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If there was ever a couple who exemplified “Southern at heart,” it would be Katherine and Evan! While they may share Northern roots and an Indiana address (even after Evan “had sworn on his life he would never move back north”), their commitment to hospitality, love for tradition, and soft spot for Dixie staples like bourbon and chicken and waffles mean that they, and their dreamy wedding, would be right at home anywhere below the Mason-Dixon line. After a Catholic ceremony, they gathered their loved ones at a family friend’s property, which they transformed through incredible blooms by The Empty Vase, custom linens (that they now use in their home!), and tableware that would make any Southern belle’s heart skip a beat. Along with being completely gorgeous, their reception was also quite the party–Katherine remembers, “There was so much joy and relaxation happening in so many different ways for so many different people! We were overwhelmed with happiness!”

Thank you so much to Melissa Schollaert for sending this stunning celebration our way!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our calligrapher, Jane Farr, is a gem. I have always loved paper and knew that I would be so excited about these particular details. Every single item had custom calligraphy by Jane in a bespoke ink color (blue). Hand-drawn maps were carefully curated with places special to us – this was one of our favorite details! A favorite piece was probably the hand-drawn letterpress map that was included in our invitation suite – it displayed tons of hand-drawn places (from Indiana to Kentucky) and things that meant a lot to us (childhood homes, the Children’s Museum, where we met, Keeneland, Rupp Arena, the Tri Delta house, lake house, etc). It was so fun to be part of this creative process by sending her pictures of all the places we wanted her to draw/interpret. She did a different, abbreviated version as part of our itinerary bundle, which was placed in each welcome box. Both versions are framed in our office and we still receive comments about them to this day!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What better excuse to get away to New York with two of your best friends (who just so happen to be your mom and sister) than to shop, eat, and drink lots of champagne? My family absolutely loves to travel, and my mom, sister, and I look forward to our annual “girls’ trips” (even though we all see each other almost every day as it is!). We flew to New York in early April and stayed at the Plaza for several nights. I only made appointments at small boutiques, and spanned them out over two days during our four-day trip. Careful to not rule too many styles out, I tried on a few dresses, and quickly fell in love with an A-line Oscar de la Renta gown with a sweetheart neckline and unique floral embroidery. According to my mom and sister, it was the only dress “I smiled” in. Ha! My hesitation over a strapless style was quickly solved, as the design team was able to create a customized gown from the initial design, but with beautiful, delicate straps. The dress was completed with a matching cathedral-length veil.

We went back and forth on whether or not we wanted to do a first look. We ended up going for it and are so glad we did! We knew that our private moments together throughout the day may be limited, so a first look was a great way to have that time together and to just temporarily freeze the day.

How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Evan and I had several premarital sessions with our deacon prior to getting married. We really enjoyed these sessions and learned so much about each other, including what makes us strong as a couple (which just so happens to be a lot of our differences). Getting to know Deacon Paul so well really created a truly intimate ceremony.

The decisions for the church and venue were simple. Evan comes from a devout Catholic family, so we decided early on that we would be married in a Catholic church. We chose St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, a beautiful old Spanish cathedral made of gorgeous limestone. The church captured the elegance, history, and spirituality that we could have only dreamed of! The reception location was also an easy choice. We have always wanted an outdoor reception, and a family member’s property was ideal. The property sprawls over several dozen acres on the north side of Indianapolis. The alley of oaks leading up to the farmhouse, paired with the rolling hills and wooded forest surrounding the estate made for the perfect setting – central Indiana with a touch of Kentucky, just like us!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My mom is from the South and moved to Indianapolis when she was a senior in high school. That said, she has spread a lot of that Southern charm and “way of life” throughout our family here in the Midwest! Between her Southern roots and my time spent living in the South, I have a special love and respect for Southern culture. We buried the bourbon for good luck, my sorority sisters serenaded me (a highlight of each Tri Delta’s wedding!), and everyone enjoyed quite an extensive bar with almost any type of bourbon you can think of. Evan was super surprised by his groom’s cake at our rehearsal dinner, which someone actually thought was a REAL Yeti cooler filled with ice, fish, and Evan’s favorite beer (all made out of cake and sugar!), while my bridesmaids enjoyed the cake pull at my bridal luncheon. Our cuisine was heavily influenced by the South, as well, featuring chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and braised short rib. Overall, I would like to think that the weekend had a strong sense of Southern hospitality. We were so blessed to have people join us from near and far and wanted them to enjoy the weekend. Not only were we excited to get married, but we were excited to show people our city!

