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I love it when a bride and groom look to their venue as their biggest source of wedding inspiration–especially when that venue is a particularly meaningful place to them! Matt proposed to Deirdre at The Waterfall Club (read the sweet story below!), making it a natural choice for their celebration. With the help of Tailor and Table, they completely embraced the rustic setting, mountain views, and their fall wedding date, creating the perfect opportunity to show their guests why they love this part of Georgia, as well as where that special proposal moment occurred!

Thanks so much to Rustic White Photography for sharing this beautiful day with us!

Wedding dress shopping was hands down my favorite part of the wedding planning process. My mom, maid of honor, and I planned a girls’ weekend in Chicago, where my parents had a condo. My maid of honor is a total fashionista, so she booked dozens of appointments at all of the fun boutiques. We had an absolute blast zipping around all the boutiques, drinking champagne, and trying on dresses. We found both the bridesmaid’s dresses as well as my dress during the trip. There were three dresses that I liked a lot during the process, but, as soon as I put on my Judd Waddell dress, I lit up and knew it was the one.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I chose to walk down the aisle to Canon in D. It was the song that my mom used at her wedding, and I remembered listening to it when I was a little girl. I also had the song “For the Beauty of the Earth” in our wedding from Little Women, which was my favorite movie growing up.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? The Waterfall Club at Lake Burton was where Matt proposed to me. I wanted to have an elegant wedding, while also creating a relaxed and rustic feel to the day. Matt and I both love the lake, and we spent a lot of time getting to know each other during our first summer together there. I wanted to share the beauty of Waterfall with all of our friends and family for the weekend. For the ceremony, I had always wanted to get married in a traditional Catholic church. The quaint chapel we were married in fit the vibe of our laid back, yet elegant, wedding.

When choosing flower types, we wanted to pay homage to our surroundings–Lake Burton and the North Georgia Mountains. Tailor and Table mixed native greenery like oak leaf, ferns, huckleberry, and smilax with an abundance of roses, astrantia, gomphrena, hellebores, astilbe, scabiosa, crane kale, snowberries, veronica, chocolate lace, rosemary, green millet, moss, and lichen, resulting in arrangements that perfectly complemented our surroundings. We chose to keep the flowers in the church and club to shades of white, ivory, and green. In the tent, we surprised our guests by adding flowers in shades of “thistle” (a pinky-purple) to complement the plaid linens!

Our wedding cake was spiced vanilla chai cake with a berry filling from Pylon Cake. It was absolutely delicious, and perfect for a fall evening.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I met Matt during my first summer internship in college. A month or so into the internship, a fellow intern invited me to an Atlanta Braves baseball game, where I was shocked to find out there had been other young people in the office the entire summer that I had no previous knowledge of. Matt and I spent the majority of the game talking, and during our conversation, I mentioned that I was flying to Vegas the next day for my friend’, 21st birthday. Matt and another intern, Thomas, joked about showing up in Vegas…but of course, I did not believe them. The next day, when I landed in Vegas, I got a text from Matt saying he and Thomas were on their way…and the rest is history!
Tell us all about the proposal! My family and I were having our first Thanksgiving at my parents’ new lake house at Lake Burton. Matt works for Amazon and told me he was not going to be able to make it home due to it being “peak time” for Black Friday. Matt hadn’t made it home for the past two Thanksgivings, so I didn’t think too much about it. I was overjoyed to have my cousin Kathleen coming, and as soon as she got to the lake, she, my dad, and I went on a five-mile walk. When we got back, my mom was making a big “to do” about having to take a Christmas picture at sunset, since we were all together. I was annoyed about having to be ready for dinner at 5:00 P.M. to take the picture. When we got to the parking lot at the club and there wasn’t anyone there, I made a comment about how we had even beaten the old crowd for dinner. When my family and I walked into the Waterfall Club, Matt and I’s song was playing (which didn’t really register right away). My mom led us to the balcony where we were going to take our Christmas picture, and I immediately saw Matt. My family left us on the balcony–I was in complete shock and even tried to hug him several times when he was down on one knee. It was an unbelievably sweet proposal and Matt had thought of everything. The Waterfall Club was actually closed for the winter, but Matt had it opened specifically for the proposal (hence the empty parking lot). He had also planned for my entire family to be there. After Matt proposed, we came back into the club and celebrated with my parents, brothers, and Kathleen, while Matt played a slideshow he had put together of the two of us from when we were little through our courtship. It was an amazing surprise and the happiest night of my life…up until our wedding.
When did y’all get married? October 24, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? I grew up in Atlanta and Matt grew up in Southern Virginia. I went to Georgia Tech and Matt went to the University of Tennessee. We had a Southern vibe all throughout our wedding, from the guests’ welcome baskets that included fun lake goodies from the South, to the signature drinks (named the “Southern Belle” and the “Virginia Gentleman”), to Matt’s beloved Rocky Top song, which was sung many times throughout the night.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The dancing! We had an absolute blast dancing the night away with all of our closest friends and family. My uncle told me on my wedding night that this is the closest you’ll ever get to understanding what heaven is like, and I really think that rang true. Having all of the people you love in one place to celebrate with you and share in your joy and happiness is an overwhelming feeling.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We just bought our first home together. Working to make it a home together has been an absolute blast. I’m excited for all of the adventures we will have together moving forward.

