Southern Weddings

If there’s one thing we love almost as much as Southern weddings around here, it’s Southern food. Elizabeth and Eric’s love story began with a date over “heavenly” macaroni and cheese, and with a start that delicious, is it any surprise that we’re enjoying their wedding today? Their formal Tennessee wedding was full of the dreamiest pink roses, Memphis-inspired food and drinks, and some lovely hot pink details–I’m loving Elizabeth’s Kate Spade heels and bright manicure, especially!

Thanks to Annabella Charles for sharing Elizabeth and Eric’s wedding with us!

We met in May of 2010 when I worked at Southwest Tennessee Community College. One morning, at an employee meeting, I was telling one of my co-workers that there were no good guys out there and I was ready to call it quits on dating. He mentioned that he had a friend that would be the “perfect guy” for me and that we should talk. After we had talked about him for a while, I asked him to have his friend call me. A few days later, I received a call from Eric, and we instantly connected in our first conversation. We agreed to meet a few days later, where we got to know each other and bonded over some heavenly macaroni and cheese. It was love at first sight!!

Isn’t Elizabeth’s bouquet lovely? The texture is so unique, and I love the little succulents peeking out.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to do a first look prior to the wedding to have an intimate moment to ourselves.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes. My favorite part of our vows was how much we meant to one another.

If you’re a fan of pink roses, you’re going to LOVE Elizabeth and Eric’s romantic reception!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My husband’s specialty drink was simply Southern: bourbon and coke. We named it the Old Southern on our drink menus and served all of our drinks with striped paper straws. The invitations were classic and elegant. We had them printed on gold luxe, shiny paper and had a laser die-cut machine make intricate, swirled designs on every envelope and invitation. Getting married in Memphis, we definitely had to include some pulled pork barbecue. We dressed them up with a mango barbecue sauce and Asian slaw to give everyone a taste of our Hawaiian proposal and our Memphis roots.

Tell us all about the proposal! What better place to get engaged than in Hawaii! On our first full day in Honolulu, we were going to brunch at the Kahala Resort with Eric’s family, when he decided to show me around the hotel. He took me around the dolphin pool and along the beach, when we came upon a peninsula on the edge of the property. He took me out to the end to show me the ocean and the famous Diamond Head Crater. We were talking about how beautiful it was when he started to tell me how much he loved me. He got through three words before I started bawling, because I knew what was happening. After he finished his speech, he got down on his knee and presented me with the ring. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect occasion for one of the most special moments of our lives!
When did y’all get married? September 8, 2012
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 300
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. It was a five-tiered cake decorated with white pearls and pink sugar flowers. My favorite cake flavors are in the citrus family, so we had white cake with alternating lemon and orange layers. It was divine! The groom’s cake was fashioned after a stack of antique books with an open cigar box on top. Since my husband’s grandfather smoked cigars and we had a master cigar roller at our wedding, it was a perfect match, and a great way to honor his grandfather’s memory. We also wanted people to have some dessert options other than our cakes, so we had mini churros, sfogliatelle (Italian cream puff) and mini cannolis.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Time! It seemed like we always had to meet with vendors and pick out every little detail. All of that was extremely time consuming and, with both of us working, we had to plan everything far in advance to make our meetings work. Many times, we had to meet over our lunch breaks or had to ask to meet after work. But, we got past it and were able to put together an amazing wedding despite those constraints.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Honestly, I think we had a dream team of vendors. Everyone worked together perfectly and the wedding was flawless!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Everyone crying during the vows.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? I can’t wait to start our life together by decorating our new home. There’s a lot of work to do, but it will be fun doing everything together and making our house a home. It will be nice to share everything with one another and have my best friend with me all the time.

Photographer: Annabella Charles / Videographer: Creation Studios / Planner: Social Butterflies / Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Dixon Gallery and Gardens / Florist, Lighting and Special Details: Garden District / Wedding Cake: Oh My Ganache Bakery / Caterer: Ziparos Catering / Rentals: Mahaffey Tent and Party Rentals / Band: Memphis Soul Revue / Paper Products: Natalie Chang / Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Ronald McKnight / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid / Groom’s Tux: Custom made / Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A Bank / Cigars: Wrapture Cigars / String Quartet: Beth Luscombe String Quartet

Written with love by Lisa