Google+ classic invitation Archives - Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings

Tag: classic invitation

Whenever I hear that one of our Real Weddings took place at a historic plantation, I’m instantly excited to see it! Maybe it stems from my love for Gone with the Wind or the amazing antebellum homes of Mobile that I grew up visiting. Either way, they’re so Southern, and completely romantic! Page and Blake chose to tie the knot at the beautiful Pebble Hill Plantation, and just as I suspected, Pebble Hill was the perfect backdrop for their big day! I know Emily (who had a tented reception herself!) would be equally smitten with their classic white Sperry Tent and twinkle light combo!

We’re so happy Harwell Photography was on hand to capture this lovely day!

Describe your wedding flowers. I wanted something simple, elegant, and in all soft colors. We had a great florist who brought my vision to life. My bouquet was full of white and ivory peonies, seeded eucalyptus, and dusty miller.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I was lucky to have had a stress-free experience, and I tried on around ten dresses total. I knew that I wanted something strapless and lace, and once I found one that I loved, I didn’t hesitate to say yes to the dress!

We had a first look, and I am so glad we did. We wanted to have a special moment together, just the two of us. It was also less stressful getting a lot of pictures done beforehand, so we didn’t keep all our family and friends waiting!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We decided on traditional vows. We asked our former teacher and good friend to perform the ceremony, while one of Blake’s groomsmen led a prayer. Having a Christ-centered marriage is very important to us, so we had Ephesians 5:25 and Isaiah 61:3b read: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” This verse went perfectly with our ceremony under the giant oak tree!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: One neat detail was the horse and carriage we had waiting at the end of the aisle to pick us up after the ceremony. Riding it gave us the chance to be alone together in the moments right after becoming husband and wife. We wanted to remind each other to enjoy every minute, knowing the night would go by fast! It was also our getaway “car,” which was so fun and unique. At the end of the night, we were able to ride around the property for a little bit, already reliving every minute of the day! It was magical.

Our food was very Southern, and it was a hit! We served watermelon salad with candied pecans, quail with tomato jam, fried green tomatoes, and pimento cheese sandwiches. We had several food tables that featured seafood, beef, poultry, and a cheese display with local honey and berries. Our caterers made each table look beautiful and put a lot of effort into making great-tasting food! Towards the end of the night, we surprised our guests with a snack of chicken and biscuits.

We are blessed with awesome family and friends. With our wedding being out of town for many of our guests, we were blown away by how many people traveled to the South to celebrate with us! Our band had us come to the stage to thank all of our guests for being there. I will never forget that moment, and I’m so glad I had the chance to slow down and take that in. It reminded us how much love and support we have from everyone.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I was a sophomore and he was a junior… yes, we are high school sweethearts! We were both trying out for the musical that year, and I am pretty sure I got butterflies the first time he talked to me. Later, he sent me a Facebook message asking for my number, and soon after that, we started dating.
Tell us all about the proposal! The proposal was very much a surprise! Blake took me back to the theater at our high school, which is where we met and our story began. I walked in and he was standing at the bottom of rose petal-lined steps, and the stage was decorated with pictures from our time together. We were so excited and filled with emotion! Both of our families were there to celebrate with us afterwards. I felt so special seeing all the thought, time, and love he put into making his proposal so memorable.
When did y’all get married? May 31, 2014
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Many of my family members are in Thomasville, and I’ve spent every Christmas there, so I knew it would be the perfect location to get married. We chose Pebble Hill Plantation. We held our ceremony under the oak tree, and it fit the vision I had pictured for our wedding day perfectly! We opted for a tent for the reception, which was just steps away from the ceremony site, and kept everyone cool.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Blake chose all of our songs, which I loved, because it was one less decision I had to make! He chose “Canon in D” for me to walk down the aisle to–we loved that it was traditional and beautiful. Our first dance was “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by Elvis Presley. Blake is a big Elvis fan, and it was perfect!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed/old was my great-great-grandmother’s pin, which I attached to my bouquet. All of the women in my family had it with them on their wedding day, so it was pretty special. My something blue was my garter and my something new was my earrings.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Many of your family and friends will want to help with planning and day-of things, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. It will make your wedding day a lot less stressful if you don’t have to worry about last minute decisions or details. Don’t forget to take time on your wedding day to slow down and take in all the details that were your vision for so long. Most importantly, remember that the day is ultimately about the two of you becoming one, so don’t sweat the small stuff!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We just got a place together in Nashville and are in the process of making it our own. We are just excited to do everyday life together! It is so wonderful to have someone to go through life’s ups and downs with and to have a constant companion and supporter.

