Southern Weddings

I love getting emails from Genya and Wesleyann of Vue Photography because the weddings they photograph always seem to match their personalities: sunny and warm.  Katie + Andy’s fabulously bright reception is no exception!  From the ridiculously beautiful florals by Nouveau Fowers to the carefully mixed-and-matched tablecloths, this wedding has, shall we say, got it going on.  Add in a photobooth, a delightfully plush couch, a beautiful white wedding cake and an unnervingly life-like groom’s cake from Confections on the Coast, and you’ve got yourself a Southern Wedding of the Week.  For even more details, check out Vue’s blog here!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  This was the only part of the planning process that stressed me out. It probably comes as a surprise to most people that know me that I was not stressed out about everything because I am very “Type A.”   I thought I knew what kind of dress I wanted , so I found the one place in Atlanta that carried it . . .  and it did not look at all how I imagined it  would!  The only thing I knew for certain was that I did not want a strapless gown.  My mother saw a dress on another girl in the shop, but she was reluctant to tell me to try it on because we’d been so unsuccessful.  I finally did try it and it was perfect!  My mother was reluctant to tell me to try it because we had been so unsuccessful thus far.  As always . . . mother’s (especially mine) do know best.
Describe your wedding flowers: The flowers were absolutely beautiful.  I had found a bouquet that was very avant-garde with lots of color.  I knew everyone was going to think I was crazy, but when I showed Christina from Nouveau Flowers, she loved it.  She did such a wonderful job of re-creating the bouquet but really making it original.  It was exactly what I wanted.  The flowers on the tables and in the chapel were absolutely gorgeous.  I could not have imagined it any better.
Describe your wedding cake: It was very simple . . . yet very complicated in the way the sugar rose petals fell on the layers.  The petals looked real.  It was understated, but beautiful and elegant, and it tasted as good as it looked. 
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding?  We had a family friend read the same poem that was read at my parents’ wedding.  We also had our Great Dane, Hank, walk down the aisle,  One of our good friends, Jack, was in Iraq and could not be in the wedding, so his mother provided a life-size cut-out “Flat Jack” so that he could stand with the groomsmen.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We have not taken our honeymoon yet, and plan to in the spring, so we are looking forward to a vacation.  We are also looking forward to growing together as a couple.  It will be fun to share the holidays married.  We are also looking forward to starting a family.  There are so many things to look forward to in the future and we are just excited to do it together as best friends.

 Now this is my kind of wedding!  Or, more accurately, this Monique Luillier gown is my kind of dress!  Lace detailing?  Check.  Neutral-colored sash with vintage pearl detail? Double check!  Katie + Andy tied the knot in a traditional Southern ceremony at the Carillon Beach Meeting House (check out those delightfully preppy green and navy details!) and, lucky for us here at Southern Weddings, Genya and Wesley Ann at Vue Photography were there to capture the Gulf Coast soiree. 

How did the two of you meet? We both went to Mercer University in Macon, GA for undergrad.  Andy was a member of the KA fraternity and I was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.  All of my guy friends were in the same fraternity as Andy.  We knew of one another through mutual friends, but had never really talked.  One day, I was running with one of my sorority sisters—she ran really long distances and my limit was 6miles – and decided to head back to campus when I saw Andy at the red light ahead of me.  I said his name and he waited on me to catch up with him so we could run back to campus together.  We became fast friends and ran together every day.  I was actually trying to set him up with one of my friends (mischievously trying to hide my interest in him) but he did not seem interested in dating her.  I kept asking him why when he finally said he was interested in someone else.  Luckily, he was interested in me!  Pharmacy school in Atlanta took me to completing a clinical residency in Chattanooga, TN.  This is close to my hometown of LaFayette Georgia.  Andy moved to the Chattanooga area so that I could complete my residency and we did not have to be long-distance anymore (like we had been for the 4 years I had been in pharmacy school).  After 7 years of dating and lots of memories,  Andy proposed!
Describe the proposal: One of our favorite things to do on summer weekends is to take a pizza to the lake in our neighborhood and have a picnic.  It was an exceptionally hot summer night for the North Georgia Mountains and we decided to stay in and make pizzas instead.  We were both in the kitchen, I was looking exceptionally fantastic since it was so warm outside, when Andy said “I wonder how I was so lucky to find you 7 years ago?”  We talked about our relationship and how much we had enjoyed our time together and I turned to continue working on dinner.  Then Andy said “I wonder if I could get that lucky again?”  When I turned to look at him,  he was down on one knee with a ring in his hand.  I was so surprised!  I got down on my knees to hug him, when our Great Dane Hank tackled us both—he really likes hugs and wanted to be included.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Magical, surreal and enchanting.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? We wanted something that felt like a garden party but not all-white.  I love color and wanted it to be bright and fun.  We also wanted it to be comfortable for all of our guests and not at all stuffy.  We are an extremely laid-back couple and wanted the night to represent who we are.  Andy loves the outdoors, so we incorporates this into the night . . .  hence his wonderful fishing cake.  Pictures have been a huge part of my family’s life, so a photo booth also felt appropriate.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? We absolutely loved the various chandeliers hanging from the trees and the chaise lounge and bench that were propped under the chandeliers.  This definitely created the garden party feel that we were going for.  Our guests also loved the setting, which made it even better.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The homemade apple butter my mom and grandmother made as favors, the street signs that represent different roads in Macon—especially the head table because it was where Andy and I ran together on that first day – and the wonderful video put together by my aunt and cousin (they took pics while we were getting ready and compiled them all following the ceremony so that we could watch it during the reception).