Southern Weddings

A million thanks to Jeff and Julie Gandy of {Gandy Photographers} for sharing this incredible southern wedding with us!  Be sure to check out their gorgeous {BLOG} for weekly inspiration and more of this stunning soirée.  Kick back in the summer heat with a tall glass of sweet tea this weekend and enjoy~

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The mosquitoes were a huge challenge. The wedding was the first at this plantation that had just opened as a new venue. The system installed to prevent insects was just getting up and running. The owners had to fog the property over and over again just to make sure that people would be comfortable. There were a few moments during the rehearsal dinner that go iffy but the day of the wedding, there was not a bug in sight. The system kicked in just in the knick of time!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Mine was looking back out of the limo window and seeing the tent all lit up and hearing the music. It looked like a scene out of Sabrina! I will always remember that moment.
Scariest moment? Leaving the party – we wanted to stay all night!
Funniest moment? The minister married me to three different men of different first names.
What were your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue items? Something old was my handkerchief, something new were my shoes, something borrowed was a broach from my aunt used on my sash, and something blue was on the handkerchief
Why do you love your husband? He has embraced me, my family, and my dog as his own from the beginning. We both are from strong and loving families that always depend on each other.
How was your wedding different than the way you’d always imagined it would be? I never expected to be blown away by it like I was. After having planned all the little details I thought I would be numb to it. Seeing all the hard work come together was overwhelming and humbling.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Camelot, Gatsby, and Casablanca
Did you write your own vows? No, we used a traditional religious ceremony
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding?  Stay organized and have fun. Savor every single moment at any wedding event and especially on the big day!

I have been so excited about featuring this wedding from {Gandy Photographers}. Remember our SW Round 1 Photo Contest winners? Well, they had a fabulous southern wedding the day after that shot was taken! Susanna and Justin embody true southern style and grace. Getting to know them has been such a pleasure. Congratulations, newlyweds! From photographer, Jeff Gandy…“The outstanding floral displays were created by Doug Carter and Guerry Mashburn. Food and beverages by Covington’s Catering. Tents, tables and chair rentals were provided by Andrew Tent Company of Albany, GA. Band: 14 Karat Gold, Ceremony Music by: Nephtali Santiago, Brides Cake: Sister’s Bakery, Grooms Cake: Ashley Strickland, Videography: Doug Sebastian Productions,  Wedding Planners: The Wedding Belles, Wedding Director: Paula Martinez. And all of this took place at Alcyone Plantation. The perfect location for a Southern Wedding.“

The weather was: Fortunately in our favor-beautiful!
Did you have a theme for your wedding? The rehearsal dinner was a Kentucky Derby theme since the wedding was derby weekend. The wedding was centered around all things southern and elegant: the oak tree was used as our motif throughout the engagement and wedding.
If so, what inspired the wedding design? The colors were fresh and lively –indicative of a fun celebration. The oak tree represented the oak underneath which the ceremony was held. It symbolized the stability and strength of our relationship with each other and with our families.
What colors did you choose for your wedding? Raspberry and Chartreuse Green
Describe your wedding flowers: Flowers were shades of the raspberry, greens, whites and deep purples. Urns holding peonies, hydrangea, roses with bells of Ireland were scattered around the tents. Many other flowers were used to create high and low arrangements on all of the round and square tables.

Describe your wedding cakes: Bride’s Cake: Square tiered swiss dot with butter cream frosting. It was a rum cake in prelude to our honeymoon to St. Martin and St. Barths. The top held fresh flowers of raspberry and chartreuse green color.  Grooms Cake: the classic Southern red-velvet armadillo cake!
How did the two of you meet? We met when I was 14 and he was 17 because I was not allowed to go on a date and the stipulation was that I had to get another couple to go as the double date – he was the other guy. Ten years late we met while we were out with friends in our home town.
Describe your engagement: Justin tricked me into thinking that we were going over in the middle of the week to The Cloister at Sea Island for a business dinner with another couple. All behind my back, he orchestrated a proposal in the Rose Garden when we arrived. There was no other couple – only champagne and a fabulous dinner together to celebrate.
What attracted me to my husband was: Justin has a definite unique sense of style that ranges from his clothing to his sense of humor. He is entertains wherever he goes. I found someone that loves to laugh with me. We both value working hard and playing hard. His mother raised a true Southern gentleman form the word go!
What attracted me to my wife was: She is definitely the most beautiful girl I have ever met, inside and out. I was drawn to her smile and personality. She is truly my best friend. She has great style and I think she is so funny. She is so meticulous in everything she does and I love that about her.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Such a cliché’, but our first date. We went down to one of our friends’ restaurant’s, 306 North. It was a lovely dinner, and we spent almost 3 hours talking, laughing and drinking wine until we realized we were some of the last people in the place. And we got there early, because well, Susanna likes to eat early. It was great. Not your typical first date with odd silences or stupid stories, but a true connection and one the both of us will never forget.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The ceremony. We went against tradition and opted for a private family ceremony under the oak tree. We included our wedding party in addition to the less than 15 family members. It was a tough decision to make but ultimately everyone agreed that it could not have meant more or have been more intimate. I remember every moment of the ceremony and every face around us.

Check back later for Part II of Susanna + Justin…

Be sure to check out the {Whitebox BLOG} for Part II of Abby + Kevin. Thank you so much, Melanie and Sara, for sharing this amazing wedding with us! Have a fabulous weekend!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Kevin set up a photo booth with chalkboards for our guests to write messages to us and take their own photos by remote control. Whitebox let our guests use their props (wigs, sunglasses, and fake mustaches) so everyone had a blast taking funny photos. We ended up with over 400 photos that make us laugh every time we look at them!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Agreeing on all the little details. Kevin and I both had our own creative ideas and vision.
Funniest moment? We told Whitebox that we love props for photos so we knew they were bringing some but we totally didn’t expect the mustaches! The Whitebox girls pulled out the fake mustaches for the bridal party to put on and I almost peed in my pants when I saw my BMs with their mustaches on. One of the girls has dark hair and dark eyebrows and her mustache look soooo real! It cracked all of us up! I still laugh about it!
What were your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue items? For the something blue, I bought light blue alphabet stickers at the craft store and spelled “I DO” on the bottom of my wedding shoes. One shoe had the letter “I” and the other “DO”. I didn’t have something new, old, and borrowed.
How was your wedding different than the way you’d always imagined it would be? It was sooo much more fun than we ever imagined. Kevin and I were excited knowing that all of our family and friends from MN and all over NC would be together in a town that we both adore. To have our closest friends and family together and meet for the first time had to be the best part of the weekend. We had such a blast with everyone. It was probably the only time everyone would be together.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Spend the extra money on an awesome photographer. It’s probably the most memorable day of your lives so why wouldn’t you want the photos that are just as amazing?!! Also, allow plenty of time between the ceremony and reception for family and bridal party photos! This is the time when your photographer can get the best shots of the newlyweds together and fun shots with the bridal party.