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We feature all kinds of gorgeous and meaningful Southern weddings, from chic, modern celebrations, to fabulous ballroom weddings, to casual, outdoor soirées…but weddings like Elizabeth and Tripp’s feel kind of like our bread and butter to me. After a first look, they exchanged traditional vows at a church that holds tons of meaning for Elizabeth’s family (don’t miss the story below!), and then invited their guests to a reception in Elizabeth’s parents’ backyard that featured Southern details, family heirlooms, and even a tent dedicated to Ole Miss tailgate favorites. Elizabeth said, “The most Southern thing about our wedding would have to be the tradition behind every detail” and while I think her elegant wedding day look may be a close second, there’s no doubt that the inspiration she and Tripp drew from their roots and their love story are what made this day so magical!

Many thanks to Ashley Upchurch for sending this sweet celebration our way!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. My mom and I were out shopping one day and decided to pop into a bridal salon, The Bridal Path, that has been in the Jackson area for as long as I can remember. I always knew that would be the place where I would find my wedding dress. After trying on about five dresses, I put on the sixth one and knew that it was the perfect dress for me. After I picked out my veil and tried the entire ensemble on, I knew it was exactly what I was going to get married in a short five months later.

Tripp and I decided early on that we wanted to have an intimate moment, just the two of us, before our wedding ceremony. It was a chance for us to take a breath, pray together, and soak in the fact that we were about to begin the happiest journey of our lives.

