Southern Weddings

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!

Written with love by Lisa