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We’re officially less than a week away from our big V5 launch!

When Emily and I first saw Lauren + Jeremy’s wedding, we instantly fell in love with their cheery ceremony design — happy waving flags lining the bride’s path to the succulent-decorated altar. We’re now finding there’s much more to love, including the officiant’s surprise performance of “Come Fly With Me” as the bridal party recessed and the handsome pup donning a bow tie. Don’t forget to scroll on down to read about Jeremy’s hilarious proposal! Big thanks to Theo Milo for sharing with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I plan events for a living, so most of the wedding planning felt like a second job to me, but shopping for a dress was a blast….except the sticker shock! I started my search at the most expensive boutique in town, only because it was the closest to my mother’s house. I fell in love with many dresses there but one stood out. It was pink and I’ve always been about pushing boundaries so I loved the idea of wearing something different. Plus, I could wear the sample right off the rack which meant I’d get a good deal and that appealed to my bargain shopper sensibilities. The bridal clerk had to check on the pricing for the sample and when she called me, it was still higher than I felt comfortable spending…so I continued the search. I went home and I started scouring the internet. Lo and behold, my dress was made by Priscilla of Boston who was going out of business and they were offering significant discounts for their sample dresses. I called the closest store which was in Raleigh,NC and they had the dress! My mother and I drove the next weekend to the store and I got my dress 60% off retail. I had to do some major alterations, but with the savings, that was no issue. The moral of the story is don’t say “yes” to the dress until you let your fingers do some walking on the internet. A great deal may be awaiting you. My only regret is that I wish I had also purchased a reception dress. I love to dance and I spent a lot of time managing my dress on the dance floor.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Yes, we did a first look because we wanted to have the time to get good photos together but we didn’t want to miss our reception to do so. Additionally, we stayed the wedding weekend at a historic house right on the ocean that was so pretty and we wanted to use the location for our photos.
Did you write your own vows? No, we did not write our own vows but we chose the vows from some traditional ones. We got married outdoors and our ceremony was officiated by a dear friend of ours. Because of this, we had to create our whole ceremony on our own. It was a lot of work but it made our ceremony more personal.

The ceremony set-up was our favorite detail of the wedding. Our venue was often used for weddings but we were told we were the first to use the area that we did for a ceremony. The ceremony took place slightly off to the side of the reception venue in a sparse grassy area with a view of the island’s famed lighthouse behind it. It wasn’t very impressive, but we had vision for it. With the help of soft blue flags defining an aisle and a beautiful wooden table decorated with lanterns and succulents to create an altar, our vision was fulfilled. (Credit goes to Kim Fisher Designs for the décor.) Jeremy would say the cigar bar was his favorite!

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had two readings in our ceremony. I chose a reading from Les Miserables (the novel), which also happens to be my favorite Broadway musical. Jeremy chose a more traditional reading from the Book of Genesis (the popular, stylized version of 2:18).
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. Since we wrote our own ceremony we were able to also choose whichever music we wanted. We hired a pianist and a violinist for the ceremony. We used traditional wedding music like Ariosa by Bach and Alla Hornpipe by Handle for the pre-ceremony and wedding party. I walked down the aisle to Ave Maria. Our favorite part, though, was that we walked out to Sinatra’s “Come Fly with Me,” which to all guests’ surprise was sung by our officiant, who is an actor and singer and has performed often in a one man Sinatra show. Our first dance song was a combo. We chose “Some Kind of Wonderful,” but got the band to start by playing the slow, soulful Drifters tune for two verses and then transition into the upbeat Grand Funk Railroad version (which is not a cover or remake, but a completely different song) to allow our guests to get in on the act!

