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Chrissy + Tate’s wedding was one of the very first that we accepted to feature in V5, which gave us plenty of time to get to know their big day. Trust me when I say there is a lot to take in. There isn’t any detail of their big day that escapes without a story behind it, which is how we like it in the South. These two know just how to celebrate a marriage — with plenty of “them” infused in the details and an unplugged ceremony, in which guests were asked to completely turn off their cell phone and refrain from taking photos. It helped guests focus on the vows being said and allowed their photographer to take plenty of unblocked and beautiful shots.

We are so grateful for Courtney Dellafiora who shared this wedding with us and for C + T for sharing their adorable love story (Really, y’all, their proposal story is a must read!). Stay tuned for more sweet photos in Part 2!

Tell me all the basics of your wedding!  I am from North Carolina, Tate is from Mississippi, we met in New York, and live in California, so we decided to split the difference and get married just outside of Shreveport, Louisiana. Tate has a larger family, and I wanted to have our wedding close enough for his grandparents to attend.  Why Shreveport?  The venue.  When researching locations online close to his family, I came across a wedding at the Dixie Gin and was instantly smitten. It had so much beauty and character, and my gut told me it was the place. After talking to Lauren, one of the owners (and nicest people in the WORLD), I was even more convinced. We got the chance to visit Shreveport the November prior to the wedding, and as soon as we pulled up to the Gin, we both agreed it was just perfect. Everyone thought we were nuts to get married in a city where neither of us had been or lived (and I have to admit it was quite a leap of faith) but it was well worth the risk.  We chose mid-May because it fell in a time on the calendar when the entertainment industry has a lull, the weather wouldn’t be too painfully hot, and because the date was available.

Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: (From the groom) Our shoes! I bought a vintage pair of bowling shoes online, and Chrissy had a custom pair of heels designed to look like mine. It was a nice reminder of where it all started for our relationship.

Describe your bouquet. One of my friends took up floral arranging as a hobby and as luck would have it, she’s a total natural. She made all of the bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding party, as well as my bouquet.  She lives in NYC and I was in LA, so we exchanged a bunch of emails with links and pictures to make sure we both had the same vision. My bouquet was a mix of cotton, succulents, dusty miller, seeded eucalyptus, ranunculus, hydrangeas, and craspedia. The bouquet was wrapped with a doily made by my fraternal grandmother. The cotton used in my bouquet and throughout the wedding was hand picked by my Mom! She scoured North Carolina during harvest season and asked farms if they wouldn’t mind her picking some of their cotton. Thank goodness for Southern hospitality, because everyone said yes!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress.  I wore a full-length lace gown with cap sleeves and a keyhole back by Paloma Blanca. It was the fourth dress I tried on, and the whole store sighed “aww!” when I walked out of the dressing room.  I thought it was a setup! I ended up trying on about 50 gowns over a few months, but kept thinking of that one. It was surprising how emotional gown shopping was, I just didn’t expect to react so strongly to a piece of clothing, you know? Looking at my reflection I suddenly realized “oh wow, I’m a grown woman!”

Describe the proposal: On our first date, we met up for drinks and then went to a party thrown by two of our friends at a loft in Brooklyn. The hosts are two really creative people and at the end of the night, they had everyone write their name and address on an envelope and put it in a hat. The hat was then passed around and we all drew out an envelope with the name and address of another person at the party, and we were all instructed to send that person a letter. The following year, we were back in New York City for a friends’ wedding, and Tate blocked off an evening for just the two of us. I didn’t know the agenda, but it turned out to be a night of “greatest hits.” We went to dinner at the first restaurant at which we dined together, then grabbed a drink at the bar in which we met on our first date, and then headed to The Gutter for a round of bowling. We were having a great evening together, and coincidentally had the whole place to ourselves. Just before the last frame, Tate darted away saying he was going to get something from the bar. He came back, bowled his turn (he won), and the music suddenly switched from 80’s hair band music to a song called “Terrible Love” by our favorite band, The National. I joked; “well, you beat me but at least now they’re playing The National,” to which he replied, “I know, because I asked them to.”  He then said he had something for me, and pulled it out of his pocket.  I stared in total disbelief — it was the envelope from the party on our first date with my name and address.  Inside was a letter he read aloud, explaining how he excited he was that night to finally be out on a date together, and that he was thrilled when he pulled my envelope out of the hat. At first he was going to write a letter asking me on a second date, but finally decided to hang onto it for a rainy day, saying, “I think I knew even then that this day would come.” He continued reading as the music swelled, concluding with “you are my life and my love and I hope and pray you always will be.” He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was the definition of romantic.