The most memorable moment of our wedding day was a moment Tripp and I shared during my vows. I always get emotional at weddings and knew that my own wedding would be no different. After each phrase of my vows, I had to take a short breath to keep from falling to pieces in front of my groom and the church full of our family and friends. At one point, Tripp winked at me and whispered “I love you” in the middle of me reciting my vows. He is in a constant state of calm and that moment was no different. Those three little words got me through the rest of my vows, but not without a few more tears!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? My dad had recently restored the church that he and my mother were married in. The old sanctuary was built in the 1800s and was in horrible condition, so our church decided to tear it down and build a new sanctuary on the plot of land right beside it. My dad salvaged every possible thing from the old sanctuary, including the stained glass windows and exterior columns. It’s the most beautiful building in the world to me and I couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. Our reception was held at my parents’ home, which is set in the middle of a pecan grove right outside the city limits of Forest, Mississippi. It has been my home since I was ten years old. It’s the place where Tripp first told me he loved me and where we’ve celebrated many holidays and special events with both of our families. We opened all of the French doors so guests were about to spend time both inside the house and outside around the pool and garden, where we had tents, food, and plenty of dancing.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? As guests entered my parents’ home for the reception, they were greeted by servers with trays of traditional mint juleps and blackberry lemonade. The food consisted of a seafood fountain of oysters on the half shell and tail-on shrimp! We also had individual servings of shrimp and grits. Since Tripp and I dated all through our time at Ole Miss, we had a Grove tent full of chicken on a stick, an individual slider station, corn dog nuggets, and more! Our favors were pecans that my MeMe and Great Aunt had picked from my parents’ pecan grove during the previous fall. My mom and I spent an entire day making them into delicious sugared pecans that we boxed up for our guests to enjoy! The most Southern thing about our wedding/reception would have to be the tradition behind every detail.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My favorite detail would have to be the wedding cake topper that belonged to my MeMe and PawPaw. I would always play with it as a little girl, and my MeMe so graciously let us display it in a gold and glass container on the table that our wedding cake was on. Tripp’s favorite detail was an antique truck that belongs to my dad–a 1965 Ford that belonged to my PawPaw when my dad was in high school. It was the same truck that my dad drove on his first date with my mom. As a nod to Ole Miss, we had a Grove tent with all the tailgating food you could imagine. We parked the Ford beside the tent and filled it with galvanized tubs of beer.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge was that I was planning a wedding from 900 miles away! Every weekend that I was able to travel to Mississippi was planned to the exact minute so that we were able to squeeze in all the planning we could. Thankfully, I have the most amazing mom and mother-in-law who made the process a lot less stressful than it could have been.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Our story began when Tripp and I met briefly through mutual friends while we were in high school. After reconnecting in the spring of 2011. when Tripp was a freshman and I was a sophomore at the University of Mississippi, Tripp asked me to be his date to Old South–his fraternity’s spring formal in New Orleans, Louisiana. We danced the entire night away and ended the weekend eating beignets while watching the sunrise over the Mississippi River. We’ve been inseparable ever since!
Tell us all about the proposal! I’ve always been a Daddy’s girl, and spending time with my dad is one of the things I miss the most about being close to home. So, when my dad suggested that we go on a father/daughter date while I was home over the Thanksgiving holidays, I was thrilled! My dad is a local building contractor in our small town in Mississippi, and over the past couple of years, had begun restoring an old, run-down building downtown called The Smith Building. It’s the most beautiful building with the best character. After spending our “date day” taking a dancing lesson, my dad and I headed home to practice what we had learned that afternoon. It was late November, so it was already dark by the time we arrived at the Smith Building, where we intended to practice. My dad made up an excuse that he needed to run home to get a stereo, so he left me to start the heat and turn all the lights on. The downstairs portion of the building was still in disarray, filled with tools and other materials, so I assumed we were practicing on the second floor, which was completely refinished. When I opened the door, I noticed that the steps were lined with pillar candles and white rose petals. In the distance, I could hear mine and Tripp’s song, “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray Lamontagne, playing softly in the background. After I walked up the steps and turned the corner, I found Tripp standing in a room filled with hundreds of candles and white roses. He had furnished the room with pieces that I immediately recognized: a red velvet couch that belonged to my grandmother, one of my favorite rugs that belonged to my mom, and more (he had obviously had some help from my three brothers!). Tripp had an entire speech prepared–he began at the moment he first saw me and ended at the moment he asked my dad for my hand in marriage. I had always joked that I wouldn’t remember anything he would say when he finally proposed, so he had thoughtfully set up cameras around the room to capture the moment from every angle. After many sweet words and lots of tears, Tripp got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Afterwards, we drove to my parents’ house because Tripp said both of our families were there to celebrate with us by having a small family dinner. When we opened the door, however, 100 of our closest friends and family members were there to greet us with champagne and lots of love!
When did y’all get married? June 4, 2016
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 400
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Tripp and I decided to use traditional vows.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Music has always been a large part of both mine and Tripp’s lives. While I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, Tripp is a phenomenal singer (it’s one of the things I love most about him). We wanted to incorporate hymns that we both loved, while honoring the way each of us has grown up in the church. Our grandmothers were seated to “Amazing Grace,” a favorite of them all. The solo was “Be Thou My Vision,” which reduces me to tears by the time I get to the verse that reads “Heart of my own heart, whatever befall; Still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all” every single time I sing it. I walked down the aisle to the strings rendition of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” which has always and will always be my favorite hymn.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our wedding cake was a four-tiered masterpiece created by The Cake Diva, Maria de La Barre. The flavor of each tier alternated between creme brûlée and traditional almond wedding cake with champagne flavoring. Ivory and blush garden and spray roses cascaded from the top tier to the bottom. The groom’s cake was duck-hunting themed, a favorite hobby of Tripp’s since he was a child. It was a chocolate cake topped by a handmade edible duck decoy and antique shotgun shells. Tripp also had individual tiramisu on his cake table–his favorite dessert of all time.
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Tripp and I spent a lot of time in prayer in the months leading up to our wedding. After moving to DC almost two years ago while Tripp was still in Mississippi in graduate school, we’ve spent the last couple of years making our relationship work through constant communication and making the most out of the moments we were able to be in the same place. We soaked up all the advice we could from family and friends and spent time in marriage counseling with my pastor, who also performed our wedding ceremony.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Tripp and I are settling into our cozy life as husband and wife in Washington, DC. Through work obligations and spending time with old and new friends in DC, we still take time to just enjoy each other’s company. We are most excited about sharing this wonderful city together and learning new things about one another every day.

