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Dave and I recently started chatting about which decor pieces we’ll be bringing into our newlywed home next year, and to say that we have different ideas is a bit of understatement. It is a great comfort to hear that when Caroline and Aaron moved in together, their home was the “biggest, most ridiculous mash-up of furniture and styles you’ve ever seen,” but over time, their tastes have meshed to result in the effortlessly cool apartment they’ve shared with us today. Along with the reassurance that totally different decor preferences can come together so beautifully, I’m also so inspired by Caroline and Aaron’s unique budgeting system and their commitment to spending lots of quality time together.

P.S. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Caroline and Aaron’s adorable whippet, who makes a few cameos in their home tour! :)

Years married: 2.5
Where you live: Austin, Texas
Tell us your love story in one sentence. We met in high school (he was the cool senior, I was the super nerdy sophomore, too shy to say hi), reconnected after college, fell in love on our first date, and were married eight months later. *sigh* I love our story.
What is your favorite part of being married? Every. Single. Bit of it. I love that we’re creating a life and legacy together–something that wouldn’t have existed in this world otherwise. I love that we’re better people just by being together.

Do you rent or own? We rent. We just signed another lease for a second year in our tiny 600 sq. ft. apartment and we could not be more happy, content, and excited. After living in an 1800 sq. ft. house during our first year of marriage, we wondered if there was another way, so we downsized. We’ve never looked back! This past year has totally changed our perspective on space and how much we actually need. Renting often gets a bad rap, and we definitely went through an intense phase early in our marriage when ALL we could think about was buying a house of our own. All our friends were, and we felt behind for renting. But there’s something to be said for listening to your inner compass and buying at the right time for you. Having experienced both renting and owning, I have to say, there are so many lovely things about living in an apartment that often go overlooked–the pool, the gym that’s steps out my door, the free coffee at the office when we run out at home, and the ability to pick up and move to Paris for a few months should we feel so inclined. ;)

Tell us about the process of moving in together. At first, our home was the biggest, most ridiculous mash-up of furniture and styles you’ve ever seen. My style was shabby chic meets glam and Aaron’s style was dark, heavy, and manly. Awkward mental picture, right? But over time, our tastes and styles changed and meshed together. Now we’re both into midcentury modern and California cool. Honestly, my best tip for blending styles is simply this: don’t worry if your house isn’t styled perfectly right away. Embrace the messy mash-up at first–it’s like a fun little rite of passage. We’ve all been there.
What most makes your house feel like home? Consider yourself warned because this gets cheesy, but to me, our apartment feels like a home because of my husband. It’s like that song, “Home is wherever I’m with you.” It’s true. (#aww)

Who cooks dinner? Aaron! I’m the luckiest girl ever because he’s an amazing chef. Me… not so much.
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? We love Mexican food and will typically throw together a taco salad when we need an easy weeknight dinner with lots of veggies. We use fresh greens, bell peppers, avocado, tomatoes, corn, jicama, onions, and chicken fajita meat.
What’s your favorite place to find recipes? Our favorite cookbook is the Kinfolk Table, but we also get a lot of inspiration from restaurants in Austin.

How does your family handle finances? We absolutely live by a budget, and we manage it using a hybrid approach to Dave Ramsey’s cash system. It goes like this: all our bills, groceries, and gas are budgeted and paid by debit card, but then we each get a monthly allowance in cash. We’re each responsible for budgeting our allowances for eating out, entertainment, clothes shopping, hobbies, etc. It cuts out the, “You spent what on what?!” moments, because we give each other the freedom to spend our allowances however we like. It’s kind of a different approach, but it works for us and we love it.
Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? When we downsized, we discovered something cool: if you have less space, you can buy fewer, better things to fill it. So, in a way, our tiny space is how we save, because we don’t have to buy much. For what we do buy, however, we can splurge a little. I love it! For furniture, we love West Elm (especially the outlet!) and Ikea. We also like mixing in handmade pieces from Austin artists and decor from designers like Jonathan Adler.

Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? Our little patio is my favorite spot. It’s the tiniest space ever, but it’s magical. We strung up big bulb lights, and in the summertime, we love to eat dinner out there.
What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities? We try to have shared hobbies as much as possible so we can spend time together doing things that thrill us, challenge us, and help us to grow together. I’m currently working up the nerve to join Aaron in his most recent hobby–Crossfit (yikes!). We also like to invite each other along for menial tasks, like grocery shopping or running to the post office. That time adds up and it can be really sweet.
Do you have a favorite date night idea to share? We love doing a food truck crawl, which is when we eat appetizers at one food truck, dinner at another, and dessert at another. It’s a blast!

What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? One tiny little way I love on Aaron is by hanging out with him in the kitchen while he’s making dinner, goofing off with him, cleaning up along the way, and making sure his wine glass gets a refill.
Is there anything else about your home or family life that you think our readers would be interested in? The books that have helped Aaron and I most in our marriage are Mindset by Carol Dweck (it helped us understand ourselves and how we approach hard things) and The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander (the chapter “Telling The We Story” changed everything for us).

We’re so grateful to Caroline and Aaron for sharing their hearts and home with us! If you love their style as much as we do, be sure to follow Caroline’s lovely photography here, her inspiring capsule wardrobe blog here, and her day-to-day life on Instagram.

Home photos: Caroline Joy / Family photos: Michelle Boyd

Michelle Boyd is a delightful member of the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
13 Comments
  1. avatar Leanne Caroline reply

    Oh my word, I want your home! Homely simplicity. Perfect. And I love that you love marriage. So very inspiring. Caroline, you’re a gorgeous role model.

  2. avatar Emily reply

    Y’all have come a long way from “ridiculous mash-up” – your home couldn’t look more cohesive or perfect for you two now. And I love Steve Z on your pillows :)

  3. avatar Caroline Joy reply

    Oh sweet ladies of SW, this just makes my heart so happy! Thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of Southern Newlywed. It’s such an honor! Xoxo Caroline

  4. avatar Erin reply

    My goodness, what a beautiful home and such an amazing inspiration for a lovely marriage!

  5. avatar jame reply

    lovely lovely home. :)
    caroline do you mind sharing (or remember) where your patio lights (and the ones around the mirror) came from? those look like they are better quality than the ones you can buy at christmas.

  6. avatar Katie reply

    I love this! Caroline is such an inspiration and encouragement for simple living. She truly examples a life filled with what matters most. Thanks, Caroline and I adore your home. Especially all those succulents! :)

  7. avatar Kat reply

    I love it!! I love how they have blended their styles together, and I love her advice to just “embrace the messy mash-up” because that’s what I feel like our house looks like right now!!

  8. avatar Sydni reply

    I love everything about this post!! What a beautiful home. We also love renting (going on our 3rd year) in order to save money to put 20% down on a house in PA, and having fewer things. Also, love that print in the bathroom – ha!

  9. avatar Watercolor house portraits – Em for Marvelous – reply

    […] also loved Caroline and Aaron’s apartment, and their thoughts on small space living are […]

  10. avatar Carri Pryor reply

    Caroline and Aaron have such a beautiful home. I was hoping to check out Caroline’s photography but clicked on the link and it is now a dead link (http://carolinejoy.com/) Just wanted to let you know!

