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I remember when I saw Erica and John’s wedding for the first time in a draft for V8. I was immediately taken with their romantic color palette of pink, cream, and glittery gold, the stunning backdrop that Pippin Hill Farm provided, and, most of all, how joyfully in love these two are. With the help of Amore Events by Cody, Erica and John honored their respective upbringings with an “apples and cheese” theme running throughout their wedding details–Erica is from New York and John is from Wisconsin. This theme even carried into their late-night treats of cheesecakes and apple pies! Adorable theme and beautiful details aside, reading about John’s favorite part of their wedding makes their day even sweeter! One thing he mentioned was, “The 10 minutes with my wife immediately following the ceremony.” After seven years of marriage, I too can remember those unforgettable moments post-ceremony, and can attest to just how incredible and fleeting they are!

Thanks to Rachel May for sharing this beautiful day with us in print!

We got married at 6 P.M. on Saturday, September 5, 2015. When we got engaged, we knew right away that we wanted to get married outdoors in order to celebrate how much we love adventure, nature, and natural beauty. I knew that I wanted to get married in a barn, as the rustic chic look appealed to me as soon as I started wedding planning. We found a few barns in upstate New York that were pretty, but ultimately decided that we wanted to be in a location that had significance to both of us. We decided to start looking in southern Virginia because of all the amazing times we had spent together renting cabins in the Shenandoah. After some recommendations from friends, we drove to Charlottesville and starting looking for venues. Given that we got engaged at a winery (and how much we both love wine), we started thinking that a winery could be the perfect location. When we saw Pippin Hill, we fell in love with the beautiful scenery right away. We booked Pippin Hill about two days after first visiting, and we plan to go back year after year for our anniversary. It is such a special and beautiful place, and we are so glad we got to spend the best day of our lives there!

Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? When I first started looking at bridesmaid dresses, I fell in love with some pink Donna Morgan dresses and quickly sent them out to all of my bridesmaids. After searching through some blogs, though, I really started to like the mix-and-match bridesmaid dress look, and wanted to go that route. I found out two of my girls had already ordered the Donna Morgans, so I couldn’t go completely mix-and-match, as they had already started tailoring their dresses. I decided to do pairs of different dresses, and I love the way it all turned out!

I went dress shopping in both DC and New York with some of my bridesmaids and my mom. I thought I would love romantic tulle, but every time I tried on those dresses, something just didn’t feel right–like I wasn’t being myself. My style is very clean and classic, and I wanted to look like myself on my wedding day. It was important to me and John that we remained authentic to who we are on the day of our wedding, so I knew I had found my dress when I felt like the prettiest version of myself when I tried it on. My favorite thing about my dress is the way it made John react when he saw me for the first time. He just kept saying, “Your dress! Your dress! It’s beautiful. You look beautiful!” That was the reaction I was looking for.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Did you include any special readings? Our wedding ceremony was the most beautiful and important forty minutes of our lives. My dad performed our ceremony, which was so special because he worked hard to make his remarks meaningful and personal. Both of our sisters-in-law read special passages, and every moment of the ceremony was emotional and true to who we are as a couple. It was truly gorgeous.

What songs did you use for your ceremony? For the bridal party processional, we used India Arie’s “Can I Walk With You.” I’ve wanted that song to be played at my wedding since I was a little girl, and it was so special to hear it on the big day! For my entrance, we used the traditional bridal march. For the recessional, we used Ray Lamontange’s “You Are the Best Thing.”

My favorite details were the ones that infused our apple, cheese, and literary motif. I’m from New York (“The Big Apple”) and John is from Wisconsin, which is known for its cheese. We’re both educators and we both love to read, so we wanted to infuse our love of books into the wedding as well. We had a beautiful logo made that was on our menu, welcome bag tags, and gift bags. We served cheeses from Wisconsin and New York during cocktail hour. For dessert, we served cheesecakes and apple pies. As a late night snack, guests enjoyed grilled cheese and apple sandwiches. Our centerpieces included a book display that looked gorgeous, and our cake stand was surrounded by books. I love how the theme was woven throughout the ceremony, reception, and all the small details of the wedding.

