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Celie and Shane are a couple after our own hearts! Every aspect of their wedding day was truly intentional and full of meaning, from the flowers grown in Celie’s mother’s garden, to the signature drinks Shane and his friends brought home from Vermont, to the Civil War-themed corn hole boards! We love that they took advantage of every opportunity to give friends and family a deeper look into the relationship. With all of those details set against the idyllic backdrop of Celie’s childhood home in Unison, Virginia (what a perfect place to get married!), Celie and Shane’s wedding could not have been lovelier. Thank you so much to Lisa Marie of Sweet Tea Photography for sharing this wonderful wedding with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! In a single day in April of 2012, Shane flew to Virginia from our home in Boston, made my parents a delicious meal and asked them for my hand in marriage. Because he was only gone for a day, I never suspected anything. He just told me he was working late and I believed him. Less than a month later, Shane whisked me away for a getaway in Vermont, saying I needed some time off after a stressful few months at work. We arrived in Stowe in the second week of May at the gorgeous Stone Hill Inn and headed out immediately for a hike up to Moss Glen Falls. I remember thinking as I looked up at the falls, when he’s ready to propose, I really hope we come back here. It would be a perfect place to say “yes.” When I turned around, Shane was looking up at me with the ring in his hands, asking me to marry him. I was so caught off guard that I remember mumbling something like, “Are you for real?” before squealing and saying “YES!” about a thousand times.

We knew what our wedding colors would be very early on in our process, and we chose green because of the succulent, our favorite flower. My mom always referred to them as the “flower that could survive anything” and I wanted them to symbolize a durable, lifelong commitment to our marriage. Coral is my favorite color—it has always said “joy” to me—and Amy did a beautiful job of incorporating it with antique roses, peonies, ranunculus and more. Beyond that, I pretty much told Amy to trust her gut. She is an artist and, as my planner Tabitha always put it, “trust in your professionals. One thing that may not be obvious from the photos but meant the world to us was that my mother, an organic gardener, grew many of the flowers that Amy featured in our bouquets and arrangements. The succulents and hydrangeas, among other things, were cultivated by my mom all year in preparation for the wedding. Amy, an old family friend, cut stems from her own garden, too. Their efforts saved us a huge amount of money and added meaning to every arrangement! I have always loved the look of floral headpieces, but our florist, Amy Potter of Country Way, went above and beyond with the one she designed for me. She included succulents that my mom grew all year and a beautiful rose in my favorite light coral color. My floral crown turned out to be my favorite detail at our wedding. I’d gotten a lot of pressure to do a veil or a silk headpiece, but Amy and Tabitha, my planner, encouraged me to go with what I really wanted and I’m glad I did!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? (I promise we didn’t coordinate our answers to this question. This is just what came out for both of us, separately!) Celie: My favorite memory from our wedding day is walking down the aisle to Shane. Descending the steps to a beautiful piece of music composed for us by one of our dearest friends, everyone I love looking up at me, meeting my parents who were radiating with joy, and, finally, seeing my groom—my soul mate and best friend and the love of my life—looking so handsome and grinning ear to ear like he could not wait to call me his wife. I will never, ever forget that moment. Shane: My favorite moment from our wedding day was seeing Celie walk down the aisle. As she came down the steps of her family home, I got to watch everyone that’s important in our lives stand up and look in awe at how beautiful she was. I remember once she started walking down the aisle with her parents that everything else faded away and I focused in on her. I suddenly forgot that everyone else was there and all I wanted to do was marry this woman I’d loved for so long.

