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Southern Weddings

Author: Lara Casey

Today, we introduce you to Kelly + Ross!  This happy couple met online but within their first talk learned they had friends not only in common but their roommates were engaged to each other.  How ironic? The two had their chic wedding at the Portefleur with {Mathieu Photography} capturing all these details for us.  {Lilies of the Field} took care of all these stunning flower bouquets.  The wedding cake was crafted by {Rossmoor Pastries} and the evening food was catered by {Jay’s Catering}. The lovely violet {Jim Hjelm} bridesmaids dresses and Kelly’s {Maggie Sottero} bridal gown all came from {Marry Me Bridal & Formalwear}.  To see more shots from this cute couple wedding check out Mathieu Photography {Blog}.

How did the two of you meet? Ross and I initially met through a Christian dating website. However, within hours of our first conversation, we realized that our social circles were more intertwined than we thought. His housemate was engaged to my housemate! Ross and I truly were inseparable after that first date, and we got to share in the joy of our friends’ wedding just a few months later – as a couple.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? We were most inspired by the gardens and outdoor spaces at our venue. There was such an incredible amount of natural beauty that we didn’t feel the need to add much to it. We also used a lot of branches in the décor to go along with our wedding verse, John 15:5.
Favorite design element of your big day: The fiddlehead ferns! Ross’s aunt did all of the wedding flowers and she picked an incredible and interesting array of plants and flowers to complement the ceremony and reception. The fiddleheads were the perfect, whimsical addition to the day.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: We only had four months to plan the wedding so finding a dress was number one on my priority list! We were engaged on a Friday, and I found my dress just one week later with the help of my parents and future sister-in-law. I had high hopes of finding a dress that met my criteria (straps, lace, A-line), and the dress by Maggie Sottero was more than I could have wanted.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The Hawaiian leis! Instead of a unity candle, Ross and I decided to express our new unity through a Hawaiian Lei Ceremony. Our moms were involved in this portion of the ceremony – My mom presented Ross with a traditional maile lei, and his mom presented one to me.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Spiritual, joyful and personal.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Don’t get caught up the small stuff – crises will often work themselves out, and they’ll seem much more manageable after a good night’s sleep! Take it one day at a time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are excited to continue on this journey of learning, loving, and growing together.

Congratulations to Kelly + Ross.  We wish you the lifetime of happiness!

lara Written with love by Lara Casey
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  1. avatar Kristy R. reply

    The fabric at the base of the centerpiece is such a beautiful detail.

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Well, I’ve heard some stories about couples making their weddings special but this one was is pretty cool.  Anna always dreamed of having a wedding at her childhood grandparents home.  But over the years, Grandma and Grandpa moved away.  To Anna’s surprise, Josh knew the new owners.  The plan worked out perfectly as the two married underneath the trees Anna grew up among.  The event was catered by {Delectables by Holly} and cupcakes by {Confections by Carly}.  Capturing this wedding was {Wide-Eyed Photo}Enjoy your weekend!

