Southern Weddings

I confess, I want to be friends with Katie + Nathan. I love how they incorporated old items like vintage keys, tins, and picture frames into their garden-like reception to give their wedding a classic Southern ambiance without being themed. The newlyweds wanted their wedding day to be about spending time with family, and the backyard reception gave them the perfect space to do so. When we talked to Katie as our Southern Bride of the Month, she said she was invested in having good food. The couple delivered! Guests chowed down on good ole Southern food, complete with pie bar courtesy of Wild Flour Pastry, and ended the meal with a slice of Katie + Nathan’s cute and simple lemon cake from The Cake Stand— love those little bird toppers! My favorite part of reading about this wedding was hearing how the newlyweds stole a few minutes away from the party to reflect on how far they’ve come.

See all of the photos from Katie + Nathan’s wedding in their Real Wedding Gallery!

Describe your wedding flowers: Fluffy peonies paired with mint, lavender, and sprigs of stock. I love how our florist incorporated flowers that were not only stunning, but smelled amazing!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Sometimes we would become so entrenched in the wedding planning that it was hard to see the big picture – getting married! In those moments, we had to put away the spreadsheets and the glue gun and take a break from the planning. Spending time with each other and remembering why it was that we wanted to get married helped us regain focus and momentum.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Hiring a videographer was one of the initial items on the “if we have room in the budget list”. We decided to go for it and, looking back, it should have been on my “must have” list all along. The day rushes by so fast. I was so overcome with emotion and joy that I hardly remember certain moments. We cannot wait to receive our video in the mail and be able to relive those precious moments for years to come.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We were well into the reception when I went upstairs to powder my nose. I walked past the groom’s room and noticed Nate standing by the window that led out onto the second story porch. When he saw me, he took my hand and led me through the doorway into the porch. I cherish those few moments that we had together, out of view from everyone, they were the only minutes we had alone all day. We just kept looking at each other, saying, “Wow, we made it!”
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are already busy living the life we have built. Spending lots of time with friends, visiting family, and saving up for some fun travels are all priorities for us right now. We are really looking forward to our first Christmas together as husband and wife, complete with our very own tree!

Photographer: Veil and Bow // Videographer: Life Stage films // Planner: Sara Hosch, Southern Protocol // Ceremony venue: Private Residence // Reception venue: Private Residence // Florist: Charleston Stems // Wedding Cake Baker: The Cake Stand // Pie Bar: Wild Flour Pastry // Caterer: The Crazy Dutchman Catering // Paper Products: Invitations by Studio R Design, Programs and other paper goods from the bride // Bride’s Dress: Modern Trousseau // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: hair fascinator Powder Blue Bijoux, veil from Atlanta Bridal Couture // Bride’s Shoes: Capparos // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jim Hjelm // Makeup: Pamela Lesch // Hair: Affair Hair by Tanesha

Written with love by Nicole