Southern Weddings

Happy Monday, y’all! I’m so excited to share today’s Real Wedding! Along with being an absolutely stunning day, the talented planner is not only one of our delightful Blue Ribbon Vendors, but a friend of mine! While our football alliances may not match up, I must say that boy am I smitten with the way Desiree helped Casey + Anthony bring that sweet Charleston charm all the way to South Florida. Together with Desiree Dawn Events, C + A’s vision came together splendidly, and I, too, can see the “all-over warmth and hospitality that the South is all about” throughout their big day. But my favorite part about this couple has to be that Casey chose her and Anthony’s vows as her favorite wedding detail — so sweet!

Big thanks to The Big Day for capturing such lovely photos (especially the adorable flower girl below!).

Love this sweet photo of Casey with her girls all in comfy robes from our friends at Plum Pretty Sugar!

Seriously? Y’all, are you with me that this little doll is cheek-pinching cute?

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
My parents were in Charleston just for a day as they passed through on the way back from vacation in North Carolina. We decided to look at a couple of places while they were here and I even talked my Dad into coming too! My Dad ended up being an excellent dress critic (in a good way) and steered me toward a particular style I never thought I would like. With no intention of actually finding a dress during their short visit, we went to Bridals by Jodi in Charleston and after trying on many dresses, the woman helping us picked one out that I loved, but never thought would look good. We all fell in love with it, but I was too indecisive to say yes right away. We discussed (I agonized) over it at lunch then went back to buy my dress! I am so happy that both my parents were there with me.

Yes, we did a first look because we wanted it to be an intimate time with just the two of us. It was so special being able to enjoy those moments together before our wedding began.

The ceremony was held under a huge oak tree at the venue, and there was a huge banyan in the front of the property with Spanish moss that reminded us of Charleston. The property had all the charm we were hoping for to bring in the Southern feel. We also collected driftwood from the intracoastal in Jupiter to make our altar (made by Van Aiden).

We complied our own vows from a number of different readings and other vows that we found online. I loved the vows that we read to each other, especially the last lines, “Because your love means so much to me, I offer you my heart. As your partner in life, I will share your joys and your sorrows, your laughter and your tears. Through all the changes that life will bring, I promise you this: I will always love you.”

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
We had been living in Charleston, South Carolina for two years when we started planning our wedding, and although we knew we wanted it to be in our hometown of Jupiter, Florida we really wanted to bring in the charm of Charleston that we love so much. Our wonderful wedding planner helped bring in Southern touches like mason jar luminaries, hand painted signs with a natural, rustic feel, and just all-over warmness and hospitality that is what the South is all about.

Our wedding cake was made by a dear family friend with so much love. I had very special dietary requests and she made a delicious topper for just me and Anthony to enjoy that met all the requirements. Then she made the rest of the gorgeous cake using her amazing recipes, one layer of carrot and one layer of marble cake. I sent her a couple of pictures of cakes that I liked and she made the most perfect cake combining all of my favorite natural elements.

