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For every bride, there comes that moment when it hits you–you actually feel like a bride, and you’ll soon be marrying your best friend. I remember that moment so clearly during my own engagement, and for Kristen, it came during her dress shopping trip. I imagine that if having her family in tow while dress shopping was special, having 200 of her and Clay’s friends and family present to celebrate their wedding was just incredible! Together with their planner, Lauren Chitwood, Kristen and Clay turned Oxmoor Farm into the beautiful outdoor wedding Kristen had dreamed of, complete with a Lowcountry boil station during cocktail hour and yummy s’mores!

Big hugs to Amy Campbell for sharing this sweet day with us!

One of the most memorable parts of wedding preparation for me was shopping for the perfect dress. That was the day that it felt real, and I felt more like a bride than ever. It was important to me to have my close family with me to pick out the dress. I went shopping with my grandmothers, mom, and sister. At the second store we visited, I put a few dresses on, and then it happened. When I looked in the mirror, I could see myself walking down the aisle and saying “I do” to my best friend. It’s so hard to determine what everything is going to look like on your wedding day, once your dress actually fits and your hair and makeup is done. In the end, it was beautiful and I know I made a great choice.

Clay and I were in agreement that we did not want to see each other before our ceremony. We both wanted that moment to happen when I walked down the aisle and my dad gave me away. It would have been wonderful to have our pictures taken beforehand, but we went with what we felt was right for us.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? It took us awhile to find the readings that we felt were fitting for us. Finally, we agreed on the Irish Blessing of Hands and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. We each chose one person to read; Clay chose his father and I chose my grandfather. Listening to each of them read on our wedding day was very special and is something that I’ll never forget.

Besides the Southern hot heat on the day of our wedding, the décor had many Southern touches, too. The Lowcountry boil station during cocktail hour was definitely Southern, as were the fire pits and s’mores–nothing says Southern evening like a fire pit and chocolate. Lastly, our venue is deeply rooted in Southern heritage.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Clay was wonderful about our venue–he didn’t really care where we did it, he just knew he wanted to marry me. I wanted to get married outside, and he was supportive of that. He has a huge family, so we also knew we needed a lot of space for a tent. Lauren, our wedding planner, suggested Oxmoor Farms, and after taking a tour of the property, I fell in love with it. I knew Clay would like it too, because he enjoys places with history. Later, I realized that I had actually played in soccer tournaments on the same field where we had our ceremony!

The wedding flowers were absolutely breathtaking. Before I started getting ready, I walked out to the reception area and was just blown away by how everything had come together. My wedding planner and floral designer used hydrangeas, garden roses, and seeded eucalyptus.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We decided on a small cake for us and our wedding party and cupcakes for everyone else. The choice to have a smaller wedding cake helped us save a little money. Our cake had a beautiful sugar flower that is still in our freezer–I’m hoping to re-use it in the future as we build our family!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met through mutual coworkers. A good friend I taught with had heard about Clay through her husband, who worked with Clay. Our friends helped us exchange phone numbers, and talked on and off, mainly through text messages. After about a month, we went on a blind date to dinner and a movie. The rest is history!
Tell us all about the proposal! Clay asked me to dinner early in the week, which was pretty unusual, since he’s more of a spur of the moment kind of guy, but I tried not to think too much about it. We went to dinner at a place called Game, and Clay was very excited. As we waited for a table, Clay was texting like crazy. He told me that he was texting his brother about an Xbox, which I later realized was not exactly the truth. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, and when we left the restaurant, it was cold and nasty outside, so Clay drove home like a mad man. When he got home, I opened the garage door to find something on the ground. As I turned the corner, I saw an entire path of rose petals and candles leading to the living room. Clay ended up dragging me into the living room because I felt like my feet were glued to the floor. He got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I was in absolute shock! It couldn’t have been any more perfect.
When did y’all get married? June 21, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We discussed writing our own vows, but I knew I’d be too nervous to actually say them, so we decided against it. Looking back, I think I could have said my own vows, because it felt like it was just him and me standing up there. I’m sure I would have been super nervous leading up to it though, so I think we made the right decision!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? The best thing that we did to prepare for our marriage was meet with Father Chibundi. He talked with us about the ups and downs of marriage and shared some of his own experiences. He also gave us a questionnaire to fill out about our relationship. He read over both of our answers and discussed them in detail with us. We were then able to discuss some of the harder issues with one another to plan for our life together.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment is definitely when I locked eyes with the man that I was about to marry! It’s a moment I’ll remember forever.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Our next big steps will be to start a family of our own. I can’t wait to see Clay as a father and I am thankful that I have him to lean on for the rest of my life.