  11. avatar How to add Color to your Apartment reply

    […] If you’re looking for a furniture piece, but don’t want to break the bank – accent chairs are the way to go. Since they’re on the smaller side of the furniture scale, it’s also easier to pick a color and it’s sure to blend well with a neutral sofa! Target, World Market, and Home Goods are great places to find an accent chair. {via Southern Weddings} […]

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    […] > House Dreaming How gorgeous are this Stockholm appartment, this pretty house and this cosy Texan home? […]

  13. avatar Sweet Tea Sundays No. 79 – Southern Weddings reply

    […] on Southern Newlywed was Caroline and Aaron–you can find their adorable Austin apartment here! Their whole interview was super inspiring, but one of my favorite parts of it was when Caroline […]

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Today’s wedding is close to our hearts because the SW gals know the bride and groom personally. Emily was an intern at Southern Weddings three years ago and our shop manager earlier this year. She couldn’t wait to marry Brendan, and it was clear to us why. Brendan is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet and they both share big hearts, big dreams and a great sense of humor. Their wedding took place just down the road from the SW offices and Caroline Joy did an amazing job at capturing the celebration and the commitment that marked E + B’s big day. We are so grateful that we can share them with you today!

We were both pretty traditional about doing a first look, and Brendan was adamant about not seeing me until I walked down the aisle! We did pray together before the ceremony and exchange notes, which was one of my favorite parts of the whole day.

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I borrowed my mom’s veil. My shoes were blue(ish). My right hand ring was my grandmother’s before she gave it to me several years ago. It was pretty fun to show it to her again at the wedding. And I bought myself a pretty little cross bracelet a few weeks before the big day!

My dad’s only request for my wedding was that he walk me down the aisle to Pachbel’s Canon, so I found a really beautiful acoustic guitar version that now makes me cry! The bridesmaids processed to “Better” by Jess Ray, and Brendan and I also washed each other’s feet as a sign of serving each other in marriage while two of our close friends played guitar and sang “You’re Beautiful” by Phil Wickham. My dad and I danced to “Piano Man” by Billy Joel since that’s always been a favorite song of ours.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes! We really tried to incorporate as much of the Gospel into our vows as possible. Our ceremony was rooted in our faith, so it was very important for us to express our belief that we only love each other because God loved us first. From there, we added in little things that were fun or specific to us. I vowed to make him cookie dough whenever he pleases and he vowed to stop and let me photograph something as often as I want!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Ephesians 5:22-33

I love this moment!! It was one of Emily’s most memorable from the day and we can tell how giddy they both are to finally be married!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We had touches of the South throughout the day. We gave guests little fans to keep them cool in the summer heat and had corn hole to play during the cocktail hour. I’m sure most of our guests were pretty stuffed with biscuits, BBQ and sweet potato casserole by the time they left too. We also sent everyone home with little jars of honey.