And be sure not to miss the lovely film from this wedding by Shutter Life Productions!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. 
Anthony and I met while in college at Florida State University. I have always been good friends with Anthony’s brother Dave and I grew up knowing his family, but Anthony and I were never close friends until college. So, I guess we didn’t really “meet,” but instead started to build an amazing friendship that we still cherish as husband and wife.
Tell us all about the proposal! 
Anthony asked if I wanted to go for a run on the beach after work one day, which wasn’t out of the ordinary since we would frequently go to the beach after work to decompress and enjoy a sunset. I was happy to be getting out of work early that day and responded that I would love to, but I had already worked out and had a ton of grading to do for the class I was TA’ing. I decided to bring my papers with me and I would grade while he ran and we would bring a bottle of wine for after. We settled in at the beach and Anthony went for a “run” while I graded — he really ran back to the car to grab the ring since it would have been very obvious in his board shorts. When we came back, we decided to go for a walk and enjoy the setting sun. It was a spectacular sunset on Folly Beach. As the tide began to come up, I started to worry that all of my papers were going to get washed away so I wanted to turn around and go back, but we walked a little farther and that is when Anthony got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was so excited, happy, and flooded with emotion that nothing else in the world mattered at that point! We made it back to our spot on the beach and I put all work aside to celebrate. We watched an awesome light show put on by lightning very far away; it was like nature’s fireworks for our happy occasion. It was an absolutely perfect night.
When did y’all get married? 
October 27, 2012
How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
130
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
My mom read a part of Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet, On Marriage.”
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. 
We love music and really wanted the music at our wedding to reflect our personalities, not just “wedding music.” We had a wonderfully talented band that wildly surpassed our expectations. We chose non-traditional music for walking down the aisle and our first dance, but we loved them and they meant something special to us. I walked down the aisle to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow/It’s a Wonderful World.” Our first dance was to the Sean Hayes song, “Baby I Do.” I still can’t listen to that song without a flood of emotions coming over me; it is perfectly “us.”
Describe your wedding flowers. 
My favorite flowers have always been orchids so I knew I wanted a lot of flowy orchids. Then, we took a trip to California and both of us loved the look of all of the wild succulents. Our flowers bloomed from there (ha!). We wanted a simple, natural, romantic look and our florist (she should be called a flower goddess or something) took my vision and turned it into a reality and then some. She is so amazing and talented; we love her!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
I would have to say all of the personal touches. We had so many friends help with different aspects of the wedding and that made it very special. We both really loved our vows, especially since we had put a lot of thought and effort into morphing them into what we wanted them to say, and then they were read by Anthony’s uncle which was so very special to both of us. We could really feel the love when they were read. Then, the band was phenomenal – we talked about how amazing they were for months!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
The biggest challenge was planning a wedding in Jupiter from Charleston. There were so many times that we would see something in Charleston that we loved and wished we could just move it down to Jupiter for the wedding or rehearsal dinner. Our parents, friends, and wedding planner were so helpful with everything though and made it all possible!
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? 
I don’t know if I could pick just one! As I said before, all of our vendors and friends made it so incredibly special. The flowers, cake, and catering were all done by family friends. You could just feel that everything was made with love – nothing was run of the mill. Our wedding planner is also a great family friend and she made sure that everything went smoothly and helped to make our vision come to life! And, of course, the band!! The lead of the band became a friend just through the wedding process; he was so caring and made sure that all of the personal touches were there, as a friend would have done, on our wedding day. All around, the wonderful people we worked with made our day amazing.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
Having everyone we love in one place and being so happy for us is a feeling we will never forget. It was so special. (From the groom) Our first dance also sticks out in my mind; it felt like we were the only two people there and all of the wonderful emotions came flooding in at that moment while we were dancing to our song.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
It’s easier said than done, but don’t stress too much. There are things you just can’t control – weather, for instance! We had a hurricane coming through the weekend of our wedding! It all turns out perfectly though because at the end of the day you are married and ready to take on the world with your significant other!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
We are expecting a beautiful baby girl in the next few months! We are so excited to welcome our first child into the world and show her all the love and happiness that brought her here!

Photographer: The Big Day | Videographer: Shutter Life Productions | Wedding Planner: Desiree Dawn Events | Ceremony and Reception Venue: Houses at the Renewal Coalition | Florist: Van Aiden | Wedding Cake: Kristi Haney | Caterer: Drew Shimkus | Rentals: Better Party Rentals | Lighting: Van Aiden and Desiree Dawn Events | Band: The Brass Evolution (led by Jody Marlow) | Special Details: Van Aiden | Bride’s Gown: Wtoo (Style: Bristol) | Paper Products: Make Merry! | Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil/Jewelry: Van Aiden | Hair Stylist: Courtney Martin with Jennifer Cruz Beauty Group | Makeup Artist: Danielle Coryn | Bride’s Shoes: Ugg’s (Style: Lucianna) | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Joanna August – Newbury, 8th Avenue, and DC Long from Bella Bridesmaid Charleston, SC | Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank

Desiree Dawn Events and Make Merry! are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Marissa