We are surrounded by history where we live in Virginia and my dad is especially passionate about the Civil War. Our wedding coincided with the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War Cavalry Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. My dad arranged for a group of our family and friends to go and see the reenactment the morning of our wedding to give them insight into the historical meaning of the place where we were getting married. As a second nod to the intersection of our wedding date and the battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville, my Dad created a Civil War-themed corn hole game. He built the boards from scratch and then bartered with a sign maker (he made them a corn hole game in exchange) to design board covers in Confederate and Union themes. I had asked him to create a corn hole set because the game is a big tradition in Shane’s family and my dad is an incredible woodworker, but I told him he had creative freedom as far as the design. Everyone, including Shane and I, loved what he came up with!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Shane and I were so intentional about all of the details in our wedding, it’s impossible to choose just one, but here are a few we haven’t covered yet. Shane and I put honey on and in everything. We also call each other “honey” or “honey bunny,” so we knew from the beginning that we wanted our favor to be honey. My family’s neighbors, the Gardiners, run a beautiful apiary down the street called “Unison Honey,” so instead of place cards we marked our guests’ seats with small, labeled honey jars. Shane’s signature cocktail was Heady Topper, his favorite beer, available exclusively from a microbrewery in Waterbury, Vermont. For his bachelor party, Shane and his friends made the trip up north to pick up the unpasteurized brew and they kept it cold all the way to Virginia for the wedding. Shane had made such an effort getting his beer to the wedding, that I wanted to honor it in some way. We saw this gorgeous antique, claw-footed bathtub at Vintage Affairs, where we got our chairs and tables, and we couldn’t resist! Shane and I spent the year before our wedding gathering old photos of our family members, especially those who couldn’t be with us on our day. I saw a version of this “family tree” idea on a wedding blog and loved it. We hung about 40 frames on the sweet gum tree next to our ceremony to encourage our guests to reflect on our familial roots before and after our vows. I chose the antique typewriter for our guest book because we have a humanities gene in our family (I’m a web content editor, my father is a writer, and my sister is a lawyer) and I wanted a symbol of our family’s commitment to great writing at our wedding. We found it at Vintage Affairs, a fantastic rentals company out of Elkridge, Maryland.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Shane and I lived on the same floor of Myles Standish Hall at Boston University. We were both intensely political; my college roommate, who was in our wedding, likes to remember our late-night debates about the 2008 elections. As we grew closer as friends through college, I professed my love to Shane three or four times, but he always claimed he wanted to remain “just friends.” Then, one day, out of the blue, Shane turned to me and said, simply, “I love you. I am in love with you, Celie.” We never looked back. Four years later, he’s still my best friend, but he’s also my husband. I still get butterflies when I say that word.
When did y’all get married? June 15, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 92
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I found my dress at an adorable boutique in Madison, CT called Everthine Bridal. The whole experience was like a fairytale. When I walked into the tiny shop with my mom and my two best friends, I saw my dress in a photograph on the wall. The model was walking along a stone wall with a beautiful green field in the background, and she had a delicate crown of flowers on her head. It just looked like Virginia and it felt like me. I knew the dress would look beautiful outside on our day. It was created to order by Sarah Seven—she calls it the “Practically Perfect” dress—in a gorgeous ivory. When I tried it on, the ladies at Everthine tied a sweet little Untamed Petals sash around my waist, and with that added touch, I was sold. The flowers on the sash reminded me of succulents, which were our primary wedding flower, and I could see the dress flowing behind me at my family farm in Virginia.
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Shane and I chose to do a first look because we wanted the time to focus, together, on what mattered on our day before the craziness began. We also chose to go forward with a first look because we spent a lot of time and energy on our cocktail hour and wanted to experience it with our guests.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We chose to write our own vows and we were so happy that we did. They were so meaningful and personal and I think our guests were really moved by the powerful insight into our relationship. Shane’s favorite part of my vows was “I vow to weave our love through our current and future families so that they can feel the same heart-swelling happiness that we do. I promise to soak up the sweet love you wrap me in and never fear it or question it, because I know, today and forever, that it is all mine. I vow to always love you more than I did yesterday and to punctuate everything we do with ‘I love you.’” My favorite part of Shane’s vows was “I vow to respect and cherish your family history, traditions, and values as we blend them with those of my family and develop our own as a new family. I vow to love you every day for the rest of my life. You are the greatest friend I’ve ever had, and the love of my life.”
