Southern Weddings

Doesn’t Christine look so very Gone with the Wind in that first image? I’m swooning over plenty in Christine + Josh’s sweet summer nuptials, starting with her fabulous Southern style. From C’s classic lace gown and edge-detailed veil to the magnolia leaves in her bouquet and the romantic ceremony outside of The Reserve at Oak Bowery, I couldn’t dream up a more beautiful wedding. Make sure you pause to admire their chalkboard photobooth towards the end of this post – I mean, the family tree detail? SO fun, and such a great way to incorporate family heritage and tradition! Big hugs to Ms. Tiffany at Lucky Photography for sharing this beauty with us!

One of my favorite moments – a quick prayer with Christine and her ‘maids before the ceremony.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I’m one of those people who doesn’t shop well with others. But since it was for my wedding dress, I wanted my mom and sister to be there. I’m from the Mississippi coast, so we shopped around Mobile, Alabama with no luck. I easily tried on about a hundred dresses and just couldn’t find the right one. I went back to Auburn empty handed and a little frustrated. While surfing the web, I came across a beautiful lace gown that was absolutely perfect. I called a local salon to see if they had it in stock and they did! I was so excited to see it in person; I drove over there even with class beginning in 30 minutes! When I got to the salon, the salesperson persuaded me to try it on and it was perfect. It was funny to be sharing such a big moment with a stranger, but I couldn’t help it. I had found my dress without argument. The best part was that I got it for 50% off and with a free veil!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to not do a “first look,” but if you ask any of the crew or wedding party, we kind of cheated. I saw him the morning of, before I left for the spa and again walking around the grounds to check on the setup. He didn’t see the dress, though, and I’m glad for it!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We didn’t write our own vows simply because there are too many good ones out there already. How do we compete with that? We had traditional Catholic vows. Our ceremony was a perfect combination of family traditions. Not only was it a perfect combination for us, but our families and friends all enjoyed it as well.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We did a “hands ceremony.” I really cried the first time I read it. It was just too perfect.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. The ceremony music was all classical piano versions of popular songs. The prelude was a mix of Beatles music with the processional being “All You Need is Love.” I walked with my father to “Here Comes the Bride” and we receded to “Wedding March.” The piano really helped to create a classic and light atmosphere. The reception was a lot more upbeat! We started with our first dance to “I Cross My Heart” by George Strait, I danced with my father to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland, and Josh and his mother danced to “In My Life” by the Beatles.

Isn’t this bridal party a cool sip of water? The gray and cream tones are so light and refreshing for summer!

There’s that chalkboard photobooth backdrop I was telling you about – isn’t it too cool? We’ve long been fans of Dana Tanamachi’s work, and love this DIY project inspired by it!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Our wedding cake had four tiers of traditional, wedding cake with a butter cream and raspberry filling. The groom’s cake was a rich chocolate cake and with a peanut butter cream filling! It was themed, like a lot groom’s cakes in the South; the cake depicted a sandlot with a bride and groom cake topper of the groom pitching to the bride!
What was Southern about your wedding? We love Southern culture! It was no surprise that we married outside a beautiful plantation decorated with magnolias, hydrangeas, and small vintage details.

How did the two of you meet? Technically, Josh and I first met when we were neighbors at Auburn University. Josh, my roommate and his roommate brought a huge TV to my condo. It swallowed my console table! When I heard all the grunting from carrying it up three flights of stairs and into my place, I got curious and came out to see the main attraction. The three of them were sitting on the couch admiring their work and the gigantic discoloration of the screen. We were formally introduced and that was that!
Describe the proposal. I was driving back to Tuscaloosa to see Josh after a couple months working in my hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We had made plans to have a formal date together that evening. Little did I know, everyone else was looking forward to it, too. The festivities started as I was getting ready for dinner. I had several missed calls and suspicious voicemails granting me a “wooooonderful” evening. With some suspicions in the air, we were off to a dinner both of us really enjoyed. When we got back to the house, I instantly wanted to get in my pajamas. However, Mr. Charming distracted me with dessert. He had made peanut butter pie for us to enjoy and my suspicions began to grow again. We ate pie at the dining room table and he chose the seat next to me rather than the one across. Not letting my thoughts ruin the surprise for myself, I started a common topic on the house work. Josh went on and on about all the things that the house still needed only to conclude that it needed me. At that point, he asked “Will you marry me?” I was so stunned that the moment was really happening, that I put the ring aside and just sat there crying and holding his face. Eventually, he reminded me of the ring and I was more than happy to put the heavy bling on my hand. He couldn’t have done better.
In what month did you get married? We married in June.
How many guests attended your wedding? We had roughly 100 guests.
Describe your wedding flowers: I was looking for a clean and classic look. The florist and I chose a pallet of whites, greens, and silver. My bouquet was filled with hydrangeas, white roses, magnolia leaves, dusty miller, eucalyptus berry, and more.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Oh goodness! I think the most challenging part was delegating. I’m not a control freak, I promise! But it was surprisingly hard to hand over some of the projects and responsibilities at the end. I don’t understand why because I had the best help and a lot of it came out better than what I could have done myself!
What range did your wedding budget fall into? Our wedding was right on budget! It ranged in $10,000-$25,000.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? My best splurge was really two things. A lot of the DIY projects added up to an amazing atmosphere, so I’d say the best splurge was on project supplies like drapery fabric for the altar and MDF for the photo booth. All the overlooked details really added up to be not only a great design, but also a great expense.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment on the wedding day was taking pictures after the ceremony. All the formalities were over and the pictures show just how much fun we had!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? The best advice I have is actually something my dad would say. It’s the five P’s: proper preparation prevents poor performance. I’m sorry it’s corny, but so true! Give yourself time to research what you both really like and how to accomplish it within your budget/timeline! Prep as much as you can early so there won’t be any stress the week of. The best elements of the wedding were a group effort and planned early!

Written with love by Marissa