Photographer: Amy Campbell / Videographer: Antonio Pantoja/ Planner: Lauren Chitwood / Venue: Oxmoor Farms / Florist: Sarah Harris / Wedding Cake and Desserts: The Sugar Woods / Caterer: Dupree Catering / Rentals: All Occasion Event Rentals / DJ: SUP DJ Brent Rodgers / Bridal Salon: Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique / Hair and Makeup: Kristie Hicks Creative / Bride’s Shoes: Macy’s / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Twirl / Groom’s Attire: Rebecca’s Black Tie / Table Numbers: Sweet Carolina Collective

Twirl is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Amy Campbell reply

    Thanks so much for the feature! This was a gorgeous day and I’m glad we could share it with others!

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One of the best things about Southern winters is that they’re chilly enough to permit all things cozy–fireplaces, hot chocolate, and furry coats, for example–but not so cold that a winter bride and groom can’t hold their wedding outside! Hannah and Jeremy prioritized showing their guests true Southern hospitality, and from the blankets that were passed out at the ceremony to the s’mores station set up at the reception, we’re sure everyone felt so loved and welcomed!

Thank you so much to Perry Vaile for capturing Hannah and Jeremy’s day and sharing it with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. When I went to go look for my wedding dress, I was really nervous. When I went to the store, I told my bridal consultant that the only two requirements for my dress were sleeves and lace. When all of the tulle dresses she brought in did not work, I asked to browse the dresses in the showroom. I walked straight up to the dress that would soon be my bridal gown. It was covered in an amazing lace, but it did not have sleeves. I had a quick consult with the seamstress, who was able to construct the sleeves that I wanted, creating my dream dress.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did decide to do a first look. We made the decision to do so after considering how early the sun would go down in November, but even more so, we decided to see each other because we both felt it would calm our nerves. Having that moment on that day that only the two of us shared is something that we will never forget.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment from our wedding day was when our photographer took us off-location after our first look to take some photos of just the two of us. It allowed us to have a moment to ourselves away from all of the hustle and bustle of the wedding day. We were able to just chat and calm our nerves and really take in the moment. It was the only moment that day when we were really by ourselves.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows, but we chose a more modern version of wedding vows than the traditional ones. Our favorite phrase was “I promise to love you without reservation.”

