Southern Weddings

Part II of Heather + Jordan’s rustic wedding almost needs no introduction.  Really, it’s that amazing!  From the gourmet spread and delicious candy bar to the magical barn set-up and elegant four-tier cake, this reception looks too good to be true.  Thanks and big hugs to Cameron Ingalls for making my day!  Didn’t see enough of Heather + Jordan’s wedding here?  Be sure to check out Cameron Ingall’s blog post about the chic California event here!

Describe your wedding flowers: Our flowers were one of our favorite details!  They included peonies, garden roses, dahlias, hanging amaranthus, scented geranium leaves and more!  Our colors varied by arrangement but all fell into the palette of papaya yellow, brilliant orange, schraparelli pink, raspberry, magenta and deep coral with punches of chartreuse.  The bridesmaids’ bouquets perfectly matched their vibrant gowns and the lilies on the men looked lovely but still masculine.  We planted hundreds of roses all around the property in our wedding colors and our florist, Camilla, complemented them with a pink rose petal scroll down our aisle and a lush floral arrangement above our wedding arbor.  Inside our barn, Camilla brought magic to the reception with birch trees dripping with orchids and mini crystal chandeliers.
Describe your wedding cake: We had an all-white cake with minimal details, complete with bride and groom cake topper.  The layers alternated between devil’s food with chocolate ganache and strawberry shortcake.  Yum!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The ranch where we married is set deep in a valley and is not traceable by any GPS or online mapping system, so we had to go to great lengths to make sure vendors and guests could find it and that we had enough power to run the celebration!  It took a lot more work on our end but the result was a memorable (and successful) retreat for friends and family, and the perfect wedding for us.
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding?  We intended all along to write our own vows, but when the wedding was only weeks away, the pressure of stringing together those perfect words was overwhelming.   In the end, we decided to recite traditional wedding vows.  Looking back, we couldn’t be happier with our choice and we know that those words will ring true for us forever.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The toasts and our first dance.  We set out head table on a platform up in the middle of the room where everyone could see us.  Friends kept coming up to wish us love and happiness and our family shared the most loving words in their speeches.  It was all so amazing.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  Enjoying these first few years, starting a home together and cherishing the time we have to focus on one another before we have kids. 

Congratulations, Heather + Jordan!  We wish you both the best!

If there’s such a thing as wedding heaven, I am in it today with Heather + Jordan’s fairytale-perfect wedding from Cameron Ingalls.  (Planning and design courtesy of Creative Events, Etc.)  It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting than the groom’s family estate where the high school sweethearts’ nuptials were held.  The citrus pinks of the bridesmaids’ dresses and the deep fuschia accents in their Camilla Burns’ bouquets are the perfect contrast to the natural greens and golds at the Sharpe Family ranch.  And, wow, if the bride isn’t a vision in her ethereal gown!  I almost can’t wait for you to see their romantic barnyard reception!  You’re excited, right?