All of our amazing vendors and artists really created a day that had “us” written all over it. We had a tremendous amount of trust in all involved, specifically our event designer, David Jackson, and floral designer, David Strohmeyer of the Empty Vase. Both Davids (also known as “the Dream Team”) nailed it! In neo-English garden style, the bouquets and décor featured an eclectic mix of domestic European garden blooms, a smattering of exotics, and a variety of dark green foliage and vines. The design team also brought in trees, plants, and blooming plants to soften tent corners and to place around the property. A trellis was custom-made with green boxwood lattice squares to soften the back wall of the tent. One of my favorite parts of all the flowers was the stagecoach lantern in the cocktail tent that had blooms exploding from the top. We also had several large chandeliers in the dining tent overflowing with beautiful blooms. They were stunning, to say the least!

All of our linens for the cocktail tent and dining tent were completely bespoke. The coloring, embroidery, and fabric was all custom created. The hundreds of blue and white porcelain pieces and julep cups were all hand-selected for our wedding as well. It is so fun to use our linens to this day, and our home is affectionately dubbed “the House of Blues” because of all of our blue and white porcelain.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had a delicious, five-tiered Limoncello cake with fresh blueberries and lemon curd.

What was the most memorable moment about your day? As dinner was coming to an end and Evan and I were mingling with our friends and family, we stepped aside together and took a look around. There were people laughing and enjoying the lounge area in the cocktail tent, we could hear children laughing and playing games in the children’s tent, people were strolling along the oak-row, hand-in-hand, my cousins were climbing in one of the huge, beautiful trees, people were on the dance floor, my other little cousins were pulling each other around in a red wagon down the driveway, champagne corks were popping…there was so much joy and relaxation happening in so many different ways for so many different people! We were overwhelmed with happiness!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Evan was living in Nashville at the time and I was living back in Indianapolis. We are both from Indianapolis and both attended the University of Kentucky, and although we had many mutual friends, we never actually met in college. One weekend in July, he came home to Indianapolis to watch his parents’ dogs while they were on vacation. He found out a college friend of his was also in town and was staying with a friend: me. The next day, we were introduced at a festival downtown, and the minute I saw him, I was intrigued. We hit it off immediately. The first time I introduced him to my family, we quickly connected the dots and found that my mom was friends with his aunt, and my sister and I were friends with his cousins (we always joke that Indianapolis is a “big, small town where everyone knows everyone”). The only roadblock we had was geography – he was happy in Nashville, and had sworn on his life he would never move back north. Five weeks later, he was back in Indianapolis, and a year and half later, we were engaged!
Tell us all about the proposal! Evan’s proposal could not have been more perfect or meaningful. A little backstory: my family has been very civically involved with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for seven decades, and of all the places I have been, I hold it closest to my heart. One evening in early December, Evan told me we were going to a private dinner at the museum that his boss had won at an auction. We entered the museum after hours through a side door and were led to the top floor, where the museum’s antique carousel sits. Evan walked me over to a horse on the carousel – Patty, named after my grandmother, who began my family’s love affair and involvement with the museum many, many years ago. He pointed out an envelope resting on top of the horse, and I was completely confused. He had me open the envelope and read the letter, meanwhile walking me to a balcony overlooking the museum’s atrium. Once I finished reading the letter (I have no idea what it said – my vision went blurry!), I looked down and saw Evan on one knee, with the entire museum as his backdrop. He proposed, and of course, I said yes. Once I came to my senses, I realized two of our closest friends were hiding in the background capturing the moment on film. We all laughed, and I cried, called my best friend (who had introduced us) and family and cried some more. As we made our exit from the museum, the most stunning snowflakes began to fall across the city, adding an exclamation point to the most perfect proposal.
When did y’all get married? June 13, 2015
How many friends, family and loved ones were in attendance? 300
Did you have something old, blue, and borrowed? Yes – I love a good tradition! My engagement ring is something old (vintage Harry Winston, circa 1960). My something blue was a monogrammed handkerchief (which came in great handy), hand-embroidered by a sorority sister. My pearl and diamond earrings were borrowed from my sweet sister.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Enjoy being engaged and try not to spend every second planning for the wedding; this made our meetings with David (our event planner) even more fun! We stayed off Pinterest and stuck to our vision. If you aren’t hiring a planner, rely on the expertise of your vendors, recommendations from people you trust, and your previous experience as a guest at others’ weddings. Keep things in perspective, and if you feel you’re getting stressed, remember, this is probably the only time in your life where your choices/obstacles will be around the perfect shade of French blue grosgrain or envelope liners. Lastly, no matter how big or small, grand or simple your wedding is, the best way to guarantee an incredible and memorable day for all is to let your love for each other show. If the bride and groom have fun, everyone is sure to!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories do you have to look forward to? Our wedding was truly perfect! That said, once Evan and I got past the initial honeymoon weeks, our life opened up with this void of not having to plan a wedding, but we didn’t settle down at all. Within months of the wedding, we purchased our first home together – a historic Tudor just several blocks from the church…and the best brunch spot in town. Currently, our house is ruled by a chocolate lab named Tillie Padfoot, but our hope is that soon enough, Tillie will have another friend to boss us around, maybe one who looks a little more like Evan and me…until then, we’re living the life, doing what we love, and traveling as much as possible!

