Southern Weddings

Let me start by saying that one should not take the advice of today’s bride, Morgan, and listen to their first dance song, “Swept Away” by Avett Brothers. I recommend listening while reading their interview or looking at the joy that jumps right off the screen from her smile. She is right about one thing, this song will have you crying!

Somehow, Morgan + Jason’s wedding reminds me of our very own Nicole! While it may be the the colorful pennants or the romantic twinkle lights (she’s a big fan of both), I think it’s the pure sweetness of the whole day. From the amazing red front door and green shutters on Morgan’s family farm to the adorable suspender and bow tie combo on the groomsmen, the whole day feels like one big cozy (bright orange!) sweater, even through the rain!

Big thank you’s to Lang Thomas for sharing Morgan + Jason’s sweet day with us!

Obviously, the above chicken photo had to be in this post!

As a nurse, I work one weekend a month. While dating, Jason would plan dinner every Sunday night after I got off from working the weekend, since we hadn’t seen each other in a few days. He planned to pick me up as usual and take me out to eat at my favorite fancy restaurant, Jack Fry’s. We had been trying to go there for some time, so this choice didn’t cause any suspicion. Once he arrived, he waited for me at the front door (yes, he may have waited ten minutes or so). When I came downstairs, he was standing there surrounded by candles and flowers. He pulled me in close, said all the kind and amazing words that no one can ever remember, then got on one knee and proposed! I said YES! We then went and ate our fancy dinner, called our family and friends, and headed to Garage Bar to finish the night with our favorite cocktails. Once we arrived, I was surprised by our family, dear friends from college, and even his sister Melanie, who had just flown in from D.C. It was magical. Here is a link to the photos from that night (taken by our wedding photographer Lang, who also happens to be one of our best friends).

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Originally, Jason didn’t want to do a “first look” because he wanted to see me for the first time when I was walking down the aisle. However, Jason reevaluated after watching his good friend sweat bullets and nearly pass out as his bride walked down the aisle. Jason knew it’d calm him down to see me beforehand, and we sure are glad we did it! It gave us moments together on our wedding day that we will remember forever. These moments felt slow and relaxed, allowing us to soak up that time before the wedding began. Looking back, I don’t know when we would have taken pictures if we hadn’t done a first look, since it started pouring rain right after the ceremony!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? It’s true that no matter what happens (planned or unplanned) on that day, you are married when it’s all said and done. On our day, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect for the ceremony. Then as soon as we said “I do,” the flood gates opened and it poured rain during our reception. Of course, that wasn’t the ideal scenario, but it was indeed the happiest and most joy-filled day of our lives (storm included). So, keep on top of your lists, plan well, spend smart, be patient with your family and your soon-to-be-spouse, and rest in the fact that it’s going to be the happiest day with the people you love the most. Rain or shine!

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Two passages from the Bible: 1 John 3: 1-3 and 1 John 4: 7-12. Our desire was that our wedding ceremony would show a picture of Jesus’ love for His church to our guests.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I walked down the aisle to “All Glory be to Christ” by Kings Kaleidoscope. During the ceremony, there was a corporate hymn, “It is Well.” I walked back up the aisle to “Absent from Flesh” by Sojourn Music. We chose these songs because the wedding ceremony is a celebration, just as seeing in Jesus in heaven will be! Our first dance was to “Swept Away” by Avett Brothers. Listen to the words in this song–you’ll cry. Promise.

Isn’t that just way too much fun?! They had a bell ringing to celebrate! Love it!

I let my friend Julie take the reigns on the design. She’s super talented, I love her taste, and I was confident that she understood the vision I had for the wedding. She used the bridesmaid dresses as a springboard and added in a few funky touches (like the purple flowers in the bouquets). My bouquet was wrapped in my Grandma Anne’s handkerchief. I never met her, but my dad says I’m made out of a very similar mold.

