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When it comes to mixing decor genres, I believe Southern and nautical make the perfect pair! Throwing some British inspiration into the mix could have made it more than interesting, but for Heather and Eric, with the help of their planner and florist, Crystal at Southern Posies, incorporating all the different strands of their heritage came together in an absolutely lovely day! I’m officially obsessed with the oyster shell table runner and the story behind Heather’s single magnolia bloom bouquet (be sure to read below)!

We’re sending bug hugs all the way to Austin to Mrs. Caroline Joy for capturing this pretty day!

My something borrowed was my late grandfather’s tie pin that my grandmother lent me; my grandfather was the beloved patriarch of our entire family, and we lost him just a few years ago, so I just had to have him there with us somehow. My something blue was an evil eye charm that a stranger pinned on me when I was a baby–he told my parents that “I would need it,” as they are supposed to protect the wearer from evil thoughts. My something old was my antique sapphire ring that my parents found when we lived in England. My something new turned out to be a solitaire teardrop sapphire necklace that Eric gave me on our wedding day. I also had a sixpence in my shoe that my brother’s best friend brought me over from England when he came for the wedding to surprise my brother!

The décor was an odd mix of Southern, nautical, and a little British (my family and I lived in England when I was in high school). My planner and florist, Crystal, and I picked out soft blooms in cream and blush to complement everything, and anemones, succulents, and dusty miller really brought out the nautical elements. After Crystal and I had designed a beautiful bridal bouquet, Eric and I were having a hard day with a difficult, very personal family issue. Driving into my neighborhood, I saw that the magnolia trees were in bloom, and seeing them cheered me up, so I asked Eric to stop so I could pick one. I’ve always loved magnolias, so I apologized to Crystal and asked her to change my bouquet–I carried a single magnolia bloom, and Eric’s boutonniere was a magnolia seed.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows, going with tradition. We did write promise notes to each other though, and our favorite promises were to never stop working on our marriage and to always speak kindly to each other, no matter what. That’s a promise we live by now.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I made an appointment at Ivory and White in Birmingham and showed my consultant, Molly, several pictures of dresses. She laughed and told me that all my pictures were of the same dress, and she had it in the store! I tried it on and just loved it. My momma, however, really didn’t like it. Even though it made me sad that my mom wasn’t in love with it like I was, I just didn’t see another dress I liked. We found out the designer was having a trunk show at the store in a few months, so we waited until then to purchase the dress. The day my mom, my mother-in-law, and I went to buy the dress, I tried on lots of trunk show dresses, just for fun. My mom really liked one of them, and when I put it on, I realized it had everything the first dress had, and more. The only thing this dress didn’t have was a train, but Molly told me the designer could add a train to the dress. It was perfect!

Short of the British pub table outside the church, I am not sure what wasn’t Southern about our wedding. All of the food was Southern–sweet potato fries, oysters, green beans, fried chicken, prime rib, mashed potatoes, cornbread, collards, and chicken tenders and mac and cheese for the kids. The pound cake and red velvet cake are both Southern favorites. A lot of the details included seersucker and grosgrain. We included our love for Auburn–guests signed a framed and matted print from Auburn that says “from family grows tradition,” and I had a garter from Tiger Rags. We are the fourth generation in my family to be married in June. My favorite Southern details were the hand-sewn heirloom dresses we gave to the bell ringers, because they turned out to be the prettiest ones I have ever seen. And of course, our favorite Southern tradition was our receiving line.

I really love classical music, and being a ballet dancer, visualizing things to classical music comes easily to me. When I listened to the wedding pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty, I could just see all of those walks up and down the aisle. The music is so, so beautiful and romantic and just lent itself perfectly to our wedding.

