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When your father is a cotton farmer, and your groom works at the farm too, there might not be a more perfect venue than one named Cottontop Plantation! I always love reading about why our sweet couples choose their venues, and Rebecca and Russell’s story is so fun. Their venue isn’t the only element of their wedding where meaningful details reigned–can y’all believe that Rebecca’s stunning gown is actually a family heirloom? It was worn by her paternal grandmother in 1958, and then by her aunt 1983. Not only is the dress in beautiful shape for an heirloom, it is also completely timeless and so very chic!

Big hugs to Britt Croft for sharing their lovely day with us!

P.S. I must say, I feel a bit akin to Rebecca, as my own dear husband tends to rock a beard as well!

My wedding dress is a family heirloom. My paternal grandmother wore the dress in 1958, and then my aunt wore it in 1983. The dress was handmade by a friend of the family who worked for a tailor in Columbia, South Carolina. I tried on many dresses, but could never find the vintage lace I was looking for. I asked my Mimi if I could try on her dress, and with tears in her eyes, she said she’d love that. Well, I fell in love with her dress! It was just what I wanted, and it was in really good shape for being that old. I had a friend of mine who does embroidery work sew three patches with all of our initials and wedding dates on them and my mom sewed them into the inside of the skirt.

Describe your wedding flowers. I carried a large bouquet of eucalyptus, dusty miller, brasilia berries, peach astilbe, peach roses, and white hydrangeas. I had the florist make two huge arrangements of the same flowers that were placed in white urns and displayed at the base of the porch steps where the ceremony took place. The farm tables we ate at were draped with a garland made of the same combination of flowers, plus silver candelabras and hurricane globes. The aisle was strewn with ivory rose petals.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? The name of the venue was Cottontop Plantation. It is out in the middle of the country, just seven miles from our house. My dad is a cotton farmer, and Russell works at the farm as well, so besides the venue being very convenient and beautiful, my family and I loved the name Cottontop.

We had two pastors perform our ceremony–one is a family friend we’ve known since I was a little girl, who wrote our introductory thoughts and vows. Our current pastor at our church performed the exchange of rings and the vows. He put a personal touch on it, which made us and our guests more relaxed.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The venue was at a cotton plantation and we used farm tables at the reception. We buried a bottle of bourbon exactly one month before the wedding to keep the rain away and it worked. It’s Southern tradition! I wore pearls as my jewelry and we served sweet tea and lemonade. I had bridal portraits taken at Boone Hall Plantation. We served our guests mac and cheese, chicken, green beans, potatoes, yeast rolls, and salad–a menu you could find on any Southern dining room table on any given Sunday at a family lunch.

My wedding cake was a two-tiered textured white buttercream cake. The tiers were tall and embellished with real roses. We kept it on display near our dinner tables on an old circular oak table with claw feet, draped with my aunt’s lace wedding veil–the same aunt who had worn my wedding dress before me.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Russell and I met back in high school when we were both new students. We had several of the same classes, even though Russell was two years older than me. He was the quarterback of the school’s football team and I was a cheerleader. We dated several years in high school and into college when I got the bug to date other people for a while. I dated several other people, only to realize how much Russell and I were meant for each other. During that time (three years), Russell never dated anyone–he never gave up on me.
Tell us all about the proposal! On April 10, I arrived home from work to find a beautiful Rent the Runway gown hanging up next to some shoes and jewelry. Beside it was a note saying, “1. Put the dress on 2. Fix your hair and makeup 3. Be ready at 7 PM. Ignore the cameras and don’t ask any questions.” My sisters and mom were there to help me get ready. At 7, my sister blindfolded me and drove me up to what was to be mine and Russell’s future home. When I got out of the car, she took off the blindfold and I stood there speechless. There was a gazebo strung with lights, a table for dinner, and candles. I was told to sit down at the table to read a note from Russell, and when I looked up, I saw him walking toward me with three roses. He said, “This first rose is for our past, second for our present and the third for our future. He then got down on his knee and proposed. After that, we sat down for dinner just as the sun was setting, and after dinner, we danced under the lights. It was like something out of a fairy tale! Here is the proposal video my sister, Roxanne (a photographer) made.
When did y’all get married? September 27, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 100
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We used a string quartet on the porch of the plantation. I didn’t think of using anything but timeless classical music, which sounds so beautiful on strings.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment that I will cherish forever was wearing my grandmothers wedding dress. All the months planning and leading up to the wedding, my grandmother was so proud that I chose to wear her dress.