Photographer: Melissa Schollaert Photography | Planner, Lighting, and Flooring: David Jackson & Company | Ceremony Venue: St. Joan of Arc Cathedral Church | Reception Venue: Private residence | Florist: The Empty Vase | Wedding Cake: Cake Bake Shop | Groom’s Cake: Rascia’s Creative Cakes | Caterer: Kahn’s Catering | Rentals: Indy Event Rental | Music: Stella Luna and the Satellites and Az IzZ via Music Garden Bands | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Traders Point Creamery | Calligraphy: Jane Farr | Letterpress Printing: Crane & Co. and Lemonseed and Co. | Postage: Edelweiss Post | Bride’s Gown and Veil: Oscar de la Renta | Bride’s Hair Accessories: Paris by Debra Moreland | Bride’s Jewelry: Harry Winston and Mikimoto | Hair Stylist: Jessica Warrix of JW Salon | Makeup Artist: Ashley Skirvin | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Groom’s Attire: Armani Collezioni | Groomsmen Attire: Vera Wang for Men’s Wearhouse | Transportation: Carey Indiana and Antique Limousine of Indianapolis | Linens: Settings by Mona, Schumacher, and Stroheim

Melissa Schollaert is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

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

    Oh my stars! I’m absolutely gushing, from the linens, to the florals, to the vintage Harry Winston. This is perhaps my favorite wedding y’all have featured yet. And her advice! SO sweet, I just want to be friends, ha! Thanks for featuring ladies.

    • avatar Kristin reply

      Kelly! I couldn’t agree more. I want a set of those lovely linens for my house and want to invite Katherine over for coffee!!

  2. avatar NICKI reply

    Hands down, my favorite wedding you’ve ever featured. Such gorgeous, perfect details and florals. Swooning!

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Even before Christy had a boyfriend, she remembers telling her mama that she would someday be married at Reynolds Plantation…and a little ways down the road, she and Jake made that dream come true! Inspired by the beautiful landscape of Christy’s family’s summer home, Christy and Jake chose to say the vows they wrote to one another right in front of the lake before adjourning to Sandy Creek Barn for the celebration. Not even temperatures in the triple digits could keep the newlyweds and their dearest family and friends from enjoying a gorgeous tented dinner and the wild dance party that followed!