My favorite moment of the day happened during our first dance. If you can’t tell by the photos, it began to pour during our reception. Thankfully, we had a wonderfully huge and sturdy tent to keep all our guests cozy while they ate and mingled! However, due to the rain, the band couldn’t play outside like we had originally planned, and rewiring for them to play under the tent just couldn’t happen. This led to the most amazing acoustic rendition (with the help of their iPhones) of “Swept Away” by the Avett Brothers. All 350 of our guests surrounded us in the tent and sang along as we danced. It felt like time stood still (yes, so cheesy… I know!). I just remember looking into Jason’s eyes as we danced, almost unaware of everyone else as they watched and sang along. It was perfect.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Jason and I met through his sister, Melanie, when she began to date a friend I’ve known since grade school, Alex. Melanie quickly became my close friend as she and Alex dated, got engaged, and then were married in September 2012. Throughout this process, I got to know Jason and Melanie’s friends, as I was reacquainting myself with Louisville after graduating from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. It became pretty clear to our friends that Jason and I liked each other, so the pressure was on for him to ask me out! Once he finally did, we went on a very fancy date and it was horrible on all accounts. I’m not sure if it was the pressure we were under from friends, the fact that I liked him so much, or that it was just not the “right time,” but it was the most awkward two hours of my life (and he agrees)! We quickly and mutually decided that we were “only” friends. Fast forward 8-9 months (right after Melanie and Alex wed)–Jason asked me out again, for a second first date. Let’s be honest, I never stopped liking him, so I said yes to his invitation to go out for a burger and beer. Seven months later, he proposed. three months and three weeks later, we got married. Needless to say, the SECOND first date made quite an impression!
When did y’all get married? August 31, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 350
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Thankfully, this was a simple process. I knew exactly what I wanted: an off-white dress with straps that was completely made of lace. My mom and I only looked for one day (I only wanted to shop with my mom, since I value her opinion most). It was the sixth or seventh dress I tried on. BOOM. Found it. The following week, my sweet Nana, dad, and 11-year-old sister, Abbie, came to see it. My Nana cried!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We sure didn’t. We just went with the tried and true traditional vows.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our wedding cake was a standard round double-layer chocolate cake with bourbon icing, served on my Nana’s vintage crystal cake stand. It was simple and delicious. I wish we had eaten more!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: How to even answer this question? I’ll say the fabric pennants strung every which way across my parent’s farm. I not only love the color they added to the wedding, but I adore all the ladies that spent hours cutting, stringing, and sewing these pennants together. It was a labor of love. I am so thankful!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! Yes! I borrowed my grandfather’s (Bumpa as we call him) handkerchief, which I actually used to wipe away tears during the ceremony. My something blue were my shoes and nails. My something old was Grandma Anne’s handkerchief around my bouquet. My something new was my wedding dress.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our venue was at my parents and grandparents’ farm in Louisville, KY. My grandparents live at the bottom of the property and my parents live toward the back. While the houses have very different layouts, they are both painted white, with green roofs and red front doors. We took full advantage of the barn (also painted to match), where we placed all the homemade pies and cakes. They were made by close family and friends. We used our canoe as the drink/beer cooler and drove the old red tractor around by the barn as a photo backdrop. This wedding only came together because of the hard work of our family and dear friends. We were blessed by the giving of so many peoples’ time as they painted, planted flowers, hung pennants, wired and strung the lights, and landscaped. Without them, this day would not have happened.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Since our engagement was just shy of four months, we didn’t have the ease that comes with lag time between all the “big decisions” made at the beginning of an engagement (like guest list and budget, etc). Even with our timeline, I still wanted to send out save the dates, so Jason and I compiled our guest list quickly. We were shooting for around 200, however, our list topped out at 400. We made it work and it was awesome, but it would be stretching the truth if I said planning for 400 wasn’t a challenge. :)
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? Lang Thomas Photography. Hands down, Lang and Kate are such a talented photography duo (as well as an amazing couple and dear friends of ours). Lang not only shot our wedding, but was also a groomsman! Kate shot the ceremony and then tag-teamed with Lang for the rest of the day. We couldn’t imagine our day without them.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are loving this process of learning how to do marriage. We are so content in our little apartment near downtown Louisville. Jason and I aren’t sure what’s next, but we are dreaming and saving for whatever and wherever this next season brings us. As far as what we look forward to about married life, Jason would say spending Saturdays together (making breakfast and watching college football). I would say planning our next trip together (NYC, and hopefully a backpacking trip throughout Europe next fall).

Written with love by Marissa