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Y’all!!! And, yes, those exclamation points were completely necessary! I knew I was going to like this wedding as soon as I saw the title; I hadn’t even clicked in yet and I was excited! (Obviously: Monograms + Alabama = MAK heaven!) Emily is such a doll for letting me introduce Morgan + Matthew’s to-die-for wedding from Amy Arrington. I’ll even let the fact that M + M are attending school at Auburn slide for the sake of this gorgeousness!

I feel like Morgan is my long lost sister! Oh, where to start? How about the things I love about this wedding: the monogrammed necklace, her gown, the location, the ceremony backdrop, the gold glitter the flower girls threw… but, let me be completely honest, as much as I die over these gorgeous details, Morgan + Matthew’s contagious joy takes the cake as my very favorite detail. And that, my friends, is what it’s really about.

How fun is Morgan’s something borrowed? It’s her sorority sisters’ membership pins!

I didn’t even have to scroll down to know that Morgan’s gown was the “Dahlia” by Amsale because it’s one of my absolute favorite gowns. Ever! And add in the fact that she got it for 55% off — work it, girl!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I fell in love with a dress that I saw on Pinterest, but upon doing further research, I found out that it was way out of my budget. I was so bummed, but I thought maybe if I just did a Google search of the style, I could find a salon carrying it for less. I stumbled upon PreOwnedWeddingDresses, which quickly became my best friend! I found the exact dress I was looking for being sold by a sweet, sweet lady in New Orleans. I ended up getting my dress for 55% off of the original price AND made a new friend!

We originally planned on not doing a first look, but upon seeing the wonderful first look photos of other couples that our photographer had done, we decided it could be pretty neat. On the day of the, among the hustle and bustle, we lost track of time. Before we knew it, we had run out of time for a first look. So, we waited until the ceremony and it ended up being perfect. I think subconsciously it was what we wanted all along. It was a beautiful moment.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There was this small moment that I will forever remember. I surprised Matthew with a leather chair and ottoman as a wedding present. I placed it in the room where the men got ready, but he had no clue that it was for him. It just blended in with the rest of the furniture. After the ceremony, we signed our marriage license in that room and I told him the chair belonged to him. His face at that moment was priceless. It was a small detail in a busy day that meant the world to me.

How adorable are these buttons? I need that Alabama one for sure!

Describe your wedding flowers: We went all white with our flowers. My bouquet was a mixture of white hydrangeas, white roses and baby’s breath. The bridesmaid’s bouquets were all white hydrangeas and on the reception tables, we used white hydrangeas and baby’s breath.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our wedding was held at an old plantation home: big and white, with a wide front porch. There were many monograms. I wore a monogram necklace with my new initials at the reception, we had a monogram cake topper, and I had my monogram stitched into the inside of my dress. My husband threw the garter attached to a football (you can’t leave football out of anything here in the South). We also had monogrammed corn hole boards at the reception and they were a big hit!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We are still in school at Auburn University, so planning a wedding in six months and attending school at the same time was a challenge, but we are proud to say now that we have overcome and done wonderfully!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: A family friend made our cakes. We went with a simple white cakes with white butter cream icing. We originally had three cakes, a small three-tier cake and two small two-tier cakes. The morning of the wedding, there was a little mishap with the larger cake, so we smiled and moved on and enjoyed our two smaller ones. They sat on milk glass cake stands and the cake we cut was topped with a beautiful acrylic monogram.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Matthew and I met while doing mission work on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation in southern Arizona. He was 17 and I was 15. I had worked on the reservation for many years but it was his first time. I led his group during the week they were in Arizona and we quickly became great friends. As teenagers do, we continued to text each other once we had returned home and our relationship quickly grew while we were separated by two states. In November of 2008, he made the special phone call and asked me to be his girlfriend. He told me that he knew a long distance relationship could be challenging but he was willing to work hard at it if I was. We were in a long distance relationship until I joined him at Auburn University in 2011.
Describe the proposal. During the summer of 2012, Matthew planned a cross-country road trip for us. It was a dream come true. We spent two weeks journeying from Kentucky to California and back home to Alabama. Along the way, Matthew planned a stop on the reservation in southern Arizona where we met and spent so much time serving together. He proposed at sunset in the very village we served in and once again, just as he did when he asked me to be his girlfriend, he told me he knew marriage could be challenging, but he was willing to give it his all if I was.
In what month did you get married? December
How many guests attended your wedding? 75
Did you write your own vows? We wrote our own vows, but kept them simple and very similar to traditional vows. Our favorite part was how they began: “I Morgan, take you Matthew, to be my husband, loving you now and as you grow into all that God intends.”
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. All of our songs were hand picked by my husband. He did an amazing job! I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of “A Thousand Years” by The Piano Guys, and let me tell you, it’s a tear-jerker. We walked back up the aisle to “I Do” by Colbie Caillat and our first dance was to “Come Away with Me” by Norah Jones.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There wasn’t one particular thing, but the fact that it was very personal. We made almost every decoration by hand and put so much thought and hard work into the details.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Photography!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t get caught up in the minute details. You will feel like everything, I mean EVERYTHING has to be perfect, but I can tell you now that it doesn’t. If things go wrong the day of, or even the week before, smile and move on. You will enjoy the special time so much more.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are looking forward to everything God has in store for us! We are finishing up school here in Auburn and are ready for the big, big plans He has for us after that. We are adventurous and ready to follow His lead.