Describe some of the decorations or décor elements you used: Where to begin? Our colors were pink, cream and glittery gold, and the room was full of those colors. Our florist, Amy Webb of Blue Ridge Florals, did a wonderful job bringing the wedding colors to life through the flowers. My favorite part of the reception was the floral ladders hanging over the long farm tables. They were dripping with flowers and candles, and they were just gorgeous. We had bistro lights cascading from the beautiful wooden rafters at Pippin Hill. We had books to represent our love of literacy around the cake stand, in our logo, and on the tables. We also had apples as escort cards to go along with our apple and cheese theme. There were so many small details that made the wedding come together and it was absolutely perfect!

John loves John Legend and I love his song “Stay With You,” so deciding on our first dance song was a really easy choice. John also loves live music, so he had the awesome idea to have one of his very talented groomsmen sing our first dance song. I heard Raphael practicing for the first time right after the ceremony (he wanted to keep the performance a surprise for us) and was astounded. He sounded amazing! John’s extremely talented orchestra teacher, Kendall Isadore, accompanied Raph on violin, and turned it into such a beautiful cover. The week of the wedding, John and I took a few dance classes, so we had some pretty cool dips and tricks up our sleeves!

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. Though I didn’t get a piece myself because I was too busy dancing, everyone said that the wedding cake was delicious. We had a marble wedding cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, as well as cheesecakes and apple pies to go along with our theme. We also had a s’mores pit for guests to enjoy a late night treat!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met while on a business trip to Houston in March 2013. We were both training for new leadership roles, me to be a vice principal and John to start his own school. The trip was an orientation for the five-week leadership program. I did not know many of the KIPP DC people, and John, having been with the company for six years at that point, warmly welcomed me into the group. John even gave me one of his drink tickets that night, and we spent the entire evening talking and getting to know each other. We had breakfast the next morning and even changed our travel arrangements in order to fly back to DC together at the end of the weekend. Even though we worked for the same organization in DC, we had never met before that fateful weekend. John always reminds me that he knew of me long before meeting me, and had always wanted to know more about that fourth grade teacher folks were buzzing about. We’ve been inseparable since the day we met.
Describe the proposal: I knew John was the one within weeks of meeting him. In fact, the truth is that I proposed to John first (about 10 months before he did). It seemed like I was joking when I shouted at him, “We should get married!” But really, I knew I meant what I had said. When we planned a 2014 trip to Argentina, I thought it would be the perfect time to really get engaged. When I called my dad for a final farewell and he asked me where I was going and who I was going with, my anxiety kicked into high gear. Was my intuition wrong? Was John not going to propose? Surely, my dad would know if John planned on asking me to marry him while on this vacation. Finally, my birthday arrived (part of the reason we were going to Argentina was to celebrate my birthday), and I finally had something else to be excited about. My mind moved away from the potential proposal–I resolved to have fun in Argentina and enjoy time with the love of my life. When we woke up the morning before my birthday, John announced that we would be flying to Mendoza, the wine country of Argentina. The next day (my birthday), as we sat and ate breakfast in the tiny restaurant of our inn, I heard an old car horn beeping outside. When I walked out of the restaurant, I saw a small circle of people gawking at a old Model A-style convertible. Still forcing myself to believe that this was all just for my birthday, we got in the car and were whisked away to the famous Nieto Seniter Vineyard. We began walking around the property and John walked us to two horses being held by a traditional Argentinian gaucho (cowboy). Little did they both know, I am pretty afraid of horses. Nonetheless, after some persistent urging from John, I got on and we went for a beautiful horseback ride through the vineyard at the foot of the Andes Mountains. After a while, the gaucho motioned for the horses to stop, and John got me (reluctantly) off the horse. We walked down a path and there under a tree was a picnic, a book, and a bottle of champagne. John opened the book, and inside, was a gorgeous ring, and he asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. Then, remembering my conversation with my dad on the plane, I asked, “Does my dad know?” John said of course, my dad had been in on it the whole time. John then told me to look up, and I saw one of the photographers from earlier in a tree–he had captured the whole proposal. Next to the wedding, our proposal was the second best day of my life!
Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring and how/why your husband (or the two of you!) chose it: My diamond is a 1.5-carat, round cushion-cut diamond. After John designed my ring, the store loved it so much that they named my setting the “Erica Setting.” John chose my ring and diamond based on quality of stone and the pronounced setting arrangement. John says my bold love is nearly matched with my bold ring–the stone stands alone at the top, but is supported by smaller paving diamonds below. John likes to compare my ring to our love. Our love stands at the top and is the boldest of its kind, but we have lots of family and friends to support us and help us shine along the way.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Beautiful, enchanting, unforgettable
How many guests attended your wedding? 140
Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: A letter from my bride, the first look, a house to stay in with family in the days leading up to the wedding, fantastic food, local beer, Wisconsin cheese, Mi Amigo cigars, the mountain backdrop, a Kit-Kat s’more station, and the 10 minutes with my wife immediately following the ceremony.
What were some of the highlights of the reception? My favorite moment of the reception was at the end of the night when we played our last song, “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. Our friends were singing at the top of their lungs, and John picked me up and swung me around right at the height of the song. It was awesome. I also loved my dad’s toast. It was so heartfelt and emotional, and was a very special moment.
Did you toss the garter or bouquet? We did a bouquet toss. My good friend caught it and I love her boyfriend so…fingers crossed!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? I am looking forward to having adventures with my husband for the rest of my life. Whether it is hiking four miles up a mountain in Yosemite, jumping off cliffs in Jamaica, riding horses in Argentina, or just enjoying a four-hour-long “Cops” marathon in our living room, I always have a great time when I’m with him. I’m looking forward to forever. Next, we are focusing on buying our first house and getting some more room for our dog, Stella!