What made your wedding special to you? When I was a little girl, every Sunday afternoon, my (large) family would go to my grandparent’s house to swim, ride horses and play German Spotlight. It was the best time of my life. When I was around 13, my grandparents moved to the mountains. When I met Josh I started going to his church. And to my excitement, the pastor of Josh’s church had purchased my grandparent’s old house, swimming pool intact! I knew it would be such an honor and a dream to have my wedding there, and they let us! We danced the night away under the same trees that I squiggled under as a six year old wondering what life would hold! My name is still written in black marker under the stairs! It was truly a dream come true.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I was able to design my dress, ring, and invitations!
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? To me, music choice is everything! You can have a picnic in the park and with the right music you will feel like you’re in a movie! Also, even though you want it to be perfect, don’t worry if it’s not- it’s only one day. I had so many creative ideas that we just didn’t have the energy or resource to pull off; you can always have a great party with all your other wedding ideas later! Also, have clear instructions for everyone; don’t expect your photographer to know whom your grandmother is if you want a picture of her- have someone to tell them! If it’s important to you, have someone in charge of it!
What are some ideas you were not able to do on your big day? My favorite idea we weren’t able to accomplish was to have ice cream cones served in a color scheme on a painter’s palette! With the hot weather and other restrictions made by our caterer, this turned out to be a drippy ordeal, so I settled for cupcakes. However, the cupcakes we had were amazing! Carly, of {Confections by Carly}, made us cupcakes with an international flair; Mexican chocolate, Tres Leches with a Fried Plantain, and Double Espresso. They were the best sweets I’ve ever had!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? After years of creative endeavors, I launched my own photography and artistic living company. So I am excited to continue doing creative things I love full time! Josh is continuing building different sport humanitarian/ministry projects and expanding in real estate and investing. We are both looking forward to learning, traveling and changing the world together!
Any DIY items? I made my earrings out of a vintage costume bracelet!
Favorite inspirational blogs or sites: {Whitebox Weddings}.

Congratulations to Anna + Josh.  We wish you a lifetime of happiness, creativity and changing the world!

lara Written with love by Lara Casey
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  1. avatar jessica reply

    the part about the groom knowing the current owners of her grandparents old home, gave me chills! amazing!

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This Friday we have a creative lady to introduce you to. Meet Anna of {Anna Naphtali Photography}. Anna fell in love with Josh and the two were married at The Chavdai House in North Carolina. Their ceremony was designed by the couple with fusions of Jewish tradition, prayer in Spanish, scriptures in German, blessings in Polish and an African-Indian officant.   It must have been a ceremony that was unforgettable! Other unforgettable aspects of this wedding include Anna’s dress.  The talented photographer also designed her dress and then had it created by Kathy Foster of Classic Bride.  The bridesmaids wore dresses hand picked out by Anna at various stores in the {BCBG} section.  The groomsmen wore suites in different shades of grays, whites and browns.  How chic!  Taking care of the beautiful flowers was {Fiore of Davidson}.  Photography by {Wide-Eyed Photo}.  More to come from this stunning wedding!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story: I had just moved back to Charlotte after living in Mexico, where I was studying Spanish and break-dancing! I found a group of amazing girls who got together on Wednesdays to learn to break-dance. I went on a trip to New Zealand and when I returned many of my “b-girl” friends were going to a Winter Ball. They were trying to get Josh to go and he said “Maybe, if you can get “that girl” Anna to go.” I normally would never put myself through an awkward night of dancing with a stranger, but having just flown around the world, I had some adventure left in me! We had several months of awkward run-ins, dates and conversations. At first I wasn’t so sure about him, but I soon realized he was worth the risk, and he turned out to be more than my dream!
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I wanted the wedding to feel whimsical, creative and international. We had vintage furniture holding all the gifts, ribbons hanging from tree limbs, European music wafting through the trees, wine and cheese on every table and a traditional French meal!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I had a terrible time finding a wedding dress and the ones I did like were super expensive. So I worked with a seamstress and designed my own dress, inspired by Oscar de la Renta, with my own personal flair.
Describe what was so special about your ceremony: When guests arrived they were greeted with the sounds of “Pink Martini” and Raspberry Lemonade. Everyone had a Polaroid taken as they mingled before they sat down. The wedding party was dressed in a brown, cream and coral color scheme. Everyone walked down the aisle to my favorite French movie soundtrack, “Amelie.” Little children ran out before me ringing bells to announce “the bride coming!” To represent my Jewish heritage I circled my groom 3 times but my dress was caught on his feet! To represent our love for culture, I had a Pastor pray in Spanish, my grandfather read a scripture in German, a family friend blessed us in Polish, and our Pastor is African-Indian!

More to come from Anna + Josh!

lara Written with love by Lara Casey
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Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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