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Shane and I were lucky enough to have one of our dear friends, Forest Marchini, compose an original piece of classical music for our processional. He called it “Celie and Shane: In Unison.” It’s the most beautiful piece of music I’ve ever heard. On our wedding day, it was performed by Forest on piano, accompanied by a string trio. The piece evolved as I walked across the porch, down the stairs, and met my parents to walk down the aisle to Shane. It added so much meaning to our ceremony. Our first dance was to our song, Joshua Radin’s “They Bring Me to You.” It’s been our song since the first time Shane said, “I love you.” Our favorite lyric is “I love you so much more tonight, more than yesterday—the rest of my life can’t compare to this night,” which had even more meaning on our wedding day than it does in our everyday.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our cake was designed and created by award-winning pastry chef Jason Reaves, from Market Salamander in Middleburg. We chose a Tres Leches cake with home-style buttercream frosting. We wanted a cake that was light and refreshing and featured buttercream, which was on every cake my Mom made me when I was growing up. As far as the design of the cake, Shane and I liked the idea of featuring fresh, local berries around each tier. Jason helped us select the frosting design and placed every succulent on the cake himself when he delivered it.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My sister, Sarah, who was also my maid of honor, and I have matching sapphire and diamond rings, designed by our parents with jewels from our grandmothers and great grandmothers. On my wedding day, I wore mine as my something old and she wore hers. I swear our grandmothers were there with us, keeping the rain at bay. Something new were my shoes and earrings. My shoes were handmade by JoyFolie, an Etsy artist, and my earrings were handmade and designed (with my shoes in mind) by my closest cousin, Somerset Gagne. My necklace was my “something borrowed.” It’s a necklace that my mother and her sister, Kay, have that features both yellow and rose gold and a few important family engravings. I wanted to wear it for the wedding because Shane is from a very large, Irish family, and the four-leaf clover had extra meaning with so many of them there that night. My something blues were my succulents. They have a beautiful blue hue to them, and Amy chose an especially blue one to be featured in my floral crown. It was such a nice compliment to the coral rose.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Budget. Shane and I were on a tight budget from the beginning and I’m proud to say, as my dad put it in his toast on the wedding day, we were “on time and on budget!” We were so thankful to our families for all they contributed and proud to have contributed as much as we did ourselves. There were so many people who told us we would have to increase our budget in order to have the wedding of our dreams, but they were wrong. Staying within a tight budget and still having a beautiful wedding requires commitment and elbow grease and, above all, flexibility, but don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t possible.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We had fantastic experiences with almost every one of our vendors. We had a very tight budget, but we made room for our day-of coordinator, Tabitha Roberts, and it was the best decision we made. She was so much more than your typical DOC; she guided us through our year of wedding prep and helped us through some serious bumps in the road. On our day, she took care of every detail so that we could be with each other and our family and friends. By the end of the event, she felt like family. I adore her and I owe so much to her vision and her hard work to make it a reality. Also, I know everyone says it, but your day will go by faster than you could ever imagine. Lisa Marie, our photographer, captured moments and details that will help us remember the best parts of our day forever and in the best, most beautiful light. She was our biggest investment and our photos are worth every penny. Save everywhere else, but splurge on the photographer that truly understands your vision and whose style of photography aligns with your wedding style.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 1. Shane and I wrote our own vows for our wedding, but I highly recommend doing so even if you and your partner will be using traditional vows or vows that honor your family’s faith in your actual ceremony. Even if you never share them with anyone but each other, it is an incredibly enlightening exercise and being able to reference and remember those personal, meaningful promises for the rest of your marriage is important. 2. Dream together. During our engaged year, Shane and I covered our house in thoughts on our wedding. We had a massive bulletin board on our wall with menus, stationery, colors, fabrics and more. I discovered so many things on Pinterest and wedding blogs that I never would have thought of! I made a PDF mood board or Pinterest board for each of our key vendors so that they would understand our vision for their contribution to our day. We had a really clear image of what we wanted for our day and a tight budget, which made choosing vendors much easier for us. 3. Trust your gut. You will get advice from every person who knows you’re getting married and even those who don’t (like blogs, for example). This is your day. If you make your choices based on trends or tradition, you’ll end up with someone else’s wedding. Some of my favorite parts of our wedding, like my floral crown, went against the advice we got.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are more in love than ever. Shane and I love to travel and experience new foods and cultures, so we’re looking forward to some serious adventures in the next few years. Above all, though, I think we both can’t wait to spend time with our own and with each other’s families as husband and wife. We’re looking forward to starting our own family one day and introducing our children to the wonderful people, traditions, and, as I put it in our vows, “heart-swelling happiness” in our lives.