Amy Arrington is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
26 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    Oh my goodness, what a sweet, sweet wedding! I love how their tables are modern, but at the same time, they fit so beautifully with all of the laid back, Southern details. Not to mention, the bride and groom are just gorgeous together! :)

  2. avatar Caitlin reply

    What a beautiful couple. I love every detail but especially the monograms! Where did the bride get the monogram for the inside of her dress?

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Hi Caitlin! I’m not sure where Morgan got her monogram, but when I was married the seamstress who did all my alterations offered monogramming for the inside of the gown. Check with your seamstress or dress salon as they will know a great place to create the patch. xx

  3. avatar Sarah reply

    Y’all, I will have to tell you that there was a lot of modesty going on in that interview! :) I am Matthew’s sister (the groom) and now Morgan’s sister-in-law and I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you how incredibly talented this chick is! They got married on the same day that my husband and I got married 5 years ago, but I was more than happy to share that date with them! I know she scoured wedding mags and websites, and, of course, Pinterest, for all these wonderful ideas and managed to make a LOT of them herself or design them herself. There isn’t a picture of the invitation (obviously, because they had already gone out), but she did a fabulous job. She’s like Reese Witherspoon (If it’s not moving, monogram it!) and loves all things southern, but still loves the appeal of modern prints and designs. Anyway, I am SOOO happy that y’all featured their wedding!

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Oh, Sarah! You’re so sweet to comment, and say such kind things about Morgan! I have to say that I agree that she is so talented. This is one of my favorite weddings we’ve featured – the monograms just put me over the edge! And congratulations to you and your hubby on your anniversary – what a sweet thing to share! xx

  4. avatar Dee Shore reply

    Gosh so pretty! What a beautiful couple.

  5. avatar Cameron reply

    Amsale, Monograms, Auburn, Theta pins, and gold glitter….I die!

  6. avatar Anna (Lover.ly) reply

    Wow! What a gorgeous wedding, particularly that dress. And the fact that it was 55% off makes it even prettier :)

  7. avatar invitation consultants reply

    can’t go wrong with a monogram! and bowties too!

  8. avatar Kiesel Park Wedding : Matthew + Morgan reply

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  9. avatar Jen @ YumYum Weddings reply

    I love monograms, and they are a staple of most weddings, but I never thought to use it as a theme…this was wonderful! They look so happy to be together, and they really took something that nearly everyone uses, and made it their own. My favorite part would have to be his monogrammed football though…classy. ha ha.