Photographer: Ashley Upchurch Photography | Videographer: Frameblender Films | Planner, Special Details, and Paper Products: Stella and Company | Ceremony Venue: Forest Presbyterian Church | Reception Venue: Private residence | Florist: Au Courant | Cake Baker: The Cake Diva | Caterer and Rentals: Pretty Presentations Catering and Event Rentals | Lighting and Tents: Great Southern Events | Band: The DMP Band | Bride’s Gown: “Eiran” by La Sposa | Bride’s Veil and Jewelry: The Bridal Path | Hair and Makeup: Jan Crowell | Bride’s Shoes: “Giana” by Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Anabel” by J. Crew | Menswear: Tuxes Too | Calligraphy: J. Graham Lettering and Design | Printing: Dement Printing Company

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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  1. avatar 15 wedding cakes that are almost too pretty to eat reply

    […] Light floral cake for an elegant backyard wedding. via Southern Weddings […]

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Arielle says she has known all her life that she would someday be married on the beach. When it came time to decide where she and Chris would tie the knot, Seaside, Florida was the perfect choice–this Austin-dwelling couple has visited Seaside every year since their first year of dating! While I’m quite the fan of their location choice, I think their vow selection has my heart (be sure to read their favorite lines). They pieced together phrases that fit their relationship perfectly, saying that “every day brings something new, and the best part is walking through it with your best friend!” That’s the sweet stuff right there, y’all!

We’re so delighted Blue Ribbon Vendor, Dear Wesleyann was there to capture their lovely day!

I went to visit my family in Cincinnati and we went to the Reading Bridal District. I have a very boho style and have known all my life that I would get married on a beach, so it was a given that I had to find something wispy and light. We went into Yours Truly Kelly for our first stop, and there it was: a light tulle gown with little petals flowing down the train. It was too big, so my mom convinced me to try another shop, but I couldn’t get the dress off my mind! The next day, I went back and purchased the dress, and worked with a seamstress here in Austin to tailor it to my body, which required redesigning the bodice. We also added a belt made out of a hand-beaded fabric from a local shop in Austin.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We worked with the pastor from our church in Houston, Ecclesia, to piece together our vows. In my vows, I especially loved a phrase that said “I take you, Chris, to be my constant friend and faithful partner…I promise to love you unconditionally and support your goals from this day forward.” Chris loved this part of his vows: “I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the woman you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.” These phrases fit us so perfectly because we have really grown up together. Every day brings something new, and the best part is walking through it with your best friend!

Chris walked my grandma down the aisle to “Edelweiss,” which is her favorite song. My dad and I walked down the aisle to “What a Wonderful World,” because he and I always listened to Eva Cassidy growing up, and we both love that song. Our friend played songs by Zac Brown Band on a ukulele while we did our knot-tying ceremony, which brought us back to our time in Nashville! Our first dance was to “Wagon Wheel,” because it was kind of our song when we first started dating, after lots of fun nights dancing and singing to it together at the bars with friends!

Describe your wedding flowers. I cried the moment I saw my bouquet. Marja from Florals by the Sea did the most incredible job using coral peonies, white anemones, white roses, lamb’s ear, and bright green foliage. It was breathtaking and looked so beautiful against the ocean and the sand.

If there’s one thing we heard most while planning our destination wedding, it was “Why Seaside?” Simply put, when Chris and I are there, it feels like the rest of the world could not be further away, and we enjoy a simpler way of life, if only for a few days. We’ve visited Seaside every year since our first year of dating! We invited guests to take time during the wedding weekend to walk through the Seaside farmer’s market, have a beer on the porch of the Great Southern, walk through the Perspicasity market, and pick up a few Seaside t-shirts along the way. Ultimately, we wanted our friends and family to fall in love with Seaside for the same reasons we did. Because of that hope, this quiet little beach town was the perfect choice for our wedding.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The colors, the clothing, the bow ties (Vineyard Vines), the entire look and feel, the architecture of Seaside, Southern food (chicken and waffle skewers, shrimp and grits, and local brews), the music choices, and all of our Southern friends and family…I could go on and on!

