Southern Weddings

If you’re from the South and like country music even half as much as I do, you know anytime someone talks about “Miranda and Blake,” they’re talking about THE Miranda and Blake, as in country royalty Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton.  As a diehard boots + blue grass kind of girl, I couldn’t have been more excited when M + B’s engagement party at the Front Porch Farms in Nashville, TN crossed our desk.  (Like, seriously over-the-top excited.)  For how famous these two country cuties are, we were pleasantly surprised with how laid-back and down-to-earth their outdoor celebration was.  What’s even better?  The beautiful bride-to-be even shared a few behind-the-scenes secrets from her low country celebration and upcoming nuptials.  If I could hug photographer Kristyn Hogan for sharing this star-studded soiree with us, I totally would.  Totally.

What was your experience like at your engagement party?  Blake and I didn’t sit down at all.  We wanted to make sure we talked to everyone who came, so we ate on the run and just made the rounds.  This was actually the first time we have gotten to celebrate our engagement with friends, and it seems like it made it feel official, like, ‘Hey y’all, we’re really getting married!”

 Why was incorporating karaoke into your celebration so important?  Blake is crazy for it!  When the karaoke started, that was it.  I think it was the most fun party I’ve ever been to, and I’ve been to a lot of parties.

I knew without even checking that lovely Meghan was wearing the Melissa Sweet “Fern” at her Mercury Hall wedding in Austin, Texas.  The simple lace gown is sweet  and vintage – and totally not me – but I can’t help but smile every time I see it.  (For the record, this bride wears it very well, especially when paired with those throwback Anthropologie heels.)  Table 4 Weddings photographed Meghan + Patrick’s intimate ceremony, and the bride herself (with some welcome help from her family!) designed the bouquets all on her own!  For more from M + P’s laid-back Texas wedding, visit Table 4’s blog post here.

How did the two of you meet? Patrick and I first met at a college graduation party.  He and a mutual friend had just begun playing in a band together.  Several months (and shows) later, Patrick and I finally went on our first date.  As they say, the rest is history.
Describe the proposal: The proposal was casual and understated, just like we are.  Being the gentleman that he usually is, Patrick had already called my parents to let them know of his plans.  He thought he might wait a little while to make his move, but as soon as he purchased the ring it began to burn a hole in his pocket.  We were making breakfast on a Sunday morning in our pajamas when Patrick popped the question.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Heartwarming, laidback, and fun!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? We tried to include some of our favorite things about the South – particularly where food and music were concerned.  Our menu was comprised of many Southern staples, such as deviled eggs, mac & cheese, and fried green tomatoes, while our Austin-based band, Mike & the Moonpies played honky-tonk inspired country tunes.
Describe your wedding flowers: I arranged all of the flowers with the help of family.  The result was a sort of unique hodge-podge, just like I envisioned.  Though it was a lot of work, the added stress was actually a welcome distraction; it kept me from getting too nervous about the upcoming ceremony!
Describe your wedding cake:
We decided to skip the cake, opting for cupcakes and miniature pies instead.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  Planning a “destination” wedding was difficult at times.  I relied primarily on the internet when researching vendors, having only two weekend visits set aside for tastings and walk-throughs.  Also, getting everything to Austin required some strategic planning and the help of a few instrumental family members in Texas.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The groom’s speech!  Patrick could not have done a better job expressing the joy and immense gratitude we felt that day.  To have all of our family and friends from different walks of life present really meant the world to us, and that showed in his heartfelt speech. Funniest moment? My stepdad completely forgot he was supposed to accompany my mom down the aisle and took his seat in the front row without her.  Once he realized his mistake, he quickly (though probably not discreetly) ran back to escort her.  So, the error did not go unnoticed.  I could hear the laughter and clapping as they walked down the aisle from the room where I was waiting.  It was very befitting!
Did you write your own vows?  The judge who performed our wedding provided us with some sample ceremonies.  We borrowed from those and others we came across until we came up with a ceremony that suited us.  The vows themselves were pretty traditional, the words a tried-and-true formula we didn’t bother changing.  We used readings to personalize the occasion instead.
What’s next for you as a couple?  The usual stuff (in order): a house with a yard, more puppies, and, eventually, kids.

Congratulations, Meghan + Patrick!  Thank you for sharing your day with us!

Sure, it’s like playing Russian roulette with the weather, but truly outdoor receptions (as in, no tents!) make for the most incredible pictures!  We love Bethany + Joe’s outdoor garden party at the AMOA Laguna Gloria, and especially like that they used square and rectangular tables instead of traditional rounds.  (Of course, I’m biased, since that’s what I’m doing at my own wedding!)  B + J wisely kept the décor simple so as not to detract from the natural beauty of their venue.  A few touches we do like, though?  The paper lanterns that appear to be hanging in mid-air, the strings of twinkle lights and outdoor lounge area.  So simple, chic and garden perfect!  Michelle’s Patisserie decorated a five-tier square cake for the happy couple, and finished it off with their brand new monogram.  To see me, head on over to The Nichols blog post!  You’ll be glad you did.

Describe your wedding cake: There were a few things we knew we wanted right off the bat when we started planning, and Michelle’s Patisserie red velvet cake was one of them.  Michelle actually had a cookie cutter custom made to match the geometric pattern we used in everything from our Save-the-Dates to our invitations and our escort cards.  She used these shapes to decorate the ivory butter cream frosting with white fondant cut outs – it was perfect!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? For me:  The biggest test I encountered, especially right off the bat, was learning to allow our families and friends help – whether it was putting in their two cents about décor, or listening to their thoughts on etiquette – learning to let go was a bit of a challenge, but in the long run made the whole process much more enjoyable! For Joe: Figuring out how his best friend, and best man, could be involved in the wedding even though his Green Beret unit was stationed in Iraq at the time. They’d always looked forward to being in each other’s weddings, so we planned and surprised Joe (and all the guests) with a video “speech” that he had made and sent to one of Joe’s other groomsmen. 
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? For me: Seeing the reactions of our family members to everything. Our families are very important to us, so even the little things, like using my grandmother’s bee (you know, “B” for Bethany!) brooch on my bouquet since she had passed away two weeks prior to the wedding, helped us know that we’ll always have an amazing support system! For Joe: Everyone else in the room disappearing during our first dance. Neither of us love to be in the spotlight, but that moment was absolutely amazing because we were so focused on enjoying moment with each other.
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We opted to say traditional vows – something about finally getting to say those time-honored words to your loved one just meant the world to us!
What advice would you give to future brides? Being in the wedding business, I give lots of advice to my brides (and grooms!).  But the one thing I will forever tell people from here on out is to not worry about the guest list.  So you may be trying to stay within a very specific budget, or your venue may have size restrictions – but in the end, the people that can make it to your wedding want to be there to show their love and support and to celebrate such an exciting and important day with you and your new spouse.  In the end, that’s all that matters.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re excited to be a part of each other’s large and close-knit families and look forward to joining these wonderful people together down the road as we start our own family. But for now, we’re happy to have quiet evenings at home with our two dogs!