  10. avatar Dominique reply

    Where did that Merry Christmas banner come from? I would LOVE to have one for my upcoming wedding!

    • avatar Sarah reply

      Dominique: Regarding the Merry Christmas banner: Morgan made it herself a while back. It’s been a tradition of theirs for a few years to have a Christmas picture taken with it and post it as their “Christmas card.” Since they got married so close to Christmas last year, they made sure to have it included in their photos.

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  13. avatar Sarah Park reply

    Where did the Bride order the buttons from? So adorable!

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  20. avatar Mel reply

    Where did the brides monogram necklace come from? I just love it and I’m looking for a trusty site to order one from? Thanks! Gorgeous wedding!!

  21. avatar Mary Lou reply

    Your wedding was beautiful! My daughter is getting married in October and she would love to use the football idea. I have been looking but no luck.How or where did you get it?
    Thank you for your help,
    Mary Lou Crow

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As y’all know, Southern weddings have a very particular style. Sure, they range from the rustic and laid back to the classic and formal, but inherent in celebrating our unique culture is a common thread pulling them all together. At times, it’s really difficult to combine two cultures that are both vibrant and specific, which is why we were pleasantly surprised when we saw Eva + Neil’s wedding.

The couple planned a day that incorporated both of their backgrounds into a Southern hometown soiree, finding that there are a few themes natural to all backgrounds (like an appreciation for family) and a few surprising things that they have in common (fried okra, anyone?). We love looking through these images from White Rabbit Studios and admiring E + N’s favorite detail of the big day: “Getting married to each other.”

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Neil and I have known each other for ten years now. After college we both moved to Washington, DC (me from Alabama, Neil from L.A.) and met through mutual friends (DC is really like a small town where everyone meets eventually). We were friends for years, and were always running into each other at parties and coffee shops and would have a great time talking. When I went away to grad school, Neil stayed in touch by mailing me articles he had written about wonky things like environmental regulation with little post-it notes attached. I moved back to DC and eventually he won me over through a somewhat more romantic combination of singing, playing guitar and cooking for me. Now every year at Valentine’s Day he makes me the same dish he made the first time he made me dinner, which we now call “wooing pasta.” He still plays guitar all the time and surprised me at the wedding by singing and playing “I’ll be your Mirror” by the Velvet Underground.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? We decided not to do a first look because we both wanted to see each other for the first time that day right before the ceremony. It was the right thing for us because it made the whole thing that much more exciting.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? The first was Song of Songs 8:6-7, read by my cousin. My sister read a passage from Marcel Proust’s book Swann’s Way, which is Neil’s favorite book. Neil’s sister read the lyrics to the song, “Heaven” by Jani Lane (Warrant).

We said traditional vows, but also included some Indian wedding rituals like putting garlands over each other’s heads (similar to exchanging rings in an American ceremony) and feeding each other during the ceremony (good when you’re too nervous to eat much beforehand!). One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was actually right after we were officially pronounced as married and we went to all the elders on both sides of the family to show our respect to them–this is a traditional part of a Gujarati (Indian) ceremony, and it was important to us to start our married life letting our families know how important they are to both of us.