Chrissy’s bridesmaids’ dresses are some of my favorites! I was thrilled when she shared where she found them.

“I came across Sohomode one night when browsing Etsy, and loved the designs. They all had the same flattering retro silhouette but were made with a vintage fabric of your choice. Each bridesmaid selected fabric within a certain color family, and I thought everyone looked smashing!”

The ceremony was really powerful. We had a playlist of Vitamin String Quartet playing covers of modern music leading up to the ceremony, and that helped set the mood that ours would be a traditional wedding with a twist. Rather than a more customary song for the processional, we both agreed on “Terrible Love,” as it’s kind of an anthem for our relationship. Plus it has a nice rhythm, great lyrics, and eventually gets so loud you feel it in your gut. The entire wedding party walked out individually as it played, and I followed. Both of my parents escorted me down the aisle, and having them both by my side was really special. Before the three of us walked out, all of a sudden it just hit me “Whoa, this is our wedding!” and the next thing I knew I was standing next to Tate. The ceremony itself is one of the few things that felt happened in real time. Tate has a childhood friend who is a Pastor and he led the ceremony. We had two friends who gave lovely and touching speeches, and said traditional vows as well as our own. We’re pretty open with our emotions, whatever they may be, and were both alternating between crying and laughing the whole time. There was a funny moment when we almost kissed, and both of us said “Oh no! I can’t kiss you yet!” and everyone laughed. I know it sounds cheesy, but something special was in the air that day, and everyone could feel it. The ceremony was a series of very profound, honest moments. It was just lovely.