When we told Ms. Rose Pollman, the wedding cake designer at the Staple bakery in Mobile, that we wanted a traditionally decorated cake, she was over the moon. Too funny! She made the most delicious cream cheese pound cake that we served with strawberries.Eric’s groom cake was red velvet, and the cake topper on it held special significance to us. On a road trip, we passed two horses on opposite sides of a fence that were nuzzling necks as close as they could get. We just knew they loved each other! The nuzzling birds now always remind us of those horses and to love each other, no matter what fence is in the way.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. The summer after my junior year at Auburn University, a friend invited me to go downtown one night. There, I met all of his friends, including Eric. We were instantly attracted to each other, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were both majoring in engineering. We started to hang out more and more, and not long after we met, Eric brought up talk of a relationship, which I didn’t quite respond to the way he had hoped, and apparently, I didn’t talk to him for two weeks. As fate would have it, magic was in the air that fall, and we grew closer with each date and exciting football game. A few months later, a friend of a friend blatantly asked us, in front of a lot of people, if we were “like, together?” to which Eric furiously shook his head and said that was not the case. I thought his response was a little too quick–I guess it was his revenge for the alleged “two weeks of silence,” because when I asked him if that wasn’t a possibility, he said it was possible. The next morning, on his birthday, I remember waking up so happy because I was thinking of him. I told him later that I had a birthday present for him–that if he wanted to talk about a relationship, I wouldn’t freak out. It took us six months from when we first met to put aside our stubbornness, but we’ve pretty much been inseparable ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! From Eric: It was December, and I picked the ring up on Saturday morning with a reservation at Hamilton’s Restaurant that night to “celebrate her performances in The Nutcracker Ballet.” After dinner, I convinced Heather to go on campus with me instead of going to see her family, who were in town for her ballet performances, at a nearby restaurant. After some nerve-wracking conversation, we finally walked over to the swing where we had gone to talk after our first date. After reminiscing about that date, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. After a noticeable and, once again, nerve-wracking pause, she started to cry, so I tried to lighten the mood and said “Please?” She said yes!
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 200
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We cut having a videographer pretty early on, which is actually something I really regret–I wish we had taken a longer look to cut out other things that weren’t lasting. We used a lot of our own décor, which cut down on flower costs and rentals. Also, my planner and the awesome lady who designed our paper suite are both just starting out in the industry, so their costs were not as high as most other vendors. They were both fantastic and attentive and so personable to work with, and their work turned out more beautifully than I could have imagined!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I’m a crier, and I surprised myself the entire day by not crying. I was just so happy all day! But then, we started saying our vows, and tears just started streaming down my face. The most memorable moment for me was when Eric wiped my tears away.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are just happy to be living together and having quiet days to ourselves. We are definitely looking forward to building our home, traditions, and family together!

Photographer: Caroline Joy Photography / Planner and Florist: Crystal Strickland from Southern Posies / Ceremony Venue: Fairhope United Methodist Church / Reception Venue and Catering: Steelwood / Wedding Cake: Pollman’s Bakery / Band: The Voltage Brothers through EastCoast Entertainment / Paper Products: Kara Anne Paper / Bride’s Gown: “Katarina” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Second Gown: “Sweet Dreams” by Ivy and Aster / Bride’s Veil: “Leda” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Earrings: Kate Spade /Hair Stylist: Joanna Ballentine and Molly Stilley from Morgan Ashley Salon / Makeup Artist: Celine Russell / Bride’s Shoes: “Chantilly Booties” from BHLDN / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Niceties Dress” in French Grey from BHLDN / Men’s Attire: Black by Vera Wang from Men’s Wearhouse / Bow Ties: J. Hilburn / Cufflinks: Bullet Cufflinks / Girls’ Getting Ready Robes: BHLDN

marissa Written with love by Marissa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    Heather’s magnolia bouquet is perfect, and I love their all-calligraphy invitation!

  2. avatar Hallie Deyton reply

    I loved this article! I absolutely loved her dress and hearing about all of her personal details she put into the wedding. I think that’s what a wedding should be about – the little personal details. My favorite part was her bouquet – that is something she will definitely remember for the rest of her life!

  3. avatar Stacy {Woodsy Weddings} reply

    Even the church doors match your nautical inspiration! The dress looks beautiful and I love that long dark wood table with the string of lights in the background. Rustic, comfortable, and intimate.

  4. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Brittany and Robert loved celebrating their marriage with 650 dear friends and family members! Heather and Eric incorporated all different pieces of their heritage into their classic wedding. Jeni and Adam loved […]

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The importance of family in the South can’t be underscored enough, and for today’s couple, Brittany and Joel, it means everything–without the wisdom of Joel’s mother, the two of them would not have even met! The front porch of Joel’s childhood home subsequently made the perfect backdrop for this lovely couple to become husband and wife. For their backyard reception, Brittany was inspired to make guests feel as though they had stepped back in time, and achieved it in such a charming way, thanks to a “drive-in movie” slideshow, a barbershop quartet, and an impressive assortment of vintage china.

Thank you so much to Blue Ribbon Vendor Kt Crabb for sharing Brittany and Joel’s wedding with us!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I was working for The Cotillion Southern Cafe. When I went to the owner, Kathi Vincent, to give her my two-week notice before going home to my family in North Carolina, Kathi quickly said that she had a strong feeling I should stay to meet her son, who was coming home for the holidays from Utah. Joel came home a week early and I stayed to meet him. We hit it off so much that I went back to Utah with Joel to get all of his things, and our relationship began. A year later, we were married!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We both wrote our own vows. Joel’s were the best!! He also had his vows to me printed in a frame waiting at our private villa on our wedding night.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance was to “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds. I walked down the aisle to “Make You Feel My Love” and we walked back up the aisle to “Oh Happy Day.”