Photographer: Rachel May Photography | Videographer: Mwendo Weddings | Planner and Designer: Amore Events by Cody | Venue, Caterer, and Linens: Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards | Florals: Blue Ridge Florals | Cake Baker: Sweethaus Bakery | Bride’s Gown: “Margot” by Anna Maier | Bridal Salon: Gabriella New York | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bride’s Accessories:  BHLDN | Bridesmaid Dresses: “Annabelle” in Cashmere by Jenny Yoo, “Beaded Chiffon Blouson Dress” in Blush and Taupe by Adrianna Pappell, “Rachel” in Petal by Donna Morgan, “Laura” in Petal by Donna Morgan, “Tori” in Cream by Paper Crown | Hair Stylist: Top Knot Studio | Makeup Artist: Tiffany Lumpkin | Menswear: Allure Bridals | Paper Goods: Dandelion Patch | Rentals, Linens, and Reception Décor: MS Events | Favors: Fromagination | Transportation: Blue Ridge Tours | Lighting: Blue Ridge Lighting

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Perry Vaile reply

    Whoa this was beautiful! Rachel, beautifully done!

  2. avatar Jevettra Gardner reply

    Just a gorgeous wedding and the details are just oozing with wonderfulness!!

  3. avatar Chantal reply

    What a stunning affair – and beautiful photography. Might I ask where the bride got the ring box? I’m looking for one just like it. Thank you!

    xo,
    Chantal

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I just love when we get weddings with a surprising pop of color! Maggie + Alec’s wedding decor incorporated a lot of vintage charm, but I am just head over heels with their blue accents. It’s at once electric and romantic! If their color scheme has you pumped to see the rest of this wedding, too, I’ll go ahead and let you know that M + A don’t disappoint. With tradition in their hearts, but a love for the rolling Texas hills, the newlyweds decided to bring their ceremony outside. Maggie loved the stained glass windows at the altar and we have to agree. “The old, gothic church doors and stained glass church windows gave us the perfect combination of God’s presence in our vows and the beautiful creation,” said Maggie. Among the other heartfelt additions were the bouquet pin, gold ring and handkerchief that Maggie carried down the aisle — all belonged to her great grandmother and namesake.