Photographer: Britt Croft Photography / Videographer: Roxanne Photography / Venue: Cottontop Plantation / Florist: Dyson Designs / Wedding Cake: Teresa Reed / Caterer: Sweet Magnolia’s Catering / Rentals: Simply Elegant Party and Event Rentals and Celebrations / DJ: Bob Bonnett / Invitations: Alicia’s Gifts and Invites / Bride’s Veil: Vera Wang for Davids Bridal / Bride’s Brooch: Tiger Lilly / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Menswear: Greg Norman

marissa Written with love by Marissa
5 Comments
  1. avatar Fotograf Warszawa reply

    Brilliant colors. Especially the last photo of the bulbs.

  2. avatar Whitney reply

    Gorgeous wedding! I love all of the details. May I ask where you got your wood monogram?

  3. avatar Kristi reply

    I absolutely the bridesmaids “getting ready” shirts- Any idea where she got them?!

    • avatar Lisa reply

      Hi Kristi! They’re from Plum Pretty Sugar, and you can find them here: http://bit.ly/1zBhYqv :)

  4. avatar Fotograf Białystok reply

    to Britt Croft Photography – great job!

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When it comes to mixing decor genres, I believe Southern and nautical make the perfect pair! Throwing some British inspiration into the mix could have made it more than interesting, but for Heather and Eric, with the help of their planner and florist, Crystal at Southern Posies, incorporating all the different strands of their heritage came together in an absolutely lovely day! I’m officially obsessed with the oyster shell table runner and the story behind Heather’s single magnolia bloom bouquet (be sure to read below)!

We’re sending bug hugs all the way to Austin to Mrs. Caroline Joy for capturing this pretty day!

My something borrowed was my late grandfather’s tie pin that my grandmother lent me; my grandfather was the beloved patriarch of our entire family, and we lost him just a few years ago, so I just had to have him there with us somehow. My something blue was an evil eye charm that a stranger pinned on me when I was a baby–he told my parents that “I would need it,” as they are supposed to protect the wearer from evil thoughts. My something old was my antique sapphire ring that my parents found when we lived in England. My something new turned out to be a solitaire teardrop sapphire necklace that Eric gave me on our wedding day. I also had a sixpence in my shoe that my brother’s best friend brought me over from England when he came for the wedding to surprise my brother!

The décor was an odd mix of Southern, nautical, and a little British (my family and I lived in England when I was in high school). My planner and florist, Crystal, and I picked out soft blooms in cream and blush to complement everything, and anemones, succulents, and dusty miller really brought out the nautical elements. After Crystal and I had designed a beautiful bridal bouquet, Eric and I were having a hard day with a difficult, very personal family issue. Driving into my neighborhood, I saw that the magnolia trees were in bloom, and seeing them cheered me up, so I asked Eric to stop so I could pick one. I’ve always loved magnolias, so I apologized to Crystal and asked her to change my bouquet–I carried a single magnolia bloom, and Eric’s boutonniere was a magnolia seed.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows, going with tradition. We did write promise notes to each other though, and our favorite promises were to never stop working on our marriage and to always speak kindly to each other, no matter what. That’s a promise we live by now.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I made an appointment at Ivory and White in Birmingham and showed my consultant, Molly, several pictures of dresses. She laughed and told me that all my pictures were of the same dress, and she had it in the store! I tried it on and just loved it. My momma, however, really didn’t like it. Even though it made me sad that my mom wasn’t in love with it like I was, I just didn’t see another dress I liked. We found out the designer was having a trunk show at the store in a few months, so we waited until then to purchase the dress. The day my mom, my mother-in-law, and I went to buy the dress, I tried on lots of trunk show dresses, just for fun. My mom really liked one of them, and when I put it on, I realized it had everything the first dress had, and more. The only thing this dress didn’t have was a train, but Molly told me the designer could add a train to the dress. It was perfect!