Did you try anything new or untraditional? In the months leading up to the wedding, I decided I wanted to surprise Tate with something unique during our ceremony. When he was little, he was in the hospital and a puppet came in to visit and entertain him.  Ever since, he’s been a fan of puppets and his face lights up like a kid when he sees them. With this in mind, I decided to make sock puppets for each guest attending the wedding to wear on their hand as they cheered and clapped at the end of the ceremony as we made our exit. I locked myself in our spare bedroom for a number of weekends and made over 100 puppets by hand. Half were grooms that looked like Tate, and half were brides that looked like me. They were really detailed so it was quite an undertaking! At the end of the ceremony, our pastor instructed everyone to open the paper bag in front of them and put the item inside on their hand to welcome the happy couple. As all of this was happening, Tate looked over with a smile and said “What did you do?” and I just giggled and shrugged. Suddenly, bride and groom puppets started popping up throughout the crowd, and everyone cheered—it was a really sweet and funny moment, and I loved seeing him so happy.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  We met a few times through work before actually meeting in the real world. The first time was in the spring of 2008. I was working at a network during pilot season, and Tate came in to audition. I remember noticing a cute floppy-haired guy sitting in the waiting area eavesdropping on one of my conversations (he later admitted this was true). A year later, Tate was in The Philanthropist on Broadway, and a friend of mine from college was an understudy in the same show. She and Tate lived in the same neighborhood and became buddies. Tate and I direct met at her birthday party one night in Brooklyn. We continued to hang out with groups, but were both totally oblivious to the fact that we were interested in each other for about a year. (Yes, a year!) At that time, I was working on The Good Wife for CBS, and Tate starred in one of the episodes. In the spring of 2010, we both attended the wrap party for the first season, and afterward, went bowling with friends at this amazing vintage bowling alley our friends own in Brooklyn called The Gutter. The whole night, we kept high-fiving each other — like, excessively high-fiving — and it finally dawned on both of us that our crushes were mutual. Our first date was a week later, nine months later we moved to Los Angeles, and here we are today!
What is a time together you will always remember? Tate’s apartment had a bad habit of flooding in heavy rains (gotta love New York!). One day, we came home to his place after grabbing lunch during a downpour and sure enough, water was everywhere. We immediately went to the store and bought supplies to clean up the mess and spent about six hours cleaning while singing along to music, laughing, and telling stories. At the end of it all, we were covered in mud and grime but still smiling. Later, we both admitted to falling in love that day. If we could still have fun and work well together when things weren’t so great, then it was meant to be.
Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring and how/why your husband (or the two of you!) chose it: Tate proposed with his mother’s engagement ring, but knew I also had diamonds belonging to one of my grandmothers that I wanted to incorporate. On the recommendation of a friend, we had a custom ring designed at this amazing little jewelry shop in Brooklyn called Elleven.  It’s truly special as it symbolizes the blending of our lives and families: the center stone from his mother, side stones from my grandmother, and additional new diamonds symbolizing the life we’re making together.
How many guests attended your wedding? About 115. We had an extra table for “anyone else who shows up” and people did!
Tell us about your invitations. One of Tate’s friends does branding and design, and he helped us create a really unique logo and layout for the invitations. I then used the same fonts and logo to design and word the rest of our invitation suite, as well as the Mad Libs and wedding programs. The invitations became a larger DIY project than either of us anticipated. Tate has the patience of a saint, and spent hours printing, cutting, gluing, and labeling — he was a one-man assembly line!
How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your big day? (From the bride) I spent the day getting ready with my friends and bridesmaids. Another of my closest friends is ridiculously talented with makeup, and she did both that and my hair.  It was so nice having someone I trusted and knew well there with me all day, rather than a total stranger. In one corner I was getting ready, in another corner the bouquets were being finished, in another corner friends were laughing and telling stories, family and friends flowed in and out of the room — it was really lovely and relaxed. (From the groom) The morning of the wedding, I discovered someone had ran into my Mom’s car in the middle of the night. It was parked on the street in downtown Shreveport and they completely bashed in the trunk – and we had planned on driving away in it at the end of the night. I spent the morning talking to the police, then ran some last-minute errands, had lunch with friends, and started getting ready. We actually ended up driving away in it anyway at the end of the night, and it was pretty hilarious seeing everyone gasp as they saw the trunk!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? To Tate, I said, “When we had our second date, you expressed some concerns about starting a relationship. You said ‘I’m really bad at dating’ to which I replied ‘well, that’s all right because I’m a DISASTER!’ I’m happy to say we were both wrong” Tate said to me, “You’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head. We fit like the two leftover puzzle pieces in the box. We don’t fit the puzzle, but we fit together.”
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony? My sister had a ring passing ceremony during her wedding and I found it very touching. We included that as a part of our day as well.
Did you do a first look? Yes, and I am so thankful we did! Having a few minutes with just the two of us was really special. It all goes by so fast, and having some time together before everything started helped keep us grounded.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
2 Comments
  1. avatar Jessica B reply

    What a beautiful, fun, personal wedding! Vintage and natural… love it! And I was so excited to read about Chrissy’s bridesmaids’ dresses! This is one detail I’d had no luck figuring out, but after checking out Sohomode, I think I may have found my solution! Can’t wait to see what my girls think.