Big thanks to The Nichols to sharing this lovely day with us!

Vividian Design Studio of Kerrville, Texas created much of the floral décor. The color palette was soft ivory and white with rich shades of blue and vintage silver. My bouquet was a romantic mix of white peonies, vendela roses, white majolica spray roses, white hydrangea and white ranunculus. The stems were wrapped in antique French blue ribbon that my mom had collected and a silver name pin that belonged to my great-grandmother and namesake, Maggie was added to the ribbon. My bridesmaid’s carried bouquets of blue delphinium, muscari, cornflower, dusty miller and blue anemone. Our beautiful flower girls had headbands of fresh flowers and the men worn boutonnières of white anemone. The head tables at the reception were decorated with random pieces of antique silver serving as both candleholders for the beeswax candles and unique vases for ivory roses and hydrangea. The guest tables were decorated with antique and vintage crochet, silver, cut glass, books, clocks and wedding cake toppers. These were accented with ivory hydrangea, roses, dusty miller, spray roses ranunculus and a touch of blue delphinium.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? We did not do a “first look” because we were pretty traditional in our approach to our wedding. We wanted Alec’s first look to be as I walked down the aisle with my dad. This was difficult to accomplish at an outdoor wedding on a hilltop. The church doors that we used for the ceremony were the perfect solution to the “moment” that was very important to us both. We wanted my dress to be a complete surprise so Alec never even saw the dress before the doors opened at the ceremony. His reaction was perfect!

Our wedding was filled with so many wonderful details. My personal favorite was the unique stained glass windows that stood behind us during the ceremony. The three antique stained glass church windows were narrow and ten feet tall and were simple and elegant against the background of the gorgeous Texas Hill Country vista. The windows were the only “decorations” that we had for the ceremony. On the day of our wedding, it was predicted to rain heavily and the morning was overcast and drizzling. The rain stopped just an hour or so before the ceremony and the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the stained glass just as we began our vows.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
We did not have any particular readings at the ceremony, but the pastor spoke at length from several scriptures. We did have one of Alec’s groomsmen sing “Ten Thousand Reasons” by Matt Redman. We love the lyrics that speak to praising the Lord for all of His blessings to us and His overwhelming love for us when we don’t deserve it.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. 
We used only one song as the parents, grandparents, and my bridesmaids walked down the aisle, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Bethany Dillon. I walked down the aisle to an instrumental of “Before the Throne of God Above” by the King’s Chamber Orchestra. Adam Naylor, one of Alec’s groomsmen, sang “Ten Thousand Reasons” by Matt Redman during the ceremony. The recessional song was a mash-up of “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “God Bless Texas” by Little Texas in recognition of our heritages from the proud states of Alabama and Texas. We walked into the reception to “Crazy Little Thing called Love” by Michael Buble. Alec and I danced to “When You Say You Love Me” by Josh Groban. I picked the song I wanted for my first dance when I was in middle school. After all the years of practice dancing in the living room with my family, it was a surreal moment in my wedding to actually dance to the song with my husband. My father and I danced to “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw and Alec and his mom danced to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
My dress was actually the first one I tried on! It was in a small bridal shop in my hometown of Boerne, Texas. I really liked it, but I didn’t want to buy the first dress I saw! After spending another day or two trying on dresses with my sister and my mom all over San Antonio, I realized that I kept choosing the exact same style of dress that I had first tried on at Beatitude. We returned home to Boerne and I purchased both the dress and the veil from my hometown store!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
Our wedding was all about the Southern details. I guess you could describe it as classic Southern elegance with charming vintage accents. The décor for the reception and the cocktail hour was tarnished antique silver, accents of old white paint pieces and the comfort of tea-stained crochet. The guests picked up an antique skeleton key tied to a tag with a clock face stamped to a specific time. The tables were decorated with ivory silk tablecloths topped with antique crocheted table accents with a combination of two centerpieces. Half of the tables were antique silver champagne buckets filled with ivory and white hydrangeas, roses, ranunculus and dusty miller surrounded by antique cut glass sherbet glasses of varying old patterns filled with floating candles. The other half of the tables were decorated with heavy antique silver trays topped with vintage wedding cake toppers from the 1940s and 1950s collected by my mom. The cake toppers were under a glass cloche and were surrounded by a ring of ivory spray roses. Each table was accented by old books of varying shades of our accent color of French blue and each table had an antique, silver Big Ben Westclox clock. The clock for each table was set to a specific time and this corresponded to the clock face stamp on the escort cards. Another Southern tradition with a twist was the ceremony. We wanted the ceremony to be in a church, but we also wanted to be outside in order to take advantage of the venue’s views of the Texas Hill Country. The old, gothic church doors and stained glass church windows gave us the perfect combination of God’s presence in our vows and the beautiful creation. It was a church without walls. I also continued the bridal traditions from my family by carrying a gold ring of my namesake and great-grandmother, Maggie Webster and a ring of my grandmother’s, Pat Webster. I also carried a tatted handkerchief made by Maggie that all my cousins have also carried on their wedding day. The greatest Southern tradition that was present at our wedding was the tremendous of amount of help we had from family and friends for setup and for cleanup. There were at least thirty people that spent hours helping to make our day perfect! We literally could not have accomplished either the setup or the clean up without their kindness and show of Southern hospitality and love.