Photographer: Lisa Marie O’Quinn of Sweet Tea Photography | Planner: Tabitha Roberts of Roberts & Co. | Ceremony and Reception Venue: Family home in Unison, Virginia | Florist: Amy Potter of Country Way Floral | Wedding Cake: Jason Reaves of Market Salamander | Caterer: Market Salamander | Rentals: Juli Wolf of Vintage Affairs and Liz Waylan of DC Rental | DJ: Anthony Simpson of My Deejay | Processional Composition: Forest Marchini | Ceremony Musicians: Cynthia Saucedo | Reception Musician: Kevin Johnson | Bride’s Gown: “Practically Perfect” by Sarah Seven at Everthine Bridal Boutique | Bride’s Sash: Untamed Petals/Amanda Judge | Paper Products: Love vs. Design | Bride’s Jewelry: Two Birds Jewelry Designs | Reception Headpiece: Mignonne Handmade | Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Claudine Fay | Bride’s Shoes: Joy Folie | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Mixed Styles in Chiffon and Crinkle Silk Chiffon by Donna Morgan | Groom’s Suit: J.Crew | Men’s Ties: Handmade by Emy | Groomsmen Suits: Michael Kors at Macy’s

Sweet Tea Photography and Roberts & Co are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

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

    I love, love, love that Celie’s florist used flowers grown by her mama!! How sweet! I am also dying over that golden claw-foot tub. Gorgeous!!

  2. avatar Lisa Mare reply

    I had such a lovely time photographing these love birds! Thanks for sharing it!

  3. avatar martha reply

    Congratulations to Lisa Of Sweet Tea Photography. You certainly were able to capture this wedding with beautiful shots of the whole event.
    I enjoyed reading about all that went into making this day a special one for all involved.
    Thanks for sharing.

  4. avatar Celie and Shane reply

    Thank you so much for featuring our story on Southern Weddings. We love the work you do and we’re honored to be a part of it. We hope our wedding might inspire a few couples out there as so many posts like this one inspired us!

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  8. avatar Jasmin reply

    Hello,

    I found your site when searching for ways to decoupage corn hole boards so they stand up to the weather and the years. The civil war themed corn hole game featured here and made by Celie’s dad is beautiful. How can I get in contact with him to find out the technique he used ?

    Thank you.

    Jasmin

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  13. avatar So Dazzling reply

    What a gorgeous day! Love the bride style and her bouquet.

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I couldn’t help but smile when I read Laura and John’s love story. After he offered to help her carry boxes up five flights of stairs (she refused!), they didn’t get to know each other until a year later, when he stopped her in the hallway in search of googly-eye stickers! This unconventional conversation-starter led to a beautiful relationship, a surprise proposal, and ultimately, a delightfully Southern wedding. Since Laura and John met in Oregon and he grew up in Indiana, this Alabama bride sure had her work cut out for her! The azaleas were in full bloom by the time they held their deeply meaningful ceremony in her parents’ backyard, followed by a reception full of Southern foods and treats. I can only imagine how many of their Northern guests fell in love with the South that night! Just like Laura and John’s adorable love story and beautiful wedding, it’s easy to love, don’t you think?

Many thanks to Kelly of Spindle Photography for sending Laura and John’s wedding our way!

John was the first guy I met when I moved to Portland, Oregon. He was the only person (besides a fireman) who offered to help my friend and me move boxes up five flights of stairs to my new apartment. I stubbornly turned down his offer to help. I later found out that he lived down the hall from me, but our schedules were pretty different and I barely ever saw him. A year later, fate and googly-eye stickers brought us together. One night, when I returned home from dinner with my friend, John approached us in the hall and asked if I had any googly-eye stickers that he could use for a model he was building for a science class. Oddly enough, I did. He invited my friend and I over to his place that night (where she quietly told me that she thought he might like me), and we’ve been side-by-side ever since.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Finding my wedding dress was such a special experience. My parents flew me back home to Alabama the summer before my wedding so that I could find my dress with my loved ones by my side. The first place I visited was The White Room because two of my older sisters had had their beautiful dresses perfectly altered by Carolyn Kelley, the owner. I searched around for something unique and picked out a variety of styles to try on. The first one I put on was perfect, and it was floor sample in perfect condition! I tried on about ten more dresses after that, but kept thinking about that first one. Also, my dad (who has impeccable taste) kept saying, “That’s pretty, but I’m not sure that it’s as special as that first one.” Finally, I put the first dress back on. We added a very simple veil and everyone in the room teared up—it was definitely THE dress. Then, on top of everything going so well that day, my amazing grandparents surprised me by purchasing my dream dress. It was just one of those incredibly lucky and lovely days.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did decide to do a first look. I really felt like it would be more special to see each other that day without a crowd of people watching (though my sisters and bridesmaids were stealthily watching from a distance). Plus, I knew that if I saw him for the first time while walking down the aisle, I would have been so overwhelmed by emotion that I probably would have cried through the entire ceremony (which I basically did anyway, but it would have been more intense). It was so comforting to see him, and so sweet to see him see me. I’m glad that we set aside time to do that and let that moment sink in.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had three readings. John’s mom read an excerpt from “The Bridge Across Forever” by Richard Bach. My step-mom read “A Marriage” by Mark Twain. Then, I had our officiant (who is also one of our best friends) read an excerpt from a letter my mom wrote me before she passed away about finding real love.