The most memorable moment of our wedding day was the very end of the reception. As the night concluded, Chris and I walked up the stairs to the Bud & Alley’s bar, and I just remember looking down at our guests and seeing so much love. Everyone was beaming with joy. It was beautiful and I feel so blessed to have that memory to think back on every day.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met while attending Belmont University in Nashville. I was having a dinner party with some of our fraternity and sorority friends, and one of them brought Chris, who had just transferred to Belmont, along. We became very good friends in the following months, and began dating about a year later. We haven’t looked back since!
Tell us all about the proposal! We had moved to Houston, Texas for work. My family was planning to visit for Thanksgiving, so I had an inclination that Chris would possibly propose during their visit, but I suppose he couldn’t wait! It was a Thursday evening and we got in the car to go out for a late dinner. We had decided to go to Dolce Vita, our favorite spot in Montrose, but Chris started driving in the opposite direction towards Houston’s mall, The Galleria. I remember being so confused (and hungry!). He kept talking on and on (much more than usual) about our new church and our life in our new city. Eventually, he parked in the mall parking garage and told me he wanted to check out some sort of art display. This was very unusual, because he isn’t really the art type! I followed him and the next thing I knew, we were in an unlit park with a large cement wall, most commonly referred to as the Water Wall. Usually, the wall is lit up, but on this night in particular, they were doing some maintenance and there was a boom lift in the middle of it. I looked at Chris and said something along the lines of “Why are we at this dark park…it’s not even open, and there’s construction stuff everywhere!” I turned around to walk away when he stopped me and said, “Well, I was going to ask you to marry me!” I turned around in utter disbelief and laughed, asking if he was joking. After he assured me that he was serious, I, of course, said yes, and then we went to have a celebratory dinner at Dolce Vita!
When did y’all get married? May 17, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 75
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Probably the cake table, because it was so close to our hearts. The cake stand was handmade by Chris’ dad, and my grandparents’ cake topper from their wedding sat beside it. The hand-beaded starfish chandelier that my mom so lovingly made for us added to the beautiful display.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I borrowed my veil from my best friend Katie (we were in each other’s weddings, too!). My something old was a family locket with photos of my grandfather and my grandma (God rest her soul) inside, which I tied to my bouquet. My something blue was a handmade garter (seersucker, of course!) from my mother-in-law, Lori, and my earrings from BHLDN were new!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We did a full marriage course with our church. We highly recommend doing this. It helped us to work through tough questions that we will eventually face in the future and taught us to communicate openly and respectfully with one another. It has helped our relationship immensely and I’m forever grateful to our pastors, Paul Randall and Chris Seay.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Chris and I spent a lot of time talking about our wedding, but he always reminded me when we needed to maintain our real life. In the days leading up to the wedding, we spent time just enjoying the moment–we checked into a sweet little cottage and sat inside, drinking wine and listening to the rain. We enjoyed lots of rest and time with family and friends, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. All I can say is to just remember that your wedding is about the rest of your life together and that life goes beyond the wedding day. It’s where your story begins!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Right after the wedding, Chris and I made plans to move from Houston to Austin. We both took new jobs and made the official move in January 2015. We are now making plans to buy our first house. Hopefully, it will be a fixer-upper, because we both love a good project! Aside from that, we’re in the middle of planning our next Seaside reunion trip for Labor Day weekend with our best friends!