Photographer: Rustic White Photography | Videographer: Munn Brothers Films | Planner: Kristen J. Scott | Ceremony Venue: St. Helena Catholic Church | Reception Venue and Caterer: The Waterfall Club | Florist: Tailor and Table | Cake Baker: Pylon Cake | Rentals and Lighting: Professional Party Rentals | Band: Adrian Duke Project | Welcome Baskets: The Sweet Trend | Paper Products: Jack & Gretel | Bride’s Gown: “Marguerite” by Judd Waddell | Hair Stylist: Some Claudia Girl | Makeup Artist: Becca Whittinghill | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Annabelle” in Mink Gray by Jenny Yoo | Menswear: Menguin | Linens: La Tavola Linen and BBJ Linen | Cocktail Hour Band: The Jody Hughes Band | Ribbon: Adorn Company

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Sarah reply

    Rustic White is always right on par, gorgeous wedding and images!

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The first time I visited Charleston was for Callie and Jamie’s wedding–Dave and I made a weekend of it and loved spending a little bit of time exploring the beautiful city. That trip was all too short, but thankfully, working at Southern Weddings has given me the opportunity to learn so much more about the amazing places throughout the South. Charleston is absolutely overflowing with history and tradition, and Keli and Ben drew from it all while planning their Lowndes Grove Plantation wedding. Along with the charms of Charleston, they were deeply inspired by their own home during their wedding planning. As a result, they brought furniture and decor from their house to their venue–both new pieces they had collected and refinished as a couple, and precious heirlooms that had been passed down to them. Meredith of Sweetgrass Social used all of these pieces and more to create the Southern garden dinner party reception Keli and Ben had dreamed of, and I’m sure you’ll agree, the result was magical!

Thank you so much to Olivia Griffin for sharing this very special day with us for V7!

The Haint blue porches have always been one of my favorite accents on historic Southern homes. We wanted to incorporate this feature throughout our wedding, especially because both the Unitarian Church and Lowndes Grove Plantation featured this concept on the ceilings. We continued the theme with the canopies on the structures on the oyster tabby, as well as in the table linens, stationery, and even down to my shoes.

Did you have a something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue? My something new was a bracelet Ben gave to me as a wedding gift. Rice was known as Charleston’s cash crop in the past, so he thought the rice pearls were appropriate to remind me of our wedding day in Charleston. I wore two items for my something old. One was my great-grandmother’s diamond ring that my mom also used as her wedding ring. The other was my mother-in-law’s veil from her wedding. My something borrowed was a vintage brooch I wore in my hair. I borrowed it from my sister, who also wore it in her wedding. My something blue was my shoes! They were just the right shade of blue and had an eyelet cutout design. They were the perfect touch and I can’t wait to wear them again!

The bridesmaids wore black dupioni silk dresses from LulaKate. When choosing a color, I wanted something classic that wouldn’t compete with the colors of the church. What girl doesn’t need a little black dress? I let the girls choose the styles and cuts that were best for them and let them accessorize as they pleased. The flower girls wore simple Swiss dot dresses that were adorable. I had them custom-made by Moss Rose Cottage Dress in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. I also gave each of them pearl necklaces to wear.