Short of the British pub table outside the church, I am not sure what wasn’t Southern about our wedding. All of the food was Southern–sweet potato fries, oysters, green beans, fried chicken, prime rib, mashed potatoes, cornbread, collards, and chicken tenders and mac and cheese for the kids. The pound cake and red velvet cake are both Southern favorites. A lot of the details included seersucker and grosgrain. We included our love for Auburn–guests signed a framed and matted print from Auburn that says “from family grows tradition,” and I had a garter from Tiger Rags. We are the fourth generation in my family to be married in June. My favorite Southern details were the hand-sewn heirloom dresses we gave to the bell ringers, because they turned out to be the prettiest ones I have ever seen. And of course, our favorite Southern tradition was our receiving line.

I really love classical music, and being a ballet dancer, visualizing things to classical music comes easily to me. When I listened to the wedding pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty, I could just see all of those walks up and down the aisle. The music is so, so beautiful and romantic and just lent itself perfectly to our wedding.

When we told Ms. Rose Pollman, the wedding cake designer at the Staple bakery in Mobile, that we wanted a traditionally decorated cake, she was over the moon. Too funny! She made the most delicious cream cheese pound cake that we served with strawberries.Eric’s groom cake was red velvet, and the cake topper on it held special significance to us. On a road trip, we passed two horses on opposite sides of a fence that were nuzzling necks as close as they could get. We just knew they loved each other! The nuzzling birds now always remind us of those horses and to love each other, no matter what fence is in the way.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. The summer after my junior year at Auburn University, a friend invited me to go downtown one night. There, I met all of his friends, including Eric. We were instantly attracted to each other, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were both majoring in engineering. We started to hang out more and more, and not long after we met, Eric brought up talk of a relationship, which I didn’t quite respond to the way he had hoped, and apparently, I didn’t talk to him for two weeks. As fate would have it, magic was in the air that fall, and we grew closer with each date and exciting football game. A few months later, a friend of a friend blatantly asked us, in front of a lot of people, if we were “like, together?” to which Eric furiously shook his head and said that was not the case. I thought his response was a little too quick–I guess it was his revenge for the alleged “two weeks of silence,” because when I asked him if that wasn’t a possibility, he said it was possible. The next morning, on his birthday, I remember waking up so happy because I was thinking of him. I told him later that I had a birthday present for him–that if he wanted to talk about a relationship, I wouldn’t freak out. It took us six months from when we first met to put aside our stubbornness, but we’ve pretty much been inseparable ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! From Eric: It was December, and I picked the ring up on Saturday morning with a reservation at Hamilton’s Restaurant that night to “celebrate her performances in The Nutcracker Ballet.” After dinner, I convinced Heather to go on campus with me instead of going to see her family, who were in town for her ballet performances, at a nearby restaurant. After some nerve-wracking conversation, we finally walked over to the swing where we had gone to talk after our first date. After reminiscing about that date, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. After a noticeable and, once again, nerve-wracking pause, she started to cry, so I tried to lighten the mood and said “Please?” She said yes!
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 200
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We cut having a videographer pretty early on, which is actually something I really regret–I wish we had taken a longer look to cut out other things that weren’t lasting. We used a lot of our own décor, which cut down on flower costs and rentals. Also, my planner and the awesome lady who designed our paper suite are both just starting out in the industry, so their costs were not as high as most other vendors. They were both fantastic and attentive and so personable to work with, and their work turned out more beautifully than I could have imagined!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I’m a crier, and I surprised myself the entire day by not crying. I was just so happy all day! But then, we started saying our vows, and tears just started streaming down my face. The most memorable moment for me was when Eric wiped my tears away.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are just happy to be living together and having quiet days to ourselves. We are definitely looking forward to building our home, traditions, and family together!

