Southern Weddings

Pink + sparkly Kate Spade dancing shoes, a perfect Southern bump, a custom monogram, lush pastel peonies… oh my heavens, y’all, I’m in heaven! Pink sparkly heaven! Angelica + Colby’s romantic Texas nuptials were filled with some of my very favorite wedding details, but classic and romantic didn’t always describe A + C’s relationship. In fact, Colby told us, “If someone had told my wife that she would be marrying me after we first met, she probably would have punched them.” We’re sure glad that after awhile the two reconnected for a more amicable time, and of course, this sweet day. Plus, I don’t actually believe Colby: check out his face as Angelica comes down the aisle. That’s one smitten kitten!

Big hugs to Jake Holt for not only capturing all the pretty details, but also such awesome moments (dying over the thumbs up shot!).

If I had these Kate Spades, I’d wear them to the grocery store! Scouts honor!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
If I said it was the first and only dress I tried on, you’d think I was kidding, but I’m not! We had gone to Joan Pillow Bridal “just to look.” I browsed the dresses and saw one I liked. “This will do,” I told my mom. Since we had some time to think about it, she told me that if in a month I was still dreaming of that dress, it was mine. A month later we made an appointment, tried the dress on, and ordered it! It was the perfect dress for me, my body, and my dream wedding. My consultant at Joan Pillow was told me I could try more dresses on for fun if I wanted! So I did, just so I could say I tried on more than one!

Angelica, your Southern bump rocks my world! Pure Southern hair perfection!

Describe your wedding flowers. 
They were perfect! I wanted a romantic, spring look and what we got was 100 times better than what I ever expected. The peonies were full and fragrant, the roses were perfectly bloomed and the orchids, ranuculous and hydrangeas were the perfect shade of pink! My bouquet was exactly what I wanted — full of peonies, roses, and rhinestone-studded stephanotis all wrapped up with a tulle tutu! I had saved a photo of this bouquet from Southern Weddings before Pinterest and my florist made it better than I could have imagined! All the arrangements were large, full and soft — perfectly accenting the ceremony and reception.

Y’all, Angela’s pink tutu bouquet inspiration is right here! Gorgeous!

We love that Angelica brought a photo from Southern Weddings to her florist, but I’d have to say this floral goodness below is out of control!

Come on, Colby’s expression is absolutely my favorite detail of this wedding! A-dor-a-ble!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? We did not do a first look. All during the planning, Colby had insisted on seeing me for the first time when I walked down the aisle in my dress. I knew it was his day too, so we skipped the first look. He is very traditional when it comes to certain things and this was a non-negotiable! It was so wonderful walking down the aisle and seeing him as happy as ever. The raw emotion was 110% worth it, but it was SO hard not telling him about and showing him my dress!

Did you write your own vows? 
I wanted to recite traditional vows and Colby wanted to write our own, so we compromised by combining different traditional vows, written in our own words. I just think there is something so romantic about reciting vows that people have been using to unite themselves in marriage for years and years, but thought it was so “us” to make them our own.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
We had two readings during the ceremony. The first one was E.E. Cummings’ “I Carry Your Heart.” We had asked my dear cousin Michele to pick something to read and she said if she were to have had a reading at her wedding, this would have been it! We also had Romans 12:9-12 read during the ceremony. Colby’s cousin Tucker read in on behalf of his sister Jennifer who couldn’t be there because she had just completed a bone marrow transplant and was in North Carolina healing. (She’s now cancer free!)

There were a lot of family heirlooms used throughout our day. The alter was an antique hutch that my great grandparents had when they were young; I had it refinished for the wedding, and now it’s our favorite piece in our house! We also used a cake knife that everyone in my family used at their weddings. I wore my great grandmother’s necklace that all the girls have worn in their weddings, and carried my grandmother’s handkerchief with me down the aisle. My something blue was a sorority tradition, and Colby changed bow ties and into a white dinner coat after the ceremony. We also served individual Frito pies as our late night snack!

