Southern Weddings

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

Written with love by Nicole