Southern Weddings

Happy Labor Day, y’all! One of my favorite things about weddings in the South is the complete sense of family. I think that’s why Candice + John’s lovely wedding pulls at my heart strings. It not only took place at Bannockburn, John’s family home, but was filled with details created or provided by their respective families. From the yummy deserts created by Candice’s mom, to her dad supplying vintage furniture from his own personal antique collection, these two were literally surrounded by love from their families! If anything could top that, I’d say it would be a surprise fireworks display from their parents to ensure the perfect ending to a sweet day.

Thanks to Olivia Griffin for sharing C + J’s wedding, and making me wish for a trip to SC!

We were at White on Daniel Island when my mom found the Jenny Packham dress. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the silk, but when I put it on, I fell in love with it. It is the perfect mixture of vintage and modern, and the back of the dress is amazing. Jody at White helped me customize the top and find a belt that made the dress even more beautiful. I love everything about my dress and I could not imagine wearing anything else!

I most definitely agree with Candice, the back of that dress is absolutely amazing!

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Jacqueline Volz of Sweetgrass Social Event and Design was amazing! She was a dream to work with throughout the wedding planning process. She worked so hard to make sure our wedding was exactly what John and I had envisioned. Our wedding ceremony was supposed to take place outside, and about half an hour before the ceremony, it started raining. Jacqueline quickly came up with a plan and executed it without a hitch. With Jacqueline there, I never panicked because I trusted that she would make it work. The ceremony was perfect and I have Jacqueline to thank for that.

While I’m sure an outdoor ceremony would have been lovely, their rain plan proved to be equally as lovely!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite detail was the picturesque setting. The first time I visited John’s parents house, I thought it would be a beautiful place to have a wedding. The clear tent with the string bulb lights overlooking pond was breathtaking. The yard is full of trees and all the lanterns hanging looked beautiful under the full moon. My dad supplied vintage furniture from his personal antique collection that brought the whole look together. The Finesse band had everyone dancing all night. The atmosphere was exactly the way I imagined it would be and I loved it!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Everything had a touch of Southern style and tradition, especially the location and the food! Both the ceremony and reception were at Bannockburn, John’s family home. The house was built in 1910 and has been the location of a handful of family weddings. The reception was catered by Jack Brantley and he is a Southern as it gets. Our menu included quail and grits, pork tenderloin, crab cakes, and fried green tomatoes.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. My mom is a nurse, but makes wedding cakes on the side. Her cakes are delicious, so I was so excited to have her make my desserts. I am much more of a pie person, so I wanted to have a variety of desserts in addition to the traditional wedding cake. For the wedding cake, she made a three-tier vanilla cake with buttercream frosting. It was topped with flowers and was very simple, yet beautiful. We also had mini lemon meringue pies, chocolate chip cheesecake bites and mini red velvet cupcakes.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I went to Clemson with a few of John’s friends from his home town. John went to the Citadel and visited Clemson frequently, but somehow, we never crossed paths in college. A year after college, we finally met through our mutual friends when I was living in Charleston about to start medical school and John was working in Charleston for the summer. We went on a date about a week after we met and we have been together ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! John had planned to propose on a Sunday in December at his parents’ home in Florence, SC. We went to Florence for the weekend, and on Saturday night, John decided that he couldn’t wait until the next morning to propose like he had planned. We were sitting by the fire when he proposed. The next day, we celebrated with our friends and family at a brunch that John had planned.
When did y’all get married? April 27,2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 250
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to not do a first look because seeing the look on the groom’s face when the bride walks down the aisle is my favorite part of a wedding. We didn’t want to ruin the moment by having John see me before the ceremony.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Colossians 3:12-17 and John 15:9-12
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. The bridesmaids processional was Cannon in D by Pachelbel and my processional was Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke. The recessional was Hornpipe from Water Music by Handel. Our first dance was to “You are the Best Thing” by Ray Lamontagne. We chose this song because it was the first song we ever danced to.
Describe your wedding flowers. The bride and bridesmaid bouquets were a mixture of blush, ivory and white garden roses, peonies and hydrangeas. My flowers were wrapped in a white glove that John’s grandmother wore on her wedding day. The groom and groomsmen wore porcelina rose boutonnieres.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something old was a vintage bracelet I bought from Terrace Oaks Antiques in Charleston, SC. My something new was my Jimmy Choo wedding shoes that John’s mom and stepmom bought me as wedding present! I borrowed my bridesmaid Mollie’s wedding earrings for my something borrowed. My bridesmaid Betsy had my maiden initials and my wedding date monogrammed in blue on a piece of silk fabric that I had sewn into my wedding dress for my something blue.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? One of my favorite moments of the night was our exit. Our parents surprised us by having a fireworks show as we were leaving the reception. John and I were so shocked. It was the perfect way to end the night!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Someone told me a few days before our wedding “There is something about every wedding that makes it a little more unique, but we just don’t know what it is yet.” Inevitably, something will not goes as planned on your wedding day, but you have to just embrace it. And of course have a fabulous wedding planner to make it look like it was the plan all along!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We most excited about finally living together. John and I are looking forward to working on our house and enjoying our new life together!

Photographer: Olivia Griffin Photography | Planner: Jacqueline Volz of Sweetgrass Social Event & Design | Ceremony and Reception Venue: Bannockburn, Groom’s family home in Florence, South Carolina | Florist: Flowers by Starks | Wedding Cake and Dessert Baker: Mother of the Bride | Caterer: Aberdeen Catery | Rentals: Eventworks Rentals | Lighting: Technical Event Company | Band: The Finesse Band | Favors: Lowcountry Kettle Corn | Bride’s Gown: Jenny Packham, Darling | Paper Products: Crane Co. Stationary from Porters Gift Shop | Hair Stylist: Erin McEachin of Panache Creative Hair Salon | Makeup Artist: Anne Lauren Jolly| Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Bello | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo, Aidan | Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank

Written with love by Marissa