Southern Weddings

The {Barr Mansion} took care of the catering and {[Clink] a reason to celebrate} planned this entire event and transformed the ballroom with gorgeous tall vases filled with white beautiful flowers, low lighting and light fabric draping.  Big hits of the celebration were the cigar table by {Bobalu Cigar Co.} and wedding cake by {Coco Paloma Desserts}. Photography by {Tinywater Photography}.  Check out all the shots on Tinywater’s blog {Post I}, {Post II} and {Post III}.

The weather on our wedding day was: In a word, perfect. At the rehearsal the afternoon before wedding day, we feared the Texas heat would compromise our guests’ comfort, especially with an outdoor ceremony. Fortunately for us, it cooled down and there was even a delicate breeze by the morning of the big day.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I really wanted it to feel like a garden party from the 1920’s. An event Gatsby would have hosted, but at the same time, something modern and youthful. We pictured our guest enjoying a cigar in the courtyard and sipping on bourbon, the sound of an acoustic guitar under the shade of old oak trees… and that is exactly what we had. A truly Southern affair.
Favorite design element of your big day: My favorite design element would have to be the table design in the artisan ballroom. The tables were dressed in ivory taffeta linens, and we used fruitwood chivari chairs, which gave a luxurious feel in the otherwise rustic ballroom. The tall centerpieces and the vast use of mercury glass candle holders created a sparkle in the evening that was so warm and ambient.
Describe your wedding cake: Our wedding cake was quintessentially Southern! It was an octagon shaped bourbon praline cake. A gourmet cake by that was made of yellow cake doused with a bourbon soak and filled with homemade pecan praline butter cream and covered with a vanilla butter cream frosting. The sugar flowers that topped the cake were all-handmade and were so realistic and beautiful. It was just a breathtaking creation.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The cigar roller! Such a big hit with everyone, young and old. We were surprised by how many women joined in with the cigar smoking! It was truly a lovely detail for everyone and made for some great pictures! One of my wedding gifts to my cigar enthusiast husband.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The most challenging aspect of our wedding was finding a wedding planner. Once we found Gina Whittington- Wilson of Clink Events everything fell into place. She pointed us in the direction of the most incredible vendors who created such a memorable day for us. We could not have been in better hands. Gina was incredible and she really is great at what she does.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? We did not have any particular family traditions in our wedding, we focused primarily on involving our friends and family to create a very intimate feeling, and we definitely achieved that. You could literally feel the love from everyone. It was so comforting to have everyone we loved present.
Scariest moment? On wedding day the girl’s limo driver got lost on the way to the Barr Mansion. He was given the simplest instructions and still managed to muck things up. When I began to panic about being late my God Brother Martin (who officiated for us) began singing Usher’s “Yeah” and rocking the air guitar to Journey’s “Living on a Prayer” to put a smile on my face and lighten the mood. It completely worked!
Funniest moment? Aside from Martin’s version of “Living on a Prayer”, he also made a joke during the ceremony that had all of our guests laughing. Martin began the ceremony with a story about our childhood, mentioning how I was always on the lookout for my very own prince charming. “Sarah, you have found your prince… I hear the white horse is out back!” It was classic, true and a great moment.
Hardest decision you made in planning? Easily the hardest decision I had to make was on my shoes. I am a fashionista and pride myself on my collection of Manolo’s and Jimmy Choo’s. For wedding day I decided on an art deco inspired pair of Prada pumps. They were glamorous and tied in perfectly with my vintage bridal look.
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: Derek and I had never practiced our first dance, and while out on the floor he suggested he “dip” me at the end of the song. I lovingly declined and reassured Derek that “dip or not” our first dance would be perfect. Much to my surprise when the end of the song approached, he spun and dipped me like an old pro! Even sealed it with a kiss. It was a lovely surprise, and I will never forget our first “dip” as husband and wife.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Lovely, Timeless & Green. The Barr Mansion, our venue, prides itself on being the only USDA certified organic wedding venue in Texas. It was so important to us that we were able to have such an elegant affair while remaining “green”. From the hor’dourves to the sit down dinner, even the flowers were locally grown and organic. We received so many compliments on how fresh everything tasted, and we knew we had picked the perfect venue.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Consider making the entire weekend a destination for your guest. We wanted guests to completely enjoy themselves so we provided transportation on private chartered buses to our venue and had a Welcome Cocktail party the evening prior to the wedding to extend the celebration and enjoy everyone as much as possible.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration. My mother told me “Every chance you get, stand back and soak it all in… It will all go by so quickly,” and she was right, it did indeed. I was so happy I listened to her advice to breathe it all in, it really helped me to relish in every moment before it passed.
Who was your most honored guest at the wedding? My grandparents. Derek’s maternal grandparents were unable to attend due to health reasons and his paternal grandparents have passed on. Having both of my grandparents in attendance was such an honor to me. I was so happy they were able to see their granddaughter as a bride.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are currently planning to travel to Europe and are awaiting the beginning of our life’s adventure with one another. In addition to traveling, we are completely embracing Austin as our new home and getting involved with volunteering locally.
Any DIY items? The river stone seating arrangement display was a complete DIY project and quite an undertaking. In addition to the river stones we made door hangers for each hotel suite that acted as an itinerary for the weekend. We also packaged all of the French rose macaroons in cellophane and all calligraphy items were done by Sarah herself.
Favorite inspirational blogs or sites: Style Me Pretty, Coco & Kelly and of course my own blog Jeune Marie!

