Southern Weddings

As many of y’all know, I’m lucky to be married to my college sweetheart, so I always feel so akin to fellow college sweethearts! Madison and Brady’s story not only started at their alma mater, but their sweet proposal also took place right in front of the building where they first met! Gah, so romantic! And, can we talk more about romance for just a sec? Madison and Brady’s stunning ceremony backdrop at Mint Springs Farm makes my heart skip a beat! I can absolutely see why Madison couldn’t believe she got to marry the man of her dreams there!

Hugs to Kristin Sweeting for sharing this lovely day with us!

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? I was so thankful for all of them! But specifically, Mrs. Jan, the mother of one of my dearest friends and bridesmaids, Elizabeth, does incredible calligraphy and designed our wedding invitations and hand-addressed them, as well as designed our programs. They were absolutely stunning, and having her design them made them that much more special.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I went to a little local bridal shop with my mom and my dad. Since my fiancé and I wanted a quick engagement, I was very afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to find my dream dress and have it be ready in time for the wedding. Amazingly, I found not one, but two perfect dresses. The ladies at the bridal shop were so sweet and offered me the sample of either dress! I picked my dress and had my first fitting that afternoon!

Describe your wedding flowers. They were so dreamy! We used lots of whites with delicate touches of pink and lots of greenery. I wanted the arrangements to look like traditional wedding flowers, but also to reflect our personalities. They turned out more incredibly than I could have ever imagined!

We loved the altar where the ceremony took place. The stunning flower arrangements that surrounded us, the white curtains billowing in the wind, and the wooden cross behind us were all so idyllic. The first time I saw it, I was so overcome with emotion and I kept thinking “I cannot believe I get to marry the man of my dreams here.”

My dad is the lead singer of Sawyer Brown. I joked with him since I was first engaged that he should write a song for our first dance. He claimed he didn’t write songs anymore, so my godfather, who is another member of the band wrote one for us instead. I was so touched. My dad also recorded the song “Down the Road” by Mac McCanally for the daddy/daughter and mother/son dance. He used to play it around the house when I was little, and it was always one of my favorites. However, after dinner, my dad was handed the microphone and said that he had lied to us and played us the song he had written for us. It was truly the highlight of the entire wedding.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Brady and I met our very first day of classes at Vanderbilt. I was walking to class behind a group of very tall boys and one of them turned around, asked if I was going to ethics class, and proceeded to introduce me to his friend, Brady. We sat next to each other every day in class and started dating around Christmastime. The rest is history!
Tell us all about the proposal! While I was at home in Nashville, Brady had one of my best friends (who still attends Vandy) invite me to visit with her one afternoon at our sorority house. She then tricked me into walking across campus “to meet a friend at her class.” Before I realized where we were, I was in front of the building where Brady and I had had that ethics class all those years ago. He (not our friend) walked out of the building and the rest was a complete blur. I was so surprised!
When did y’all get married? June 29, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We were married at Mint Springs Farm. The first time I saw the venue was in a picture on Instagram, and I knew that it was exactly where I wanted to be married. It was so beautiful and matched our personalities perfectly.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. It was a four-tiered cake with three different flavors: white chocolate almond, caramel butterscotch, and key lime. It was an all-white cake with a lace pattern that matched the lace on my wedding dress. And of course, it had a big monogrammed “B” on it!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? I feel that what made our wedding Southern was the importance we placed on our friends and family. We wanted to make sure that our friends and families felt how much we loved and appreciated them being with us on the best day of our lives. After that, all of the other details became added bonuses.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Do not sweat the small things! It was raining (pouring, really) the entire day of my wedding, but that didn’t matter. No matter how much rain there was, I was still going to be married to Brady at the end of that day. If you can keep laughing instead of worrying, the little things (like a massive bug crawling up the lace of your dress while taking pictures) become something to laugh at and remember instead of something to cry about.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We cannot wait to be in our first home in Florida!

Photographer: Kristin Sweeting / Venue, Planning, and Florals: Mint Springs Farm / Cake Baker: Signature Cakes by Vicki / Caterer: Chef Penelope / DJ: Snyder Entertainment / Paper Products: Jan Pruitt at Annabelle’s / Bride’s Gown: Pronovias / Hair and Makeup: Amanda Gros / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Morgan” in Petal by Donna Morgan / Men’s Attire: Black by Vera Wang

Written with love by Marissa