Southern Weddings

Y’all, Kelly is a girl after my own heart! Her pale pink and peach mixed with gorgeous ivory and pearl details make me swoon. And the adorable little flower girls in poofy tutus don’t help with the swooning, either! Yes, ma’am – we could be friends! I’d also have to agree with Kelly’s gushing over the gorgeous reception design from her planner, Morgan Gallo Events. Morgan’s team transformed Kelly + Wyatt’s simple tent with soft draping, elegant lighting, and just the perfect amount of coastal details. Oh yeah, and K + W offered shrimp and grits as an entree at the reception — that’s Southern perfection.

I of course can’t forget to send big hugs to Nate Henderson for the gorgeous images of Kelly + Wyatt’s sweet day! P.S: Look closely at the photos of the band at the reception… you just might recognize a few people!

My something borrowed were my chandelier earrings from my Aunt Joan. My blue was our wedding date embroidered in blue thread on the bottom layer of my gown. My new were my Guiseppe Zanotti peep toe pumps.

This photo is killing me! That little doll-baby in the tutu is way too much adorable to handle!

Lucky me, I found my dress in one day! I had my mom and several of my closest friends meet me in Dallas. There were two appointments set. One at Star Dust and the other at Bridal Boutique. Wow, do you feel like a princess trying on all of those dresses! I liked a couple but was not in LOVE with any at the first appointment. So we were off to the second appointment at Bridal Boutique. We pulled five or six dresses to try. I think it was the second dress that I tried, but when I put it on and they cinched me up, I knew that was the dress! The lace overlay was gorgeous and very chic. When I walked out of the dressing room, a couple of my friends had tears in their eyes. We added a homemade sash that went around my waist with large chiffon flowers and other pearl and rhinestone embellishments that topped everything off. It was beautiful!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? 
No, we did a “first touch,” if you will. Nate Henderson, my photographer led Wyatt upstairs to the bridal room where we clasped hands on either side of the doorway. It gave us both a short time to breathe and calm down. We were able to have a short talk about how our days had been so far and how we couldn’t wait to marry one another. It made for some really sweet pictures!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
There are many, but a favorite was right after the ceremony. We sent our friends off to the cocktail hour while we hit the beach for some pictures. We loved this time because this was our first walk on the beach together as husband and wife and we were able to breathe, talk about the ceremony, and just take everything in before the reception began. It was a perfect 30 minutes together in between ceremony and reception.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
Our reception would have to be the most memorable. Morgan Gallo Events did a fabulous job decorating the enormous outdoor tent. We loved the draped material that covered the ceiling of the tent. Very classy! The lighting and ribbon chandeliers were perfect as well. We had great entertainment, one being Wyatt personally singing me a song that he had written with his friends as the band. The dinner consisted of an oyster bar, beef, shrimp and grits, swordfish, and various side dishes.

The kids dancing, the adults cutting lose, so many laughs. The photo booth was a big hit for all! Who doesn’t have fun in those? We love our family and friends to the moon and back and to see everybody having the best time of their lives more than warmed our hearts and we will never forget it!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. 
Gorgeous and full of flavor! Each tier was a different flavor. I’m a sweets girl so I requested red velvet, chocolate, and vanilla. It was all ivory in color. The design was four tiers with a smooth fondant design and a layer that looked like pearls all the way around it. The top was adorned with a huge flower that had so much detail and a hint of pink on the inside.

Seriously, that cake is drop dead gorgeous!

Recognize that singer? It’s none other than Zac Brown from the Zac Brown Band! Wyatt is a songwriter for them, and we love how he even joined them for a little on-state action!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. 
We first met in a small east Texas town outside of Dallas after a concert. As it was a brief meeting and life took us down our own paths, three years later we happened to meet back up through mutual friends. We were like magnets! We knew there had always been a very strong attraction and we weren’t letting one another slip away this time. We were engaged a year later.

Tell us all about the proposal! 
We took a trip to NYC before Christmas to visit friends. It was me, Wyatt, and his son Wyatt IV. We had several activities on the agenda: ice skating in Rockefeller plaza, Broadway shows, Empire State tour, dinner with friends, shopping and more. One afternoon, Wyatt IV hung back with our friend’s son to see a Broadway show and Wyatt and I spent the afternoon together. Our hotel was near Central Park so we headed out to the park for a walk. After about 30 minutes of walking around, he called my name and I turned around to find him on one knee asking me to marry him! Of course I screamed “yes” in front of everyone at Bethesda Fountain! When we got back to the hotel, we celebrated with a bottle of champagne and treats the hotel staff had placed in our room. I will never forget that day.

When did y’all get married? 
October 6

How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
180

Did you write your own vows? 
Yes, we did. Since my husband’s occupation is songwriting, you can imagine how anxious I was. My initial thought was, “How will mine ever compare?” Our favorite lines were, “The way you light up every room you walk into. Not because of your obvious beauty, but because every person in the room can see the integrity and goodness in your soul shining through the amazing way even your eyes smile” and, “As we become one, always know that your happiness will be multiplied and you hardships will be divided. With God the cornerstone of our marriage, we will always remain strong.”

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
Sonnet 17 by Pablo Neruda. “I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom, and carries hidden within it self the light of those flowers, and thanks to your love, darkly in my body lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I know no other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you; so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.”

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. “The Way You Look Tonight” by Tony Bennett was in the processional. We love to cook together, listen to Tony Bennett and sip wine. As I walked down the aisle, one of our friends played Canon in D on his violin. My favorite instrument is the violin and this wedding march has always been my ultimate favorite. Back up the aisle, we played “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder. I love the song for its soul and uplifting spirit that moves through you. It makes you want to dance! Our first dance was to “You Got What I Need” by Joshua Radin. This sweet and soulful song said exactly how we felt overall. It’s the perfect groove for a slow dance.

Describe your wedding flowers. 
Mixture of light and breezy colors like ivories, corals, and oranges. We used succulents, roses, calla lilies, lisiathus, sweet pea, ranunculus, phalenopsis and orchids.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
For our welcome dinner on Thursday evening, we had a low country boil. Also, we offered shrimp an grits as an entree at the reception. Displaying a portrait of the bride at the wedding for all to see is a tradition that I carried on. I had three of my bridal portraits in one large frame displayed at the wedding. The guys wore light khaki colored suits instead of tuxedos. My bracelet was a string of pearls with rhinestone accents.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Deciding on all of the decor! It was fun, but there is a lot to choose from out there, which is a blessing and curse. We had a cocktail hour before the reception, so there were so many options on lighting, furniture, etc. Also, deciding to include kids or not was a challenge. We had a buffet style dinner with great adult food, but if we invited kids we needed a children’s buffet, which would have increased the food budget quickly.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? 
Morgan Gallo Events was superb! Morgan and her team were on it from the get-go and we were never left feeling lost, behind, or pressured. I would definitely recommend them as your wedding planner.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
Have fun with it! When you get down to crunch time and things start to heat up, always remember you are about to marry this person you are madly in love with and can’t wait to build a life with, and you’re making this commitment with your family and closest friends.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? 
We bought our first home together on Isle of Palms, SC and are thoroughly enjoying building a home together. We’re excited to grow even closer on this journey and to start a family soon.

Written with love by Marissa