There were hints of the South all throughout our wedding–the small town, the mason jars, the woodsy decor. The biggest Southern tradition that we wanted to portray, however, was our hospitality. Because our wedding was smaller, we were able to shower our guests with small tokens of our hospitality–blankets to warm them up during the outdoor ceremony, hot cocoa and apple cider, s’mores, and fireplaces, to name a few. We wanted to make sure each and every one of our guests felt comfortable and content, which is what each of them has done for us for the past six years of our relationship. It was the perfect time to honor them.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We would say that the most amazing vender we included in our wedding day was our photographer. Not only did our photographer help us to capture so many important moments, you could literally feel that she was creating magic behind that camera. It also seemed like she was everywhere at once. Every time I thought, “I’d love to have a picture of that,” there she was working her magic.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Jeremy and I met a little over six years ago at our university’s summer orientation. The girl I roomed with attended high school with a guy who played on the football team, and Jeremy was on the team as well, so we met through them. After orientation, Jeremy and I went our separate ways back to our hometowns. We officially started dating during the first month of college and have been together ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! Jeremy created such an amazing proposal, it still doesn’t feel real sometimes. Unbeknownst to me (which is extremely rare, since I’m hard to surprise), Jeremy spent four months planning his proposal. On my birthday, he gathered all of our friends together to watch me open this amazing gift that everyone knew about and kept raving about. I thought for sure that it would be a ring. Instead, when I opened the box, I found tickets to see my favorite band, Mumford & Sons. In my excitement, I failed to notice where the concert was taking place–New York City, which is my favorite place. We were leaving two days later, so I started to freak out a little because I had work and arrangements to make before leaving, but Jeremy told me he had already taken care of everything with my work. He also told me to pack a really fancy outfit for one of the nights we were going to be there, so I thought that would be the night the proposal would take place. Once again, I was wrong. On the second day we were in the city, we ate lunch at a cute little pub in midtown Manhattan. After lunch, Jeremy said, “Let’s take a walk over to 5th Avenue and check it out,” to which I replied, “Nah, my belly is full. Let’s go nap in the hotel,” but he talked me into it. When we got outside of the pub, we noticed it had started to snow, which really made me want to nap, but I went along anyway. On the way over to 5th Avenue, we passed the LOVE sculpture, so of course I wanted a picture in front of it. Jer said, “Sure, let me get this random lady to take our pic.” While I waited in front of the statue, he switched the camera to video mode and came to stand next to me. Jeremy is super tall (6’9″), so when he got over to me, I told him, “Hey, you may need to duck down a bit so she doesn’t chop your head off in the pic.” He said, “Oh, you want me to duck down? Okay.” and proceeded to get down on one knee and pull out a ring. I, of course, flipped out and said “YES,” but it didn’t end there. After a few minutes of taking in the moment, I started to notice that there were two people with super nice cameras taking pictures of us. I asked Jer if he knew them, and he said he had hired them to be there. Not only that, but the random woman had taken a complete video of the entire encounter. And it STILL doesn’t end there! That evening was the evening for the fancy dress, which I thought at that point was just so we could go out and celebrate. As soon as I stepped off of the elevator at the restaurant, my jaw dropped. Straight across from me was a table of three of our closest friends, who had driven up from North Carolina to celebrate with us!
When did y’all get married? November 30, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 75
Describe your wedding flowers. We used succulents with splashes of blush flowers. We thought the succulent was a unique option for a fall/winter wedding.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. A family friend made our simple, but elegant, three-tier wedding cake. The top and bottom tiers were Jeremy’s favorite (carrot cake), and the middle tier was my favorite cake (lemon). The cake was covered in a smooth buttercream icing and was topped with a miniture LOVE statue replica, like the one in NYC that Jeremy proposed in front of.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I did have something blue, old, and new. My something blue was a pair of antique earrings that my nana gave me, which are nearly a century old and are adorned with a single sapphire stone. My something old was the gold bangle bracelet that my nana was given on her wedding day by her husband. My something new was my beautiful lace wedding gown.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge Jeremy and I had to overcome during the wedding planning process was to learn what was really important to us. People may think we are completely insane when we say this, but from the time you get engaged to the time you get married, life is an absolute whirlwind. It feels like the two of you are sitting completely still and everyone and everything around you is moving in fast motion telling you, “Do it this way,” “Put that there,” “Stand here.” During that time, Jeremy and I had to stop and focus on what really mattered, which was not just planning a wedding that would last one day, but rather, a marriage that would last a lifetime.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Take in each moment! We had so many people tell us during the planning process that the wedding day goes by so quickly. We found that if you have prepared yourself to take in each moment, it will go by at your own pace. I even had one of my bridesmaids remind me throughout the day to take in the moment. Tt was like a breath of fresh air every time she told me to take a mental picture, because it was so easy to get carried away and forget to seize the moment.

Perry Vaile is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

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

    This wedding looks like it would have been so cozy to attend! Love the rich blue + ceremony florals!

  2. avatar Perry Vaile reply

    This absolutely made my day! It was such a privilege to work with and shoot Hannah and Jeremy’s gorgeous wedding day! I was THIS close to grabbing a seat and bundling up with a blanket and s’mores myself!!! :)

  3. avatar Stephanie reply

    Oh this wedding is gorgeous and so romantic! I love all of the winter details – and their proposal story is beautiful and so special!

