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Good gracious, y’all, where do I even start? Lynae + Brenton’s reception is truly a feast for your sparkle-lovin’ eyes. Though the details are amazing and numerous, one skim through their interview will tell you that each one was a purposeful representation of their personalities and fun-loving spirits. If the gold glitter linens don’t make you want to hop through your computer screen, maybe their sweets bar will do the trick, or their rock candy-covered cake. If sweets aren’t your thing, L + B made sure the night was one to remember from the dance floor. Balloons filled the space so guests could volley them as they partied, and Lynae + all 14 of her bridesmaids made sure to close the night with a choreographed dance to a Beyonce hit. Now don’t all of you want to be friends with this couple?

Our reception felt like a grand party. The outpouring of love and celebration was overwhelming. It set the tone for a fun and exciting time. There was an ample supply of food, dancing, and merriment to go around. Our reception was an ode to all our favorite things. We really tried to incorporate personal touches with the entire vibe of the room. We had balloons, candy, and lots of sequins and sparkle.

What is the one thing that made your wedding different from anyone else’s wedding? I think our love story is what made it unique. We both have very strong personalities and idiosyncrasies that separate us not only as individuals, but as a couple. I think being able to highlight and celebrate those eccentricities is what will set our wedding apart. People can always duplicate the design, but no one will quite have our personal panache.

Our centerpieces were each assorted and distinctive. Some featured single blossoms and others featured full floral arrangements in vases decorated in fruit slices or birdcages. My favorite centerpieces were floral paper poms adorned atop pedestals. I thought it was a fun, non-traditional twist. It looked like giant tiers of cotton-candy!

Describe some of the decorations or décor elements you used: Brenton loves Izze sodas so it was essential to include them in décor in some way. I love the Denver Broncos so we had glitter Broncos as center pieces for the head table. Our engagement pictures featured 36” balloons, so we incorporated our love for balloons into our reception for some continuity. We had our guests leave thumb prints inside a poster board with a hot air balloon outline as our guest book. Guests could leave their ink thumb prints and then write us love notes and words of encouragement beside it. We also had balloons sprinkled around the dance floor for people to volley around while they were grooving the night away.

Tell us a bit about your first dance. Even though Brenton and I have been together for seven years, it truly feels like a lifetime — but in a meaningful way. I don’t remember many milestones without him by my side so we chose a song with lyrics that celebrated that sentiment. We won dance classes from a bridal show in January so we had been practicing in the early part of the year. It’s too bad we didn’t attend a refresher course or brush up on our moves prior to hitting the floor because we completely free-styled the entire dance. We sang, laughed, and harmonized the melodies of Brian McKnight’s “Love of My Life” in front of an entire ballroom of people. And that’s when it hit us — we chose the longest first dance song ever! It was so long that we actually started laughing to ourselves on the floor and making up our own moves. It was a priceless moment!

Describe your wedding cake: After months of wedding prep and classifying cake and all it’s derivatives as a “no-no food,” I was really excited about our cake confection. We decided to go with a square, four-tiered cake that had flavored layers for everyone. We decorated the cake in rock candy arranged in ombre hues and topped it with a sequin cake topper.

What were some of the highlights? The biggest highlight was that my entourage of bridesmaids and I performed a choreographed dance to Beyonce’s “Love On Top.” It was imperative for me that our reception feel like us and there’s nothing more true to form for me than dancing to Beyonce with my girlfriends. It was special to me that all my bridesmaids came together to support a personal interest of mine — even though a lot of my bridesmaids were apprehensive about dancing in public. That performance was epic and the expression on my husband’s face was priceless.

Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: Our candy bar will always stand-out to me. It was purely amazing.
Who was one of the most special guests at your wedding? We were grateful that 6 of our grandparents attended our wedding. At our age, it really meant a lot that our grandparents were in good health and good spirits to witness our moment. Having them in their late 70s and 80s is something we don’t take for granted.
What kind of food did you serve during the cocktail hour, dinner and dessert? During cocktail hour we had a cheese display and passed hors d’oeuvres. Dinner was a buffet featuring a custom menu that we designed with inspirations from all our favorite foods. We wanted all of our guests to have options so we had a variety of sides and proteins to choose from including chicken, salmon and vegetarian protein. Brenton adores breakfast food so we also included French toast, vegetarian strada, and breakfast blintzes. The breakfast bar was a huge hit!
Did you toss the garter or bouquet? We love professional football so the bride surprised the groom with a Denver Broncos garter. Considering we had an oversized Tennessee Titans helmet in the room, it only felt natural to throw a dash of home in as well.
Did you take a honeymoon?  We enjoyed adventures in Maui for a week following our nuptials.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Our biggest aspiration is to get back into life as we know it. Also, we both have blogs that we’re inspired by and passionate about that have been neglected while planning the wedding and our new life together. They are in much need of a refresh.
What advice would you give to someone planning his or her wedding? Your wedding is just a day. Your marriage is for a lifetime. Many people view the wedding as the end of a planning process rather than the beginning of a new life chapter. Whenever you encounter wedding stress, acknowledge that at the end of the day what matters most is your marriage and the eternal commitment you are making to your spouse. It helps to put wedding planning stress in perspective because you appreciate that ultimately no matter what happens that day, you have the rest of your life to celebrate your love together.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration. During the homily, our officiant cautioned, “Don’t get caught up in gender roles in your marriage. Get caught up in serving your spouse any way you can with all your energy.” That really stuck out to us because we’re pretty non-traditional couple. We never had to stress over who was going to fit into what role and why when planning our marriage because we both committed to just doing the best we can and loving each other unconditionally. That’s all you can ever really ask for.