Our wedding was held on April 13, 2014 in Charleston, South Carolina. We wanted a destination wedding that was close enough so that our family and friends would be able to attend. Ben lived in Charleston for several years and I have always loved the old Southern charm of the town. We chose a spring wedding since the flowers would be in bloom and the weather would not be too hot. We both knew we wanted a church ceremony, and had visited the Unitarian Church of Charleston for a friend’s wedding. We were amazed by the detailed fan vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. It had all the rich history and character we were looking for. For the reception venue, I wanted a historic site with architectural elements, and Ben wanted the scenery of the Lowcountry marsh. Lowndes Grove was the perfect combination of both! We fell in love with the house; it was elegant and grand, but felt homey, and the waterfront landscape was like a painting.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Did you include any special readings? We chose to have a traditional ceremony. It was important to Ben to have his father involved in the ceremony, so our pastor from Ben’s home church conducted the service, and Ben’s father performed the vows and ring ceremony for us. In honor of my parents, my mother’s sister lit the unity candle and my father’s brother walked me down the aisle. Ben’s mother lit the unity candle for his family.

Our wedding was Southern because the tea was sweet, the people were sweeter, and Charleston in April is the most beautiful Southern city on God’s green earth. The smell of the salt marsh in the distance laid out a canvas for the senses and harmonized with the aroma of shrimp and grits, Palmetto pale ale, and fried green tomatoes. Sitting along the banks of the Ashley River underneath Haint blue canopies, we watched a Southern sunset that made the ancient oak trees burn with a deep orange hue. The flowers danced on the Swiss dot linens beneath crystal chandeliers, as we danced on the oyster tabby under a palmetto moon.

What was the design inspiration for your reception? I knew I was going to be a handful for Meredith of Sweetgrass Social when I showed up with my sketches, floor plans, and fabric swatches when we first met–we couldn’t have pulled our wedding off without the help of her and the Sweetgrass Social team. They were amazing! Ben and I put great thought into each element of the décor and design. We wanted each component to tell a story about us and where we came from. Since both my parents and grandparents are deceased, incorporating items that were passed down to us was a way to have them there in spirit. It also allowed us to have pieces that were sentimental and reflected us as a couple.

Outside, I wanted it to feel like there were “rooms,” even though we were outdoors. I was trying to achieve a designated area for dining for our guests with chandeliers hanging above, like you would see in a dining room. We wanted our guests to feel like they were sipping sweet tea on the verandah beneath the Haint blue ceilings of Charleston, so Technical Event Company created these amazing whitewashed structures draped with light blue fabric and finished with crystal chandeliers. By having these structures scattered among the oyster tabby, it gave the illusion of separate rooms. During the afternoon, it felt like you were sitting on a Charleston verandah overlooking the river, and after sunset, it transformed into the elegant dining room we had envisioned. We also brought pieces from our own home. For example, tucked away in a nook of the reception, we staged my writing desk and the wingback chair I use at home with custom-made stationery that Ben designed, so that guests could write us letters.

When I met with Anne Bowen at Charleston Stems, I knew I was in good hands. I envisioned a soft mixture of cream and white flowers mixed with foliage in shades of green, rich with texture. We used a lot of my own glassware and vases I had collected over the years. In addition, I wanted to incorporate my mom and grandmothers’ pedestal bowls into the centerpieces. We added mercury glass votives in shades of gold and silver to the tablescape to add some warmth. My bouquet was composed of white peonies. I found some vintage French silk ribbon in a light mint color and added some vintage lace around the center to wrap the peonies in. My grandmother’s brooch was attached to finish the look. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were a mixture of white sweet peas and garden roses, and the flower girls carried peony blooms dressed with a mint linen ribbon, monogrammed with their initials. For the boutonnieres, we wanted to give a nod to Charleston and Ben’s love of the city, so we chose sweetgrass roses accented with lily of the valley.

We used a vintage porcelain cake knife and server to cut the cake, and our own fine china for the cake plate we ate from. My sister and brother-in-law gave us a bottle of Moet Champagne as a wedding gift, which we served from Ben’s grandmother’s silver champagne bucket. We toasted with our La Maison crystal champagne flutes.

