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I think “meant to be” is a good way to describe Kelly and Dan’s story–these two lawyers met in the most unassuming way (at a bar!), and after their lakeside engagement, they set out to plan their Georgia wedding in a way that was true to them as a couple. From knowing Foxhall Resort was their venue as soon as they drove onto the property, to Kelly finding her dream, out-of-budget gown off the rack at a great price, their wedding fell into place beautifully, allowing them to focus on their relationship and the fun ways they could introduce guests to their personalities. My favorite details are the ones that are a little unconventional, but oh so them, like the signature cocktails served from copper mugs and the brownies and ice cream they dished out in lieu of cake!

Thanks so much to Sowing Clover Photography for sharing this fun day with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I had had my eye on Monique Lhuillier’s Scarlet dress for some time. I knew I wanted a romantic sheath with straps, and nothing else had caught my eye. I tried on the dress at the Monique Lhuillier boutique in Manhattan (where I was living at the time for my job) and fell in love with it. The $6,000 price tag was a bit too steep for me, but I ended up finding it off the rack somewhere else. It was meant to be!

I wanted the flower arrangements to be whimsical, low-key, and natural, so I chose to go with a lot of greenery accented by some white flowers. My favorite part was the garlands of greenery that draped some of the wooden farm tables.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, we wrote our own vows. My favorite line from mine was about Dan being my hero and the best man I know. My favorite from his was when he said I added so much value to his life, more than he thought was possible.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My 13-year-old little sister and Dan’s 10-year-old niece did the readings at our ceremony. My sister read a sweet excerpt from Winnie the Pooh and his niece read the “What is Real?” excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit. They were absolutely wonderful! I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place after the Velveteen Rabbit reading.

We tried to make our wedding reflect us as much as possible, so we thought outside of tradition in a lot of instances. Those are the details that made the day truly special. To name a few, our officiant was my long-time best friend, our dog was the ring bearer, every table was named after something that meant something special to us and the people sitting there, I sang a song with the band (“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri) for my new husband, and most of the food served at the wedding had some significance to us or a family member.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We wanted to get married somewhere with a lot of land, where our dog could attend, and where our closest friends and family could stay the weekend. The Foxhall checked all of the boxes. When we first drove onto the Foxhall property, our jaws dropped at how beautiful it was. We both knew this was the place.

Neither Dan nor I really like cake, so we opted to forgo the tradition and do something that was a little more “us” (which we did with a lot of things in our wedding). Instead of cake, we had an ice cream cart catered by a local, small-batch ice cream store, Queen of Cream. Our flavors were so yummy and perfect for our fall wedding: Bourbon Butter Whiskey Pecan and Salted Caramel. Since Dan’s favorite dessert is ice cream and brownies, Queen of Cream was nice enough to serve their delicious ice cream with warm brownies! The fun part was smashing the ice cream into each other’s faces toward the end of the night.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met the good old-fashioned way: at a bar, during my first year of law school in Atlanta. Dan broke the ice by talking about “Pierson v. Post,” an old Supreme Court case about hunting. Needless to say, that was enough to make me swoon!
Tell us all about the proposal! After a few years of dating (and exactly three years after we said “I love you” for the first time), we were spending a quiet morning at the lake on our boat, throwing the ball to our beloved yellow lab, Sam. Dan asked me to start video taping Sam fetching the ball, which I thought was no big deal at the time. It turns out that Dan hid the ring inside one of the tennis balls! When Sam retrieved the ball from the lake, Dan took it out and got down on one knee. After freaking out a little bit about how he thew the ring into the lake, I, of course, said yes. He said he really wanted to incorporate Sam into the proposal because he trusted Sam as much as he trusted our relationship. I’ve got to hand it to him for tricking me into videotaping my own engagement!
When did y’all get married? October 24, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 106
Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Dan surprised me by having a very strong opinion on the matter–he wanted to see me for the first time as I was walking down the aisle. It was so romantic, that, of course, we opted to not do a first look. It made the pictures during cocktail hour a bit more rushed than they may have been otherwise, but seeing the look on his face when I walked down the aisle made it all worth it!
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 “What a Wonderful World” played by the acoustic country band, Capo3. It’s one of my all time favorites. After we were married, Dan and I walked/danced up the aisle to “Marry You” by Bruno Mars to signify that the party was about to get started! Our first dance was to “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Brice. The lyrics to that song almost perfectly reflect our relationship, and it was fun to do some twirls during the lyric “spinning you round and round in circles.”
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Our officiant asked us to write love letters to one another, which she stored away in a box with a nice bottle of wine. She said it was for us to open whenever things got tough in our marriage. It was such a wonderful exercise to really think about why we love each other, why we were choosing to get married, and to remember that not all days will be the “happiest days of our life,” but rather, we will have to work through some bumps in the future.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We had a budget of about $30,000, but I didn’t want to sacrifice much. I DIYed what I could (invitations, paper goods, escort card display, boutonnieres), found deals on extras like our photo booth, and was lucky enough to find some newly established (but super talented) vendors with reasonable prices. One of the biggest places we saved was by providing our own alcohol for the reception. Also, I absolutely loved wedding planning, so I saved by not hiring a full-service wedding planner–we just had someone help coordinate the day-of.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Dan and I are now expecting our first child, so we are both very excited about building a family!