Photographer: Dear Wesleyann / Videographer: Gilmore Pictures / Planner: Heather Archdeacon Williams of Defining Moments Weddings and Events / Ceremony Venue: Coleman Beach / Reception Venue and Catering: Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant / Florist: Florals by the Sea / Cake Baker: Publix / DJ: B Boy Productions / Paper Products: Simply Fetching Paper / Bride’s Gown: La Sposa / Bride’s Earrings: BHLDN / Bride’s Necklace: Liz James / Hair Stylist: Kallie Warner and Ilyssa Glover Goddin / Makeup Artist: Kallie Warner / Bride’s Shoes: “Buti” in Metallic by Castaner / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “778” in Capri by Bill Levkoff / Groom’s Pants: Bonobos / Groom’s Shirt: Façonnable / Groom’s Bow Tie: Brooks Brothers / Groomsmens’ Pants: “Chinos” in Navy by Dockers / Groomsmens’ Shirts and Bow Ties: Vineyard Vines / Nautical Rope Table Numbers: Karen’s Wedding Shop

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Irving Gil reply

    Arielle and Chris were such a pleasure to work with and their wedding was so beautiful. Seaside is one of my favorite cities and I was so happy to be a part of their special day!

  2. avatar Friday Fresh Squeeze #197 – Floridian Social reply

    […] get enough of this colorful beach wedding, especially the groom's poppin' pastel […]

  3. avatar Candance reply

    This is amazing. Gorgeous. The details are absolutely flawless.

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When planning an outdoor wedding in the South, the weather is always a tad worrisome–we even have a tradition for keeping Mother Nature at bay! Cara and Jerrit managed to throw a Southern soirée in perfect weather, but what they hadn’t thought of was airplanes flying overhead during their ceremony. Good thing most Southerners have never met a stranger, because a family friend in attendance was married to an air traffic controller. When that first plane flew overhead, he sneakily called the air traffic control tower near the venue and requested that all planes due to fly over Robert E. Lee Park in the next half hour be diverted! Talk about Southern hospitality, y’all!

P.S. You have to see Jerrit’s “groomal,” as he coined it. I love when couples have fun with tradition!

Thanks to Ryan Price for sharing this beautiful day with us!

I spent a lot of time with the ladies at Stems of Dallas figuring out how to mesh my understated old world romance vision with Jerrit’s rustic aesthetic. In a mock arrangement Stems created for us, the girls included a few little foliage twigs, which Jerrit had pointed out, saying “I like these sticks.” That ended up being a running joke with the girls at Stems, but it also ended up being the idea that tied everything together. At our ceremony, they weaved floral-dotted greenery through four of the support columns and across the top to frame the area that would be our altar. I think the ceremony flowers were my most favorite decorative aspect of the entire wedding. Jerrit, being a beer-loving Southern boy, decided he really wanted hops boutonnieres. The dried hops had a beautiful golden color, so the girls at Stems added some to my bouquet as well, which was was a gorgeous and a personal detail that I loved!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I LOVED wedding dress shopping! I was only in Dallas for the weekend, so we had many appointments booked at various Dallas-area bridal boutiques. At the first salon, I tried on a few lovely dresses, and then put on a stunning La Sposa gown. Once the woman helping me fanned out the double-layered chantilly lace train and handed me a mirror, the tears began to well up. I kept all of my other appointments and certainly found other dresses that I thought were beautiful, but the La Sposa gown was still in my mind. That salon was closed on my final day in Dallas and I had to fly back to New York the next morning, so my dad found another salon that carried La Sposa gowns. He called the store, and convinced them to squeeze me in, last minute, to try on the dress. I knew it was the one the second I walked out of the dressing room when both of my parents and I started to cry.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Though getting married outside is beautiful, you can’t control all of the elements, and one element we failed to realize could be an issue on our wedding day was airplanes. I never really noticed them until our rehearsal, when over the course of an hour, about 20 planes flew overhead, leaving or landing at Love Field, and it was surprisingly loud. I prayed that night that we would magically not have any airplanes fly over Lee Park between 5:30 and 6 on our wedding day. At the ceremony, right after I took my place next to Jerrit, a plane flew overhead and I thought, “Oh God, please no.” Literally, not one more plane after that! The next day, I found out that one of my mom’s best friends from college is married to an air traffic controller. When that first plane flew overhead, he very discreetly called the air traffic control tower at Love Field and requested that all planes due to fly over Lee Park for the next half hour be DIVERTED! I couldn’t believe it…apparently we have friends in high places!