The cakes were delicious! The wedding cake was a Chambord-soaked yellow cake, with vanilla mousse and fresh raspberries. It was SO good. I hope the cake tier we have in the freezer tastes half as good as it did on our wedding day! The groom’s cake was a traditional red velvet cake that was an absolute replica of the Rolling Stone’s “Let It Bleed” Album. The Stones are Colby’s favorite band, and other than not having a first look, this was the only other non-negotiable! The Four Seasons Pastry chefs make a red velvet that you dream about.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. My mom really wanted to dance down the aisle to “Brick House.” She has a funny sense of humor! We had classic selections instead, though. I walked down the aisle to “Moon River” by Henry Mancini. It was just one of those classic romantic songs that sounded beautiful performed by strings. During the ceremony, my brother and cousin performed “Your Song” by Elton John. My mom picked it out, and since then, I hear it all the time! The recessional was “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. It was especially fitting since it had rained the entire week leading up to the wedding. Our first dance was to “It Had to Be You” by Frank Sinatra. It’s such a classic love song and fitting for our big band during the reception.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
(From the groom) Classic romantic stories do not apply to us whatsoever. In fact, if someone had told my wife that she would be marrying me after we first met, she probably would have punched them. Well, maybe not punched, but she definitely would have given them the stink eye. When I was relocating back to TX, we were introduced at a local Houston watering hole by mutual friends who were dating at the time. I was seeing someone, and she was wrapping up her college career. It wasn’t really a set up to begin with, but I was a bit of a jerk, and she made it very clear that I was acting as such. At the end of the evening, we went our separate ways. Six months later on my 25^th birthday, I had finally moved back to Texas and found myself freshly single (as in,  we broke up on my birthday) and hanging out with the same mutual friends in Austin. Angelica was also in attendance, and while she was still convinced I was a bit of a pompous jerk, she knew that I was in the middle of a quarter-life crisis and was extremely compassionate. She helped me through a pretty bad birthday weekend. Over the remainder of that summer we stayed in close communication and began dating. The rest, as they say, is history.
Describe the proposal. 
I was supposed to fly to Dallas with my boss for a day trip to go shopping for clients. We got to the airport, and right as we’re about to go through security, my boss turned to me, handed me a sealed envelope and said, “This is where I leave you. Colby is waiting for you.” I went to find Colby and was shocked. I didn’t pack anything but he assured me that everything was okay, that I had luggage, and that my mom was on her way to Austin for the weekend to watch our dogs. He promised no more surprises, and I was so relieved and happy. On Saturday morning, we had a lovely brunch at Farmer Brown and then walked all over the city. Colby kept saying, “Let’s go over there and take pictures,” which I found weird since he really doesn’t like getting his picture taken. Later, we walked down to the water at Baker Beach and it’s at this point when Colby starts texting someone and checking his watch. It was getting a little annoying, so I said to him, “Why do you keep checking your watch? Is something magical going to happen at 4pm?” Apparently so. A few moments later he looked at me and said, “You know how I said no more surprises? I lied” He got down on his knees and said, “I have something to ask you. Will you marry me?” I’m bawling at this point and he’s smiling from ear to ear. Of course I said yes! He pulled the most beautiful ring out of his pocket and put it on my finger. I turned around to see some people walking over. It was my best friend Carmen and her dad with cameras! Colby had them in on the surprise, too!
In what month did you get married? 
May
How many guests attended your wedding? 
120
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
For me, it was the sequined linens and our custom monogram. The linens were something that I had dreamed about for so long, that when they arrived and I saw the room come together, it was magic. Our monogram was splashed all over the wedding and now, our home. It’s traditional, but fresh. For Colby, his favorite detail was his Rolling Stones-themed grooms cake and the home-brewed Honey Basil Wheat Ale that he brewed as our favors! It was a huge hit!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
Keeping all the families happy (also known as the battle of the bride’s side versus the groom’s side). I won’t go into detail, but make sure that when you talk to each side of the family, that you make sure they know the wedding is about you and your fiancé, and the joining of two families, not anything or anyone else. We had a few moments of sheer insanity a week out and it was really hard to look past that. Luckily for everyone, we decided not to run off and elope! The wedding went on blissfully and even if certain people decided not to speak to us the entire weekend of the wedding, it was perfect!
What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$25,000-$50,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? 
Lighting and our videographer. We waited until about two weeks before the wedding to add lighting and it really transformed the room. I couldn’t have imagined our reception without it! Our videographer was amazing. At the end of the day, you’re left with photos and video. Photos are amazing, but seeing and hearing the day is even better!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Colby’s favorite moments are a tie between seeing me walk down the aisle and leaving up the stairs in a swarm of flutter-fetti while everyone cheered for us. For me, if was standing in front of all our family and friends saying our vows. It was such a special moment.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Relax, don’t procrastinate, go with your instinct, and if you can afford to do something you really love, splurge. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Also during planning, stop every now and then to remember WHY you are getting married. Planning has a tendency to get carried out of control. Once a month or so, Colby and I would go to the ceremony site and talk about how excited we were to be spending the rest of our lives together.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
2012 was a BIG year for us! We got married, settled, and uprooted! In December we moved to the Bay Area for Colby’s new job. For now, we are enjoying being married, traveling and exploring our new home! Starting a family is in the future, just not anytime soon. We have our hands full with our two dogs right now!

Written with love by Marissa