Amber Housley and Brocade Designs are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

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

    Ahhh!!! The rock candy cake decor, the citrus-lined centerpieces, the hot balloon guest “book” — every last detail just makes me want to live in this wedding!!!! Can I have a modified version to use as my home office?!

  2. avatar Kristyn Hogan reply

    Loved every single details :)

  3. avatar Kat reply

    Everything about this wedding just makes me smile!!! It’s so FUN!!! Love the hot pink, gold glitter and all the sweet personal touches :)

  4. avatar Emily reply

    This is by far one of my favorite weddings you guys have ever shared! The pure joy that radiates from the bride and groom, the wedding party, and the guests is contagious!!

  5. avatar Style Sweets Magazine reply

    Love this wedding…So much color, I tell ya,I wish I was there to see those dance moves. lol.

  6. avatar Amanda reply

    This wedding is absolutely amazing!!!! What are the chances of finding out where she scored those glitter linens??

  7. avatar Dee Shore reply

    What a beautiful and vibrant wedding. Congratulations to the adorable couple!

  8. avatar Fabulous Pink and Gold Wedding | Wedding Resource reply

    […] is one wedding we wish we could have attended: this hot pink and gold Nashville wedding featured on Southern Weddings. This celebration pretty much had it all: sparkly gold tablecloths, a […]

    • avatar Wendy Jackson reply

      Where can I buy the broncos to glitter ???? I need them for a high school dance

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I mentioned last week how much I hate pollen and the icky yellow color it turns everything. That’s why I’m very happy to share Beverly + Craig’s wedding with y’all. The yellow and gray scheme are so bright and modern! When Emily and I first saw Katelyn James’ photos from this wedding, we just raved about the bright yellow pashminas, unique bouquets and two of my favorite things, the sweet bow ties and tempting candy bar!

The thing we love most about this wedding (and well, all the weddings we feature) is how Beverly described the Southern charm that filled this celebration. “One Southern tradition we included in the wedding was good ol’ home cooking. Our menu consisted of family recipes that we grew up eating. Another Southern piece of the day was the deep Southern love that makes you feel like family. We both feel we have been blessed with some of the most remarkable friendships that have become family to us.” Can’t you feel the love? Read on to see just how amazing B + C’s guests were!