We wrote our own vows and they were stunning. We were amazed that even without writing them together or seeing each other’s vows prior to the ceremony, we somehow wrote vows that were perfectly in sync. We both mentioned how silly we had felt starting online dating profiles, and referenced our sub-par Mexican dinner first date. In the earlier part of our relationship, Jerrit told me that his youth pastor (who officiated our wedding) gave him some of the best advice he had ever gotten: if you love a woman, you have to work to make her fall in love with you again every day. In his vows, Jerrit promised me would do just that. Jerrit also regularly tells me that I’m his favorite, so he concluded his vows with, “You’re my favorite today, tomorrow, and all the days of our lives.”

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Our main goal in choosing a venue was to have ceremony, cocktails, and reception at one location. With the majority of our friends being from out of town, we figured it would be easiest for everyone involved. We chose Arlington Hall because it matched us, our personalities, and our vision. I love antiques, and we are fairly laid back as a couple, so we wanted a venue that felt home-y. We also wanted to get married outside. Arlington Hall is beautiful and elegant without being overdone or super formal. Jerrit particularly loved the idea of bringing all our New York friends to Robert E. Lee Park in Dallas.

I think there are a lot of elements to weddings in the South that we don’t even realize are Southern traditions–Jerrit and I were shocked how many times we had to explain the concept of a bridal portrait to folks up here in New York! I did, in fact, have a bridal portrait taken and displayed at the reception. Jerrit also decided that in the interest of equality, if I got a bridal portrait, then he was entitled to a groom’s portrait, or “groomal” as it is now coined. He took his buddy and fellow photographer, Jon, out to a stable in Hudson Valley, wore his wedding suit, put his old tobacco pipe in his mouth, and took a rather majestic (and silly) photo on horseback. It was a highly anticipated detail amongst our vendors and a true testament to our silly personalities.

Along with our delicious wedding cake by Frosted Art Bakery, we had mini pies, as an homage to my grandmothers, both of whom are deceased, as our wedding favor. I have such vivid memories of both grandmothers baking, and wanted to pay a tribute to their memory and the true Southern value of expressing love and hospitality through food. We had four different flavors: cherry, pecan, lemon chess, and chocolate, which were the four main flavors my grandmothers used to bake. My mom’s mom, Grandma Moeller, made cherry pie every time we visited her house because it was mine and my brother’s favorite, and she often baked pecan pie with the pecans from the tree in her front yard. Lemon Chess is my dad’s favorite, so we often got that from his mother, Granny Massey. My favorite story is chocolate pie, which was a staple at any family gathering where Granny Massey was present. Granny Massey was never able to get the recipe proportions quite right, so the pie filling never fully set. It tasted delicious, but was also always runny. Every time Granny made the pie, she would exclaim, “Well, I just don’t know what happened–it’s just never done this before!” That pie has remained a little family joke for as long as I can remember, garnering the nickname “Chocolate Soup Pie.”