Because we had many friends in from all around the country, including a large number of New Yorkers, we wanted to expose them to some of our favorite Southern treats and the beautiful coastline. Our mothers prepared 40 batches of my mom’s homemade pimento cheese that we had delivered to all the guests’ accommodations. We also had a low country shrimp boil for our rehearsal dinner. Additionally, we chose a Southern location that is exceptionally beautiful and shows off part of what being a Carolinian is all about – amazing beaches, great weather and a laid-back lifestyle.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? We planned most the wedding ourselves with a bit of help from our mothers. I am an event planner by trade so I did most of the work as a way to save on the budget and ensure things were done to our liking. We both work long hours and I started a new job two days after our engagement. Our free time was limited and we had to stay the course to get it all done. It’s important to do a little each day and when help is offered, take it. Learn to delegate. Friends and family are usually happy to help. Identify your friends and family’s strengths and use their help when offered in a way that each can best assist.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The whole wedding weekend was memorable. That’s what’s so special about having a destination wedding – you get more than just a few hours to spend with some of the most important people in your life and it’s the only time they all gather together. However, I think one of the most memorable moments of our wedding day was when we finally sat for dinner. We had just finished our first dances, which we’d chosen to keep upbeat and fun. We danced so hard and had been at so many parties all week that when I finally sat down, I was exhausted. I turned to Jeremy and said, “I don’t know how I am going to make it to the end.” He agreed. Somehow, we not only made it to the end, but closed down the after party! Thank God for second winds and adrenaline!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met playing kickball. Jeremy was subbing on a flag football team whose strengths were better displayed at the bar after the games than on the field. Come the end of the season, the grizzled vets were ready to run it back, but Jeremy had the foresight to head them off and channel their talents into a sport into adult kickball. I was recently returned from New York City to my hometown of Charlotte, NC. I was young, single, my own boss and I was looking for a way to meet new people in a city where most my friends were already married with children. One of my friends happened to be trying something new…kickball. I would have NEVER played kickball in NYC but I felt it was only just that I try something new, too, and this was a way of socializing in Charlotte. You can guess where this is going, right? So Jeremy ran short a player now and again on the kickball team and once or twice, I subbed in. It wasn’t much, but it was an entree. And those who know Jeremy well know all he needs is a chip and a chair. He made getting to know me better his goal and waited for his moment. I didn’t even realize Jeremy was pursuing me in the beginning but eventually it became clear. By the end of October, he’d found his moment and we arranged a meet up at a Halloween party. And the rest, as they say, is history. We hit it off and have been like peas and carrots ever since.
Describe the proposal. After college, I spent the better part of a decade living in New York City and, along the way, found good friends and made good memories. I really loved it, which made the task of selecting that special ‘pop-the-question’ spot (marginally) easier for Jeremy. Jeremy chose the City as a nod to my past, but wanted to find some place in the city that would speak to our personality as a couple and our future together. He hit on the idea when, on a trip to the City to keep me company while I worked an event, he and a friend went to a beer festival on the newly-opened-to-the-public Governor’s Island in New York Harbor. The place itself is neat. An ex-military base that has found new life as a city park, it’s very similar to Central Park in that it’s the last thing you’d expect to find sitting smack in the middle of New York Harbor. It enjoys the views afforded its more well-known neighbors of Liberty Island and Ellis Island, but it doesn’t have the tourist problem. Unfortunately, getting me to the chosen spot was not casual. I like to think I am a smart cookie and Jeremy is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, so for him to stick to his guns about going to a place so seemingly random as Governor’s Island was, for me, a new and different experience. So, I knew something was up. I figured this was going to be “it” but I didn’t know that Jeremy had also hired a photographer to follow us around and get that magic moment on kodachrome! Unfortunately, the person Jeremy chose was (1) not as covert as he might have been and (2) not as good at keeping up with the happy couple as he should have been. Within minutes of disembarking from the ferry, I got the inkling that the foreign-looking, bald-headed dude in the green shorts and pink shirt (yes, he was really dressed that loudly) was “following” us. This feeling (and the evidence supporting it) only got stronger as the we made our way around the southern tip of the island and the clandestine photog took a more “in your face” approach to capturing the moments leading up to THE moment, culminating in a very “Austin Powers”-like dive behind a tree when I caught him getting snap-happy while we sat in some adirondack chairs. For the rest of our lap around the island, he was at a much safer distance. Sadly, the distance proved too safe because, before we’d made it back around the island to “the” spot, we encountered a large crowd on their way to a concert. Apparently, the photographer couldn’t mark us through the crowd and we emerged on the other side sans picture-taker. Jeremy stalled and plodded for a few minutes trying to give the photographer time to catch back up to the couple, but I was hot and tired and needed a drink, so what ensued was something akin to a sitcom proposal. As it is, Jeremy forgot to kneel as he blurted out “babyiloveyoumarryme?” I thought to myself, “that cannot be my moment!” so I pulled the situation back together and made Jeremy kneel and produce a proper proposal (which I then, promptly accepted). The photographer, of course, didn’t find us in time and missed capturing any of this on film.
In what month did you get married? May 12, 2012
How many guests attended your wedding? 130
Describe your wedding flowers: I didn’t want the whole décor to be about flowers so we used a lot of lanterns, candles, cloches and succulents in addition to flowers. I got married on Mother’s Day weekend so using non-floral elements also provided some cost benefits. The flowers we did use were cool tones to complement the natural setting around us. I wanted the whole space to feel light and airy like you could just float away. My florist sourced the most beautiful greenery and finest lush flowers to go in my bouquet and the centerpieces. My bridesmaid’s bouquets were simple white hydrangeas which popped well against their coral dresses. Their bouquets were placed in vases wrapped with rope on our cocktail and café tables on the terraced lawn, which provided amazing views of the marsh behind.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Jeremy has the sweet tooth so we opted for his favorite southern treat – key lime pie. We had a local baker make individual tartlets so they’d be easy to eat and serve.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge we had was with my hair and make-up. Because the wedding was on an island only accessible by ferry, we had limited choices of professional salons. We decided to use the on-island spa, which was very nice and accommodating. They do multiple weddings on any given weekend so we expected nothing but a positive experience. The island was a four hour drive and a ferry ride from our home in Charlotte, NC, so we knew there’d be limited opportunities for tests. We started five months in advance during one of two trips prior to the wedding. The first test resulted in great makeup, but I was not pleased with my hair. The salon graciously offered me another complimentary hair test later that day but the day was windy and the ferry schedule changed which resulted in the salon closing early. The additional test was not possible, so we settled on returning in March to try again. That test went better, but then we got a call two weeks prior to the wedding informing us that the makeup artist and hair stylist had left the company so we’d have to start over. I stayed calm and agreed to the new hair test during the wedding week. The hair went over OK, but the makeup was a disaster leaving me looking orange and with no choice but to do my own makeup. Lesson learned. If possible, hire an independent contractor (who can’t leave) and schedule a long appointment to ensure you get everything right the first time. You don’t get to repeat your wedding day.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? I was happy that we splurged on our flowers and décor. I have an art degree, so the design elements were very important to me. We also were really happy that we splurged on special accommodations for our weekend. We stayed in a small historic two-bedroom house on Bald Head Island that was formerly one of the lighthouse keeper’s accommodations. Jeremy gave me a painting of the house along with a personal note in an old antique bottle as my wedding day gift.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We’ve started looking for a larger house to hold all of our registry gifts. In the meantime, we’ve been enjoying some well-deserved quality time together at a few of our friends’ destination weddings.