Photographer: Caroline Joy Photography / Planner and Florist: Crystal Strickland from Southern Posies / Ceremony Venue: Fairhope United Methodist Church / Reception Venue and Catering: Steelwood / Wedding Cake: Pollman’s Bakery / Band: The Voltage Brothers through EastCoast Entertainment / Paper Products: Kara Anne Paper / Bride’s Gown: “Katarina” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Second Gown: “Sweet Dreams” by Ivy and Aster / Bride’s Veil: “Leda” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Earrings: Kate Spade /Hair Stylist: Joanna Ballentine and Molly Stilley from Morgan Ashley Salon / Makeup Artist: Celine Russell / Bride’s Shoes: “Chantilly Booties” from BHLDN / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Niceties Dress” in French Grey from BHLDN / Men’s Attire: Black by Vera Wang from Men’s Wearhouse / Bow Ties: J. Hilburn / Cufflinks: Bullet Cufflinks / Girls’ Getting Ready Robes: BHLDN

marissa Written with love by Marissa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    Heather’s magnolia bouquet is perfect, and I love their all-calligraphy invitation!

  2. avatar Hallie Deyton reply

    I loved this article! I absolutely loved her dress and hearing about all of her personal details she put into the wedding. I think that’s what a wedding should be about – the little personal details. My favorite part was her bouquet – that is something she will definitely remember for the rest of her life!

  3. avatar Stacy {Woodsy Weddings} reply

    Even the church doors match your nautical inspiration! The dress looks beautiful and I love that long dark wood table with the string of lights in the background. Rustic, comfortable, and intimate.

  4. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Brittany and Robert loved celebrating their marriage with 650 dear friends and family members! Heather and Eric incorporated all different pieces of their heritage into their classic wedding. Jeni and Adam loved […]

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Wedding inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, but we believe the best source of inspiration is always your own life and love story. Such was certainly the case for today’s gorgeous couple! Megan is a stylist who is passionate about fashion, so when she fell in love with the look of a Chanel runway show in Paris, she knew she wanted to bring that same “Parisian chic” style to her and Barnett’s Alabama wedding. Add that unique design aesthetic to a pair of sentimental venues, throw in a few extra-sweet details (don’t miss the story behind their heart monogram!), and you have a wedding that I imagine had Megan and Barnett’s guests proclaiming “so them!” In my opinion, that’s the best compliment a bride and groom can ask for.

Many thanks to Stephen DeVries for sharing this special day with us!

Barnett and I met over 10 years ago! I was a junior in high school and he was a sophomore. I first noticed his beautiful hair and the fact that he didn’t dress like the other guys at our school. As girls do, I told my best friends about my new crush…and they set out to fix me up with him! Lucky for us, my friend’s boyfriend was driving Barnett home from school, and before I knew it, I was the one taking him–it was the perfect excuse to talk to him! Long story short, Barnett and I started dating, and the remainder of my time in high school was made perfect with Barnett in my life. We ended up going our separate ways for college, but reconnected four years ago on my birthday. Barnett texted me out of the blue wishing me happy birthday and inviting me to lunch. We got to know one another again and both admitted that we had never gotten over one another. The rest is history!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. As a a stylist, I work with wedding gowns often and have seen my fair share of divine dresses. While I have loved so many of the gowns I’ve had the pleasure of working with, it wasn’t until I spotted Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl’s pale blue, long-sleeve Elie Saab wedding gown that I knew I wanted that style of dress for our special day. My friend, Brooke Mason of Ivory and White, was able to order a dress straight off of the Monique Lhuillier runway with a similar feel and look. As soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one! I changed the dress slightly to suit my silhouette with a shorter sleeve and a slightly lower neckline than the runway sample. All in all, I couldn’t have been more ecstatic to have found a wedding dress that reflected my style so perfectly.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Barnett and I did have a first look, and I’m thrilled we made that decision. We both have wonderfully large families, and therefore wanted to enjoy the time taking pictures together prior to the ceremony. After our ceremony, we were both so happy to hop on the shuttle with our friends and enjoy our night together.

Confession: I shrieked out loud at the sight of their two adorable bichon frisés! My dog is a bichon too, so I have a soft spot for these fluffy pups! :)

Both venues hold a special place in our hearts. Barnett’s family has been attending the church where we were married for generations. We both practically grew up at our reception venue, the Country Club of Birmingham–from long days swimming in the pool every summer as kids, to their delicious meals at Sunday brunch, to special dances and events throughout high school and college. We truly love both of our venues and cherish all of our memories there.