So many of our guests were traveling to the South for the first time for the wedding, so we wanted to really show off my home state of Alabama, while also incorporating elements from our families’ backgrounds (Indian on Neil’s side and Bolivian on mine). We made welcome bags that I hand stamped with Alabama and a heart over Crossville, filled with moon pies and guides of things to do in north Alabama. We also had local letterpress shop make a similar print for us to use as a guest book. I think the most Southern thing about the wedding was really how the community pulled together to make everything happen, from the flowers to the horse Neil came in on. We got married on my grandparents’ farm, which has been in the family for generations and where my parents, grandparents, great grandparents were also married. We also had Southern music (bluegrass, Southern rock, Southern soul), and kept the food and drink local: BBQ, cornbread, fried okra (the surprise cross-cultural food hit), wine from Wills Creek Winery where we had the reception, Straight to Ale beers from Huntsville (my hometown) and Back Forty Beers from Gadsden (where I was born) and local cheeses from Belle Chevre, among other places.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We had bluegrass music at the ceremony and asked them to play a few family favorites like Wayfaring Stranger (when the families walked in) and Wildwood Flower (for the flower girls). At the reception, we really wanted everyone to dance, and wanted to heavily feature great music from the South (Wanda Jackson, Drive by Truckers, Alabama, Lynard Skynard, Sam Cooke, Alabama Shakes) and sentimental favorites. We started out by giving the first dance to my grandparents to celebrate their 60th anniversary, which was that week, and they requested a song by Vaughn Monroe, who was popular when they were dating. Our first dance was “Stand by Me” by Otis Redding. The mother/son dance was “Sailing” by Rod Stewart. Our father/daughter dance was a song called “El Reloj” (the clock) by Trio Los Panchos, a song about the passing of time that was a favorite of my Bolivian grandfather. We also had another nod to my half-Bolivian roots by featuring a Bolivian traditional courting dance called the cueca. There was a good amount of hair metal, Neil’s favorite. We closed out the night with “Alabama Pines” by Jason Isbell, which is what I always listen to when I’m feeling homesick and is just a great song for any occasion.

Describe the proposal. We love to go to concerts together and for my birthday last year Neil got us tickets to see one of my favorite duos, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The only show we could go to was in Portland, Maine over Thanksgiving weekend, which was a little further than we usually travel for a concert. He proposed after the show at the cozy B&B we were staying at and we had glasses of champagne by the fireplace to celebrate (after a few excited texts to my best friend and family). Neil told me later that a Gillian Welch show in DC years ago was the first time he saw me out at a concert and realized we had something in common. The friend who had taken him to that show ended up marrying us.
In what month did you get married? October, right around my grandparents’ 60th anniversary.
How many guests attended your wedding? Around 100
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I was traveling a lot before the wedding and looked at dresses in some of the places I was in, which meant that I had looked on three continents (Birmingham, Washington, DC, New York, London, Cape Town) and the search was feeling ridiculous. I sew and my mother has always made all my formal dresses for me, and I just wasn’t finding anything that I didn’t think we could make better and with nicer fabric for less money. I was about to give up and found out about a place in New York called the Sample Room that has a roomful of beautiful sample dresses at a huge discount. I found my dress there and it fit perfectly with just a few simple alterations that my mother was able to do.
Describe your wedding flowers: My mother picked cotton and wired it onto stems for bouquets and centerpieces and also made boutonnieres out of it. We ordered Queen Anne’s lace and ranunculus online, and the rest of the flowers came from our dear family friend June (who grew up with my grandparents), cut from her own garden and arranged on the tables for us. We had simple hand-tied bouquets that the bridesmaids pulled together right before the wedding.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: We had fried apple pies, peach peeling pies, chocolate cake (for the wedding cake) and carrot cake (the groom’s favorite, for his cake).
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Planning from a distance. We live in New York, which is far enough away, but the summer before the wedding I was in South Africa. Fortunately, we had great support from our parents, my grandparents and brides-crew, who all helped so much. We couldn’t have done it without them.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Do I have to pick just one? I’d say photos and music. Ashley and her husband (White Rabbit Studios) were so wonderful and now I can see all the parts of the wedding I couldn’t take in. We felt a little extravagant having both a band and a DJ, but it was a great decision. I loved having the band and I loved that Matt played almost exclusively records (since Neil and I spend lots of our weekends going record hunting). The party wouldn’t have been the same without all the great music.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? One of my favorite memories is the ride from the ceremony to the reception. A friend and neighbor of my grandparents has this beautiful 1953 Ford that homecoming queens in Crossville (where the wedding was) ride in for the homecoming parade. My dad and I arrived in the car and Neil and I were driven from the ceremony to the reception in it. It was the first time all day that we were alone and got to reflect on the fact that we’d just gotten married. The car was so solid feeling, and it gave us a calm time to be together.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Keep it loose and enjoy your time with all of these wonderful friends and family who have gathered to celebrate with you. Having so many loved ones in one place doesn’t happen all that often. Enjoy the day and don’t worry too much if all the little details don’t work out.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We took a short honeymoon right after the wedding, but because I had midterms, we had to get back. We’re taking a long trip in January (when I have a school break) so we’re really looking forward to having a few weeks without work or school obligations to be together. We still haven’t figured out where we’ll go yet, but it will be somewhere far away that will feel like an adventure.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
2 Comments
  1. avatar Jessica Clinch reply