Theo Milo is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
4 Comments
  1. avatar Clair F. reply

    Such a beautiful wedding! love Lauren’s honesty throughout the post! She gives great advice. I’m getting married in March & this post has given me a few good ideas. Thanks for sharing this.

  2. avatar Leigh Pearce Weddings reply

    LOVE this! Kim is so talented. Those are some beautiful blooms!

  3. avatar Miles reply

    I loved the soft color theme of the wedding. The photographer did a nice job of complementing the soft colors with soft focus areas in the photography (used shallow depth of field to good effect).

  4. avatar Mindy reply

    LOVE the headband! Where is that from?

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Whitney + Sam’s wedding is gorgeous, and classically Southern! Every detail makes me proud to be a Southerner, and I am all ready to take a trip to Nola! Especially since I’ve always wanted to be a part of a traditional Second Line!

But what makes this wedding special is truly the people. While reading their interview I laughed, teared up and decided I needed to become friends with Whitney! Her incredible insight about what’s important in not only a wedding, but a marriage touched my heart deeply. While sitting with some friends at 5 o’clock in the morning after celebrating they big day she thought: “this is the point. This time together, celebrating with and honoring the people who love you for the happiness they’ve brought into your lives — this is why you have a wedding reception.” Holy cow, y’all! I’m pretty sure that is the epitome of the Sweet Tea Society.

Big hugs to Mr. Graham Terhune for capturing the joy and love this wedding exuded! And very happy belated birthday wishes!