Describe your wedding flowers. My flowers were inspired by a Chanel haute couture fashion show in Paris. I wanted the arrangements to be understated, yet elegant–“Parisian chic,” if you will. Sybil Sylvester was just the person to help me achieve the perfect wedding flowers! We used deep reds, creams, lavender, and a hint of gold.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Barnett’s mother is a beautiful artist. On every single birthday or holiday card she has given us over the years, she draws a sweet heart with an arrow through it on the envelope. I surprised Barnett by having her draw one of her hearts with our initials inside it. I then worked with my vendors to take the drawing and convert it into stickers for the popcorn boxes, napkins, and a light that shined on the outside of the country club that greeted our guests upon arrival.

I have two most memorable moments from our wedding day: first and foremost, standing at the altar with Barnett and seeing all of our friends and family surrounding us was surreal and life changing. The second moment would have to be dancing with all of our friends to our incredible band, especially when the band pulled me on stage and I danced alongside them!

Tell us all about the proposal! Our very first date at age 16 was at a local Thai restaurant. Nearly 10 years after our first date, after a long week of work for both of us, Barnett suggested we order takeout from that same Thai spot. After dinner, he informed me that they had messed up his order and had given him a free piece of chocolate cake. I didn’t blink twice and took the box with the cake in it. Upon opening it, I realized there was no cake inside, but rather, a beautiful emerald green ring box. The next few moments are a complete blur, as I couldn’t stop crying, smiling, and telling him how happy I was. After the proposal, Barnett had planned a wonderful evening visiting with our families, drinking champagne, and celebrating!
When did y’all get married? November 2, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 550
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Barnett and I chose Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” as our first dance song. It holds a special place in our hearts, as it became “our song” when we were 16. Every time we went to my family’s lake house, we would just sit on the dock, looking up at the stars and enjoying that song.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had two wedding cakes–one was a traditional wedding cake that was kept very understated and elegant. It was topped with winter berries and dried pomegranates. Our other wedding cake was a traditional French wedding cake, a croquembouche.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed was my emerald and diamond drop earrings from Bromberg’s. My something blue was the inside lining of my Christian Louboutin heels. My something old was my great-grandmother’s birdcage hat that I wore when we left the reception. My something new was my dress!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? On the day of your wedding, don’t let anything stress you out or ruin your day. I made a conscious decision to not let anything bother me and it made the entire experience so joyful and relaxing!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We’re six months into being married, and it just keeps getting better and better! Barnett and I currently live in Birmingham with our precious bichons, Rosie and Joey. We are excited to continue to grow as a couple, and travel lots over the next few years. It’s off to a great start, thanks to our incredible honeymoon in Bali!

Photographer: Stephen DeVries / Videographer: Kinora Films / Planner: The Major Event / Ceremony Venue: Independent Presbyterian Church / Reception Venue and Catering: The Country Club of Birmingham / Florist: Wildflower Designs / Wedding Cake: Barb’s Cakes / Rentals: Event Rentals Unlimited / Lighting: Design Productions / Band: Jessie’s Girls with East Coast Entertainment / Calligraphy: Jan Pruitt / Napkins: Scribbler / Heart Logo: Suzanne Chenoweth / Bride’s Gown: “Candice” by Monique Lhuillier / Bridal Salon: Ivory & White / Paper Products: Press Charming / Bride’s Earrings: Bromberg’s Fine Jewelry / Bridal Salon and Veil: Ivory & White / Hair Stylist: Mandie Joelle Powell of Joelle Salon / Makeup Artist: Christopher Magidson with Laura Mercier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Men’s Tuxedos: Mr. Burch / Groom’s Bow Tie: Billy Reid / Groom’s Shoes: Saks Fifth Avenue

lisa Written with love by Lisa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    I’m not surprised your fashion choices were gorgeous, Megan, but it deserves to be said! Your gown is absolutely lovely, and I adore your bridesmaid dresses, too!

  2. avatar Dana reply

    2 bichons, such a lucky couple!

  3. avatar 21 Beautiful Fall Bridesmaid Dress Colors – crazyforus reply

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