Thank you so much to the talented Melissa Schollaert for sending this dreamy day our way!

I knew from the very first moment of the process that I wasn’t going to try on more than 20 dresses–I knew I would find one that day. My mother, my oldest sister, and my two very best friends went shopping with me in New Jersey. After the first bridal shop, where I almost bought the third dress I tried on, we went to Elizabeth Johns in Morristown, New Jersey. I tried on a few dresses that I had my heart set on prior to visiting the store through online research, but ultimately decided upon a beautiful blush, all-lace Romona Keveza gown. I had it in my head that I would never have a strapless dress, nor did I ever want a blush dress, but this one felt right and made me feel beautiful!

How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We worked together on all aspects of the wedding. There was not one detail I didn’t run by Jake–he knew it all and definitely had more of an opinion than most grooms. I knew that working together and getting through any differences during the wedding planning process would help us grow as a couple.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Yes, we did! I wanted to see Jake beforehand and have a special moment together before the excitement of the day really started happening. We met down by the water of our venue and had a few nervous giggles together. We also took a moment during the sunset and stepped away from the reception to just be with one another and reflect on the day.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote our own vows! Our ceremony was very much about us and our love for one another. Our vows were reflective of us a couple–there were a lot of laughs, tears, and reflections.

My parents built a summer home on Reynolds Plantation while I was in college. Ever since my first visit, I told my mom (even before I had a boyfriend) that it was where I wanted to get married. It was beautiful, peaceful, and my dream come true! The Ritz Carlton Lodge on Reynolds Plantation had various beautiful venues we could chose from, but we ultimately chose Sandy Creek Barn. The Barn is located across the lake from the hotel and has the most beautiful landscape with acres of fields and trees. We could party into the morning without disturbing anyone for miles! We had our ceremony down by the water, our cocktail hour inside the barn, and our reception took place in a beautifully decorated sailcloth tent adjacent to the barn.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our wedding was hot as all get out! Everyone knew they were in the South with those temperatures! We also incorporated a lot of Southern touches with antlers and music. My husband was reluctant at first, but we had some great country music playing at our wedding!

One of my absolute favorite details of my wedding was the flowers. I was blown away by my florist, Kent Duffy of Designs by Kent. I am not tied to any particular flower, but only knew I wanted something that felt light, rustic, and classic. Our farmhouse tables were a mix of round, square, and long, and we decorated them with antlers, succulents, touches of gold, and metallic. I was not tied to any color, but it all just blended in beautifully with the landscape of the barn. He went above and beyond my expectations.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had cake and an array of desserts. The more the merrier was our attitude! I am a chocolate girl and Jake loves fruity desserts, so we decided to have both! Our actual wedding cake was a naked cake, which was designed by the pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton. It was exactly what I had envisioned.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met at a Halloween party in 2010! He was a farmer and I was dressed as what was supposed to be a hippie. We both had B- costumes and laughed it off. What started as innocent conversation that night led to a first date over wine and mussels at the Mermaid Inn in NYC. We knew from that first date we were meant to be! We go back every year to order the same thing and sit in the same seats.
Tell us all about the proposal! Jake’s sister, Amy, is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter and was performing at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side. It was a Saturday night and we had plans to go to the show, and then afterwards, we would head to “a nice dinner” (as Jake put it when I asked what to wear) with his family. Jake was extremely nervous in the car ride to the show and was latching on to his sunglass case for dear life (turns out, the ring was hiding in there the whole time!). After we arrived to a full crowd, Amy did a few songs, and toward the end, she did a cover of Ray Lamontagne’s “Hold You in My Arms.” In the middle of the performance, she invited Jake up to the stage, where he made the cutest speech (that I am not sure I would have remembered given my emotional state if it wasn’t recorded), and then proceeded to propose. While all of this was happening, our family and friends–unbeknownst to me–were watching it all through a projector from the other room. After being surprised by them all, we headed to a a party Jake had put together with all of my closest friends and family!
When did y’all get married? July 18, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? Roughly 200
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We covered all the bases with music–pop, country, hip hop, and typical wedding songs! I walked down the aisle to a “500 Miles” cover by Sleeping at Last, and for our first dance, Jake’s sister did a beautiful cover of “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” We strayed from typical wedding songs during our procession and ceremony, and wanted it to be fun and light to reflect our personalities.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I can’t name a favorite detail, but one thing that turned into being the most memorable was how HOT it was. It was about 100 degrees at 5:30 P.M.–the start of our wedding. I was a nervous wreck! We extended our cocktail hour to cool people off inside the barn and I had extra fans and generators brought in for the tent. The fans ended up being “misting fans” and the dance floor at night turned into a slew of people who were soaking wet from the mist, but dancing their hearts out! It was absolutely hilarious and one of my favorite memories.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? When we took a moment to ourselves down by the water while the sun was setting and the reception was in full swing. Our closest friends and family had just been a part of the best day of our lives, and we were officially husband and wife. It was such a special moment that we will never forget.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We have a 10-month-old puppy who is our best buddy! He makes us a family of three and we are hoping to become a family of four in the next few years! We are looking forward to traveling, spending more time with our family and closest friends, and supporting each other as we progress in our careers.

