Southern Weddings

Welcome back for Part II of Jory Cordy‘s feature!

How about Deena’s dress!?  Gorgeous!  From Jory Cordy: “I loved the diversity in cultures between the bride and groom’s families. Daniele is from Milan and Deena is from India. It was a really great thing to be a part of.” Thank you so much, Jory, for sharing these two glamorous celebrations with us!

Tell us about finding your gorgeous gown! I wanted our wedding to be unique, and not traditional. Therefore, I wanted a formal gown, but not a wedding gown. I began to look at Neiman’s for gowns that were formal enough for our occasion, but not too “Red Carpet/Academy Award”. I searched for months before finding this Monique Lhullier gown. I loved the color because it’s neutral, yet striking. I also loved the details, such as the strapless design, the satin sash encrusted with crystals, and the train. Another point I saw as an “omen” was that the gown fit me perfectly and did not require any alterations! It worked out perfectly!
How did the two of you meet? We met in our apartment complex. I relocated to Texas for a new job, but also hoping to find the “right” person and I met him my very first week in Dallas!
Describe the proposal: It was the weekend after Valentine’s day and we were at Cartier “looking” so that Daniele could get ideas about rings. I saw one that I really liked and he said “If you like it, why don’t we just buy it?” I couldn’t refuse that offer! Later, he officially proposed after dinner.
What attracted me to my husband was: His personality. He is completely honest, witty, ambitious, intelligent, and I really could go on for hours!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Working full-time and trying to manage all of the little details without a wedding planner!
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? I am from India and Daniele is from Italy. We tried to infuse both cultures into the music. The band, Inside out Band, was a top 40 showband, and we played Indian “Bhangra” during their breaks.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My cousin Kim Kalouria, a professional guitarist, joined the band for a few songs and even sang a one or two. It was great for the family to be together and to see him “perform”!
Funniest moment? The justice of the peace kept mispronouncing Daniele’s name—calling him “Daniela”! I actually stopped him during the ceremony to correct him, but he kept saying it wrong!
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Get a wedding planner or a friend/family member to help you!
What’s next for you as a couple? We just built a home and are getting ready to move in. We also hope to start a family in the next year!

More Mammoth coming next…

This week we’re gearing up for the release of our print edition, our launch party in Hotlanta and enjoying the start of Mammoth Week! In case you’ve been under a rock, Mammoth Men 5 is officially ON and they have invaded the Dirty South. 

Up next for Epic Reruns is one of my favorite people in the world, Mr. Jory Cordy.  We ran a double-feature of Jory’s work a few months back and I still swoon over these weddings! Enjoy, y’all!

We have a special double-header for today’s SW of the Week. We will be sharing two gorgeous weddings from the talented Southerner, Jory Cordy.

Part I of our Jory Cordy double-header: Laurel + Derrick From Jory: “I was already booked for the original wedding date when Laurel and Derrick asked me to shoot their wedding. A couple weeks later they called me back to let me know they moved it up a week. She was referred to me by my good friend Robin (Your Perfect Wedding) who created all of the gorgeous flowers, and Laurel (RSVP Dallas) brought all of the details together for the wedding. It was like a super-team of wedding vendors. They were married at The Apartment in the industrial district of Dallas. Cakes by Delicious,catering by TASTE. Entertainment by LITE. Uber thanks to my bro-in-law Steven Taylor for shooting with me. It was an epic night.”

The weather on our wedding day was: HOT! A typical sunny August day in Texas.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I found this great bolt of black fabric that I fell in love with and even though black is not a traditional wedding color, especially in August but I had to incorporate it.
Favorite design element of your big day: I loved the floral, I think that is always the finishing touch! Derrick loved the lighting. No matter how many times I see it, it always amazes me how much lighting can completely change the look and feel of a room.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Of course it was never what I had imagined. I am usually not into lace but this one was so pretty! Since we already had children I didn’t want to get married in white so I was looking for ivory or champagne. She brought it to me so I could see the color that another dress I was trying on could come in. I thought it looked interesting and tried it on. You really do know once you put it on.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story: We met over 10 years ago! Let’s just say it was a winding road that led us to our wedding day but it truly was worth the wait!
Describe the proposal: Very simple. Derrick came home from work one day and just got on one knee and said will you be mine forever and gave me my ring.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: We went to Miami for our first vacation, just the two of us and had a great dinner and evening out at Beds in Southbeach. That was definitely the most fun date!

Describe your wedding flowers: All white! Summer is a hard time because floral selection is so limited this time of year. Although peonies are my favorite, I wanted the flowers to be soft, romantic and look very full. Roses and hydrangeas the next best option and turned out perfect.
Describe your wedding cake: We had really cute two tier mini cakes for our 3rd course. They were really sweet ivory cakes with delicate black trim that looked like lace. I also can’t have cake without ice cream so that accompanied the mini cakes.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding Timing. We did the ceremony and reception at the same location so in between the ceremony and dinner there was a pretty detailed turn of the room that had to be very organized, otherwise the cocktail hour would have been very long!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day The ceremony vows. When you recite them to your mate they take on a whole new meaning and it was very special and perfectly romantic.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? I should have listened to my own advice more but don’t sweat the small stuff because your guests will never know the difference.

Congrats, Laurel + Derrick! Check back shortly for Part II: Daniele and Deena.