I actually found my dress online almost four years before our wedding. I was helping a recently engaged friend look for a dress and came across one that was everything I was looking for. I bookmarked it and filed it away for future reference. When we got engaged three years later, I knew that the dress would probably not be available, but I wanted to use it as a reference point to find something similar. When I asked the bridal consultant if they had anything similar, she told me they still had the original dress and on major sale since it was three years old. I was ecstatic!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? We did not do a first look, because one of the things I was most looking forward to during our ceremony was the look on Sam’s face as I came down the (very long) aisle. However, I did see Sam before the wedding. I love a man in a bowtie, so I slowly started convincing Sam to wear bowties after we started dating. He has, to this day, never learned how to tie one himself. It’s our tradition for me to tie them for him. After we were both dressed, we blindfolded Sam and led him over to the cottage where I was getting ready, and I tied his wedding day bowtie for him.

We had our programs printed on handkerchiefs so our guests would have the traditional white handkerchief to wave in the air as they danced in our Second Line!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? As my bridesmaids and groomsladies were lining up to walk down the aisle, my flower girl Elizabeth and I lined up behind them. Just as I started to get nervous, Elizabeth turned to me and started telling me a story about a “really cool lizard” she had found that morning. It was the perfect distraction—it made me laugh so I didn’t lose it. Then, after the wedding party processional finished, right before Elizabeth walked down the aisle in front of me, she turned over her shoulder and said to me, “I bet he’s going to tell you that you look beautiful.” Then, I lost it.

Our favorite feature was the benediction, which my Maid of Honor found for us. It reads: “Go out into the world in peace. Have courage, hold onto that which is good, return no one evil for evil, strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help those who are suffering, honor all peoples and things, love and serve your living God.

Our recessional was a surprise entrance by our cocktail hour brass band. They led us and our guests in a Second Line parade from the ceremony to the cocktail hour behind the plantation house! Our first dance at the reception was “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke.

I have three guy friends who are such an incredible part of my life, and Sam has three girl friends that he feels the same way about. We knew from the beginning that we wanted those people to be standing on our sides rather than respecting the usual gender lines, so I had six bridesmaids and three “bridesmen”, and Sam had six groomsmen and three “groomsladies.