    I love that they gave the first dance to her grandparents for their 60th anniversary. That was such a sweet touch!

  2. avatar Kelly Cummings reply

    I love the vintage photos at the reception! And all of the gorgeous photos that Ashley took, of course! Lovely!

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I’m so thrilled to be sharing Kaitlyn + Tim’s wedding film by Hampton Road Studios today! These two have such a sweet love story; I know you’ll love learning more about them and seeing a few of their photos!

A little from Kaitlyn, the bride:

For our color scheme, we wanted everything to look really fresh and neutral. The bridesmaids wore cocktail length dresses made of champagne dupioni silk. The groomsmen wore navy blazers, khakis, and navy gingham ties. Tim wore a navy gingham dress shirt to stand out. My lovely dress was designed by Augusta Jones, my veil and sash were handmade by my mom, and I opted for beautiful (yet comfortable) flat sandals from Banana Republic.

We opted for a station themed dining plan. The carving station and potato bar were both big hits with our guests. Along with other heavy hor d’oeuvres, our guests also enjoyed delicious cupcakes and homemade cookies from our cookie bar. Initially intended to be our favors, most guests chose to snack on them throughout the reception.

My mom and I are both scrapbook lovers. You might say we have a paper obsession, as we both have a special “Scrapbook Room” in each of our homes. So taking on the task of hand making each paper component of the wedding was not something we thought twice about. The invitation suite included a hand stamped invitation, a hand stamped rsvp, a hand drawn map of Birmingham showing the various locations of wedding weekend events, and a handmade tag with information about our wedding website. Each component was created on kraft paper, an idea that we came up with early on and ran with throughout our wedding. Each suite was bundled in twine and sent off with my mom’s handwritten addressing on the front. It was truly a labor of love.

Rather than choosing the traditional guestbook method, we decided to take the time to create a guestbook/scrapbook. We created several scrapbook pages with photos of Tim and me throughout our relationship. The key components of each page were envelopes and tags for each guest to leave their messages, words of wisdom, and notes of love. We really enjoyed pulling out each tag to read what our guests had to say.

Our day was overflowing with personal touches. My mom and I worked very hard to make every aspect special. From the handmade invitation suite and rustic chic décor, to my wedding day attire, to the homemade cookie bar, my mom had a hand in making everything unique.

Our outdoor ceremony was such a beautiful way to begin an amazing evening. Placed above the fireplace was a beautiful handmade wooden cross that my parents made for the event. Since we weren’t getting married in a church, we wanted to make sure the ceremony still met our desire for a religious ceremony. The bridal party walked down the aisle to “Hallelujah,” my parents walked me down the aisle to, “Canon in D,” and our recessional song was “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).”


We don’t usually share photos at the same time as film features, but once we saw these beauties from Leslie Hollingsworth (assisted by Ginny Au), we couldn’t resist!

You can see more from Kaitlyn + Tim’s big day on Leslie’s blog! Thanks again to Hampton Road Studios for sharing!

emily Written with love by Emily
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