I’m most happy we splurged on the vintage pieces from Revive Vintage Rentals, the doors and windows for the ceremony, the unique tables for the cakes, the wooden head tables, upholstered couches and chairs for seating and various accent pieces gave our wedding a warm, personalized feel as if our family had brought the furniture from our home. All of the details of this wedding were taken care of beautifully by Revive Vintage Rentals. They worked diligently to make every detail unique and so special.

It took me awhile to decide if I wanted to do just cake or cake and cupcakes. I love red velvet cupcakes, but in the end I decided just to go with a traditional cake. The bride’s cake was a simple three-layer, round, white cake with buttercream icing and a simple pattern of random linear etchings. It was topped with ivory roses and hydrangeas. The groom’s cake was a layered, square chocolate cake with chocolate icing. It was covered in crumbled Oreos and chocolate covered strawberries. We added a punch bowl of strawberries and chocolate sauce nearby for those that might want a little more or just the fruit. Both of the cakes were made by a small place in my hometown called Bumdoodler’s. It is hard to find better tasting icing or cake anywhere. My sister’s diet is gluten free and so we had a whole three-layered cake made completely from Rice Krispies, which was a huge hit with everyone.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
Alec and I met working as counselors at Pine Cove Christian Summer Camps in Tyler, Texas. Alec went to the University of Alabama for undergrad and I went to the University of Texas at Austin. We were both counselors during the summer, but we didn’t go on our first date until the NCAA football National Championship between Alabama and Texas at the Rose Bowl in January. He asked me to go to dinner with him the night before the game and so we went on our first date in California! We officially started dating in February after he asked my father’s permission.
Describe the proposal. 
The proposal was perfect! We were on vacation in Hawaii with my family and we spent the day just relaxing on the beach. In the afternoon, the girls were treated to a massage at a nice resort and I thought Alec was snorkeling with my brother. After our massages, we drove to a new beach to pick up my brother and Alec. My dad and I walked down the beach to find their snorkeling spot and, to my great surprise, Alec was standing by a blanket on the sand all dressed up. My dad hugged me, and then Alec very humbly and sweetly asked me to marry him as the sun was setting on the Pacific. We were on the beach made famous by South Pacific on the North Shore of Kauai. We brought home a small jar of sand from the spot on the beach where I said, “Yes!”
In what month did you get married? 
March
How many guests attended your wedding? 
250
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
I am actually currently in my first year of medical school in San Antonio, so it was difficult to balance planning the wedding and the details with studying for school. Thankfully, my mother and bridesmaids were incredibly helpful with all the details that needed to be completed. Also, Alec was living in Alabama for the first half of our engagement, so it was difficult to coordinate some events that involved his input.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$50,000-$75,000
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
I have so many moments from that day that I will never forget, but I have one that stands out. Our wedding ceremony was at the top of a hill on the open hillside. We had these old wooden church doors set up at the end of the aisle that were closed when I was driven up to the site. I was so nervous as I got out of the car and got ready to walk down the aisle. My dad took my arm and the ushers opened the door. All I could see was Alec’s face. He was in tears and I never lost eye contact with him as I walked toward him. All my anxiety was completely gone as soon as I saw his face.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Ask those around you for help. There is no way you can plan a wedding by yourself and stay sane. Use the knowledge base that is already around you. Also, figure out the details that you absolutely want and then try to be flexible on some aspects. It will make it less stressful for everyone.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
I will be in medical school for several more years and Alec found a job in the oil and gas field, which was an absolute blessing from God. We pray that as a couple we serve and bless those around us and continue to run the race that God has set out in our future.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
11 Comments
  1. avatar Carly reply