Photographer: Jeremy Harwell / Videographer: Shutter Life Productions / Planner: Tricia Willis Custom Event Planning / Ceremony and Reception Venue: Pebble Hill Plantation / Florist: Singletary’s Florist / Cake Baker: Savannah Moon Bakery / Caterer: Jeannie Bracy and John Thomas / Rentals: Sperry Tent / Band: The RiverTown Band / Linens: La Tavola / Bride’s Gown: “Alana” by Maggie Sottero / Bridal Salon: Formally Yours / Hair Accessories: BHLDN / Hair and Makeup: Dreamstate Salon / Bride’s Shoes: “Chrissy” by J.Renee / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “555” by Bari Jay in Misty Blue /Menswear: Joseph A. Banks

Harwell Photography is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
10 Comments
  1. avatar Robyn Van Dyke reply

    LOVE their first look image!! What a gorgeous wedding!

  2. avatar Happy Weekend // Around The Web | Coastal Bride reply

    […] lovely Georgia wedding featuring a Sperry […]

  3. avatar Finley reply

    This is such a lovely and sweet style. Thanks for sharing!

  4. avatar Wedding Chalkboard Signs: 20+ Ideas For the Best Day Ever reply

    […] it was always you – harwell photography via southern weddings […]

  5. avatar Deb frank reply

    what was the name of the vine you used on chalkboard

  6. avatar Andrea | The Pink Bride reply

    Such a timeless wedding! I love every detail, from the colors to the bride’s shoes. Fabulous!

  7. avatar Photos Not to Miss on Your Wedding Day – Carol Bond Weddings | Carol Bond Weddings reply

    […] 5. Candid photos! Make sure to capture the enjoyment of the day. Southern Weddings […]

  8. avatar Lindsay reply

    What a beautiful wedding! I just love the bridesmaid’s dresses! Would you mind sharing who the designer is? I’ve fallen in love and would really like them for my wedding!

    Thanks!

  9. avatar Mariya khmaruk reply

    I love your chalkboard! I was wondering where you got it!?

  10. avatar Elisabeth Haas reply

    Hi! So I’m wondering where you got your bridesmaids dresses!

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!

Reply to:
close

The team at Mariée Ami is amazing at crafting timeless Southern weddings, so it’s no surprise that when one of their own talented planners said “I do,” the celebration was one to be remembered! At their summer Alabama wedding, Louise and Billy combined their classic style with details that reflected their personalities, like Louise’s lace gown with a fabulous orchid hairpiece, a welcome bag featuring a special gift for guests’ dogs, and even their intricate monogram with bright stadium cups. The end result was an undeniably elegant wedding that was still full of personality!

We’re so grateful to A Bryan Photo for capturing Louise and Billy’s wedding day and sharing it with us in V6!

I love wedding dresses and think you can really tell a lot about a girl and the wedding she wants by the dress she picks out. I see girls every weekend in dresses that I think are beautiful, but it was hard for me to imagine myself in any of my brides’ dresses. I have worn several wedding dresses in the past during debutante balls, so I wanted something more bridal: lace and straight lined. The Lela Rose “Spring” dress was exactly what I wanted. It was the first dress I tried on during my trip to Ivory and White and nothing after that measured up! It was the hardest thing to keep from my nosey groom.

Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? I wanted something a little different. It was going to be a black-tie wedding, so they needed to be long. I played with the idea of doing a pattern, but never really found anything I liked enough. Amsale has beautiful long dresses, so I decided to go with their line. To make it different, I decided to split up the bridesmaids into to three different colors (five in dove, five in graphite, five in French blue).
What did the groomsmen wear? Tuxes with white dinner jackets–white dinner jackets are a Southern thing!

