Southern Weddings

Today, I spent most my morning editing Miss V6 (don’t worry, after she’s printed, she’ll become a Mrs.!), and one thing I could’t get out of my head throughout the entire time was how important marriage is. We always say that a strong marriage can change the world, and I truly believe that. That’s why, I’m so excited for Danielle + Chris! Just hearing why they chose the traditional 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 reading makes me jump for joy! Danielle said “I think that those very simple words encompass what a marriage should be about: loving each other in a selfless way and only wanting the best for our partners without a selfish thought.”

The love that these two have for each other absolutely shines right through these lovely photos from Erika Delgado!

What a fun touch, adding a little note to the envelope liner!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I saw the Romona Keveza dress on a wedding website and knew it was the dress. My mother and I drove two and a half hours to try the dress on and that was it! I loved the fact that my dress wasn’t strapless, yet had that same look. I knew I wanted lace and something different, and that is exactly what I got!

Aren’t these little darlings just the cutest?!

Our wedding was all on the beach so I wanted to stick to a very crisp and chic look. I did a ton of white flowers and I love anything big and lush. There was a lot of white hydrangeas, white peonies, and white orchids. At the last minute, I decided to throw some light pink peonies into the bridesmaids bouquets to add a little pop of color. We used tons of lanterns everywhere and there were white rose petals at the bottoms of the lanterns to dress them up a bit. I really loved working with Deb from Floral Fantasy–she was able to make my vision a reality! She is truly talented at listening to what her brides want. The only way we could communicate was through email and phone because of the distance and she blew me away with the flowers on the day of the wedding!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes! Our photographer said that it could be very romantic and private. I loved it because since it was our time alone before the ceremony, we were able to get the jitters out and have a great time!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we didn’t write our own vows. We did write each other very sweet notes to read privately before the ceremony, so that was very meaningful and a private moment between us. We wanted to have a traditional ceremony and we decided on very traditional readings as well. My cousin is a reverend and he officiated the ceremony for us.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had the traditional Corinthians 13:4-13. I think that those very simple words encompass what a marriage should be about: loving each other in a selfless way and only wanting the best for our partners without a selfish thought.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment would be our first look. My parents walked me over to the little island where it was taking place. I walked out to meet Chris, but from afar, my parents were there too. Once the ceremony and reception started, everyone wants a “piece” of the newlyweds, but those few moments were completely peaceful for me and I loved the fact that both my parents were there to watch such a special moment. It wasn’t planned, but it was perfect. I think sometimes the best parts of a wedding are the ones we don’t plan out!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We used mason jars as each of our guests’ water cups at their tables, but they also doubled as place cards to tell guests where to sit at each table. Our calligrapher wrote each person’s first name on a tag and I tied them onto the mason jars with colored twine. To top it off, there was a colorful paper straw! The chalkboards we used from Chalkshop also had a very Southern feel.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? My biggest challenge was being six hours away from where the event was going to take place. We saw the Postcard Inn in Islamorada by chance, and once we walked on the property, I knew it was perfect place to have our outdoor beach wedding. However, I did not know how much organization comes with having a “destination” wedding!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. From the day I got engaged, I knew that I wanted Publix to make my wedding cake. I don’t think there is anyone in this world who doesn’t love a Publix cake! So that was the easiest wedding decision I had! It was a five-tier cake with different flavors. One piece of advice I will tell brides is that there is often extra cake leftover that will go to waste. I decided to purchase little white boxes at Joann Fabric (mine were were the white swiss dot cake boxes from David Tutera’s new line that the store carries) and I asked catering to put the extra slices of cake in the boxes. I printed off a little sticker that said “Sweet Dreams, Love, Dani & Chris” and had those put on top. As the guests walked out of the venue, the little boxes of cake were displayed for them to take. Our guests loved the late night snack, it didn’t cost me anything extra, and the cake didn’t go to waste!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Chris and I knew of each other for a few years before we dated. Our parents went to the same church and we would see each other from time to time when we would attend on Sundays. This happened for a few years in high school and then college, but we were never formally introduced. We had a mutual friend and randomly saw each other out one night out through her. We recognized each other right away and started dating shortly afterwards. We have been together ever since!
Tell us all about the proposal! Chris proposed at a park in Winter Park, Florida. He said that he had to do something very down to earth or I would know it was coming! He definitely surprised me! He took me for brunch at one of our favorite restaurants and then asked me to walk back to the car through this little park. As we were walking along he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. It was simple, sweet, and perfect!
When did y’all get married? April 6, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 160
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We had a string quartet for the ceremony to set the mood of a traditional wedding ceremony, even though it was taking place on the beach. I walked down the aisle with my father to Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years”. After our first kiss as husband and wife, we walked back up the aisle to Hall and Oates’ “Making My Dreams Come True.” After the ceremony, there was a steel drum band for cocktail hour to give the fun island vibe, and we were ready to party at that point! For the reception, we had the most amazing fusion band and MC. “Rock with U” kept our guests on the dance floor all night. We couldn’t decide between doing a band or a DJ and “Rock with U” gave us the best of both worlds. Essentially, the band plays along to the songs that we all know and love, so it’s really cool to hear drums live while your favorite song is on!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We had our wedding in Islamorada, FL with all of our closest friends and family. We were there with both sides of our immediate and extended family for the week before the wedding. As the days to the wedding came closer, more friends and family made their way down. It was like a mini vacation with so many people we love. We are blown away by the amount of people who made the trip to Islamorada to be with us on such a special day. The number of friends and family who came doubled what we had expected to be able to attend our destination wedding. The outpouring of love and knowing people traveled great distances to be with us was my absolute favorite memory.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Kim McFadden of Chalkshop Events was a absolute dream to work with. We met when her business was just taking off and we understood each other’s visions so well! I would say it was love at the first conversation about weddings! She is an amazingly talented chalkboard artist, and every wedding that she does is completely original and unique! She drew inspiration off of my Pinterest board and we had a few design meetings, and I was blown away on the day of the wedding. All of the signs at my wedding are done by her! Our guestbook was a “polaroid guest boo,” and the backdrop was designed by Chalkshop. The guests stood in front of the board with some props, took a picture and then put it in the guestbook with a sweet note. I cherish those fun memories and it was something different, unique and fun for the guests during cocktail hour.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Imagine your event through the “eyes of the guests.” Write it down and go through the event from the beginning of the night to the end as a guest. Will they know where to go? If it might be confusing, you could use a welcome sign or sign for parking to help lead them. What happens to them between the ceremony and the cocktail hour? Will they know how to get to where they need to be? Are there going to be things for them to do at the event? Corn-hole is a very economical DIY, and it keeps the guests doing something fun and engaging during cocktail hour. We also had a Flipbook, which is a new and different type of photo booth. Our guests loved it because it wasn’t typical and they had never seen it before! Weddings are becoming so much more unique these days and there are no rules, so don’t be afraid to do something different. It’s a celebration of your love for each other! Keep things fun, fresh and a reflection of your personality as a couple. You can’t go wrong with that!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We look forward to starting a whole new life together! We would love to travel more, settle into a beautiful home and hopefully one day have kids.

Written with love by Marissa