Southern Weddings

Pre-wedding shots at a local baseball field… now there’s a way to make your wedding pictures stand out and your own personalities shine through.  Not surprisingly, I think this is what we love best about Erin + Matt’s wedding, photographed by Caleb Chancey!  The bride, in cute white leggings and matching Converse sneakers, and the groom, with baseball bat and glove in hand, made their Alabama nuptials all about them.  Erin was effortlessly vintage in a high-neck halter gown from David’s Bridal and her mother’s heirloom veil, and her ten attendants were equally chic (and warm!) in navy David’s Bridal frocks and cold-weather ready pea coats.  The girls carried wild + rustic bouquets designed by one of the bride’s close friends.  (We love Caleb’s work and think you will, too!  Take a look at his post of Erin + Matt Birmingham wedding.)

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We met at Samford University through mutual friends.  I was in town during a long winter break my senior year and Matt was living in Birmingham working part-time after graduating that December.   We both spent most of our free time at our mutual friend’s apartment and really began our friendship there.
Describe the proposal.  Matt and I took a road trip to Glacier National Park, Montana last July.  I was hoping that he would propose while we were there, but we got in a huge fight the first day.  He asked me if I was happy in our relationship and I told him I was ready to move forward.  That was the answer that Matt was looking for, but he had not thought of a good follow-up, so he mumbled something vague about trusting that we were in this place for a reason.  I was upset with him the rest of the day, so when he proposed the next day it was a complete surprise!  He asked me to marry him as we were hiking Avalanche Lake.  It was gorgeous and perfect!  I, of course, said yes and we spent the rest of the day celebrating!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Relaxed, cozy and fun.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I tried on a number of dresses at different bridal boutiques, but could not find one that fit my simple style.  My mom and sister finally talked me into going to David’s Bridal, and the one I ended up getting was one of the first that I tried on. I knew instantly that it was exactly what I was looking for!
Describe your wedding flowers: Rustic and wild… beautiful!
Describe your wedding cake: Delicious!  Our primary focus in selecting a wedding cake was taste.  We had Malinda make a small white cake with her famous swiss meringue buttercream frosting for the bride’s cake as well as a lot of different flavored cupcakes (including tiramisu and coca-cola) so everyone could have something they liked.  Matt had a friend make his favorite key-lime pie for his grooms “cake.”
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? A short engagement (only 4 1/2 months!) and a small budget.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment was right after we walked down the aisle after the wedding.  We were just so giddy and happy that we were able to spend some time together outside of the church before leaving for the reception.  Matt says his favorite moment was our inability to contain our joyful giggling through our vows.
What was your favorite element of your wedding?  I loved how involved all of our friends were in our wedding.  We have extraordinarily talented friends, and we wanted to include them in as many aspects of our wedding as possible.  We had friends play all of our music at the ceremony, as well as our first dance, father/daughter and mother/son dances.  Our friends decorated our reception site, made our cake/key lime pies, did our flowers, did our photography (thank you, wonderful Caleb Chancey!), created our tree guestbook, and so much more!  We are extremely lucky to know all of those wonderful, talented people.   Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line?  “To strive for your holiness and encourage you to press on and know the Lord, praying for God to keep us faithful to the Gospel and to each other as long as we both shall live.”
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? Living the ups and downs of life together, traveling, and raising a family to know Christ.

Congratulations, Erin + Matt!  Enjoy this incredible journey together.

Written with love by Lara Casey