Who participated in your ceremony? I had a huge wedding party, so all of our closest friends were a part of the ceremony. My two cousins, who have always been like sisters to me, read scripture. Since my boss/wedding planner is one of my dearest friends, she carried my dress until I walked down the aisle.
What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? Seeing Billy’s smile at the end of the aisle when he saw me for the first time!

There was no question as to where we were getting married. I love my hometown, Mobile, Alabama, and my parents would not have had it any other way. We chose to get married in August for a few reasons: we did not want a long engagement, a wedding during football season was out of the question, and it was the only open weekend I had as a wedding planner. I was worried about the heat in Mobile in August, so we chose an indoor venue, rather than the outdoor bay wedding I had always dreamed of. Ft. Whiting was the largest indoor venue we could find, and I knew we could accomplish exactly what we wanted in the big, open space.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? We love the water and always dreamed of being married in a large tent overlooking the water. While the outdoors was out of the question, a tent was still something I wanted. I knew I wanted navy as the basis of the wedding. I love a mix of garden-inspired design and modern pieces, the crispness of true white, and the preppy touches of boxwoods and ribbon.

When it came to the details, my mind was going 100 miles a minute. My favorites were all the little gifts and favors we had. The hypercolor cups for cocktails once the party got started and the linen cocktail napkins used at the bars were two of my favorite reception details. The hotel gifts also really came together well– we wanted to incorporate my dog into the details, so we had a local artist do a sketch. We used this sketch on canvas bags for the hotel guests, and included frisbees that could be taken home by fellow dog lovers, koozies, and a guest favorite, monogrammed playing cards.

My wedding cake design inspiration actually came very early on in the planning. I wanted a more modern design that still had a classic look. We opted for the design to be in sage green with calla lilies used sparingly on each layer. The groom’s cake was a chocolate fly fishing basket that celebrated Billy’s love for fishing. My favorite part about the cakes was the area in which they were displayed. We had a beautiful lattice designed covered in greenery as a backdrop. Green boxwood walls enclosing the cake area made it feel like an English garden.

Tell us a bit about your first dance. Billy has always been a great dancer, so our first dance was fun! We chose “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green and loved seeing the guests smile and clap as we spun around the dance floor.

Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? Both of our cakes were served on large silver trays that have been in my family for years. The tablecloths for the cake table were also family heirlooms that mean a lot to my family. I was given a toasting cup from my grandmother that both she and my mother used at their wedding receptions.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Our best friends, who are now married as well, set us up. They love reminding us how much we should thank them!
Describe the proposal: I have always loved the water and Mobile Bay. Billy proposed on Mobile Bay on a rainy day in March with our dog, Mae.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Well-planned, gorgeous, and perfect!!!
How many guests attended your wedding? 500
Briefly describe your wedding flowers: The flowers were green and white with a dusty gray. Very free-flowing, like a French garden. I love that flowers today have taken a more natural and unique look. White peonies and garden roses made up most of my bouquet. Since I was going for a touch of whimsy, beautiful ivory, taupe and white satin ribbons hung from my bouquet. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, and dahlias. For boutonnieres, something simple and small was my only wish. Anything too large seems to stick out on a white dinner jacket.
Did you have a cocktail hour? If so, what was it like? The entire party was like a huge cocktail party. Two signature drinks were served: sweet tea and vodka slushies as guests walked in and the famous Mobile Crisy vodka milkshake at the end.
What kind of food did you serve? My guests love good food, but they also love to talk and drink. We had three huge square tables in the middle of the reception that allowed for guests to pick and eat directly from the tables. There were oyster, shrimp, tuna, hot sausage with melted cheese, a variety of salads, and antipasti presentations. We couldn’t end the night without the groom’s favorite thing: mini fried chicken pieces on Sister Schubert rolls and beignets covered in powdered sugar!
What were some of the highlights of the reception? The band was incredible. We love hiring the Atlanta Showstopper for other brides and think they are truly the best. Every guest was on dance floor, having the times of their life. Even our three-year-old, music-loving nephew had to be dragged off the dance floor.
Did you toss the garter or bouquet? I did toss the bouquet. I had the florist make six small bouquets that I could hold as one. When I went to throw the bouquet, it split into six so that more than one girl could soon have their dream wedding.
Tell us about your grand exit. Billy and I decided to change out of our wedding attire. We went with a classic look. I wore a fitted, short white dress with just enough flare. Billy wore a blue tweed blazer and slacks. We ran past our guests, who were holding sparkers, and jumped into a black town car that whisked us away. Firework rockets shot off every couple of feet as the car drove away. It was a perfect ending to a perfect night.
Did you take a honeymoon? If so, where? We took a week-long vacation to Jade Mountain in St. Lucia! It was amazing and the perfect time to relax and talk about everything that had transpired in the previous two weeks: I got my cast off, Billy took the bar, and we had the most incredible weekend with family and friends that we could have asked for.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are excited about getting settled into our home together with our dog, Mae, and getting into a routine of a working couple.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Hire a wedding planner and do things differently than you see all the time. Even though I’m a wedding planner by day, I did not do one thing from Wednesday on. While I had my team doing what they do every weekend, it was so nice to be the bride and let someone else handle the details!