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.   We met in the ninth grade when Jordan was fifteen and I was fourteen.   We didn’t take much notice of one another until a year later when we started appreciating spending time together.  While trying to think of a homecoming dance date at age sixteen, I thought about asking Jordan and got butterflies!  I’ve been in love ever since!   It only took two weeks for Jordan to ask me out on a date, which took place on Halloween six years ago this past October.  Two months later, Jordan was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and spent the next year in and out of the hospital undergoing several surgeries. T hat time, more than anything, is what brought us together.  After getting through “sickness and health,” the rest was easy!
Describe the proposal.  Jordan proposed a few days after I got back from a trip to Costa Rica.  In the time I was away he had planted a garden for me on one of the hills at his family’s ranch where we were married one year later.  We went up to the ranch to stay the weekend and, one afternoon, Jordan suggested we take a ride on one of the ATVs.   We drove up the hill to find the beautiful garden Jordan had planted for me, nestled in the tall grass under an oak tree with a bottle of champagne and two glasses!  We later enjoyed a lovely dinner in Pismo Beach, right on the water and returned back to the ranch surprise greeting from our families!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Beautiful, elating and perfect.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding?  The Sharpe family ranch is far away from any main roads and distractions, not to mention that the views at sunset are beyond breathtaking!  We wanted people to be able to take in the raw, natural beauty of the mountains and the array of colors that turn as the sun sets.  We loved how the bright flowers (that matched the sunset!) popped on the green grass, so we brought that green inside with the tablecloths.  The rest of the magic came alive at night with tons of candles, pin-spotting and up-lighting.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? Our flowers!  I especially loved my bouquet.  It was so romantic and felt just right for our location.  Our florist is a true artist and the most lovely lady to work with.  She has given us a true gift that we will cherish forever.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The lighting.  Though it wasn’t obvious to most of our guests, it brought a subtle glow of warmth to the reception and illuminated our tables and floral arrangements beautifully!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I spent hours in at least three stores trying on dresses before I found the perfect one. I tried on almost 40 dresses before my mom pulled out a gown from behind a rack.  I was determined to not wear a strapless dress but when I tried this one on, it completely changed my mind.  I decided on a drop-waist white gown with a mid-length train.  Touches of lace and bead work made the dress feel old-fashioned while the fitted cut felt much more contemporary.  It was the perfect dress for me because it felt elegant and formal but I still felt like myself when I wore it.

 Check back soon for more details from Heather + Jordan’s romantic shindig!

Like Anca and Jordan, our favorite part about this wedding celebration from Kristin Marie Photography is the antique flags decorating the Tolt-Mcdonald Park barn.  Could there be a better design scheme – or venue – for a summer shindig?  We love the laidback feel of this reception and especially like how the couple honored their respective heritages by swapping their “I-Do’s” in Anca’s native Romania and celebrating with friends and family in Jordan’s hometown in the U.S.  The bold sunflower arrangements (designed by Aly and Ashley Redding), classic glass Coca-Cola bottles and red-and-white gingham tablecloths (covered in freshly-grilled hotdogs and a spread of homemade pies and cakes) make for a wonderfully picnic-inspired affair.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Jordan and I were students at a small Christian school in Yakima, WA.  I’m Romanian, and I wanted to attend the school a few years prior, but was denied a visa.  I didn’t give up on the idea, and was eventually blessed with a visa and meeting my Jordan!  During the four months we were at school together, we became best friends and even fell in love on a month-long trip to Mexico.  Though I was supposed to return to Romania after school, unexpected circumstances (snow!) kept us together a bit longer.  We were together just long enough to go ahead and set a date for our wedding!
Describe the proposal:  While riding on the train to my home in Romania (with a ring in his pocket!), Jordan decided he couldn’t wait and proposed to me right there!  Imagine the scene for the clueless woman sitting right in front of us!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Stormy, intimate and romantic
What was the design inspiration for your wedding invitation?  We wanted our invitations to be reminiscent of an old baseball ticket.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? The giant antique American flags.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite part of the wedding was the Original Cracker Jack boxes.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: For my wedding dress, I borrowed a vintage ivory housedress from a friend.
Describe your wedding flowers: We used sunflowers in all of the bouquets and centerpieces, as they are an important Romanian accent and reminded us of our train rides through the country.
Describe your wedding cake: In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, we served a selection of homemade pies and baseball-themed cupcakes.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Two events (a wedding in Romania and a reception in the US), two countries, two families, two languages… it was truly a fun, if sometimes crazy, ride!  We were almost unable to get through all of the paperwork for our wedding in Romania, but Jordan’s Grandma went to great lengths to get a new birth certificate and save the day!
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding?  A baseball game.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The storm and the flash flood!  The unexpected weather only served to make our wedding reception (in the barn!) more intimate and romantic!
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote our own vows.  I said mine in Romanian, and I gave mine in English.  Our favorite line was: “As we dwell together, enduring and suffering and enjoying each other, our faithfulness, our oneness and our joy will grow to heights we never imagined.”
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We don’t know, but we’re excited!  We thought we’d settle here in Washington for a while, but Romania misses us.  Who knows, we’re young!

Congratulations, Anca + Jordan!  We’re looking forward to hearing more about your exciting life as newlyweds!

Written with love by Lara Casey