Oh I love this photo of Emily and her dad! The father-daughter dance is one of my favorite wedding traditions and I love that they had a bit of fun with theirs.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Delicious! While I only ate what Brendan smeared on my face, I’ve had Edible Art’s almond amaretto cake several times before, and it’s SO GOOD! We had it surrounded by all of our favorite desserts, from Girl Scout Thin Mints to mini banana pudding cups.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I’m a big collector of trinkets, so the tables were filled with tiny antique bottles and mismatched china. I loved collecting all those little bottles with my mom, and it’s fun having them around our new home now! Oh and the twinkly lights–magical!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Brendan and I knew each other a little throughout college at UNC-Chapel Hill, but we never actually had a real conversation until I think our senior year. We always seemed to be running into each other, and within a month, we were dating. When we got engaged, we both admitted to knowing that we’d get married after the first date!
Tell us all about the proposal! Brendan’s proposal took all day! He proposed on our one-year anniversary after a full-day adventure. To finish our date, he took me on a little stroll through the UNC’s arboretum, then led me around a corner to this beautiful vine-covered walkway, my favorite spot on campus. I was so confused, to be honest! Right as we walked in, there was a big sign that said “Emily, I love you because…” and my immediate reaction was “Oh hey, there must be another Emily around here!” But when I saw the 100 tiny cards hanging from the walkway’s ceiling and Brendan’s huge smile, I knew it had to be for me. As we walked, Brendan explained each card to me and all the different reasons and ways he loved me. (Yes, he is certainly a keeper!) These cards led out of the walkway, up the street, and past UNC’s Old Well to the bench where we had our first kiss, which was in the rain, no less! The last card said “because I have chosen to,” and after me briefly saying that I was still really confused, Brendan asked me to stand up. He got down on one knee and told me that those 100 things about me were great, but that if they all disappeared tomorrow, he’d still choose to love me forever. With that, he popped the question, and I literally collapsed in his arms! I’ve never been so overwhelmed with joy and gratefulness! I have a bunch more written on my blog here.
When did y’all get married? June 1, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. It was the first one I tried on! I’m incredibly indecisive, so that’s actually pretty incredible! It went through quite a few alterations to get it just right, but I remember literally twirling and dancing around the store with my mom and one of my bridesmaids after one of my fittings. My mom made her own wedding dress and used the leftover bits of lace to make the detailing on the belt, which made my dress even more special.
Describe your wedding flowers. I basically told our florist to have fun! I showed her a bunch of pictures of bouquets that I thought were pretty and she took it from there. It was a mix of garden roses, ranunculus, peonies and succulents. We ordered bulk flowers from them as well, and my awesome bridesmaids did all the table arrangements the day of the wedding.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Praying fervently that we’d have good weather since every bit of our wedding was outside. A rain plan was not easy to put together. And since I was also planning everything on my own, it was definitely a challenge coordinating all the details and vendors.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Oh, Caroline certainly lives up to her middle name! I was so excited to be photographed by a woman whose work and business I admire so much.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Oh it’s so hard to choose! I vividly remember the moments before I walked down the aisle (and actually seeing Lara and Grace!) because that’s when I saw the reception set up for the first time. I wish I could bottle the giddiness I felt right before we were pronounced man and wife. I loved dancing with my dad under all those twinkly lights. I just remember everything being so magical and better than I ever imagined.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? At the end of the day, as long as you say “I do,” nothing else really matters. It’s easy to get caught up in a bazillion details that make a wedding pretty, but the fact that two people love each other enough to commit their lives to each other is what makes a wedding beautiful. Take a deep breath, remember why you’re getting married, and everything will fall into place.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? A lot! I’m a wedding photographer, so I’m excited to know how my brides feel and serve them even more on their wedding day. Brendan is a second year medical student at UNC-Chapel Hill, so he’ll be getting even smarter than he already is and working to become the best doctor ever! We’re also having a blast finding new ways to love each other and have fun together. So far, building a fort in our living room has been my favorite!

Caroline Joy, Heirloom Vintage China, and Hot Dog! Photo Booth are all delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
13 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    Emily is SO beautiful and I love, love, love their joy!!

  2. avatar Mary reply

    LOOOOVE her wedding dress! Caroline Joy’s work is always so beautiful

  3. avatar Sara reply

    Love this!!

  4. avatar Emily Payne reply

    Y’all are just the sweetest! Thank you so much for sharing me and Brendan’s big day! :)

  5. avatar My Wedding » Emily March Photography Blog | Chapel Hill Wedding Photographer reply

    […] beauty and joy of my wedding day. I’m so honored that my wedding is being featured today on Southern Weddings, so be sure to hop over there and see […]

  6. avatar Faith reply

    Such a beautiful couple & wedding! Emily, you were a stunning bride!!! :)

  7. avatar Rachel reply

    Oh my goodness this wedding made me tear up a few times! Such great photography to capture those moments.

  8. avatar https://southernweddings.com /2013/10/24/mint-north-carolina-wedding-by-caroline-joy/ | Heirloom Vintage China Hire reply

    […] entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged FacebookPages, IFTTT by admin. Bookmark the permalink. Proudly powered by […]

  9. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up | Southern Weddings reply

    […] We were so excited to share our sweet friend Emily and her now-husband Brendan’s charming North Carolina wedding! See it here. […]

  10. avatar James Gould reply

    Emily and Brendan, what an amazing couple! Me and my wife Alex had such a beautiful time filming their wedding. I just thought I would share their wedding preview film. It makes me happy every time I watch it! http://vimeo.com/79485652

  11. avatar Wedding Theme Inspiration – Hemlock Pantone Report SS14 – You Mean The World To Me : You Mean The World To Me reply

    […]  Image: Caroline Joy via Southern Weddings […]

  12. avatar kelly stein reply

    soooo cute!!!! loved it!!