  4. avatar Dana reply

    the photographer did an amazing job! love that last photo with the sparklers!

  5. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Love the outdoor touches for this wedding!

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    […] Vaile via Southern Weddings – Brudepikekjoler via Donna […]

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One thing we love most about the South, and Southern weddings in particular, is that accompanying a love for tradition is an equally strong love for being true to ourselves. Today’s lovely couple, Megan and Aaron, are a perfect example of this. Planning a wedding in six months, walking down the aisle to bluegrass music, and playing lawn games in October, for example, are all things that many people might consider “against the rules” when it comes to weddings, but as Megan realized, there really aren’t any rules! As a result, their wedding was full of moments and details that truly meant something to them.

We’re so inspired by Megan and Aaron–thanks to Chris Isham for sharing their wedding with us!

We had talked about getting married for quite awhile, but the night we got engaged was a complete surprise. Two of my friends from Nashville were in town for the weekend. Aaron found out the ring was ready on Friday, and after talking with the girls, he made a plan to ask me that same night. For the entire night, the girls were stalling me, but I had no idea–he apparently kept texting them to say he needed more time. After a leisurely stroll through the park, a concert, and a tour of my place, we finally arrived at Aaron’s house. His car wasn’t there, so I assumed he wasn’t home. After some coaxing to get me into the kitchen, I turned the corner to see him standing in the dark with candles lit, tons of flowers, and the cutest handmade sign ever. I was in complete shock, but of course, I said yes!

I knew I wanted a very neutral color scheme for the wedding overall, but I also wanted to have a few subtle hints of fall. My flowers were mostly white and blush with green accents and hints of rust and dark brown. I don’t know a ton about flowers, but I told the florist what I was looking for, and they completely nailed it!

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My old and blue was one and the same. Within the last few years, I lost my grandparents. They were the sweetest couple and I really admired their marriage. My grandfather served in the Vietnam War, and while he was away, he sent my grandmother a sweet pillow cover that said, “Sweetheart- Until we meet again, sweet thoughts to you I send, may all my blessings be with you, Your sweetheart always true.” I had my seamstress cut this part of the pillow cover and sew it into the bottom of my dress. It was a way to have them as part of the wedding even though they weren’t physically there. My something new was my dress and jewelry. For my something borrowed, one of my maids of honor took part of the leftover material from her bridesmaid dress after she had it altered and incorporated it into a garter for me.

We hired a bluegrass band to play at our reception and a few songs for the ceremony. Instead of going with traditional wedding songs, the wedding party and I walked down the aisle to some fun, upbeat, traditional bluegrass songs. It fit perfectly with the setting and casual atmosphere I wanted for the wedding.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We chose to say the traditional vows that our pastor provided us with, but there was a line in them that I hadn’t heard before. It said, “I pledge to never stop learning to be your husband/wife.” It was my favorite line because it’s so true that marriage is a learning process. Neither of us is going to be perfect all the time. The goal is to learn how to be a better wife/husband throughout this journey.