Photographer: Sowing Clover Photography | Videographer: Anchor Heart Films | Planner and Florist: Something Tulle | Venue: Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club | Dessert Baker: Queen of Cream Ice Cream | Caterer: Simply Catering | Rentals: Unlimited Party & Event Rentals | Band: Capo3 Band | DJ: Sloan Lee DJ | Paper Products: Letterpress by Czar Press | Bride’s Gown: “Scarlet” by Monique Lhuillier | Bride’s Jewelry: Rent the Runway | Hair and Makeup: Vigilante Cosmetics | Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew | Menswear: Tom James Custom | Photo Booth: Robot Booth

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

    love the flowers in their hair and an ice cream bar sounds so fun!

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As the last editor to share my dream Southern wedding, I’ve had a lot of time to think about exactly what kind of wedding I want (in my dreams, of course). I’ve been perusing the Southern Weddings Pinterest nonstop trying to find the perfect Southern inspiration for my own big day, and do you know what I’ve discovered? I truly and honestly believe that I have had an inspiration overload! There are so many fabulously Southern ideas out there, and I just want to incorporate them all into my dream wedding. What’s a Southern Weddings editor to do?

Step back and take a good long look at all of the images I had collected, that’s what. Were there any recurring themes popping up? Why, yes! The majority of the photos came from sunny daytime weddings, there were an awful lot of deep blues and spring green color schemes weaving their way through my inspiration folder, and oh, I have a major love affair with rustic barn weddings. Without further ado, I am happy to share with you my very own dream Southern wedding:

Image credits, clockwise from top left: Barn wedding by Jose Villa, beau bar by Chocolate Butter Bean (photo by Katie Stoops via Southern Weddings), cake by My Sweet and Saucy, barn decor photo by Abby Ross via Style Me Pretty, table decor photo from Martha Stewart Weddings via Domestic Ease

Tell us the basics. Where do you want to get married and when? How many people would you invite? The more the merrier! If money were no issue (and this is a dream wedding, right?), I would invite upwards of 200 guests and make it a real party. I would love to get married right here in the Ol’ North State in the early fall.

What’s your design inspiration and color palette? One of the main focuses of my design inspiration is the lighting. Nothing adds to a space like a hanging chandelier or a canopy of swinging lights over a dance floor. I also incorporated a lot of classic white details–the white bouquets and white cakes–which look so clean and fresh against the rustic barn backdrop.

What details and traditions would you include in your ceremony? I want to pay homage to my family’s Southern heritage by including many traditions based around family. I am looking forward to my strong, supportive dad walking me down the aisle. I want my Mom, a former makeup artist, and my aunt, a hairdresser, to gussy me up for my walk down the aisle. I am excited to shower my bridesmaids with monogrammed gifts to show how appreciative I am to have them in my life. I can’t wait to surprise my hubby-to-be with a fun groom’s cake. Most of all, I want to incorporate as many details that have significance to my husband and myself. I want my wedding to be a celebration of the memories that we have shared.

What dress would you wear? I have fallen head over heels for Monique Lhuillier’s Scarlet. The lace detailing is classic, while the open back gives it a modern edge. I’m still on the look-out for a getaway dress. I’m thinking short and sleek. Any suggestions?

Image credits, clockwise from top left: lace dress photo by Paul Johnson, white bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, striped bouquet wrap from Brides.com, navy bridesmaid dresses photo by Stephen Devries via Southern Weddings

What would your flowers look like? I love all white bouquets, full of ranunculus and big white hydrangeas. At the reception, I imagine low white and green arrangements decking each table.

What details and traditions would you include in your reception? Again, string lights and warm chandeliers are a must! In addition, I want a large live band that will really get the guests grooving. My goal is to have every man, woman and child on the dance floor having the time of their lives!

What food would you serve? Oh Lordy, I’m already excited about the food at my future wedding! Southerners sure do like their food! I adore all mini foods, so there would be an assortment of barbecue sliders and homemade macaroni served in white ramekins. The dessert spread would ideally stretch out for miles. In addition to the classic white cake, I’d love to see lots of cupcakes, banana pudding (a Southern favorite), and delicious creme brulee!

Where would you honeymoon? My hubby and I would explore Europe. I’m particularly keen on going skiing in the Swiss Alps!

What’s most important to you about weddings? Love is tangible at a wedding. Family and friends come together to celebrate a couple’s love. Weddings are about creating memories and sharing traditions. I love the feeling of community that surrounds weddings and I hope that my own wedding is full of wonderful memories and my friends, my family and my new husband and I will always cherish.

What do you think, ladies? Do we have anything in common? Let me know in the comments below and tell me all about your dream wedding.

P.S. Want to check out our past dream weddings?
Marissa
Nicole
Sierra

Katie Stoops and Stephen Devries are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Whitney
3 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    So fun, Whitney! I love that cake and the bouquet you chose!

  2. avatar MacKenzie reply

    Love, love, love a barn wedding, Whitney!

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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