Southern Weddings

I think what I love best about Lara + Ross’ Florida wedding at Alys Beach Green and Central Park is the ultra-fab blend of seaside cool and Southern sophistication, courtesy of Buckner Productions.  The fresh whites of the bride’s classic Mikaella gown and the clean, neutral tones of the groomsmen’s lightweight suits are beachy, fun and effortlessly stylish while the rich burnt orange of the bridesmaids’ silk sheaths from Watters Bridesmaids and lush Nouveau Flowers bouquets add just the right touch of autumn elegance.   Like Lara, we like the uniqueness of the couple’s wedding cake from The Broken Egg and think it’s especially sweet it was made as an exact replica of the Alys Beach tower.  A black-and-white-tiled dance floor and a breezy open-air tent are perfectly chic accents for this upscale beach wedding. 

P.S. Football legend Eli Manning was in Lara + Ross’ wedding party!  Can you spot the Southern superstar?

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met back in the fall of 2004 as architecture students. Ross noticed me immediately because he was irritated that I was always late for class!  I finally broke the ice in 2005 when I asked Ross to a DG formal. In 2006, I moved to Nashville and Ross moved to Jackson, but we ran into each other again the week Ross graduated from architecture school in 2007.  We began dating soon afterwards. Over the next year, I would drive to Santa Rosa Beach or Ross would drive to Jackson so we could see each other as often as possible.  After the distance took its toll, Ross moved back to Jackson and we dated for another ten months before he proposed.
Describe the proposal. Ross wrote me a letter every day for a week, surprising me in a different location each day with the next letter. On Saturday morning, he told me to pack my clothes for the day and to bring something I could wear outside. Ross took me to Pinelake, our church, and planted some trees with me while he read each letter he had written me. We then wrote a letter to ourselves to help us get through any difficult times together.  Ross proposed under the cross on the hill behind the church!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I found the dress at Lowe’s, a great place with a ton of great designers and styles to choose from! I had the best help ever!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We used the same vows both of Ross’ sisters used in their weddings.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Surreal, holy and amazing.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? We got married at Alys Beach but if I had to choose a specific thing, I’d have to say I loved our cake best of all!
Describe your wedding cake: We chose a cake made in the shape of the Alys Beach tower.
Describe your wedding flowers: The arrangements were very modern, textured and non-traditional.
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding? We incorporated both traditional and non-traditional ideas into our wedding.  My bridesmaids chose their own dresses in “neutral tones,” but my sister and Ross’ two sisters all wore matching dresses. Ross had his brother-in-law perform the ceremony while his other brother-in-law served as a groomsman. We also had our family and friends sing in the wedding. For our music, we chose guitars and harps. Each member of the wedding party poured sand from a small beaker into one large beaker that Ross and I still have.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We anticipate starting a business in residential architecture.

Congratulations, Lara + Ross!  Good luck on your new business!

I feel like it’s my birthday all over again whenever Emily selects a classic black and white wedding for our Southern wedding of the day!  I’m even more excited about Pamela & Madison’s sophisticated black-tie wedding (photographed by Nancy Ray) since this cute couple met while studying right down the road at UNC Chapel Hill.  While I might sound a bit like a broken record by now, I’m sure you can guess that I love how the bridesmaids’ ultra-elegant tea-length dresses (yes, they each selected their own!) shows off  Pamela’s ruched Victorian Rose gown and that I’m crazy (yes, crazy!) about the groomsmen’s classic black tie and suave white jacket combo.  The bride’s ultra-traditional white rose bouquet from Princess Petals and the sweet accents of pale Carolina blue is wonderfully 1950’s chic.  The college sweethearts toasted their NC nuptials with an evening of swing dancing to a live jazz band at the historic American Tobacco Campus before enjoying a rich, three-tiered cake from Queen Anne’s Confections.  I heart Southern Weddings!  See?!

How did the two of you meet?  We were both students at UNC Chapel Hill.  One of Madison’s friends was interested in me, so he introduced Madison to me to get an honest opinion.  This meeting was memorable for Madison, who, one month later, formed an intramural inner tube water polo team on the off-chance that his team and mine would meet in combat. When our teams did finally compete against each other, I attempted to guard Madison and, in the process, “accidentally” slapped him in the face, earning his everlasting affection.
Describe the proposal. Madison asked me to a nice meal on a cool spring night. After going for a short walk around the UNC Arboretum, Madison read a poem he had just written for me from his cell phone, where he repeatedly described his love for me. After choosing a new favorite tree with me, Madison bent over and complained of having a cavity in his mouth.  Since I was a dental student at the time, I spotted a glowing ring sandwiched between his cheek and bottom right canine tooth.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Warm, joyful and relational.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding invitation? We wanted to combine the traditional symbols of commitment and celebration that were important to us while finding ways to make sure our guests knew how important the symbols were for us.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My dress was a silk strapless gown of white taffeta with a fitted ruched bodice of Spanish design.
Describe your wedding cake: For our cake, we chose a traditional Norwegian wedding cake (kransekake) to honor my grandparents.  Our cake was a three-tiered round buttercream cake with pearled icing and blue hydrangeas.
Describe your wedding flowers: Our bouquets and centerpieces were made of white and blue hydrangeas with white roses and blue delphinium on ivy.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We had friends participate in as many ways as we could. We invited a professor from Washington, D.C. to drive to Raleigh to provide thoughtful words. Madison’s piano teacher played all of our music. Two of our friends performed a song after we exchanged rings. A local pastor that we have known for years welcomed the guests and connected each of the wedding’s events together.
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding? Several family traditions came into play.  The groomsmen composed a poem for Madison with funny memories, I carried my grandmother’s handkerchief, my sister prepared a Norwegian kransekake cake and the men wore white dinner jackets.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Standing together at the front of the church while our friends and family sang.  What a beautiful moment for us to look into each other’s eyes while everyone else celebrated and gave thanks!
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We are living in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area while Madison finishes school. I am working as a dentist and writing children’s books on the side. We hope to travel to Norway in the near future!

Congratulations, Pamela + Madison!  Enjoy your travels together as husband and wife!