We’re off to Austin, Texas!  Sarah + Derek met through Kara (Derek’s sister) on New Year’s Eve…  a perfect romantic night that later led to this elegant, traditional and rustic wedding celebration. I love that the bride helped design her own gown and had a bouquet inspired by {Sex and the City’s} Carrie.  We can’t wait to show you more reception details in the second post, but we will leave with these for now: flowers and venue by {Barr Mansion}, dress created by {Natalie Miller} and bridesmaid dresses from {J.Crew}.  Photography by {Tinywater Photography}. How about this gorgeous Southern location?!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story: Derek and I met through his younger sister Kara. She and I went to school together, and she invited me to a New Year’s Eve bash at her older brother’s house near Austin. With the promise of tall, dark and handsome rugby players at the party, I knew I had to be there! Of course when we arrived I pointed out to her one man in particular that I had to talk to. “Kara, do you know him? He is so cute!” “Yes… That’s my brother!” she laughed. He ended up being my New Year’s kiss, and we have been together ever since.
Describe the proposal: Derek stood by tradition and first asked my parents for my hand in marriage, so I had a feeling it was coming. In order to surprise me he had to think of something that would be completely unexpected. It was late September– my favorite time of year. He woke me up before the sun, and we went on an early dawn motorcycle ride through the hill country. As the sun began to rise, we reached a gorgeous scenic over look and stood side by side, hand in hand… I just knew what he was going to ask me. The whole proposal was very classic Derek, no muss or fuss, just his charming words and nature surrounding us.
What attracted me to my husband was: Derek stole my heart with his old fashioned manners, his sense of humor and his big brown eyes.
Why do you love your husband? I love the way my hands feel so small in his, the way we can look at each other from across the room and seem to be thinking the same thoughts, and I love how sincere Derek is always.
What attracted me to my wife was: Sarah is stunning, but beyond that she is passionate and strong. I was very attracted to her confidence and her honesty.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Once I took Sarah away to a weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas. We went wine tasting and dug around in the antique shops. Seeing her eyes light up and her smile when she found a first edition copy of Alice In Wonderland, a book she read with her mother as a child, is something I will never forget.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My dress is a couture design that was an incorporation of ideas between me and designer Natalie Miller of Houston, Texas. I searched everywhere for the “perfect dress” and had come up empty handed, nothing had that ethereal yet glamorous look that I was going for. Natalie completely understood my vision and was able to bring my “Grace Kelly” dress to fruition.
Describe your wedding flowers: For my bouquet we were inspired by the Sex and The City Movie! Carrie Bradshaw’s long stemmed cream roses and ivory ranunculus really caught my eye so we replicated that. The groom wore a white ranunculus and his groomsmen wore the same flower in pink. I decided to go with ranunculus because their texture reminded me of tattered vintage millinery flowers. For the reception we used antique hydrangeas in pink, green and creams in towering glass cylinders surrounded by vintage inspired mercury glass candle holders.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase/verse/or line? We did not write our own vows, but simply saying “I do” was so powerful to the both of us. We had been waiting for that moment for quite some time, and when it came, it was surreal.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? After the ceremony we had a moment alone together in the estate. We had a sip of our drinks and toasted one another. Taking a moment to kiss and say “Wow. This is what forever feels like”, it was the most romantic moment the two of us had ever experienced.