What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? The most touching moment was my father-daughter dance. My dad and I always danced to “My Girl” by the Temptations growing up. He was one of eight children, five of which are still living. When it came time for my father-daughter dance, I planned to dance our song with one of my uncles. However, during the song, my four uncles and my aunt surprised me by each taking a turn on the dance floor with me during our song. It was so special. I am truly blessed to have such a caring and loving family. The mother-son dance was also touching–Ben surprised his mom by dancing to a song he wrote and composed while living in Charleston called “Saltwater Symphony.” It is her favorite out of all the songs he has written.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ben and I met through my sister and my brother-in-law, who grew up with Ben. We were friends for a few years before we actually started dating. We started dating after we ran into each other at my sister’s wedding. Ben was living in Nashville and I was still in Florence, South Carolina, so most of our relationship involved a lot of phone calls and flights back and forth.
Tell us about the proposal! Ben and I love Asheville, North Carolina, and would meet there during our long-distance relationship. We usually take a tour of Biltmore Estate while we are there, since we both appreciate history and architecture. Knowing my love for flowers, Ben planned our trip to the Biltmore during their annual flower festival. The courtyards were filled with blooming tulips, and the grounds were rolling with bright yellow forsythia and pink cherry blossom trees. The greenhouse boasted exotic orchids and hydrangeas. It was my dream garden! I didn’t make it easy for Ben to pop the question–I was too busy snapping pictures and reciting the different types of flowers to him. We finally made it back up the hill to a quiet nook surrounded by forsythia where Ben “had to take a picture of us.” It was there where he fell to one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfect!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Sentimental, elegant, personal
How many guests attended your wedding? Around 150
Tell us a bit about your first dance. Our song was by an artist we both love, Ray LaMontagne, and is called “Hold You in My Arms.” The lyrics are meaningful and relate to our relationship. It’s also a song Ben plays to me, which made it very sentimental.
Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? My uncle, Larry Moore, always says the blessing at all of our family gatherings. He gladly accepted when we asked him to do so at our reception.
Tell us about a way or ways you saved money or cut costs while planning. By bringing in our own pieces, we saved on rentals. We also made the Swiss dot tablecloths and runners from curtain panels which a friend sewed for us. By doing projects like these, we not only enjoyed them for our wedding, but can continue to use them in our future. We decided on having multiple smaller cakes in lieu of one larger single cake. I also did a lot of DIY projects, like the invitation envelopes and liners.
What are you most looking forward to about marriage? We are looking forward to growing together and continuing to learn about one another. It is exciting to go through the journey of life with someone I love.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration: As I was waiting alone outside the chapel with my Uncle Stoney before we walked down the aisle, he told me that he could still remember the way his wife looked coming down the aisle. He described the moment and how beautiful she looked like it was yesterday. He told me how I would always remember this very moment, and to take in every second. It was a sweet and touching moment we had together.

Photographer: Olivia Griffin Photography / Planner: Meredith Tanton of Sweetgrass Social Event and Design / Ceremony Venue: The Unitarian Church of Charleston / Reception Venue: Lowndes Grove Plantation / Florist: Anne Bowen of Charleston Stems / Caterer: Fish Restaurant / Wedding Cake: DeClare Cakes / Bride’s Gown: “Mimi” by Wtoo Brides / Bridal Salon: J Major’s Bridal Boutique / Bride’s Shoes: Ivanka Trump / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: LulaKate / Flower Girl Dresses: Moss Rose Cottage Dress / Hair Stylists: Meg Workman and Chelsea Poulas / Makeup Artist: Meg Workman / Menwear: Jos. A. Bank / Paper Goods: Minted and Just My Style Invitation and Programs / Rentals: EventWorks, EventHaus Rentals, Polished, and 428 Main Vintage Rentals / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Ceremony Musicians: Classic Charleston / Reception Band: Hot Sauce Party Band / Benne Wafer Favors: Olde Colony Bakery / Transportation: Old City Bus from Absolutely Charleston / Lighting: Technical Event Company

lisa Written with love by Lisa
2 Comments

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Since we were not married in the South, and we are not Southern by birth, there were not a ton of obvious Southern details in our wedding. However, the love and community that rallied around our celebration, and the hospitality we took great pains to show to our guests, were definitely hallmarks of every true Southern wedding I’ve ever seen. Plus, we had BISCUITS! So happy to share a few more details about our cocktail hour and reception…