The biggest challenge for me in the whole wedding planning process was trying to find a venue. We got engaged in April and we wanted to get married by November. Since most brides plan their weddings at least a year out, I had a hard time finding availability. I stumbled upon a venue in Asheville called Yesterday Spaces and absolutely fell in love, but they only had Sundays available. After talking it over with Aaron and my family, we decided we could make it work if we had the wedding earlier in the day. Once the venue was locked in, wedding planning was smooth sailing from there on out.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our wedding had a very Southern feel. The setting was on a farm and the ceremony was outside. At the reception, we opted for a buffet-style dinner with lots of yummy food, including a good ol’ Southern side of mac and cheese, and of course, sweet tea!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. I went with a small, simple, white, round cake with ombre ruffles, and then had a variety of cupcakes with mini ruffles. Aaron isn’t a big dessert person, but he does love apple pie, so instead of a groom’s cake, we also had mini apple, pecan, and pumpkin pies. The desserts were displayed on white porcelain stands and slices of tree to give the dessert table the rustic and elegant look I was going for.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? You don’t have to go with tradition or do what everyone else does. In some aspects of our wedding, I felt like I needed to do the “traditional” things, but some of them just didn’t feel like us. After someone told me I didn’t HAVE to do anything, I quit stressing about the things I felt like I should do, and just went with things that we liked.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. In the summer of 2011, I was encouraged to try online dating by a friend’s sister. I brushed it off, but later mentioned it to my roommate. After being “dared” and curiosity getting the best of me, I took the plunge and joined an online dating site for one month. Luckily, Aaron was encouraged by a few friends to give it a try as well and joined at the same time I did. Three months after communicating, we met up in Greenville for a brief coffee date, and then two months later, we had our first official date in Nashville. We dated long distance for almost a year before I moved to Greenville, and we got engaged a few months after I moved down.
When did y’all get married? October 27, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 120
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I went home to Nashville to go dress shopping with my mom over Memorial Day weekend. I knew if I didn’t find a dress that weekend, I would most likely have to shop without my mom, so I was determined to find something. I found my dress at the second store we went to and I fell in love with it immediately. We already had an appointment set up at another store afterwards, so I went to take a look at some other options, just in case. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking about the other dress, so we rushed back to go get it!
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did do a first look. Aaron was hesitant, but I wanted to be able to hug, kiss, and talk to him the first time I saw him that day. I’m so glad we did. The rest of the day flew by, so it was nice to share a few moments alone before all the craziness of the day started.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The caterer created “His” and “Hers” signature drink to serve. Aaron likes ginger, so his was a blackberry ginger lemonade. I love fruity drinks, so mine was a sparkling strawberry, pineapple, and kiwi cocktail.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? I can honestly say I was thrilled with all my vendors. Every one of them was amazing to work with, and they truly wanted to make our wedding day wonderful. The day went off without a hitch because of their hard work, which made for a fun and stress-free day.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Taking communion together as a couple during our ceremony is something that stands out from our wedding day. A friend of mine played a song we love on her guitar while the pastor prayed over us, and we had communion privately. It was just a special moment between the two of us.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Aaron and I are in the process of looking for and buying a house. I can’t wait to get settled into our first home together, start lots of traditions, and make lots of memories as a family.

Photographer: Chris Isham / Videographer: Hart to Heart / Planner: Verge Events / Venue: Yesterday Spaces / Florist and Lawn Games: Flora / Cake and Cupcakes: Tiffany’s Baking Co. / Catering and Mini Pies: Dining Innovations / Linens: Classic Event Rentals / Band: Bear Down Easy / Favor bags: Sixpence Press / Honey Favors: Hortons Farm / Cake Topper: Better off Wed / Lawn Signs: My Repurposed Life / Bridesmaid Robes: Silk and More / Chalk Art: Ryan Staus / Bride’s Gown: Augusta Jones / Bridal Salon and Veil: The Bride Room / Paper Banners: Megan Brooke Handmade / Flower Hairpiece: Pure Blooms / Jewelry: Dessy / Hair Stylist: Amanda from The Secret Spa / Makeup Artist: Wendy Ballance from Blush / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Georgette Collection from Aria / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Chris Isham is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
6 Comments
  1. avatar Rustic Farm Wedding at Yesterday Spaces reply

    […] lovely folks at Southern Weddings have featured our wedding today on their blog. Be sure to head on over to check out some additional […]

  2. avatar Emily reply

    Too many beautiful things to point out about this wedding – I adore the going away truck, the fall ceremony, and the s’mores bar!

  3. avatar Kyla F reply

    The neutral color scheme of Megan and Aaron’s wedding sits beautifully against the backdrop of the autumn landscape. I really like their food selections, especially the s’more station and mac & cheese -such fun details! The idea of taking communion together as a couple is so special, too. That is something I would love to incorporate into my own wedding someday.

  4. avatar erin {a lowcountry wedding} reply

    love this smores bar!

  5. avatar January in Review reply

    […] I shared pictures from our rustic farm wedding at Yesterday Spaces. And also shared that our wedding was featured on Southern Weddings. […]

  6. avatar Mere Found Her Beau: The Ceremony – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] music inspiration from Megan and Aaron (by Chris Isham) and Catherine and Kyle (by Pink Shoe […]

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