Southern Weddings

This is probably one of the most inspiring weddings I have come across. Eryn + Craig wrote their entire ceremony and weaved so many personal details into thier day.  They used family mementos in special places that they plan to pass down to their children one day. Photography by the uber-talented husband and wife team at {W. Scott Chester Photography}. I invite you to read this lovely interview and see how they pulled in special meaning to all aspects of the wedding day.

Describe the proposal: The one year anniversary of our first date was coming up and Craig told me he had a surprise trip planned! I begged for details but he didn’t give any clues. The day before our anniversary we arrived in Charleston, South Carolina! We stayed at the historic and romantic {Ansonborough Inn}. The next morning Craig woke me up with flowers, champagne and an amazing breakfast in bed… all of which I thought was for our anniversary. I could not have been more surprised when he got down on one knee!
Attracted me to my husband: Craig is the most self-possessed man I have ever met. He has a quiet confidence and is so intelligent! He has wonderful Southern manners and always knows how to put people at ease. He’s also a fantastic dresser and quite handsome!
Why do you love your husband: My Dad probably said it best in his toast at our wedding… “I couldn’t have invented Craig.” He is the most truly good person I have ever known. His actions are always noble and kind and he’s always looking for ways to be the best man he can be. He has amazing qualities. He is an entirely practical and pragmatic financial advisor and yet he celebrates and facilitates my interest in the arts.
What attracted you to your wife: I was initially attracted to Eryn by her warm and inviting personality. She is so easy to be around. It didn’t take long for me to really see the depth of her character. She is such an amazing women and I’m lucky to have her.
A date we will always remember: Craig loves to surprise me. After we had dated for a few months he told me he had a surprise trip planned for the beginning of July. I guess at some point I had mentioned how much I love fireworks! He waited until we were at the airport to tell me we were going to Boston! We had an amazing time exploring the city and watched the fireworks on the banks of the river listening to the Boston Pops!! It was an incredible trip… I ate my first lobster, we had fantastic seats to a game at Fenway… but the best part was that I don’t even remember telling him how much I love fireworks… He remembered an off-hand comment and planned this special and memorable trip!
Finding wedding dress: What an overwhelming and emotionally loaded task… as girls, we are always told we’ll “know it when we find THE dress.” Perhaps it works that way for some people… for me just standing in front of huge mirrors wearing a wedding dress was so overwhelming I couldn’t think! After a couple of attempts shopping with friends I ventured out on my own. I happened in to {La’Raine’s} in our neighborhood in the Virginia-Highlands. It is a quiet little boutique where the personal service is amazing. In such a calming, low pressure place I could really think and enjoy the process! My dress had a touch of the vintage in the lace but a little glam sparkle too! La’Raine’s also has an amazing seamstress that made the dress fit like a dream!
Were there any special family traditions: We tried to infuse our wedding with things I hope will be continued by our children. I wore my mom’s veil which my sister had worn. I hope our children will carry the locket I carried in my bouquet. I also carried as a hankie, the bonnet Craig wore home from the hospital. I gave Craig a watch on the evening before our wedding that we plan to give our son on his wedding day.
Did you write your own vows? We wrote the entire ceremony.
What was your favorite verse/phrase or line: “Craig and Eryn you are now accepting into your care and keeping the happiness of the one in all the world whom you love best, and, by the same token, something of the happiness of all whom you love and who love you.” I also liked the last line of our reading from The Invitation by Oriah…“It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand alone in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back….”  And this section from Bread for the Journey Creating A Home Together, “True relationships among people point to God. They are like prayers in the world. Sometimes the hands that pray are fully touching, sometimes there is distance between them. They always move to and from each other, but they never lose touch. They keep praying to the One who brought them together.”— Henri Nouwen

Check back shortly for more from Eryn + Craig…

This wedding reception is true New Orleans. The reception was held at the classic {New Orleans Country Club}. The reception was complete with a “second line”. Erin explains, “The second line is a traditional New Orleans dance. We had personalized handkerchiefs for our guests to use and festive second line umbrellas for me and Taylor. It was such a fun and memorable way to leave our guests at our reception!” Floral design by Maede Wenzel and wedding cake by {Maurice French Pastries}.  Thanks to {Laura Negri Photography} for sharing this stunning wedding with us!

The weather on our wedding day was: It was a very typical hot, humid, but beautiful August day in New Orleans.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? We are both pretty classic and traditional in our taste. I wanted our wedding to be very classic and elegant. I really wanted something we would look back on in fifty years and still think it was absolutely beautiful!
Favorite design element of your big day: It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I really loved our flowers!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My mom actually spotted my dress while my mom, sister and I were shopping. It was the third dress I tried on and we all instantly knew it was the one!
Describe your wedding flowers: I absolutely loved our flowers! Meade Wenzel of New Orleans was our florist and she completely captured the classic and beautiful design that I had described to her. We had mostly cream and light pink flowers with some accents of bright pink. They were just beautiful!
Describe your wedding cake: It was classic wedding cake with raspberry filling and butter cream icing. It was simple and elegant in design with our new monogram on the side of the top layer.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We loved our “second line” exit! The second line is a traditional New Orleans dance. We had personalized handkerchiefs for our guests to use and festive second line umbrellas for me and Taylor. It was such a fun and memorable way to leave our guests at our reception!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Joyous, sincere, exciting
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Enjoy every moment of this special time you have together! It should be a wonderful time to celebrate the love you have found in each other and the life you will spend together! Don’t let yourself get wrapped up in the details because in the end the details aren’t the things you remember and cherish.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration. We had several people tell us that our personality as a couple really shined through on our wedding day in all the details of the ceremony and reception. It was a great compliment that our special day was a true reflection and celebration of our relationship.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We hope to settle into a new home in New Orleans soon and just enjoy being newlyweds!

Congratulations to Erin + Taylor. We wish you a lifetime of happiness down in N’awlins!