My mom raised me as a single parent from the time I was eight, so I decided I wanted the traditional father/daughter dance to be with her instead. As a surprise, I had the band learn “The Letter” by The Boxtops, the band that played at her high school prom. She was SO excited when she realized what they were playing while we were dancing!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Sam and I both went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and one of Sam’s best friend’s from high school ended up being a good friend and sorority sister of mine. One night at a party our senior year, Sam blurted out to me that we had actually been in the same freshman orientation group the summer before our freshman year — I had no idea! I thought it was pretty charming that he remembered briefly encountering me so long ago. We dating the fall after graduation. A year and a half later, Sam left North Carolina for the first time and moved to New Orleans with me so that I could attend grad school. That was when I knew he was the one.
Describe the proposal. Total perfection. Sam told me that we were going to a have drinks at this old fancy restaurant in the French Quarter called Tujague’s, which is just a few buildings down from Jackson Square, my favorite spot in the city. As we approached Tujague’s, Sam said we were actually early and suggested we take a stroll around Jackson Square before heading in. He led me over to a bench and started saying all these wonderful things to me about how much he loved me and how he wanted to spend his life with me. Sam is always so sweet and kind that I didn’t realize anything was out of the ordinary yet. Then, he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring, and I lost my mind. You know the Kristen Bell sloth video? That’s pretty much how I reacted. Despite my hysterics, he did pop the question and I did say yes. Then, Sam told me we actually were going to Tujague’s for a celebration dinner. I was thrilled to have such a perfect place to celebrate. The maitre d’ showed us to a small private dining room, where my mother, his mother, my best friend Logan, and my favorite Aunt and Uncle were there to surprise me and celebrate with us. It was everything I could have wanted.
In what month did you get married? June
How many guests attended your wedding? 260
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did write our own vows. Sam grew up very active in his family’s church in Charlotte, and I didn’t grow up going to church at all, so we wanted to have a ceremony that would fit both of our backgrounds and our families. We started with a traditional protestant ceremony and changed most of the wording to fit our taste. We really wanted to focus on the ideals that we’re both committed to: loyalty, gratitude, and service to others.
Tell us about your wedding officiant. We were so, so lucky to have the amazing father of one of my bridesmaids officiate our wedding. He was so warm, supportive, and excited! It gave our wedding such a personal touch that he was able to speak about knowing both of us and my mother for many years.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We used Song of Solomon Chapter 8, verses 6 and 7 and The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We were so lucky to have our friends David and Cambey Mikush perform for our guests before the ceremony and for David to perform our ceremony music. His beautiful voice and acoustic guitar were perfect for our setting, and we chose nontraditional music that had great significance to us. For the seating of our mothers, David played “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. Our wedding party processed to “Warm Love” by Van Morrison (my favorite musician) and I walked down the aisle to “Into the Mystic” (also by Van Morrison, and my favorite song).
Describe your wedding flowers: Our bridesmaids’ and groomsladies’ bouquets, as well as the reception centerpieces, were a mix of white tulips, purple and blue irises, and purple and blue hydrangea. My bouquet was white and blush peonies, and I asked our florist to use peonies that hadn’t yet opened all the way to create a more delicate, elegant look. We also had a giant magnolia blossom wreath on the front door of the plantation, right behind where our officiant was standing.
Describe your rings. My engagement ring was my grandmother’s. I was extremely close to my grandparents, so to know that I have the honor of wearing this beautiful symbol of love that my grandfather picked out for his bride makes me feel close to them even though they’re gone. Plus, wearing an engagement ring that symbolized a long and happy marriage is a constant inspiration to me. I didn’t change a thing about the ring’s design because I loved it just as it was — it was even the right size. Sam’s ring is his father’s wedding band. His father passed away when Sam was in college. To be able to have such meaningful memories attached to our rings makes them all the more special.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: We had a traditional wedding cake with Bavarian cream filling and buttercream icing. We wanted it to be simple and delicious, and it was! My mother and I made our cake toppers. We took two hand-blown glass pelican Christmas ornaments, removed the hooks, and decorated them to look like a bride and groom. We saved the hooks so Sam and I can use them as Christmas ornaments on our tree. Sam’s groom’s cake was his absolute favorite flavor, Funfetti, with chocolate buttercream icing. We used the same cake topper that was used for Sam’s parents’ wedding cake.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Pretty much everything. We served Planter’s Punch cocktails to guests as they arrived at the plantation to make sure they were cool and comfortable. Our venue, Houmas House Plantation and Gardens, is right on the Mississippi River in the heart of Louisiana. Between the plantation house, the live oaks filled with Spanish moss, and the plantation bell that rang to announce the start of the ceremony and my walk down the aisle, it’s pretty much as picturesque as it can be. The food was amazing, and featured (among other things) gumbo, seafood pasta, crab cakes, shrimp wrapped in bacon and deep-fried, and a grits bar. For our favors, in addition to custom koozies with a New Orleans street tile design, we had personalized Hubig’s pies. They’re deep fried fruit pies that are made in New Orleans and they’re such a strong memory from my childhood. In our invitation suite, we included a CD of all of our favorite New Orleans songs, which was a big hit with our guests. I had a monogrammed handkerchief wrapped around my bouquet, and my bridesman, Logan got me two Blue Dog pins to pin to the handkerchief (Blue Dog is a famous painting subject by my favorite artist, Louisianan George Rodrigue). We also had a traditional New Orleans Second Line parade to lead our guests from the ceremony to the cocktail hour, complete with a full brass band that entertained them during cocktails with New Orleans brass favorites.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Since our friends and family are scattered across the world, we wanted to have time to talk and catch up with every single guest even though we had a big wedding. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience to have all of the people you love in your life together in one place. We rearranged our schedules, reprioritized, and got very little sleep, but we managed to spend solid time with almost all of our guests at some point over the weekend. We took people to our favorite local bar for dinner and drinks Thursday night, had a champagne toast reception for all of our guests after our rehearsal dinner Friday night, and we went out with our guests after the reception to continue the dance party and eat late night food until 5 o’clock in the morning. We were sitting at brunch with a group of our friends Sunday morning and I remember just looking around the table and thinking, “this is the point. This time together, celebrating with and honoring the people who love you for the happiness they’ve brought into your lives — this is why you have a wedding reception.”
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Music. Sam found our INCREDIBLE reception band, and they were one of the wedding details people could not stop talking about. They were such a pleasure to work with. They listened to every single one of our nitpicky requests for songs to play and songs not to play, and they were so unbelievably talented. People didn’t leave the dance floor all night and refused to go after the last song. My favorite quote of the night came from my good friend’s sister, who pulled me aside and said, “I mean this as a compliment, and I hope you take it that way, but I have never seen anything like your wedding reception dance floor outside of a Las Vegas nightclub.” I not only took it as a compliment, but knew that we had achieved our vision: a sincere, joyful ceremony; meaningful and personal details that truly reflected us as a couple throughout the day; and a ridiculous, sweaty dance party to cap off the celebration.
Best money spent on your wedding: Our wedding coordinator! Since we were engaged for so long (21 months) we did all of the planning ourselves, but wanted someone to be there on our wedding day to make sure things ran smoothly and to pack up everything after the end of the reception so none of our family members had to do it. Valerie was pretty much entirely responsible for our wedding being perfect down to the last detail.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Be true to yourself and what you want, and stop second guessing your own opinions. Remember that your wedding guests love you — they’re coming to celebrate, not to critique your taste in floral arrangements. Anything you do to make them feel comfortable and welcome will be so appreciated, and they’ll notice the details that you put love and effort into because they’re a reflection of you, not because they’re fancy or expensive. I hope for every bride to have as much fun planning (and attending!) their wedding as I did. It should an absolute joy and a true labor of love, and if it’s not making you happy, you’re doing it wrong.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? I got an offer for my dream job while we were on our honeymoon! I started work as soon as we got back, so for now, Sam and I are really just looking forward to some quiet evenings home along with our dog, recovering from this epic party.