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I love a couple who can tell a great story. Geneva + Luke are wonderful at this, making me burst into laughter in the office when I read the adorable story of how they met (it was in elementary school and he called her “maggot”), how he proposed, and the importance of big Southern hair. From looking through these photos from Suggs Photography, I’m positive their guests went home with wonderful memories and stories to share, too. G + L’s outdoor ceremony was not only lovely, but added a few laughs to the program. Their tented reception was complete with an artist on hand to live-paint the couple’s first dance — tres romantic, especially with the backdrop of string lights around the Oldfield Plantation house!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Luke and I decided to meet before the ceremony to help “hug out” some of the nerves. But good heavens, no, we didn’t do a first look. Luke did not see me until I descended the staircase escorted by my father. In our partial first look, Luke was blindfolded. I would have been willing to be blindfolded too, but I just could not risk messing up my hair, and that’s just the honest truth. This coif was a work of art, two hours in the making. And not even an army of bobby pins could protect her from a blindfold. We shared a hug, some kisses and two big ol’ grins. What a sweet, sweet moment, and what fantastic pictures!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Luke and I decided to write our own vows. Both of us are fairly good with a pen and we wanted so much for our wedding ceremony to be truly personal. By writing our own vows, we were able to share more of ourselves with our guests. It gave them a peek into the type of relationship we have and want to continue to build with one another. We did not practice these vows or share them with one another prior to the ceremony. It’s funny, they were remarkably similar.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We chose to use a modern version of “The Seven Blessings” for our ceremony. It was perfect. In fact, several guests contacted us afterwards for a copy of this reading.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. “Heavenly Day,” a country folk song was used as the processional. It was sung beautifully by a friend of the bride. Guitar accompaniment was provided by a friend of Luke’s.“One Voice” by the Wailin Jennys (another folk song) was sung in four-part harmony by my oh-so talented bridesmaids! While this played, a candle was lit, and the fire was passed from guest to guest via small beeswax pencil tapers. What a symbolic way to show support and love for the new couple!

The location of our wedding was as Southern as country ham and red-eye gravy! Our ceremony was set against the backdrop of an old Plantation River House, complete with spiral staircases and enveloped by live oak trees. The reception was held on the back lawn of the house overlooking the salt marsh of the Okatie River. Guests could stroll out onto a sprawling wooden dock to catch a glimpse of the moonlight shining across the water. Our food options were eclectic with hints of Southern inspiration. We served collard greens, rosemary grits, beef tenderloin, corn casserole, apricot salmon and more. And who could resist the adorable passed hors d’oeurve of pimento cheese on a gingersnap! YUM!

I was just absolutely in love with big lush Juliet roses in blush. Our florist blended those with creamy round ranunculus, succulents and bupleurum for a romantic, yet whimsical look. The flowers were arranged in vintage blue mason jars wrapped in twine.

