Southern Weddings

I firmly believe that if Shelby (from Steel Magnolias) was not a fictional character, she’d be obsessed with this wedding – it’s her signature color modernized. I personally can’t get over how stunning Callee + Calan’s florals are! After giving her soon-to-be hubby’s aunts only the color pink as a jumping off point, they took peonies, garden roses, hydrangeas, and turned “pink” into what Callee described as “breathtaking.” I also couldn’t help but stare at the sweet treats another one of the groom’s talented aunts created. Be sure to slow down and take a peek at the adorable helmet cupcake pops showing some team love!

Big hugs to Set Free Photography for sharing C + C’s big day!

Pink seersucker + a bow + a monogram = oh my stars, y’all!! And THAT bouquet!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
My mom and I went to the traditional chain stores in town and we didn’t have very much luck. I was on the computer one day and found this little dress store and figured we’d give it a try. I must have tried on 15-20 dresses before I got to the last dress. From then, it was history. I walked out and my mother and I both started crying. I knew from that moment that I found my dress.

I gave them my main color swatch (pink) and told them to do whatever they wanted. They chose to go with peonies, garden roses, hydrangeas, kiwi branches and dusty millers. On our wedding day they even surprised us with fresh blackberries on the bouquets and boutonnieres! The barrels with the overflowing flowers, the trunk and the arbor were just so breathtaking. The flowers truly made our day beautiful.

My most memorable moment was being at the altar with Calan. I just instantly flashed back to all of the reasons why I fell in love with him. I felt like we were the only two people in the room and it was so special to me.

Describe your wedding flowers. 
Nothing I say will describe what Calan’s three aunts and two cousins put together. They are officially the most talented people I know. I have seen what his aunts have done at other weddings and it is just remarkable how amazing every single thing they do turns out.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
I think our favorite thing about the wedding was that our families and friends contributed so much time and energy into making it perfect and helping us with so much. I think at some point, everyone was involved, which means all of the details came from the heart. (The chandeliers were my second favorite detail.)

My brother and father-in-law even built and painted custom corn hole sets with monogramed bean bags to match our bouquet sashes that had our monograms as well. We also had a lot of country music playing during the cocktail hour and during dinner, of course. Yee-Haw!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
I love everything Southern, from our mason jars to the Cheerwine and the BBQ food.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. 
Calan’s Aunt Donna owns a cake pop business and brings cake pops to every family function. You haven’t lived unless you’ve tried her Oreo flavored cake pops! We both aren’t big fans of traditional wedding cake, so we asked Donna if she could put something together that made our desserts unique and special. She came up with mini pies, cake pops (of course), cookies, chocolate-covered strawberries, brownies, and key lime tarts. We also loved the idea of a hot cocoa bar, so we had spoons covered with chocolate and toffee shavings, marshmallows and peppermint sticks. These two tables were a big hit.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. 
Calan and I met 17 years ago when I was five and he was eight at The Storms Field. I cheered and he played football. Throughout the years, our families remained close, with my brother working under his dad at the fire station and our moms remaining friends. When I was 18, I was coaching at The Storms Field when I found out Calan was coaching there as well. We were close friends throughout the season (I thought he liked a close friend of mine) but I never thought we would start dating two years later. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! 
I had been giving Calan “subtle” hints about the color, cut and style of diamond ring that I had been wanting for a few months before he proposed. My mom’s not a very good secret-keeper and kind of let the cat out of the bag the day he bought the ring. As a normal girl who can’t wait for surprises to just happen, I went in search for the box. Calan isn’t a very good hider, considering it was under the bathroom sink! He asked me later that night while lying on the couch and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
When did y’all get married? 
February
How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
150
Did you decide to do a “first look”? 
Calan is a very shy person and wanted to do the “first look” from the moment our photographer told us about it. I am so glad we did because it got the pre-wedding jitters out of our systems and the pictures from that moment turned out to be some of my favorites from the wedding.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
Corinthians 13
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I love music so I played this part out in my head non-stop. I decided to have my bridesmaids walk down the aisle to “Till Kingdom Come” by Coldplay. It fit so perfectly and had a great beat for my best girls to walk to. From the start, I knew I wanted to walk down the aisle to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. If you’ve heard this song, you know it’s just amazing. Calan doesn’t like dancing, so when it came to our first dance I had to make sure it was quick and painless for him. I chose “That’s When I Love You” by Aslyn. It was probably the shortest love song I could find, but the words made me embrace this song even more. I’m so glad we went with it.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I think just staying on track and making deadlines. My mom was here with me to whip me into wedding planning shape, which helped a lot. I managed to make most of the deadlines we set for ourselves.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$25,000-$50,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? 
PHOTOGRAPHY!! Hands down. Stacy is amazing and I am so happy we went with her. In the end, all you’re left with is pictures. Let me tell you, I have some stunning photos.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
Don’t stress the little things, and the sooner you get things booked and done, the better off and less stressed at the end you will be. At the end of the day, you get to marry your best friend, so no matter what just remember that.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
We are going to be continuing renovations on our house (Anthropologie here I come!) and taking care of our two pups. Calan is in EMT school at the moment and will be starting fire school in the fall to become a firefighter. God has blessed us with each other, great friends and amazing families. Wherever he takes us, we will be happy just to be with each other.

Written with love by Marissa