This picture might be my favorite out of all of them. They look like they just adore each other!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? It was really important to me that I married John in my hometown. He grew up in Portland, but most of his family is from Indiana, so I wanted to make sure that I showcased the charms of the South for all of our Oregon and Indiana guests. Fortunately, Mother Nature cooperated with us and our spring wedding showed off Alabama’s most gorgeous time—my parents’ backyard was filled with blooming azaleas! Of course, we made sure to highlight Southern food: candied pecans, sweet tea, mint juleps, shrimp and grits, crab salad and fried green tomatoes were some of the highlights.

Tell us all about the proposal! John was determined to surprise me, which was a difficult undertaking since we designed my engagement ring together. Actually, I had been anticipating a proposal for almost three years when the time finally came. He had a few elaborate plans that involved us being outdoors, but each fell through due to many strings of rainy days. After a handful of failed attempts at creating an ideal situation, he came up with a low-key plan. He told me one weekend morning that he had to go down to Eugene for business (which isn’t unusual). I kissed him goodbye and went about my day fixing up things at the house. Many hours later, as I was taking a nap, John came through the door with a nervous look on his face. At first I was startled because I didn’t expect him and was half asleep. Then, he got down on one knee, took out the ring (a beautiful combination of two family heirlooms) and told me why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. I was stunned! I quickly realized that I was so stunned that I did not hear his proposal, and I asked him to propose to me again, which he did. Obviously, I said yes. We spent the rest of the day together doing things we love doing and being totally excited.
When did y’all get married? April 13, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 75
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, we did. My favorite part about our vows was that we wrote them separately, but they ended up being very similar. My favorite line from both had to do with our desire to help each other fulfill our dreams.
Describe your wedding flowers. My wedding flowers were gorgeous! I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted, but I found a vendor I could really trust (thank you Mandy and the HotHouse team) and left most of the decisions up to her. I told her what colors I wanted, and that I wanted ranunculus and poppies—the rest was up to her and her team. I didn’t ask for roses, but I’m so glad they included them since John and I live in The City of Roses.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Much of my wedding was focused on highlighting things that I love about the South. I knew that I wanted several regular cakes instead of one large one, so we chose a couple of uniquely Southern cakes (strawberry and coconut) and a beautiful chocolate cake (because you have to have chocolate). I also included two cheesecakes because John isn’t really into regular cake.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My favorite detail is that we had an intimate ceremony in my parents’ backyard. When I asked John what his favorite detail was, he said, “My bride.”
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Distance! Planning a wedding from nearly 3,000 miles away comes with many challenges. Luckily, I have lots of awesome family members and friends in Alabama that stepped up to the plate and really made the wedding possible.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? I was happy about pretty much everything involved in our wedding, but our photographer, Kelly Cummings, was exactly what we needed throughout the day. She made sure the whole day flowed the way it should, and ended up being the person I turned to for just about everything. Also, she has given me the most beautiful photos that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Our wedding really would not have been the same without her.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment was probably the fire. Right as we were leaving, one of the sparklers set the guest book tablecloth ablaze. We were already in the car, but watching that happen and seeing all the guests scramble to save the guest book (which was heroically saved—thank goodness) was an interesting and memorable end to an eventful day.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t try to live up to anybody’s expectations—make the day about you and your husband. At the end of the day, you aren’t going to have a perfect wedding or meet everyone’s expectations of what it should have been. Though, if you let go and make decisions that feel right, y’all will have a happy day to look back on. For some more practical advice: get that guest list hammered out as soon as possible! Putting together that list with all the correct details was one of my biggest hurdles. Also, don’t fret over little details. As long as you have vendors you trust and respect, all the details will come together in a beautiful way.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are looking forward to so many things. Mostly, we are looking forward to future travels, but we are also very excited to start looking for a house to call our own. The thing we look forward to most about being married is growing together and starting a little family.