Photographer: Bryan Johnson of A Bryan Photo / Videographer: A Bryan Photo / Planning, design, linens and paper goods: Mariée Ami / Ceremony venue: Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral / Reception venue: Fort Whiting / Ceremony florist: Zimlich Bros / Reception and personal florist: Buffy Hargett / Catering: Clifton Morrissette / Cake: Barb’s Cakes / Bride’s gown: “Spring” by Lela Rose / Bridal salon and veil: Ivory and White / Bride’s shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaid dresses: Amsale in French Blue, Graphite, and Dove / Hair stylist: Greg Andrews / Makeup: Ashley Mitchell / Calligraphy: Jan Pruitt / Rentals: Event Rentals Unlimited / Bar paintings: Liz Legg Designs / Lighting: AG Lighting / Band: Atlanta Showstoppers / Monogram: Allison R. Banks Designs / Dog Illustration: Kara Henley

lisa Written with love by Lisa
15 Comments
  1. avatar Liza B reply

    Do you know who did their custom wedding monogram?

  2. avatar lena reply

    Absolutely gorgeous!

  3. avatar Leon Bailey reply

    Classic is definitely the word for this wedding. Love the design of their cake. :) Beautiful photography!

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

    […] for Louise’s wedding gown (above)–and so did we! See hers and Billy’s wedding here. Ashley and Jeremy were pronounced “still married” at their sparkly barn wedding. […]

  5. avatar Taylor W reply

    Beautiful wedding! Would love to know who did the monogram and where they got their koozies from.

    Thanks!

  6. avatar Jillian reply

    Can we get details on where the koozies were bought/who did the dog and monograms?

  7. avatar Lisa reply

    The monogram is by Allison Banks Calligraphy, the calligraphy on the koozies is by Jan Pruitt, and the dog illustration is by Kara Henley at [email protected] :)

  8. avatar Andrea reply

    This wedding is beautiful. I would love to know where the flower girl dresses are from, they are divine.

  9. avatar kate reply

    Hey! Please help me find where the groom got his tux! I am having so much trouble finding a nice-looking white dinner jacket. I would REALLY appreciate it! :)

  10. avatar Rachel reply

    Does anyone know where they got the hypercolor cups from?

  11. avatar whitney reply

    Hi, Can you tell where the flower girl dresses are from?

  12. avatar All You Need To Know About Grooms Cakes reply

    […] Cake by Barb’s Cakes, Photo by A Bryan Photo via Southern Weddings […]

  13. avatar Doris Gidley reply

    Where did the Koozies and hypercolor cups come from?

  14. avatar Meredith reply

    are the jackets white or off white? can’t find a nice off white dinner jacket!!

  15. avatar 15 Ways To Include Your Pet In Your Big Day! reply

    […] Photography: A Bryan Photo // Event Design: Mariee Ami // Via: Southern Weddings […]

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!

Reply to:
close
Top