More to come from Sarah + Derek!

There is no way I can choose one favorite thing about this Florida wedding! I really love that Kathy wore the earrings her great grandmother wore on her own wedding day. Another favorite is the traditional Cuban wedding cake in honor of Kathy’s roots. Also, there are all the neat DIY ideas! The bridal party canned 4 gallons of Georgia Honey as party favors. Everything came together at the {Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe} and Kathy looked stunning in a dress by {Maggie Sottero}. Other fun details: Flowers by {Gerardo}. Catering by Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe. Wedding cake by {Sweet Art by Luclia}. Thanks to Karen at {The Wedding Couple} for sending these images our way!

How did the two of you meet? Marshall and I had both just started our first year of graduate school at UGA. It was the first week of classes and all the first-years went out to eat at a local restaurant. While standing in line, we introduced ourselves to one another. Marshall told me he had just received his masters from Duke and I told him I’d just graduated with my bachelors in chemistry. I asked him what he had done over the summer. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when he told me he had spent his summer landscaping, I realized how down-to-earth he was. I told him I spent my summer working as a waitress at a restaurant in my hometown. We hit it off instantly and haven’t been apart since.

Describe the proposal: It was perfect and a complete surprise for me. Marshall had been away for a month on a research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, so we planned a camping trip at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys to celebrate his return home. After snorkeling all day, we went back to our campsite on the beach for a picnic on the shore at sunset. It was a romantic candlelit dinner of sandwiches, baked beans, and beer. After dinner, we were sitting and looking out over the ocean, admiring how dark it was and how many stars we could see. Marshall pulled out the ring box and I was speechless. So much so, I think I frightened him a bit. Of course it was a, “YES!”

A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Our first surf-trip to Cape Hatteras. We were camping on the beach and it was insanely cold and wouldn’t stop raining. Still, it was the best trip ever.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Rustic and earthy

Favorite design element of your big day: We had two antique, nine-pane windows that we used as picture frames. Each pane held a different picture from our childhood. It was a big hit.

Describe your wedding flowers: We had a lot of green and white flowers in mason jars. Chrysanthemums, orchids, and hydrangeas were the main flowers but we had many others. The floral arrangements were absolutely gorgeous and our florist was amazing. We’ve recommended him to everyone we know.

Describe your wedding cake: I come from a Cuban family, so Marshall and I wanted to have a traditional wedding cake. It’s customary to have a three-layer cake from which a ribbon hangs for each of the bride’s single girlfriends. During the reception, all my single girlfriends pulled a ribbon from the cake. The tradition is, the girl who pulls a wedding ring is the next to get married, and the one who pulls a thimble will be an old maid. I didn’t include a thimble, but my younger cousin pulled the wedding ring. It was a wonderful moment, and our guests really enjoyed it.

Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? My great-great-grandmother bought a pair of earrings that she gave to my great-grandmother on her wedding day. Since then, they’ve been passed down to the first-born daughter on her wedding day. On our wedding day, my mother passed them on to me and they were the earrings I wore.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Cutting the cake with Kathy. We were busy for so much of the wedding, but at that moment I felt it was only us two.

What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Focus on the moment and on each other. Also, choose a photographer, vendor and florist who you can really relate to. Marshall and I are so very grateful to them all; without them, we wouldn’t have had such a memorable and wonderful wedding to remember.

Any DIY items? Marshall, my bridesmaid, Rachel, her husband, Aaron, and I canned 4 gallons of Georgia Honey to be given as favors at the wedding. It was a tribute to my late-grandmother. My mom and I decorated the favors, and made the place-card holders. For the place cards, we bagged M&M’s with special messages in small burlap bags and attached a small wooden name-card on each bag. My mom has beautiful penmanship and so she wrote everyone’s name on each card.

Congratulations, Kathy + Marshall!

Written with love by Lara Casey