Photographer: Kelly Cummings of Spindle Photography | Ceremony Venue: Bride’s parents’ backyard | Reception Venue: The Avondale Villa | Florist: Mandy Majerik of Hot House Design Studio | Wedding Cakes: Edgar’s Bakery | Caterer: Yellow Bicycle Catering | Bride’s Gown: Christos Eloisa | Paper Products: Paper Source | Hair Stylist: Mark Hyde at SalonU | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew Louisa in Dusty Shale | Groom’s Attire: J.Crew | Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew shirts and Forever 21 ties

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

lisa Written with love by Lisa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Nicole reply

    That puppy! And how funny that Laura asked John to propose a second time — I’ve read so many proposal stories where the bride doesn’t remember a word the groom said, so I’m glad she asked for a repeat :)

  2. avatar Morgan Trinker reply

    SO gorgeous! Kelly captured this one perfectly. Love Laura and John’s style, and love their story even more! :)

  3. avatar Dana reply

    the picture with the bridesmaids all petting the puppy is such a great shot! what an interesting venue too!

  4. avatar Katie reply

    I think Laura’s wedding was gorgeous. So ram tic and well done! I would love to know where her earrings came from! I’m in love with them!

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We loved Erin + Michael’s lakeside wedding from V5 as soon as we saw it. But we had no idea until we saw the full disc of images from Melissa Schollaert, how much work and how many details went into creating their big day. For two designers who own their own company called hi note, the wedding was a way for them to showcase their lives together as well as their talents and passions.

Aside from the many details, I’m in love with the venue E + M chose for their big day: Erin’s family’s lakeside home. “We both have fond memories of weekends spent on the water and wanted to share that experience with all of our friends and family,” said the groom. “The home was designed and built by Erin’s parents so that they have a panoramic view of the sunset. We knew it would be the perfect setting for our ceremony. All of the guests sat on hay bales covered with heirloom quilts and blankets overlooking the water. One of Erin’s close family friends, Tricia, played ceremony music that the three of us chose together. It was a very personal and intimate ceremony, but relaxed at the same time.”

Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: The laser-cut wood veneer invitations were definitely my favorite part of the whole experience. Erin and I put a ton of time into making each guest feel like they were getting a personalized, custom invite that reflected on the experience to come.

Finding my wedding dress was the first and quickest decision I made while planning the wedding. I knew I wanted something very organic and natural to suit the overall aesthetic of our day but I also wanted to feel elegant and beautiful. I tried on dresses at several salons but ultimately found the perfect designer, Claire la Faye, on Etsy. My mom and I sketched out some ideas and sent them to Claire. She created a custom gown for me by combining two of her existing dress designs and then added the strap and train detail that my mother and I came up with. It turned out even more beautiful than I ever dreamed, and it was really comfortable too!

Both my bouquet and my maid of honor’s bouquets were created by my mom and made up of brooches that my closest friends and family members contributed, as well as some thrift store finds. My creative mother, who is also a talented jewelry designer, made the boutonnieres out of old fishing lures, bird feathers, ribbon and burlap twine.

What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? (From the groom) Since our wedding was late in the evening, our photographer scheduled our portraits before the ceremony. Melissa arranged it so we could have a “first-look” moment with one another in the field where she shot our engagement photos. It was extremely special for the two of us to be able to see each other for the first time on our wedding day, privately, and really embrace the moment.

Of course Erin + Michael’s dear pup Otis had to be involved in the festivities! We like that he cleaned up with a snappy bow tie for the event.

How delicious (and convenient) is this refreshments station? Like Michael, I love that the laser-cut wooden signage gives every detail a personalized touch.

