stunning at night.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  I went shopping one time and when I put that dress on, that was it.  The other dresses I had been holding onto in the dressing room didn’t even matter anymore.
Describe your wedding flowers: I wanted mostly green and white with pops of fuchsia.  I didn’t know anything about flowers, so I pulled pictures of blooms I liked and deferred to my excellent florist, Christina at Nouveau Flowers.

Written with love by Lara Casey