    Beautiful wedding! And gorgeous pieces from Revive Vintage Rentals!

  2. avatar tricia hamil reply

    Such a beautiful wedding! We at Viridian Design Studio were honored to be a part of this special celebration. Congratulations Maggie and Alec!

  3. avatar Mindy Carlettini reply

    This wedding was picture perfect:). The color scheme is so gorgeuos! What a beautiful, bright blue in contrast with the white. Maggie, even your shoes looked gorgeous:). I also love all the furniture and special touches from Revive Vintage Rentals. And the cakes, well it’s almost sad that they had to be cut into! Nice job!!

  4. avatar Amy Nicholson Jones reply

    I love the surprising pop of blue! This was even prettier in person. All the vintage pieces give such great texture to the venue. Perfect Texas wedding. I’m definitely recommending Revive to my friend. One is having her reception at a 1920s venue… it would be PERFECT! Do y’all rent to the DFW area?

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  6. avatar Amy reply

    Where did you find those beautiful stained glass windows? It made for a gorgeous setting and I’m looking to do something similar but have no idea where to start….

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  11. avatar Meri reply

    Can you please tell me where you got the stained glass windows for this wedding? I have seen them in a few wedding photos. Thank you so much.

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Dianna + Garjae put together a wedding full of crafty pastel details that looks plenty thorough, thoughtful and laid back. We are just gaga over Dianna’s custom-designed ruffled dress, the fun balloons that her bridal party carried throughout the day, and the streamers lining the reception space with a festive air. Among the more obvious details, though, are also unique and subtle ones. Those place settings are lovely with their ribbon ties, but look closer and you’ll see that they’re resting on open books! I adore how thoughtfully those settings were put together and can’t imagine a prettier place to set some Southern comfort food on. Speaking of Southern comfort food, these newlyweds chose to hire Charlottesville’s popular donut truck for dessert! Now that’s a reception I’d love to attend! Big thanks to Megan W for sharing!

Describe the proposal. Far from typical. We were headed out of town for what I thought was a post-graduation trip for Garjae. While we were in the car, Garjae gave me a gift he picked up while he was in Porto. It was a love keepsake box, but when I went to open it there was nothing in it. I was expecting something to be inside it — don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty box, but it was sort of weird to get a box with nothing in it. He then, sort of absentmindedly, asked me to get him a tissue out the glove compartment. When I opened it, all I saw was this ring box. I remember asking him what it was, but after that, everything he said was almost like background noise, I spent the better part of his proposal crying and saying yes in between sobs.

Oh the anticipation! I love this photo for it. According to Dianna, the ceremony was the most memorable part of the day. “It was the first time that day when I was able to just soak everything in and enjoy the occasion. When the music started to play, I was just so calm, looking forward to finally being married to my best friend.”