The venue was our initial inspiration for the wedding. As an interior designer and now stationery designer for weddings and events, I always try to honor the natural aesthetic of a venue. When we decided to have the wedding at my parent’s home, we knew it needed to be casual, fun and relaxed — just like lake life. We also wanted to reflect on the fact that it was the place I grew up and now a place we visit as adults, which is why we chose to make the decor at every table different, serve family recipes and have our favorite childhood candy as a midnight snack to evoke that feeling of “home.” (From the groom) The other inspiration was just ‘us’: our story, who we are and where we are from. Every single detail, from colors, graphics, decor and food, was a reflection of who we are as individuals and as a couple.

The family tree display in front of the ceremony area was a lovely (and a tad punny) idea.

Who participated in your ceremony? One of our close friends officiated the ceremony, my maid of honor was my cousin Dana and the best man was Scott, Michael’s brother. We wanted our family to be a direct part of our ceremony, so we had our parents and grandparents seated next to us as part of the wedding party.
Did you write your own vows? Yes, we did write our own vows. Michael stole the show with his opener, “When I met you, your nickname was Bob and you lived in a trailer…” Yup, he really said it, and it’s totally true! I lived in a trailer in college and had a boy’s nickname. Even the guests who didn’t know the backstory still got a really good laugh. It even took me a moment to regain composure!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met at Auburn University and were friends throughout college. We both got jobs in Atlanta and reconnected seven years after we met. The rest is history.
What is a date you will always remember? September 15, 2010 – the day we got engaged!
Describe the proposal: (From the groom) Our first big step as a couple came when we adopted a rescue dog together. Otis is such a huge part of both of our lives, and one of our favorite places to take him is a park near our house with a huge field for him to play. I thought this would be the perfect place to propose to Erin, but I also wanted be sure we could capture the moment. I asked our friend and wedding photographer Melissa to call Erin and ask if she wanted photos taken of Otis. Erin had wanted to have portraits taken for some time, so Melissa and I thought this was the perfect way to surprise her. We were taking some candid shots of us walking Otis, and I mentioned that he was really looking forward to our trip. Erin, not knowing what trip I was referring to, was obviously confused. I then explained that we were flying to Denver the next day to see one of our favorite bands play live, and that it would be the perfect way to celebrate our engagement. I then got down on one knee and proposed! Denver was a place we both wanted to visit, so were able to enjoy a long weekend celebrating our engagement. Erin was definitely caught off guard, but said yes, and it was all caught on camera.
Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring. The two things I knew I wanted in my engagement ring were a yellow diamond and a vintage aesthetic to the setting. We browsed at rings, but I must admit, I got a little overwhelmed with all the choices. Michael ended up finding the diamond in New York (where he is from) and the setting in Alabama (where I am from). He did a great job — it suits me to a T.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Personal, nostalgic, graphic
How many guests attended your wedding? 100

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

    I think this is gorgeous! Sweet and romantic, but “poppy” and fun. How beautiful! Congrats to the couple!

  2. avatar Melissa Schollaert reply

    Thanks so much SW for featuring this lovely wedding! Hope that your readers love it. I’m so happy that I was a part of Erin & Michael’s wedding and captured it for them. They are so talented and I just loved everything that they came up with. If you LOVE this wedding, you must checkout Hi Note, they are more than just stationery designers and really come up with some cool concepts.

  3. avatar Erin reply

    Thanks so much SW for featuring our wedding! It was such a labor of love and are so glad you think so as well!

  4. avatar Emily reply

    Gorgeous! I love the colors in this wedding, and I adore their literal family tree! :)

  5. avatar Dee Shore reply

    The day I get married, I’m going to be a big ole copy cat, because this… this is just my dream in photos.

  6. avatar David reply

    Great job capturing the Mike and Bob wedding experience. I had the pleasure of attending this grand event, the pictures are great but don’t do it justice. The attention to deatil was astounding, after some of Nila’s margaritas and more then a couple Coor’s Light I couldn’t help myself from telling everyone around us that we were, in fact, attending a wedding that you read about in a magazine, sure enough – here it is. Mike and Bob are increditably talented, passionate and dedicated to what they do. Again, great article – this couple will go far in both life and love. My only unbiased complaint is that hi note (yourhinote.com) wasn’t around 8 years ago when I married my wife.

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    I know this is a weird question but I am having an outdoor wedding at my family’s cabin. We have accommodated 60 people for Thanksgiving in the past. With around 75 guests and only 1 bathroom, any suggestions on what to do? Did you have this concern? Thanks!

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