Southern Weddings

Okay, if this isn’t a true-blue Southern wedding, I don’t know what is! Hannah + Chas were married in an intimate ceremony at their family property, Broadacres Farm. For her wedding day, Hannah donned a custom Myline replica of the iconic open-back Monique Lhullier “Scarlett” (we think she looks positively statuesque!), and even had her groom’s grandmother’s sixty-year old wedding buttons sewn onto her dress. The bride’s classic Aldo riding boots and her maids’ vintage-inspired frocks (all of their own choosing) lent a sweet, ladylike feel to this North Carolina wedding. To say Emily + I are in love with H + C’s wedding, photographed by the talented Alea Moore, would be an understatement.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Chas and I met as students in Raleigh, NC. He was the classic boy from NCSU, and I was the girl from the all women’s college down the road, Meredith College. We locked eyes on the dance floor of shag night at Red’s. He didn’t know how to dance, but asked me to teach him. I wasn’t deterred by his novice moves. Instead I saw a tall, dark, and handsome man willing to give it a try! I was a hard catch though, and quickly pointed out that he was just a freshman and I was a first year graduate student. Our romance quickly developed over creative dates like quilt making, art gallery hopping, and collecting gifts for a child we sponsored for Christmas. Chas was not the average freshman and confidently pursued me.
Describe the proposal. I am a tricky girl to surprise, but Chas pulled off a sweet proposal at Dawson’s Creek in Pamlico County, NC. I grew up spending summers with my grandparents on the water and Chas honed in on this magical spot. He caught me off guard Easter weekend of 2010. I was told he would spend the holiday with friends in Greensboro. After a day at the beach with family, I drove to my Grandmother’s house where I unexpectedly found Chas with a nervous smile on his face. He dropped to one knee on the sandy bank of Dawson’s Creek in time for a sunset proposal, and I never saw it coming.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: unique, outside-the-box, comfortable
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The music. Folk Psalm played fantastic bluegrass music for us, and even called a square dance! We were also thrilled to have a cellist play during the ceremony, a long time favorite instrument of mine. We were also in love with the “Big Fish”-esqe lighting draped across the field.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? Potluck!! Not traditional for weddings these days, but standard fair for other celebrations. We decided to give it a try, and it was THE best wedding food we, and most of our guests, had ever enjoyed. The bluegrass band, hay bale seating, and use of our old barn and wraparound porch made for a particularly Southern wedding. We had no wedding planner and no big budget. We allowed our family and friends, many of which are talented artists, to provide personal touches.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I had visited nearly every wedding shop between Winston and Raleigh without finding anything I liked. I considered ordering something online or having a custom designer fashion something, but time was running out. Six weeks before the wedding, my mother mentioned one last shop we had not yet visited. The tiny building housed hundreds of beautiful new dresses and Myeline, the owner and master seamstress, helped me find exactly what I wanted. For a very reasonable price, she altered the dress down 4 sizes and it was ready in plenty of time.