Before you go, take a peek at Cara and Jerrit’s wedding film by Candelight Films!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Jerrit and I met in New York City four years ago on OKCupid, though neither of us were actually expecting to meet someone there. Jerrit was sick with the flu when he joined, and I heard from a girlfriend that she was going on a lot of dates and getting a lot of delicious meals, so I thought, “What the heck?” A few weeks later, I was dating Jerrit, and we ceremonially deleted our online profiles together. After a couple of messages back and forth, Jerrit and I discovered we grew up less than 10 miles from each other in Dallas and agreed to meet for Mexican food in the city. By our third date, I was totally falling for him. A couple months later, Jerrit was trying to teach me to drive a stick shift, and ended up stalling the car in the middle of an intersection. I threw a fit, gave up, and refused to continue driving, so Jerrit drove me home. He made a little joke, which I took seriously, and, again, got all pouty. Jerrit laughed and said “Oh, I’m just joking! It’s not that big of a deal. I love you.” We both froze, jaws on the ground, and seconds later, after he had pulled it together, he said “Well, I do.” It took me far too long to say it back, because I was still trying to catch my breath, but once I finally got the words out, I knew I was going to marry the boy who had just accidentally told me he loved me.
Tell us all about the proposal! Jerrit is a wedding photographer and he has shared his love of photography with me over the course of our relationship. I find that since we both enjoy taking beautiful photos, we never remember to actually take photos of the two of us doing stuff together; something I complain about. For Christmas 2012, I was on tour with “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” so Jerrit gave me a gift certificate for my favorite vineyard on Long Island and said it was “something for us to look forward to when I got home”. Six months later, when I finally got to return to NYC, Jerrit and I planned a day trip out to Duckwalk Vineyard on the North Fork. He suggested we buy a few glasses of wine and some cheese and crackers and set up a little picnic. Jerrit set up a tripod and camera so he could appease my lack-of-photo complaints. After his glass of wine (which he downed rather quickly, I noticed), Jerrit asked if I could focus the camera for our photo shoot. I leaned over to look through the view finder, and I saw the beautiful vineyard, Jerrit on bended knee, and the words “Marry Me” written in the sky. I burst into tears, and somehow, I managed to squeak out a “yes.” Jerrit then took me back to the restaurant where we had shared a romantic dinner the first time we had visited the vineyard. Jerrit had made a series of audio and video recordings telling me the details of all his steps in the process and how he was feeling during each of those milestones, which was super romantic and heartfelt memento to remember that special time in our lives.
When did y’all get married? October 18, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Jerrit and I did some pre-marital counseling with our officiating pastor before the wedding. He had us do this questionnaire that he calls the “pre-marital SAT,” which was super interesting and a great guide to our future union. We each had to answer the hundreds of questions separately, and both sets of answers were then compared and broken down into areas of agreement or disagreement. Through a series of skype sessions (since we’re in NYC and Mark is in Florida), we talked through each and every topic/question we disagreed on, or if one of our answers stuck out as maybe needing to be discussed. It was an awesome platform to identify and begin discussion in areas where we might not see eye to eye, as well as a safe way to have what could be very difficult and vulnerable conversations. Jerrit and I also started working with a financial planner during our engagement so that we would have a plan for how to approach finances once married. Combining bank accounts and incomes was certainly something neither of us had even come close to before, so working with someone who is not only a financial advisor, but also a friend, was a great way to start those discussions.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Married life is so much fun! After just a few months, we already feel like we know one another so much better. We laugh often and talk about pretty much everything, so we are most excited about continuing to deepen our friendship and love for one another. We’ve also talked about starting a wedding planning/photography company together, so it could be exciting to build a family and a family business.

Photographer: Ryan Price / Videographer: Candlelight Films / Planner: Kay Watson / Ceremony Venue: Lee Park / Reception Venue: Arlington Hall / Florist: Stems of Dallas / Dessert Baker: Frosted Art Bakery / Caterer: Food Glorious Food / Lighting: Beyond Lighting / Band: IDT / Paper Products: Southern Fried Paper / Bride’s Gown: “Denia” by La Sposa / Bridal Salon and Veil Bridal Boutique of Lewisville / Hair Stylist: James DeFrange / Makeup Artist: Jacqueline Barnett / Bride’s Shoes: Emmy Shoes of London / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Monique Lhuillier / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Transportation: Premier Transportation String Trio: Serenata Strings

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Ryan Price reply

    I sure do love this couple… such an amazing wedding to be part of. Thanks for featuring it!

  2. avatar Arlington Hall Dallas Wedding | Ryan Price Photography reply

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