Graham Terhune is a fabulous member of the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory.

marissa Written with love by Marissa
15 Comments
  1. avatar Graham reply

    Thanks so much for featuring this ladies! We love you!!!

  2. avatar Marcie reply

    Awww I love this wedding! One of my faves so far! I love how they took the opportunity to spend time with all their friends and family over the entire weekend. Their reception sounded like a blast too! ;)

    -Marcie x

  3. avatar Cyn reply

    Gorgeous wedding and lovely couple! Awesome job Graham!

  4. avatar Whitney Magendie reply

    Thank you so much for capturing our wedding so beautifully, and for giving us a space to brag on our AMAZING vendors! It takes a village, y’all.

    • avatar Marissa reply

      We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to share your wedding! You were such a gorgeous bride! Wishing you so much happiness in your marriage! xx

  5. avatar Melissa Vause reply

    “I bet he’s going to tell you that you look beautiful.” Then, I lost it.
    …umm, *I* just lost it! That is SO sweet and innocent coming from such a little girl! Your wedding looked amazing :-)

  6. avatar Valerie Gernhauser reply

    Yay Whitney + Sam! So thrilled to read your story and relive through Graham’s outstanding photography! I am experiencing serious withdrawals from your fantastic wedding…how about a vow renewal soon? :)

  7. avatar bridal girl reply

    So beautiful. I love the location of the wedding. And the bride and groom looks lovely.

  8. avatar A Few Features! » Graham Terhune Photography reply

    […] (see the feature here) […]

  9. avatar Clint Brookshire reply

    Absolutely love your wedding programs on the handkerchiefs!! We’re getting married in NOLA in a couple months and would love to have something similar – would you mind sharing your contact? And source for the hankies??
    Thanks!

  10. avatar New Orleans With Second Line By Graham Terhune Wedding | Wedding Idea Spot reply

    […] Wedding Idea was found by: YellowInDiego Wedding Idea From: http://iloveswmag.com/2012/07/16/new-orleans-wedding-with-second-line-by-graham-terhune/ Photography: Graham Terhune […]

  11. avatar Daniela reply

    Hi,

    Can you please tell me where you got your handkerchiefs printed.
    They are lovely!!

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Since y’all liked Michael + Charlie’s wedding so much (here + here), I have a hunch you’re going to be equally huge fans of Whitney + Jeff’s. It’s also set in Florida, and Whitney is also rocking a fabulous ruffled dress by Vera Wang. But Whitney + Jeff’s wedding has a style all its own: a lovely pink and grey color scheme, peonies for days, a poolside ceremony, and an overall vibe that manages to be both modern and romantic. Check back soon for part two with more fabulous photos by 1313 Photography!