What was the funniest moment of your wedding? The funniest moment was actually during our portrait session. Tanja and Tia, her stylist, wanted to bring us down to the nearby beach for a few photos, so we settled into the backseat of their sedan for the trip. Philip, one of our videographers, concluded that there wasn’t enough room for him in the car (which was true, with my gown), and started to head back up to the reception. Tanja and Tia, however, convinced him to get into the trunk of the car, legs hanging over the edge, and then took off slightly faster than might be advised down a bumpy dirt road with “no trespassing” signs posted everywhere. Thankfully, he made it in one piece, and we were all able to take advantage of the last pieces of beautiful light and a gorgeous sunset over the ocean!

Pretty much anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with “mini food,” so serving a bite-size meal was a given. We didn’t have a full sit-down meal under the tent; instead, guests mingled around small rounds, high tops, and lounge areas, and wait staff circulated with pint-size courses over several hours. Some highlights from our caterer A Thyme to Cook included pigs in a blanket, tiny lobster rolls, a trio of fancy mac and cheeses, and composed plates of shepherd’s pie (with tiny slices of green bean on top!) and “Thanksgiving” during the reception.

Our cocktail hour included a table of “Southern favorites,” complete with mini pulled pork sandwiches, biscuits (with blackberry jam brought with us from North Carolina!), corn muffins, spicy deviled eggs, and Cheerwine! The Cheerwine was very confusing to our Northern guests — most thought it was alcoholic!

Did you have a cocktail hour? We did have a cocktail hour, and I’m sure it was awesome! However, we actually were not in attendance. Instead, we chose to have a picnic for two underneath a huge old tree down the hill from our tent. Our wonderful caterer packed us an actual picnic basket full of goodies from cocktail hour, and we thoroughly enjoyed the half hour we spent together relaxing, snacking, chatting about our ceremony, and marveling over the fact that we were married.

Favorite design element of your big day: It’s so hard to choose, when you’ve spent the last year carefully planning every detail! I absolutely adored our Sperry tent – those flags are so celebratory snapping in the breeze. I also love that we collected all the silver for the reception centerpieces. It was really a group effort – a good friend and I scoured our favorite flea market for months, my Mom enlisted all of her friends, we reused a pile of mint julep cups from John’s sister’s wedding, which took place just two months before ours, and my grandmother sent a few pieces from her collection.
Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: John’s initial answer was that he doesn’t remember any of the details, only the people (mostly me). Upon further prodding, he revealed that he liked our picnic, the couches in our lounge areas, and “that thing Linda [our caterer] provided at the mac and cheese station” best. In case you’re wondering what “that thing” is, it was a vintage set of wooden drawers she set out to hold the forks! (And it was pretty cool.)
Describe some of the decorations or décor elements you used: I spent a larger portion of time than I probably should have in the weeks leading up to the wedding making an abundance of signage for our cocktail hour and reception. I bought some calligraphy supplies and went to town, learning as I went! I also produced party popper favors, our guest book, our “Quaker” marriage certificate and my signature drink stirrers, among other things.

I handmade the popper favors (filled with candy) for our guests to take home at the end of the night. (With, I’ll add, some assembly-line-style help from John, his mom, his sister, and her boyfriend a few days before the wedding!) We also decided to make a donation to the cat adoption agency where our kitties were from in honor of our guests — we love them oh so much, and couldn’t imagine our lives without them!

Two more projects! Our guest book was actually cards with question prompts like “What is your favorite memory of us?” and “Where should we go for our fifth anniversary?” I’m going to compile them into a book as soon as life slows down a bit. We also asked our guests to sign our own version of a Quaker marriage certificate as witnesses to our vows, which you can read more about here.