Photographer: Melissa Schollaert | Videographer: Anchor Heart Films | Planner: Ashley Scott of The Ritz Carlton | Venue: Sandy Creek Barn at Reynolds Plantation | Florist: Designs by Kent | Caterer, Cake and Dessert Baker: The Ritz Carlton Lodge, Lake Oconee | Band: Band of Gold | Paper Products: Sideshow Press | Wooden Signs: Country Bliss Designs | Bride’s Gown: Romona Keveza | Hair Stylist: Kathryn Yearwood, Zapien’s Salon | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew | Groom’s Attire: Tom Ford

lisa Written with love by Lisa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Paperlust Wedding Invites reply

    Absolutely love those letterpress wedding invitations, what GSM are they?

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For today’s Cozy Fall revisit, we’re throwing it back to Southern Weddings V5 and one of our favorite transitional fall shoots: Honey & Pecan. As we did researched these two humble and very Southern elements, we got more and more inspired. Because, you see, the word pecan comes from an Algonquian word meaning “the nut that requires a stone to crack.” That toughness and durability, paired with the sweetness of honey, seemed to us like the perfect recipe for a strong marriage.

Big hugs to Blue Ribbon Vendor Melissa Schollaert for these beautiful images!

For more from this shoot, pick up your own copy of V5 right here!

Photographer: Melissa Schollaert | Film processing: Richard Photo Lab | Planning and coordination: TOAST Events | Venue: Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club | Florist: Amy Osaba | Furniture and trays: Collection Event Furniture Rentals | Chairs, glassware, flatware, and china: We Rent Atlanta | Table runner, cake table linens, and napkins: I Do Linens | Hair and makeup: Scoobie West | Cake and cake stand: Sweet Sensations | Stationery, paper goods, and favor bags: Yes Ma’am Paper Goods | Letterpress: Alee & Press | Gold backdrop: Michelle Edgemont | Pecan pies: Tabora Family Bakery | Bride’s gown: Romona Keveza from Joan Pillow Salon | Bride’s veils: Tia Mazza | Bride’s earrings: Paris by Debra Moreland | Bridesmaid dresses: Coren Moore, Monique Lhuillier, and LulaKate, all from Bella Bridesmaids Atlanta | Bridesmaid hair accessories: Chaviano Couture, Ban.do, and E. Kammeyer Accessories | Bridesmaid bracelet: Pomp & Plumage

emily Written with love by Emily
2 Comments
  1. avatar Maureen reply

    That wedding dress just looks like honey… GORGEOUS!

  2. avatar Kelsey reply

    That wedding cake is to die for! Very unique.

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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