Without a doubt, the best detail of the wedding was our talented artist, Elizabeth McKeever, who literally painted a scene from our first dance as the night unfolded. Guests were able to watch her create the scene in real time. What a blessing to have found her, and what a treasure we now have in our home! It’s a tremendous keepsake of the sweetest four minutes of our lives.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Ours was a vanilla cake with fresh blackberries and homemade lemon curd filling with buttercream frosting. Our baker offered the option of combining three flavors, but after we tasted the fresh blackberry and lemon curd, we couldn’t imagine anything better! I was going with a traditional tiered cake with tons of interesting texture. (The bottom layer had ruffles!) The cake was used as a centerpiece at the reception, so I wanted it to be beautiful. The texture was created with metallic ivory fondant.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Luke and I met in 1991 walking home from elementary school. He was the older brother of my childhood best friend, Amanda. Back then he had curly hair and glasses. I was red-headed, freckle faced and all knees and elbows. For about ten years, I was a permanent fixture at their house — I went on family vacations with them and everything. Rumor has it that Luke referred to me as “the maggot.” After moving away in eighth grade, I didn’t see Luke again until about ten years later at Amanda’s destination wedding in Jamaica. A huge smile spread over my face as I watched him board the plane. Although we were all grown up now, there was something so familiar there and a face I knew so well. When we de-planed in Jamaica, I leaned over the balcony, waved and shouted, “Luke Baxley, wait for me!” He just stood there confused. He was smiling, but definitely had no clue who I was. After a few seconds (and a little help), he figured it out. Then he smiled like a six year old on Christmas morning, dropped his bags and gave me a huge hug. We were inseparable that weekend. The chemistry was impossible to deny. Maybe it was the fine Jamaican rum in those bottomless pina coladas, maybe it was the romance of watching his sister get married on the beach at sunset — whatever it was, we couldn’t stop talking and didn’t stop laughing until we parted ways in the airport on the way home. The very next weekend, I flew down to Baton Rouge to see him, and we have been together ever since. We were long distance for the next two years as Luke finished his residency, and I finished school. But let me tell you, being together was worth the wait.
Describe the proposal. The proposal according to Luke: “Don’t ask. I had it all set up and laid out. It was going to be on the exact one year anniversary of when we got off the plane and ran back into each other (down to the exact hour). I knew exactly what I was going to say and everything. Then as soon as Geneva and the ring were in the same place at the same time, I couldn’t wait any longer. I got excited and proposed in the kitchen.” What Luke didn’t tell you, is that after he proposed in the kitchen (which was so sweet and adorable), he freaked out about having “blown the proposal.” I think the first words out of his mouth were, “I don’t even have any champagne!” So I let him re-do it five days later with his original plan. I gave him the ring back and we went out to dinner at an incredible restaurant. At the end of the meal (in front of the waiter) he got up and walked around the table and got down on one knee (again). I said “yes” (again). Partially because of the free dessert, and partially because of the awesome idea, we decided to plan a re-proposal dinner on our engagement every year and live the moment all over again.
In what month did you get married? April
How many guests attended your wedding? 135
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My fabulous MOH set up the dress shopping appointments for me in Charleston. I knew the moment we stepped into Modern Trousseau on King Street that we had found Mecca. The aesthetic of this boutique was stunning — exposed brick juxtaposed against preppy white couches and blue floral wallpaper. We oohed and aahed through the collection of Southern-meets-modern stunners. Like all brides, I needed my wedding dress to embody so many things. I wanted sexy, classy, unique, sophisticated with a hint of vintage all in one. Lo and behold, there she was, sitting coyly on the first rack. Monroe: a fit-and-flare French lace dream. I could not get over the blush colored satin underlay that gave this dress a warm glow. The large lace pattern was unlike anything I’d ever seen, almost retro. A sweetheart neckline and drop V back made this classy gown look very, very sexy. It hugged my figure in all the right ways. This dress was made for my body, and it was just the sample! The actual dress was indeed made for my body, along with a matching bolero, which I chose to wear for the ceremony. The seamstress, (bless her, wherever she is) even stitched my initials in blue onto the inside.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We had a tough time getting an accurate head count. The cost of our food was per person, and I was also trying to finalize escort cards with the calligrapher. So, it was stressful trying to track folks down in the final weeks without losing my manners. In the end, we had far fewer guests than we anticipated, mostly due to out-of-towners. We invited 215, and had 135. My saving grace to this dilemma was Luke’s sister, Amanda, who was, bless her heart, more than happy to make about 20 phone calls for me.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000 – $50,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Our wedding planner! Jen Leiti of Embellish Events was absolutely critical to the success of our wedding day. Without her help and guidance, I would have never been able to execute my vision. Most importantly however, on the day of the wedding I didn’t have to worry a smidge about any of the details. Luke and I knew that our big day was in the hands of a true professional. We just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Our ceremony was really sensational. It was creative and intimate. We involved so many of our talented friends for music. Luke’s sister wrote and recited a beautiful prayer. We had perfect weather. And most of all, everyone we cared about was literally sitting seven feet away! I think everyone in attendance laughed a little and cried a little. The groom was drop dead sexy. What more could you ask for?
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t just pick wedding colors… pick wedding feelings!! We were hoping to create an intimate, romantic, relaxed and memorable day. It helped inform the choices we made, from the bridesmaids dresses to the dinner music to the fire pit!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Luke and I are looking forward to “going on adventures,” as we call it! We hope to take a few more international trips before settling down and breeding baby Baxleys.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
6 Comments
  1. avatar Bellenza Wedding Bistro reply

    Such a lovely wedding in every way!

