Southern Weddings

I’m loving the paper products in Heather + Sam’s wedding. A handkerchief in each invitation, completed with a belly band, some twine and a wax stamp sounds like a beautiful, but simple idea. Even cuter? The “Will you be my bridesmaid?” card! The rustic and vintage touch was brought over into Heather’s bouquet. Epting Events artfully crafted a bouquet which was filled with peonies, astilbe and, my favorite part, mint. It was carried down the aisle with another handkerchief by Heather who wore a lacy Anne Barge dress. The couple exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony shaded by trees and surrounded by a low brick wall. We think it’s gorgeous! Big thanks to Our Labor of Love for sharing!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Sam and I met during our final semester at Elon University through mutual friends. It was actually a plan hatched by some of my sorority sisters. Despite the fact that we were consistently ending up at the same parties and get togethers, we were never formally introduced. Luckily, Sam decided to chat with me online and ask me out on a date. If you ask Sam, he’ll tell you that I rejected him. The real truth, though, is that I just postponed things until the week after my birthday and Valentine’s Day. What guy needs that kind of pressure? I was just looking out for him! Needless to say, everything worked out for the best!
Describe the proposal. After just having moved into our first apartment together, my parents were visiting for the week to help us get settled. I was working from home with my mom for company, while the guys went golfing one day. Unbeknownst to me, Sam was asking for my father’s blessing on the 17th hole. Later that evening, after dinner, it was suggested that we all take a walk around the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Conveniently, my parents wandered off on their own. Sam tried to get me over to “our bench” so he could propose, but I was not cooperating. After one failed attempt, he finally got me where he wanted me, dropped down to one knee, said a bunch of beautiful things that I cannot for the life of me remember, and proposed. What I do remember is incredulously asking “are you serious?” and then shaking my head yes over and over again and snatching up the gorgeous ring before he had the chance to place it on my finger. Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream on the way home and celebrated with a bottle of champagne that the men had snuck in the fridge when I wasn’t looking.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Vintage, blissful, unforgettable.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The most meaningful had to be our wine and love letter ceremony, or “The Box of Love and Promise” as referred to by our officiant. It is such a beautiful box! During our ceremony we placed the bottle of wine and letters we had written each other into the box. Along with our pastor and both sets of parents (who have been married for well over 25 years!), we nailed the box shut. It is to be opened on our 10th wedding anniversary or if our marriage encounters any hardships. So many of our guests commented on how touching that part of the ceremony was.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: After an unsuccessful trip to a few boutiques in Atlanta, I flew home to visit my parents a few months later and my mom took me into the city for an appointment at Kleinfeld’s. After showing my consultant a few photos of our venue, she picked out some dresses for me to try on, most of which were from the newest Anne Barge collection. There was one dress in particular that I thought looked quite ugly on the hanger, but wouldn’t you know, it ended up being “the dress.” As soon as the matching veil was on my head, there was a rush of tears. Honestly, I think I love the veil just a teensy bit more than the actual dress and I would probably wear it every day if it wouldn’t make me look like a crazy person!
Describe your wedding flowers: Heavenly! After showing our florist some inspiration photos, I told him that I wanted a fluffy, romantic, wild and organic looking bouquet with a color palette of white, pink and green. Peonies were a must. Well it was all that, and more! In addition to white and pink peonies, the florist used white ranunculus, pink astilbe, white waxflower, ladies mantle, seeded eucalyptus, and fresh mint. I LOVED the fresh mint!

Written with love by Nicole