Describe your wedding flowers: I never did see my arrangement of my bouquet or my bridesmaid’s bouquets until the wedding day. I found one of the most well-known florists in Fredericksburg, Virginia and put complete trust in her talent with the flowers. I gave her my color scheme and feel for the wedding and she blew me away with the most full, vibrant, and beautiful flowers! My bridesmaids loved their bouquets and could not believe how full they were.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I wanted to stick to my roots in fashion, which I believe to be bold, yet classic. I knew I wanted a dress that was cut low in the back because I think this is one of the sexiest parts of a woman’s body and I also knew I wanted some sort of strap. I ended up getting the last dress I tried on! I only went to two stores, and knew I could leave that day with something I loved — and I did! However, I did make some alterations to the dress. I added a strap and changed the neckline to a sweetheart.
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes! We decided to do a first look to share the realism with each other that this day was our wedding day. We wanted to be present in every moment and this allowed us to take in what we were about to do.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, we did! My favorite phrases said, “God prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you. Therefore throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as a faithful and loyal wife.”
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. I have absolutely zero musical talent and so I’m told by many that my taste in music is horrific. Craig, on the other hand, enjoys music and is talented. One of my brothers is also very talented with music and we wanted to incorporate his gift of playing music into the wedding. Mark played hymns on his acoustic guitar as the guests arrived to the church. For the processional, Craig came up with a compilation of “Amazing Grace” and “Stand on Grace” by Jimmy Needham. There was such a sweet spirit in the room as three of our friends from college sang the processional. Our friends also lead a time of worship singing “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us” and “Your Great Name.” At the reception, we had two other great friends of ours sing our first dance, “Mercy” by Drew and Ellie Holcomb.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We loved every moment of our wedding day! However, we would both say the ceremony was the most memorable moment for us! As both sets of parents greeted the guests at the front of the church, they began to find their seats. The sanctuary began to get fuller and fuller with the people we loved the most. The room was filled with an inexpressible joy from our families and friends as they, too, have been waiting for this day. There was such an intimate feeling as we worshipped together and shared our vows in front of the people we hold most dear to our hearts. Before our preacher could even announce us as husband and wife, our guests began cheering, hollering, and clapping for us!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Craig and I met his freshman year and my junior year at Christopher Newport University. It was late November in 2006 that we both attended an Intervarsity conference where a mutual friend of ours introduced us. Christopher Newport University is a school where, if you don’t know someone, you at least recognize them from being on campus. It happened that I had never seen Craig and was quite struck by his good looks and his confidence. I never asked him what year he was because he looked older. However, once I got home and did my “research” on him on Facebook, I soon realized he was a FRESHMAN!! Being a junior, I quickly became prideful, and said to myself, “That’s sweet. Too bad he’s younger. I’ll never talk to him again.” As the days passed, our circle of friends in college became the same ones.
Describe the proposal. It was Easter weekend of 2010 that I came home to visit Craig. Craig and I had been doing the long distance relationship thing for the past year, so our visits were always special. After lunch, Craig took me to a park where his parents would take him and his brother during their childhood. Craig started to slow down and got really serious on me. That past summer, Craig had interned at Saranac Village, a Young Life camp. At this point in our relationship, Craig and I never had told each other we loved each other. It was something that we both talked about before dating that we didn’t way to say unless we knew we would be marrying each other. While Craig was at camp for that summer, the Lord laid it on my heart to write Craig a letter to express to him that I did love him. Craig began his proposal by reminding me of the letter and then for the first time, told me he loved me. My heart filled with joy as I smiled and told him that I loved him too. He got down on one knee and shared with me how much he loved me, respected me, and cared for me. His smile beamed as his eyes looked deep into mine and he asked me to be his wife. He put the beautiful ring on my finger and I began to scream!! My spirit was overflowing with joy because one of the Lord’s promises unfolded before me.
In what month did you get married? November
How many guests attended your wedding? 200
What was the biggest’ challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Learning how to dance was one of the biggest challenges we had to overcome! In fact, I don’t think we overcame this! Our first dance involved us laughing at each other and Craig moving me around like I was a rag doll because I could not get my feet in step. Thankfully, a long wedding dress hides your feet and we didn’t look like complete fools!
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-25,0000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Photography
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? When the planning starts to become a job, take a break. I got too caught up in what my wedding was going to look like on my photographer’s blog that it took away the joy of my planning. I started to compare my wedding with others and thinking that it wasn’t going to be as good. This was a lie! Each wedding is uniquely different and special in its own way. Remember you and your soon-to-be spouse have a story. Don’t compare yourself. Have freedom in planning by being focused on the major detail: you are marrying your best friend!

Photographer: Katelyn James Photography // Planner: Anna Burke Events // Ceremony venue: Cobham Park Baptist Church // Reception venue: St. Margaret’s School // Florist:Jan Williams Florist // Caterer: St. Margaret’s School // Rentals: Clements Tent Rentals // Paper Products: Handmade by bride // Bride’s Dress: Jasmine Bridal // Veil: Handmade by bride // Bride’s Shoes: Tory Burch // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bari Jay in shadow // Ties: Southern Ties

We think you’ll love these weddings, too!
Alaina + Ryan’s cotton-filled wedding here
Marilisa + Taylor’s gingham and yellow wedding here and here
Tara + Chris’ California ranch wedding here and here

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
9 Comments
  1. avatar molly reply

    EEEEK! i literally SQUEALED when i saw this come across my RSS feed (Nerd, i know). I LOOOOOOOOVE this wedding so much, i love this couple, and i (obvi) love katelyn james (cause she photographed my wedding!). GAH! gorgeous. love love love!

  2. avatar Alysha reply

    I agree with Molly! This wedding is absolutely gorgeous! The dress, the brides hair, the flowers, the yellow and grey. Beautiful!

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  4. avatar Tim Duncan reply

    I have such a soft spot for a yellow and gray wedding, and this is no different! I love how everything is put together! :) Gorgeous!

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  6. avatar Karina reply

    great pictures! I love the yellow accents!

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