  2. avatar Mary Mullen reply

    I have never read a story like this couple’s.. I was smiling ear to ear and could feel the love through her description of the wedding and their story. And what a fantastic idea to have an artist to paint the first dance?! This wedding is one for the books!!

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If their second date story was any indication of what Megan + David’s wedding would be like, a good sense of humor was what we expected. The newlyweds delivered with a ceremony and reception that was full of witty signage, fun bridesmaids and wide grins. Of course, honoring heritage and home are not far behind in things you’ll notice about their wedding. From the theme (cotton, a nod to Megan’s grandparents who grew it in Texas) to the sweets (cookies shaped in home states), Southern charm abounds. We’re giving out big hugs to Color and Dust who shared this wedding with us!

One of our wedding themes was cotton. My grandparents were cotton farmers in west Texas and my uncle still farms there today. When we started contemplating flower arrangements cotton, just seemed like a special way to pay tribute to my heritage. Much of the cotton used in our wedding came from my uncle’s farm, which was such a sweet gift, especially since there was a drought and a lot of the cotton did not make it that year. Our sweet photographer, Kelsey, introduced us to her friend Tristian from Gracy Lu Originals who made all of our bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, my hairpiece and garter, and our flower girl’s headband. For our table arrangements, the drought really worked in our favor. My friend Kalli had the great idea to go out to my parent’s property, a place that holds a lot of special childhood memories, and cut dried wild flowers and plants to place on the tables.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. David’s uncle and cousin gifted us with their violin and viola musical talents and played our pre-wedding music selections and the hymns we sang during the ceremony. Our processional was “All of My Days” by Alexi Murdoch, my entrance was the end of “Sigh No More” by Mumford and Sons, our recessional was “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Our first dance was to “In My Life” by Johnny Cash and the father-daughter dance was to “Waltz Across Texas” by Ernest Tubb. During our cake cutting, we played “When I’m Sixty Four” by The Beatles and during the bouquet toss, “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry. The Grand March was a 10-15 minute montage of Frankie Yankovic Polkas, my favorite being The Pennsylvania Polka.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My family is Czech and anyone who has ever been to a Texas-Czech wedding knows that the party doesn’t get started until the dance floor is opened up with the Grand March, a traditional Czech wedding dance that my sweet aunts and uncles led all of our guests in. Only the people leading the dance have to know the steps and everyone else just follows hand in hand through all the twists and turns. It was so much fun and all our guests were laughing as they got tangled up in knots. With the help of Randy’s Bar-B-Que, our guests were served a fine Texas spread with all of the fixin’s. Our caterer even incorporated a traditional Czech sausage from grandparent’s hometown in West Texas. Guests were encouraged to BYOB (bring your own bib) for dinner and vintage hankies were provided for those that forgot. My dad and David painted all of the signs for our wedding with favorite Southern phrases and put together a ceremony backdrop out of old wooden fence panels. Our wedding was held in my hometown at the Chautauqua where I grew up performing community theatre with my mom, sister, and bridesmaid Jennifer.

Megan + David’s wedding was BYOB — Bring your own bib! Southern fare sure does get messy, luckily the newlyweds provided some vintage hankies for those guests who forgot to bring their own.

