Southern Weddings

I always love when wedding venues hold a special place in couples’ hearts before they get married, and Camille and Austin reminded me that a wedding day can make a sentimental place even more special! Together with their planner, Shelly Fortune, Camille and Austin transformed Camille’s family’s farm into a venue for their beautiful wedding day, bursting with joy (and gorgeous blooms!). Now when they visit the farm, these two are reminded of their magical day over and over again! Heavens, what a wonderful memory to have!

Big hugs to Melanie Mauer for sharing such a sweet day with us!

Austin and I chose to get married at my parents’ farm, Three Fields Farm. I have three older sisters, and the sister right above me actually got married there in 2009, so I loved the challenge of showing the farm in a different light, as many of our guests overlapped. It is so special for Austin and me when we visit the farm now–we get to relive our magical day over and over!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Two of my sisters, my mom, and I went to Cincinnati’s Bridal and Formal to shop for my wedding dress. Both sisters that went with me had bought their wedding gowns there, so I was very comfortable in the store. The same bridal consultant that helped me find my dress had also helped two of my older sisters, in 2003 and 2009! My dress was the first one I ever tried on. I felt so special when I put it on and walked out of the fitting room–it had a lot of drama and presence to it, both of which I loved. Since this was going to be the one and only time I got to wear a wedding dress, I wanted to look very bridal. My dress and veil definitely accomplished that!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Honestly, I never considered not doing one–it made the most sense all around. Logistically, we couldn’t hide from each other, because we got married on my parents’ farm, where there are no homes or buildings (other than the barn) for us to hide in. Also, everything is so close together at the farm, which means all of our guests would have been sitting and watching us take pictures, causing us to lose that sense of intimacy. Another reason we chose to do a first look was because we wanted to be able to jump right into the party after the ceremony and let loose! Lastly, I wanted all of us to look as fresh as possible for our pictures, so getting all of the formal pictures checked off the list within four hours of finishing hair and makeup was so nice!

When I was walking down the aisle (it was very long and on the grass!), I kept stepping on the front my dress. I started to panic, as I imagined that everyone could see it, since all eyes were on me. My dad kept trying to get me to slow down. Just before we got to the chairs (the actual aisle), he said to me, “Camille, slow down. You only get to walk down this aisle once in your life. Take your time and enjoy it!” Even typing it, it still brings tears to my eyes because it was so special and is so true!

Our wedding flowers were one of the most important details for me, as I love flowers! I wanted to bring all of my colors together in my flowers so that everything would look cohesive. We used ivory and varying shades of pink (from light to a bright raspberry), mixed with pops of coral and burgundy. I wanted the flowers to flow naturally with various textures, and to be noticeable–I definitely didn’t want them to blend in. I hung fabric at the entrance of the barn and had my florist create a green garland to line the fabric, which was the perfect finishing touch!

What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? I paid a lot of attention to my rentals. Since we were married on my parents’ land, everything had to be brought in, from the chairs/tables/dishes to the restroom trailer and kitchen setup, which meant my rentals were going to be pricey. Anything that was decorative that I could buy myself rather than renting, I did, and it ended up being less expensive in the end! I purchased all of the lanterns, large glass hurricanes, and gold chargers, to name a few.

Raspberry (the color) and raspberries (the fruit) were present throughout our wedding–there were raspberries in the pre-ceremony, non-alcoholic signature drinks, in the pink champagne, the invitation ink color, the flowers, etc., so I chose a champagne cake with buttercream icing and raspberry filling. It was delicious!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Austin and I met in high school and were friends throughout. Sparks didn’t fly until years later (six years to be exact!) when I very randomly received a Facebook message from him, asking me to go to a wedding with him. My jaw literally dropped because it was COMPLETELY out of the blue–although we both attended UK, we didn’t stay in touch after high school. Occasionally, we’d run into each other on campus and exchange a quick, “Hi, how are you?” but that was it. Luckily, I didn’t have any plans and agreed to be his date. I recommended that we get dinner first to catch up, and we were the first ones seated for dinner at the restaurant, and the last to leave. The next day, my best friend came over to my apartment, and I specifically remember saying to her, “This is it–he’s the one!” Up to that point, I had always thought the saying, “You’ll know when you know” was so cliché, but I knew in that moment that it was true.
Tell us all about the proposal! Austin proposed while we were on a special Christmas trip to NYC. We were staying at the Waldorf (which should’ve been a giveaway that it was going to be an extra special trip, but I didn’t catch that one…), and he surprised me with room service for breakfast. When I lifted the silver dome on the plate, there was the ring and “Will you marry me?” written in chocolate on the plate. He got down on one knee and asked, and I said yes!
When did y’all get married? September 20, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 170
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we chose traditional vows–we felt it was an honor to say those vows to each other that so many have said before us. They perfectly said what we promise and feel for each other.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My maternal grandmother passed away just a few years ago. She was someone I was very close to and missed very much throughout my engagement and wedding. I carried an old handkerchief of hers (she always had handkerchiefs in her purse!) that had blue hydrangeas on it. It held the place of my borrowed, blue, and old–my dress and accessories were all new. It felt as though a piece of her was there that day to help wipe my tears as Austin and I said our “I dos.”
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? I planted a small bottle of Woodford Reserve (since we were getting married in Woodford County, where Woodford Reserve is located/distilled) on my parents’ farm about a month before the wedding on a BEAUTIFUL day, in hopes that our wedding day would have that same kind of weather. We were so lucky and did, indeed, have that exact weather on our wedding day–no humidity and a high of 78. It was gorgeous! We also served a bourbon drink, an Old Fashioned, for our “His” signature drink, toasting to Kentucky tradition.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Knowing what advice/opinions to listen to and when to just nod, smile, and pay no attention! :)
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Austin and I are just enjoying being married and working on our home. We’re also trying to travel as much as possible!

Photographer: Melanie Mauer / Planner: Shelly Fortune / Venue: Three Fields Farm / Florist: Hide and Seek Design / Wedding Cake: Martine’s Pastries / Caterer: Apiary Fine Catering / Rentals: Purdon’s Rental; Bryant’s Rent-All and Fifty Chairs / Band: The Downtown Band / Paper Products: Dancing Pen and Press /
Bride’s Gown: Lazaro / Hair and Makeup: PinkLouLou Design Studio / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: Twirl Boutique /

Written with love by Marissa