Our wedding flowers looked like we had just walked outside and picked them. We used roses and baby’s breath, as well as all the wonderful flowers my mother-in-law, Kathi, grows around the family home. All of the wedding party carried handmade fabric flowers that Kathi made of fabrics from her wedding dress, my mother’s dress, and Joel’s sisters’ wedding dresses.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We were married on the front porch of the house Joel was raised in. We also had a pie bar, a biscuit bar, fried chicken, and mason jars to drink out of. In our invitations, we asked everyone to wear bow ties and big hats.

We did not want a DJ at the wedding because we wanted people to feel like they were stepping back in time, and we did not want a party–we wanted a celebration. We played all classic oldies music that we set up on a playlist. Joel’s brother also used the playlist in a “drive-in” slide show that played throughout the wedding.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had three wedding cakes and about twelve different pie flavors. The cakes were coconut, salted caramel, and a steel magnolia cake. The pies were pecan, key lime, hoochie mama, butterscotch, peanut butter, blueberry, pumpkin and sweet potato. I made all of the cakes and pies at the family restaurant The Cotillion Southern Cafe–Kathi has been teaching me!

I adore this shot of the barbershop quartet–what a perfect addition to a vintage-inspired wedding!

Tell us all about the proposal! He popped the question on the top floor of our first apartment together, so we could always go back to where our engagement started.
When were y’all married? November 23 2012
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 250
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did not do a first look because we wanted to keep our wedding very traditional.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Honestly, finding a dress was the most simple part of the wedding (other then marrying the man of my dreams)–the first and only dress I tried on was the one!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed was pearl jewelry that my father gave to my mother, which I wore with my dress. My something old was all of the fabric in my bouquet, and my something new was a spoon bracelet I wore. I gave matching bracelets to my bridesmaids as well.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Timing, because we planned our wedding in six months!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We would have to say working with our photographer, Kt Crabb, because she was really one of our only vendors. We did all of our own foods and desserts, as well as decorations and set up.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are both looking forward to a future with many children. We are expecting our first child September 20, 2014!

Photographer: Kt Crabb / Venue: Private residence / Florist: Mother of the Groom / Catering and Desserts: The Cotillion Southern Cafe / Bride’s Gown: Style MS251001 by David’s Bridal / Veil and Shoes: David’s Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: Their own / Hair and Makeup: Ashyln Showley

Kt Crabb is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
13 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    This wedding looks like so much fun! Love that they created an experience for their guests that was true to them, even if it was different from the standard dinner + dancing!

  2. avatar Katie Crabb reply

    Thank you so much for sharing this lovely wedding! I hope it truly inspires other couples to embrace the sweet southern environment Brittany and Joel created for their wedding day. After all those pictures of pie, I think I might just have to go make some!

  3. avatar Amanda {Planning It All} reply

    There are so many home-y details I love – the “drive in,” signing the quilt, even just having the silverware for dessert in a silver chest – just like it would be at home!

  4. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] and Graham filled their wedding with family heirlooms and foods that celebrated their home city. Brittany and Joel held a front porch ceremony (y’all know we love that!) and a sweet backyard reception. Have […]

  5. avatar Kat reply

    There is just so much I adore about this wedding!!! Her big pink bow, the vintage details, those chairs… and a “Drive In” section?! The best!!!

  6. avatar Ashlyn Showley reply

    I had the incredible honor of doing the beautiful bride’s hair and makeup for this wedding. Everything about this wedding was magical, and you could truly feel the intense love between the two. Thank you, Brittany for allowing me to be apart of that day!

  7. avatar Lindsay {Everistta} reply

    What an amazing dress!

  8. avatar Top Five Southern Pies in Honor of National Pi Day | Your Hub for Southern Culture reply

    […] Brittany and Joel served up twelve different pie flavors at their wedding, including pecan, Key lime, butterscotch, peanut butter, blueberry, pumpkin, and sweet potato. Even more impressive? The bride made them all herself at the family cafe! (Photos by Kt Crabb) […]

  9. avatar February Pin-spiration » Marry and Bright reply

    […] porch wedding vows, a lovely old farm house, and lots of PIE made this wedding day one of our […]

  10. avatar Brittany & Joel • Backyard Southern Wedding reply

    […] Featured on: Southern Weddings […]

  11. avatar {Themed Party} グランピング | ベンジャミンズパーティー reply

    […] Southern Weddings / Photography by Kt […]

  12. avatar Darien reply

    Does anyone know what dress this is? I’ve been dreaming of it! I have to have it it’s so beautiful! Such a beautiful wedding.

  13. avatar pale pink and gold wedding colors,pink and gold wedding colour scheme reply

    […] : Bouquet – flickr | Wedding dress – southernweddings | Table setting – elizabethannedesigns | Valentino Shoes – nordstrom | Cake […]

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