We had several vintage-style cakes made with different flavors and icings by 4 Goodness Cakes in Ennis, Texas, so everyone could find something they liked. Our cake stands and the wood for our centerpieces were made from wood that David’s dad cut down from their family cabin on the lake. David’s mom and dad lugged it all the way across the country for us. The rest of our wedding desserts were made by my sweet aunts and grandma who really gifted us with a labor of love making Kolaches (a traditional Czech dessert), pecan pies (a Texas favorite), mini pecan tarts, and icing cookies in the shapes of Texas, Minnesota (David’s home state), cotton, and loons (Minnesota’s state bird and a favorite visitor at David’s family cabin).

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. David and I met at a training we both attended for work. On our first date, we ate dinner and talked for few hours and then went for a walk and talked some more. I was intrigued but it was really our second date that had me hooked. We live in DC so David picked me up and drove me to the National Mall where all the monuments are, handed me a camera (he had another for himself) and told me there were only three rules: we could only take pictures of things that were awkward, inappropriate, or amazing. Whoever had the best picture at the end of the night would win. We spent the next hours running around the mall snapping pictures in what became a wonderful game of truth or dare involving unwitting tourists and some tricky acrobatics. Following the game, we ate dinner at a Lebanese hole-in-the-wall that has since become one of our favorites and ended the night smoking cigars and dangling our feet off the edge of a dock overlooking the Potomac River. That was the night that I decided I wasn’t going to date anyone else until I saw where things went with David. We never really looked back. David ended up proposing just steps away from that same dock less than a year later.
In what month did you get married? October
How many guests attended your wedding? Approximately 200
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Because we were planning our wedding long-distance I was not sure if I would be able to fly home before the wedding to go dress shopping with my mom. A couple months after we got engaged, David and my friends surprised me by flying my mom up to DC to go dress shopping with me. We didn’t find “the one” on that shopping trip, but it was still such a special memory. Ultimately, it was my mom who located the dress shop I ended buying my dress from. She called the shop owner and told her about the dress I was looking for and explained that I was having to do this part without my mom. When I showed up to the shop, the owner, Surki, gave me a hug and said “I told your mom I’d take care of you like she would,” and she really did take care of me every step of the way.
Did you decide to do a “first look”? We did. Leading up to our wedding, David and I knew we would be really busy on that day. Before we shared our union with all of our guests, we wanted to share an intimate moment with just the two of us and the first look was really such a special way to do that.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) and Romans 8:38-39 (ESV).
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Planning a DIY wedding long-distance. David and I flew into town one week before the wedding so we absolutely could not have planned this wedding long-distance if my parents had not played such a big role in helping us by running around taking pictures of different wedding venues, tasting cakes and catering, etc. The week leading up to our wedding and our wedding day was one of the most loving experiences David and I have had. We had such a sweet group of family (on both sides) and friends that helped bring all the moving parts together. The greatest wedding gift we received was that special day they all gave us.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? Less than $10,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Ask your loved ones to be a part of your day. We were showered with so much love through gifts of people’s service.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Marriage is a life-long lesson in selflessness. I look at the couple we are today and how much we have grown together in the Lord in this short time and I cannot wait to see where we will be five years from now, let alone twenty-five years from now.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
10 Comments
  1. avatar Charlotte reply

    I am obsessed with these cotton weddings. My family is one of the oldest cotton farms in the country (3rd oldest) and my wedding is going to be cotton themed, but very chic and exquisite with the country touch! Love looking at these photos for inspiration!! Thanks for sharing.

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  6. avatar Katie reply

    Could someone tell me where Megan and David got their invitations? I am in love!

  7. avatar Katie Morris reply

    Does anyone know where the invitations from Megan + David’s wedding came from? Thank you!

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  9. avatar Heather Simmons reply

    Hi there! I know that this is a longshot, but I too am having a cotton themed wedding, and was wondering if there were any way I could find out where these invitations were ordered from? Thanks so much!

  10. avatar BIVY reply

    I don’t know if having an old cotton plantation in the southern United States is something I would be celebrating at my wedding. It’s a little difficult to ignore the dark history behind every cotton blossom.

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