  13. avatar Southern Weddings V7 » Emily March Photography | International Destination Wedding Photographer reply

    […] I’ve been a part of. From reader to intern to contributor to shop manager and even having my own wedding grace their blog. I love the heart behind SW and that’s why I think I’ll be a lifelong […]

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Surprise! We have an extra Valentine’s treat for you this morning. Nancy Ray and Caroline Joy recently completed their fourth Branches & Light photography workshop at the Winfield Inn in Texas, and this is the set-up the lucky attendees got to practice on. So happy we get to share it with you today!

Beautiful bouquet by Sweet Sunday Events!

Hope y’all are still feeling the love this weekend!

Nancy Ray and Caroline Joy are delightful members of the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
17 Comments
  1. avatar Lauren reply

    These photos are absolutely gorgeous. I love the picture of the couple on the tree (branch?).

  2. avatar Danielle Honea reply

    I love the use of the pop of color!! Fur, yummy feel….and the written details are delightful!

  3. avatar clair estelle reply

    I really like the hints of black and white as theme tones to this shoot – lovely x

  4. avatar Emily reply

    I love the quote in this shoot! It fits my fiance perfectly. He’s said we’d get married since he met me 12 years ago. 42 days until we finally say I do!

  5. avatar Robyn reply

    It was such an honor to host this event for these amazing photographers! We have worked with Caroline a number of times and just LOVE everything about her. Seeing this shoot featured is beyond exciting! Congratulations!!!

    PS: yes, that is a branch :) It’s an awesome photo spot!

  6. avatar Kristin reply

    Adorable!

  7. avatar Branches and Light Styled Shoot | Nancy Ray Photography reply

    […] was filled with lots of love and joy. I was honored to have some of my work featured on the lovely Southern Weddings Blog this weekend – a Valentine's Day inspired styled shoot that I captured at the Branches and Light […]

  8. avatar Adrienne Pitkin reply

    It was a pleasure to collaborate with the creative talent from this shoot! So pleased with the results!

  9. avatar Branches & Light Recap & Styled Shoot – Caroline Joy Photography reply

    […] big ol’ thank you to Southern Weddings for featuring this shoot over the weekend! What an […]

  10. avatar Kathleen reply

    I LOVE the fur wrap! Where is that from?

  11. avatar Lindsey McClennahan reply

    Love this, so light and airy.

  12. avatar Devon Wedding Phoography reply

    A lovely set of photos – I expect the couple were thrilled. I like the light feeling that enhances the emotion of the photos – good attention to small details that can mean so much.

  13. avatar Southern Weddings feature. | Juliet Grace Design reply

    […] February 16, 2013 by admin • 0 CommentsMy saturday morning started off great with a feature on Southern Weddings. Whenever I am featured on a blog like Southern Weddings, I can’t help but feel giddy with […]

  14. avatar katie reply

    That quote is by Arrigo Boito, not Shakespeare.

  15. avatar Makenna reply

    Very lovely pictures! Beautiful!
    But, that quote isn’t by Shakespeare.

  16. avatar NRP • Part 4 | Nancy Ray Photography reply

    […] of work, many adventures in Austin, and it certainly paid off. Our styled shoot was featured on the Southern Weddings Blog, we had Stefanie as a guest speaker, and we closed the workshop with tears in our eyes because of […]

  17. avatar Paige Hatfield reply

    I love the font that was used! What’s the name of it and where can I purchase online? (If you know).

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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