Southern Weddings

Besides Ginger’s wedding-day ensemble (let’s be honest — I have a bit of a girl crush on her), it was the reception arrangements that really caught my eye from this wedding.  I wouldn’t have thought to pair the brown-gold of magnolia leaves with deep pink roses, but it really works here, doesn’t it?  Big kudos to A Beautiful Event for all the florals.  The sugar-flower cake is by Nicki’s Cakes, the planning was by A Carolina Wedding, and the photography, of course, is by Kevin and Lauren Millard. Thanks so much for sending this gem our way!

Some of you may have seen me introduce Ginger as the prettiest bride ev-er on Twitter a few weeks ago, and I hope you can see now why I said what I said.  Love her veil, love her shoes, love her dress.  And her bouquet.  Oh, her bouquet.  Peonies and orchids and garden roses oh my, all by Wendy Wright of A Beautiful Event.  Stay tuned for Ginger + Jeff’s tented reception from KMI Photography!

I’m more of a black + white girl myself, but the rainbow of colors in Rachel + Ross’ Louisiana wedding are making me unseasonably happy today.  (Probably a sign I am ready for warmer weather, right?)  The black dessert cards by Paperglaze Calligraphy are a perfect counterpoint to all the color, I think.  Brandi Brownlee Howard planned and designed this fun, do-it-yourself shindig, and Social Bites of Ruston coordinated the drool-worthy dessert bar.  My favorite detail?  The delicate button detailing on the back of the bride’s vintage Henry Bendall ruffled frock – proof incredible wedding treasures are just waiting to be found on eBay.  We like to joke that Emily is actually a transplant from the 1950’s, so I guess it’s no surprise she hearts the bride’s birdcage veil from Etsy’s Bella Donna by Katie May.  A lot.  We’re sure you love the photography as much as we did, so be sure to visit Kelly Moore Clark’s original blog post here.  P.S.  Judy Moore, the photographer’s mother and owner of Moore Cake Please, designed and made the newlyweds’ peacock-inspired wedding cake.  Talk about a family affair!

Describe your wedding flowers: I really wanted to go with mismatched wild flowers to carry out the eclectic feeling of the wedding.  We ended up putting the wedding together in less than a month and I ran out of time to order flowers.   The day before the wedding, we purchased a cart full of spring bouquets from the local Wal-Mart, and the flowers ended up working perfectly!  I also loved the bunches of white daisies in my bouquet; they really added to the whimsical, simple feeling of the day.  My future sister-in-law and photographer, Kelly Moore Clark, actually made my bouquet a half-an-hour before the wedding!   She is a rock star!
Describe your wedding cake: I looked at hundreds of pictures of wedding cakes online and in magazines, but nothing caught my eye except for a big blue metallic peacock design.  Ross’ mom makes wedding cakes and executed the design.  I was in love with the finished product, especially the strawberry cake in the center… ‘mmm!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My favorite moment was getting out of the car and hearing the faint strains of an acoustic guitar playing one of my favorite songs, “Something in the Way” by the Beatles.  As I walked down the aisle, I could see Ross at the bottom of the stairs.  At that moment I really felt like a bride, and my heart just ballooned with happiness.   Ross’ favorite moment of the day was seeing the crowd of guests part, revealing his future wife.  He says words couldn’t begin to describe that moment.
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? The officiant delivered a short sermon and our vows were very traditional.  We felt the classic vows fit with the feel of the day.   It was short and sweet but very beautiful.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are both looking forward to finishing our degrees, spending time with the girls and spending time together.   A wedding day is beautiful, but it’s only a moment, only a beginning.   The real beauty lies in living and experiencing all of the small moments that make up a life together.  We’re really looking forward to that, to all the mundane things that are going to be better because we get to do them together.

Congratulations to Rachel, Ross + their adorable daughters!  We wish the four of you a lifetime of love.