Southern Weddings

We may be a little biased – Lara Casey + Bliss Event Group and Eliana Baucicault of Elly B Events did coordinate Patricia + Jason’s wedding, after all (though the bride was the genius behind most of the lovely details!).  Either way, the SW office is still swooning over the willow-shaded ceremony at the Piedmont Park Tavern.  Atlanta-based photographer Melissa Schollaert was on-hand to document the outdoor nuptials, and Stylish Stems provided the elegant standing arrangements + perfectly petite bouquets.  The bride wore a custom drop-waist gown from Anne Barge Atelier, while Watters & Watters outfitted her five ‘maids in rich, plum-colored frocks. Patricia was made even more lovely on her wedding day by the talented Dawn Johnson of Makeup Couture.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Jason was looking to move to Atlanta in 2001 for a potential job.  Checking out the dating scene on Match.com, he came across my profile and, seven months later, decided to send me a message.  We emailed back and forth the first week before having a marathon phone conversation that lasted over twelve hours long. We met in person three weeks later and had a perfect weekend.  We both decided this was it.  Jason moved to Atlanta soon afterwards and we dated for a few years before getting engaged.
Describe the proposal. One Sunday morning, we were getting ready to go to brunch when Jason accidently knocked down a few things in the close.  Jason re-emerged from the closet kneeling on and holding an open ring box.  Needless to say, it took me by surprise and, after recovering from my initial shock, I said yes.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fortuitous, joyful and priceless.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: It’s too hard to pick one.  I’m all about the details, so everything from the invitations was custom-designed to fit our wedding theme and colors.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  I took three friends and a bottle of champagne to Anne Barge expecting them to love the dress I had seen online.  For fun, everyone picked a dress for me to try on and we all fell in love with the fabric of the second dress.  We played with how we could customize it and ordered it that day.

We feature so many Seaside weddings that Emily thinks we should rebrand ourselves as Seaside Weddings Magazine, but that doesn’t make us like Anna + Matt’s Florida wedding (photographed by Armosa Studios) any less.  I’ve spent the last hour swooning over the reception tables at Betley’s on the Bay: simple, understated and all kinds of pretty!  Cari Degregorio arranged the soft, feminine blooms, and Fatty Patty’s provided the French blue + white wedding cake.  I still think Anna looks divine in her Enzoani gown, especially for a girl who insisted she didn’t want to get married in a lace dress!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I must have tried on a hundred dresses!  I knew I wanted something unique, and was pretty sure I didn’t want a lace dress.  After months of searching, I went to Bella Couture in Mt. Laurel, Alabama to try on a dress I had seen in a magazine.  While I didn’t end up choosing that dress, I ended up falling in love with a different dress made by Enzoani – and it was lace!
Describe your wedding flowers: It was important to me that the flowers had an organic, natural appearance and a variation of textures. For the bouquets, we used anemones, peonies, lilacs and open roses in varying shades of pink and purple.
Describe your wedding cake: Our wedding cake was three-tiered with layers of vanilla almond, lemon and strawberry swirl, with buttercream filling.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? For both of us, it was seeing other’s face as I walked down the aisle.
What’s next for you as a couple?  Matt graduates from law school in May, and we plan to move back to Alabama where we’ll begin our careers and start a new and exciting chapter in our lives.

Congratulations, Anna + Matt!  Good luck with graduation and the big move home.

I honestly had to look through these images from Armosa Studios a few times before I was convinced this was a real wedding from Seaside, Florida and not a photo shoot.  The bride is model-pretty (check out those killer blue eyes) and the ultra-romantic Enzoani gown she chose fit her like a dream.  High school sweethearts Anna + Matt tied the knot at the quaint Seaside Interfaith Chapel.  Anna’s ‘maids wowed in jewel-tone party frocks from Melissa Sweet and carried pretty little bouquets from Cari Degregorio Flowers.  And yes, those fab petal pink heels are Stuart Weitzmans.  (I know how y’all love your shoes.)  Join us later today for the reception shots!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. Matt and I met my freshman year of high school when he was a senior.  It was the beginning of the school year and we (the cheerleaders) were posing for pictures on the football field.  Matt, who was a football player, was also taking pictures on the field.  He noticed me for the first time that day and, within a week, asked me on a date!  Reluctantly, my dad let me go on a “group date” with Matt, and we’ve been in love ever since!
Describe the proposal. By the time Matt proposed to me, we had been dating for seven years.  It was my birthday, and I probably should have known it was coming, but I honestly had no idea.  Matt took me to dinner at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, and when “desert” arrived, our waiter placed a silver plate in front of me with an engagement ring in the center! 
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Exciting, romantic and perfect.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: At the reception, there was a table at the entrance with postcards for our guests to write us messages.  It was really fun to sit down and read them together after the wedding.