Southern Weddings

Vibrant blue and sunny yellow were the colors of the day at Jane + Pete’s Florida wedding, planned and designed by Nancy Silivos and Melissa Mackey of Nancy Haute Affairs.  Jeremy and Hara Cook of Cook Images captured the couple’s vows at the bride’s family farm, Panther Creek.  Since the bride’s favorite details from her wedding was the full, wildflower-inspired bouquets designed by SW-favorite, Kebbie Hollingsworth Floral Designs, it only seemed right that we indulge in a little flower power ourselves.  I love Jane’s decision to have each of her bridesmaids carry a flower that represented her unique personality (genius!) and have to agree that ceremony site looks as if it were nestled in a field of wildflowers.  Distressed cowboy boots were especially fitting for a rustic outdoor wedding and the perfect accent to the bridesmaids’ navy Priscilla of Boston frocks.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We met through at mutual friend in Pensacola, Florida. We hung out with the same group of people but had never crossed paths before our first meeting, which was INSTANT love at first sight.
Describe the proposal. Our plans took us to North Carolina for my aunt’s 60th birthday celebration and Pete had hoped to propose by a waterfall. Needless to say, the rain changed that plan and, with all the excitement (and the fact he had told most of the family), he decided to go ahead and propose after we arrived Friday evening. Not knowing anything was going on, it took a while to convince me to go to the hotel where the proposal was going to take place. I was in complete shock when I walked into the hotel room to find candles and rose petals all the way to the back of the room where Pete was standing. The ring was in a journal, which had special meaning to our relationship. I couldn’t have been more excited! My cousin, sisters and future brother-in-law were waiting outside with champagne to celebrate!!!! It was so special to have the entire weekend to celebrate with everyone!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Surreal, magical and amazing.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I had always dreamt about getting married at our family lodge, “Panther Creek,” and my design inspiration for putting the idea together was “rustic romance.” I imagined my day as something very natural, very rustic with lots of candlelight and soft light to give it a very warm, romantic feel.
What was your favorite design element of your big day?  I had so many but I would have to say my favorite element of the ceremony was the chuppah, which was built by my mother-in-law, Lynn and the chuppah quilt which was sewn by my Grandma Minnie and our Aunt Shelia.  I also wore my mother’s veil from 1981, which was very special to me and meant so much that I was able to wear it on my special day. 
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I didn’t try on many dresses before finding “the one,” and I actually only went to one place in Atlanta. I will never forget the faces of those special people who were there with me as I walked out in THE dress and their mouths dropped. I felt unbelievable in it and, when I looked at their faces, I knew it was the one!

We had to share Sarah + Steven’s reception photos with you, if for no other reason than we love their floral arrangements and table décor from Park Cities Petals.  (I kind of have a thing for purple accents, in case you didn’t already know!)  The newlyweds enjoyed an outdoor reception at Arlington Hall at Lee Park.  Thanks to Erik Clausen for sharing his warm and heartfelt images with us. Don’t forget to visit his original post for more photos!

Describe your wedding flowers: The amazing team at Park Cities Petals totally brought to life my vision of wild, unexpected arrangements and bouquets by incorporating cabbages, artichokes and even kale. 
Describe your wedding cake: Very classic and simple. Steve insisted that it look extremely edible, so we went with an Italian wedding cake with ivory butter cream icing… definitely delicious. 
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Everything was perfect!  It was so much better than I had imagined, and all the little details came together beautifully. I particularly remember looking around during dinner and feeling so profoundly blessed to have so many special people celebrating our love in such a magical setting. 
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We just moved into a new apartment and are both starting new work endeavors. Hopefully lots of travel and adventures await!

Congratulations, Sarah + Steven!  Best of luck your big move and new jobs!

There’s something wonderfully elegant – yet simultaneously real and inviting – about Sarah + Steven’s Dallas, Texas wedding that I can’t help but like.  (Maybe it’s the crisp, vintage-inspired B&W photography from Poser that I like so much!)  The couple, joined at the altar by twenty attendants, exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.  Picking up on one of our very favorite bridesmaid trends, Sarah chose the always-flattering and endlessly versatile Two Birds frocks in a rich eggplant.  Stunning!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We actually sat across from each other at work and even shared a desk.  Steve would send me funny podcasts, which I mostly laughed at because I had such a crush on him.  After a year or two of flirting at work, we finally started dating about three years ago. We bonded pretty instantly over our shared love of travel, art and all things whimsical. 
Describe the proposal.  Watching fireworks on a bridge overlooking the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I was so surprised that I actually thought he was joking! When I saw the twinkle in his eye, I realized he was serious and then I started crying, too. 
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Elegant, whimsical and unique.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: It’s a toss-up between the paper lanterns in the trees and the butterfly place cards resting on each wine glass. 
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I only tried on about five different dresses, but as soon as I put this one on I knew it was the one. The funny thing is that since we live in Canada and were getting married in Texas, I originally really wanted a Canadian-designed dress. This one was such I perfect reflection of my personal style, that I fell in love with it before I even knew it was made by Lela Rose, a designer from my hometown of Dallas.