P.S. Don’t you love those Plum Pretty Sugar robes Whitney and her girls are sporting? I think they’d make a perfect bridesmaid gift, especially paired with a monogrammed tote!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Jeff and I met in 2002 when we were both in college in Washington, DC. Jeff was a sophomore at George Washington University and I was a freshman at American University. We were both working at Abercrombie and Fitch and had our first conversation while we were walking in Georgetown after work. It was going great until my bus came and I hopped on without giving Jeff my number! We didn’t reconnect until several months later when we both had to come in for a staff photo. I drove Jeff back to his dorm and, after noticing I was listening to country music, he asked me to go to a Pat Green concert with him later that month.
Describe the proposal. Jeff wanted to surprise me, so he planned a secret trip to New York City. I thought we were just visiting his parents for the weekend, but he woke me up at 6 that Saturday morning and said he had something special in store for me. We drove to the city, where we checked into the gorgeous Jumeirah Essex House Hotel right on Central Park South. I was immediately whisked away for a spa treatment. When I returned to the room, a bottle of wine from the year we met and some chocolates were waiting for me. At that point, I started to get suspicious, but Jeff threw me off by taking me to a nondescript diner for lunch. Afterwards, a cab drove us up the West Side Highway to the Cloisters, a gorgeous French monastery that was transplanted in Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River. When we approached the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, Jeff got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. As I cried “yes!” I heard the clicking of a camera. I turned around to find one of my best friends, who had been lurking in the shadows and captured the entire moment on film. We spent the afternoon celebrating with friends and capped off the day with a delicious dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, overlooking the city.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Chic, romantic and fun!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our ceremony. After being together for more than eight years, we wanted to have a really personal ceremony to reflect the different elements of our personalities, religions and relationship. Other than our personalized vows, my favorite moment was listening to our friend sing the song “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. Her voice was so beautiful, it gave me chills!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I knew I wanted something somewhat unexpected that had a “wow” factor without being too over the top. I went shopping with my mother all over South Florida, and tried on about 50 dresses! I fell in love with the origami folds of my Vera Wang gown. I felt like I was walking on a cloud the moment I tried it on. The dress made a statement, but was still romantic at the same time. I put my spin on it by modifying it to a sweetheart neckline and swapping out the grosgrain sash for a crystal Jennifer Behr belt to add a little glam factor.

Photographer: 13:13 Photography // Day-Of Coordinator: Karla Blanco // Venue: The National Hotel // Florist: Petunia Florist // Wedding Cake Baker: We Take the Cake // Caterer: The National Hotel // Paper Products: Blush Paperie // Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Bella Bleu Bridal // Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale

emily Written with love by Emily
8 Comments
  1. avatar Bridget reply

    Oooooooo!! The florals are killing me. In a really good way :). I love the pink and green bouquet especially. And YES!! The robes—LOVE.

  2. avatar Modern Florida Wedding by 1313 Photography, Part II « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] a little bit gaga over Whitney + Jeff’s modern yet romantic Florida wedding. If their poolside ceremony didn’t rock your socks off, their sleek reception will. The frosty grey color scheme and […]

  3. avatar Modern Florida Wedding by 1313 Photography, Part II | Gift Registry News reply

    […] a little bit gaga over Whitney + Jeff’s modern yet romantic Florida wedding. If their poolside ceremony didn’t rock your socks off, their sleek reception will. The frosty grey color scheme and […]

  4. avatar The Friday Fresh Squeeze | Floridian Weddings reply

    […] loving couple! Check out the rest of their sweet engagement here.Did you catch the beautiful modern wedding at the National Hotel that was featured on Southern Weddings this week? The (amazing!) dress, the cute bridal party […]

  5. avatar Jessica reply

    I’ve searched high and low… can you pleeease tell me where that gorgeous ring is from? Thank you!

  6. avatar Engagement Ring Shopping: How Much is Too Much? | Heart Love Weddings reply

    […] Photo by Studio 13:13 via Southern Weddings […]

  7. avatar Pink and Turquoise Wedding from Erin McLean Events, Part II « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Loving this wedding? Check these out! Whitney + Jeff’s modern and sparkling pink wedding here and here. Megan + Steven’s pink and blue Southern soiree here and here. Caitlin + […]

  8. avatar Fabric Inspiration : Happy Valentine’s Day! | Blue Magpie Invitations Blog reply

    […] (clockwise from top left): 13:13 Photography via Southern Weddings Magazine; Michelle Warren via Snippet and Ink; Kristin Moore Photo via The Bride’s Cafe; Tinywater […]

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