I love this idea!! Tossing felted poms right after the “I do’s” makes the moment so joyful and fun.

Finding my dress was seriously a process. After being to over 5 or 6 dress shops, I would find dresses that were nice but only parts of which I liked, never the whole dress. It didn’t matter who the designer was, I always felt like I was searching for something more and I just wasn’t getting what I was looking for. In the end, I decided to reach out to a local atelier in Baltimore. After meeting Jill and Sara, I never looked back. They looked at my inspiration photos, we discussed what I was looking for, and they came up with an absolute perfect dress to fit my personality. Deciding that a pre-designed dress wasn’t for me and reaching out to Jill and Sara was the best decision I ever made.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: I got the idea for our cake from an I Am Baker design. The cake was covered with a rose pattern from top to bottom. It was a lemon cake with blackberry and raspberry filling and a cream cheese frosting. We also served little petit fours that said “eat me” and apple cider donuts from a popular doughnut truck in Charlottesville.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The food. I’m from St. Louis (my family is originally from Arkansas) and Garjae is from North Carolina. We love comfort food, which we consider uncomplicated, incredibly rich and delicious. Having comfort food was an obvious choice for us. We had a tea and biscuit table during the cocktail hour and for dinner we served roasted chicken with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and my favorite snack: corn bread.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Garjae and I met in college. We’ve been together since the beginning of our freshman year.
In what month did you get married? June 2012
How many guests attended your wedding? 70
Did you decide to do a “first look”? We decided against it. Garjae didn’t want to see me before (he’s big on tradition) and I could really care less either way. I have to say it was great seeing his face when he first saw me, classic.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We chose three readings from the Bible: Ruth 1:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, and Mark 10:6-9, 13-16.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We used two songs for walking down the aisle: “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last and “Sweetest Thing” by Lauryn Hill. Our first dance was to Etta Jame’s “At Last.”
Describe your wedding flowers: We chose roses, peonies, and lamb’s ear. During the ceremony we had baby’s breath. I wanted something classic and romantic.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? My dress. I really believe if you’re going to spend money on anything it should be attire and photography. Megan wasn’t exactly a splurge because we budgeted for her. I definitely broke some rules on my dress though and I don’t regret it at all. It was completely worth it. My dress was absolutely gorgeous and fit and reflected me perfectly.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite detail was probably our invitations and save the dates. They were a labor of love from start to finish but came out absolutely perfect and really set the tone for our guests.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? If you plan on doing a lot of crafts for your wedding, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You will save yourself a lot of headaches and likely be able to finish all the projects you start. Creating the decor for your wedding is definitely worth the effort, but it’s not worth losing your sanity trying to do it alone. Enlist your friends and family to help. You’ll come to cherish the help once it’s all over.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re just working to build a life together. We look forward to starting a family, finding and designing our first home and also furthering our professional goals.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
7 Comments
  1. avatar Sharon @ Red Poppy | Pink Peony reply

    This wedding is adorable and stylish at the same time! Love all the little details.

  2. avatar Leslie reply

    LOVE all the bright fun colors of this wedding! And the Donut truck is such a fun idea too!

  3. avatar Emilia Jane reply

    What a STUNNING wedding!!! Gorgeous work Megan

  4. avatar Madelynne Moulton reply

    One of my favorite weddings ever featured! I mean, the details are just so stunning! I love the moss as a table runner, the invites, and the wedding cake! It’s all so beautiful!

  5. avatar Belle Thomson reply

    What a perfect wedding. Excellent work as always Megan, you have out done yourself.

  6. avatar Wedding Inspiration: Romantic Neutrals » Pearls for Paper reply

    […] from top left: shoes; table setting; chair signs; bouquet; bridal party; cake; gown; […]

  7. avatar Fiesta comunión: ideas para la decoración reply

    […] (foto de Southern Weddings) […]

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