My sister and I actually made the wedding cake! We knew the majority of dessert was going to be small bites (to go along with our mini meals!), so we didn’t want to spend a lot on something that was only going to have two bites taken out of it. Sadly, I made a little garland cake topper that never made it onto the cake, but our florist stuck some flowers on it and it looked fine. The best part was our mini desserts – hot apple crisp, chocolate cake with raspberries, and mini fruit tarts (John’s favorite!) from our caterer. We also served each of our mom’s specialties – chocolate peanut butter balls from mine, and chocolate chunk gingerbread cookies from his.

I love dancing, but historically, it has not been John’s favorite activity. In the months leading up to the wedding, we often talked about taking some lessons, but never got around to it. To make matters worse, we were still deciding between two different first dance songs about two weeks out – “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz, and “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin. In the end, we chose “Beyond the Sea,” largely because it is a standard foxtrot rhythm and much easier to dance to than the Jason Mraz song, which is a very quick waltz. After deciding, we watched several YouTube instructional videos (oh yes we did), and practiced a few times in our living room. And then, armed with a few basic moves, we pretty much winged it! The hilarious part is that we received compliments on our performance for the rest of the night, with many guests assuming we had taken actual lessons! My theory about first dances is that it’s always better to look like you’re having fun (and actually have fun!) rather than be huffing and puffing and struggling to remember a series of moves. Perhaps our huge smiles distracted guests from our less than stellar feet?

Adore these two from our father daughter dance, so I included both :)

What was your reception like? It was awesome! The majority of our time was spent dancing to our band, Avenue A. They played the perfect mix of swing, big band, and rock and roll, and had everyone on the dance floor the entire night! In fact, one of my only planning regrets is that we didn’t rent a slightly larger dance floor!
What were some of the highlights? All three of our toasts were amazing. My Dad started things off by reminding guests of the months we spent apart during our first year of college, when John was in DC and I was in Massachusetts, and concluded that we are great on our own, but always better when we’re together. My sisters, who are both physical therapists and admittedly did not get the creative genes in the family, put together a hilarious toast with lessons pulled from their academic textbooks about bones and ligaments. Sounds like a stretch, but the band leader actually deemed it the best toast she had ever heard over the microphone! Our best man, who has been one of John’s best friends for at least fifteen years and mine for at least eleven, finished thinks up with a heartfelt toast that included just the right balance of embarrassing moments. I also very much enjoyed sharing our slideshow with our guests. John and I worked hard to collect photos, choose music, and put it all together, and it was so fun to see everyone’s reactions. Since so many of our guests have known us individually and as a couple for so long, we were able to include at least one shot of most of our guests, which made it extra fun for everyone.
Tell us about your grand exit. At the very end of the night, our bandleader invited everyone up to the driveway for a sparkler exit. (We had wanted to set off sky lanterns, but our town’s fire marshal nixed that idea immediately.) John and I stayed down in the garden, chatting with our caterer and waiting for the signal from our coordinator. However, we started to see smoke go up from the lit sparklers, and figured we had better make a run for it, since we still had to get across the garden, up the stairs, and out to the driveaway, and didn’t want them all to burn out before then! So that’s exactly what we did, and though the sparklers were definitely still lit as we ran through, I don’t think Tanja was quite ready for us! The photo editor in me feels a bit guilty about that!
What advice would you give to someone planning his or her wedding? Do what feels right for you. There were many times throughout our engagement that people thought we were crazy (wanting to serve only “mini food,” having a private picnic instead of attending cocktail hour, making our own cake, flying in a photographer from California and a videographer from North Carolina, etc., etc., etc.), but in the end, they were the right choices for us.

Thank you all again, SO much, for cheering us on throughout our engagement! It meant the world to me! If you’re a new reader and curious, this post links to most of the posts I wrote during our engagement. I’ll also be sharing more details about our wedding, including DIY project how-tos, our budget, and our rehearsal dinner, on my personal blog, Em for Marvelous, in February.

Last but certainly not least, make SURE you tune in on Saturday to see our wedding highlights film from Inkspot Crow!! I may be biased, but it’s pretty amazing :)

Inkspot Crow Films and Sperry Tents are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
24 Comments
  1. avatar Nicole Saffron reply

    Emily, I have really enjoyed following your planning posts! It’s so wonderful to see and read all the details. Your day looked like a day full of love and sophistication! I love reading about how much thought and effort you and John both put in to all the planning. :) Congratulations to you both!

  2. avatar amanda reply

    I literally teared up looking at your photos… ugh that photo of John touching your face as you kiss.. HOLY COW! But oh my goodness… what a dream Tanja must have been to work with. Her photos are absolutely out of this world and all the detail shots are so so dreamy and the photos she’s captured of you two.. I don’t know how you’d ever choose!!! Gah. Makes me wish I had more film photos.. Sigh… The up close shots are just amazing. I love everything.. Really, you look heavenly and it’s amazing!! LOVE love love love loveeeeeeeee!! Everything was perfect for you and I’m so happy for y’all!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Thank you, friend! And girl, don’t forget you looked AMAZING on your wedding day and your photos are so, so gorgeous!!

  3. avatar annabella charles reply

    OOOh so gorgeous Emily!!!!

  4. avatar Katie reply

    Congratulations Emily! Your wedding was absolutely gorgeous, and I was SO excited to finally get to see some pictures!

  5. avatar Emily reply

    I’m so glad you love it, Katie! Thank you!!

  6. avatar Jenna reply

    Emily I love seeing these and hearing your thoughts on your wedding day! I’m so glad it was everything you hoped for. You two (and the rest of your family!) are so beautiful. xoxoxo

    • avatar Emily reply

      Thank you, Jenna! Your photos of our family from Kate’s wedding are still some of our very, very favorites!

  7. avatar Sarah reply

    Congrats Emily! Your wedding was absolutely beautiful, as are the photos! I loved following along with you during your planning process (and planning alongside you, since my wedding was a few weeks before yours, and we were also lucky enough to have Philip and MacKenzie work their amazing film magic on our day). I can totally see Philip’s Tom’s clad feet sticking out the back of a car trunk!

    Sounds like you and John are still floating on post-wedding could nine, as are we!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Thank you so much for such a sweet comment, Sarah! And let me tell you, I was SO happy to see that Tanja caught a photo of Philip in the trunk when we looked through our full CD!! :)

  8. avatar Ashleigh reply

    I am so in love with your mini-desserts, Emily! They sound heavenly! We’re in the same boat with not wanting a big cake that won’t be eaten, but it’s so hard to decide on which desserts to have! Yours were precious!

  9. avatar Kelly reply

    Oh my goodness, Em! It’s stunning and gorgeous. I definitely gasped when I flipped (immediately upon opening) to your wedding coverage in V5. Everything was just an absolute dream! I can’t wait to see the Inkspot Crow video, and I wish you & John the happiest life together!!!!!!

  10. avatar cami reply

    That VEIL! My goodness, it took my breath away and that pleated ribbon, I am in love. Absolutely stunning. Your details are lovely in every way. Congratulations!!!

  11. avatar Allyson reply

    Emily, I loved seeing your wedding in V5, but it was so fun to look at your posts today too! I followed along through some of the planning on your personal blog and just loved seeing it all put together! Gorgeous! Love that the two of you took time to have a little picnic, I’m definitely going to talk to my couples about doing something like that. I’m sure it was a very special part of the day. Congratulations!

  12. avatar Anna (Lover.ly) reply

    Those mini foods are absolutely adorable and delectable! I like the mini biscuits and corn muffins best, because those are often foods I indulge in!

  13. avatar Kat reply

    Emily I am oh so happy for you!! I have LOVED following your process both on here and on your blog… I’ve learned so much! Thank you for celebrating and sharing with all if us you’ve never even met! The images are STUNNING, your day was BEAUTIFUL and I love everything from your veil to the reception signage! :)

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  15. avatar Heather @ Beyond the Aisle reply

    Emily, your dress is UH-MAY-ZING and you were a beautiful bride!

  16. avatar Cameron Smith reply

    Emily…ya’lls wedding. I die. So classic, so beautiful. Love! Thanks for sharing your process! It’s been wonderful to read through your planning as I plan my own. So helpful!!
    I think it’s wonderful you made your own wedding cake!! Such a neat memory!
    Hope ya’ll are enjoying the never-ending slumber party with you best friend! What a blessing that is life :)

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  18. avatar Happy Birthday, Emily! – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

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