Southern Weddings

Snakes and gators and turtles, oh my! Turns out Southern creepy crawlies do have a redeeming value — they can bring people together! :) I found myself smiling as I read Whitney’s version of the story of her and Gary’s first meeting — I can just imagine her blushing in front of her students! The gorgeous natural surroundings of their wedding (all that Spanish moss!!) seem like the perfect fit for this outdoorsy couple, who just so happen to have settled into their home on a farm post-wedding. Think they’d mind if we set up camp there, as well?

Kudos to Red Letter Events, who pulled the simple + lovely details together, and Landon Jacob, who shared the beautiful images!

I am a second grade teacher and Gary is a game warden. He came to my school for career day to share his exciting job of capturing gators, snakes, and other wildlife with the students. He flirted with me the entire time and made me blush in front of my students! When his presentation was over, he left his e-mail address with the school receptionist so that “he could get pictures from his presentation.” After a few months of unsuccessful attempts at e-mail flirting, we finally went on our first date at the Beaufort Water Festival in Beaufort, SC.

Gary told me on a Friday that we were going to Jacksonville, Florida to go shopping. Honestly, I was already a little suspicious, because shopping isn’t Gary’s cup of tea. Instead of making the turn to head to Florida, he turned to go to Hilton Head Island, SC. We took a boat to Daufuskie Island, SC and rode around in a golf cart. I kept asking him if we could go to the beach. He agreed and we stopped under a beautiful oak tree by the beach. He set up a small picnic and we shared a peach soda. Then, he pulled out a paperback children’s book. It was titled ‘The Secret Princess,’ and written by Gary S. Herndon! As he read the story to me, I started to get really nervous! It was the story of our relationship. Once he got near the end of the story, the illustration was very similar to the exact spot where we were sitting, near the beach under a beautiful oak. Finally, he got down on one knee and popped the question and I excitedly replied, “Yes!”

Did you decide to do a “first look”? 
We decided on a first look as we got closer to our wedding date. I wanted to be able to feel comfortable and enjoy the moment as I walked down the aisle and I was grateful that our first look took away some of my nerves.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. 
I walked down the aisle to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which was played by a local violinist and cellist. Our first dance was “Honey Bee,” by Blake Shelton and my father and I danced with my father to “Fly Like an Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
The most memorable moment from our wedding day was walking down the aisle and taking each other’s hands in front of our closest friends and family members as we prepared to officially become husband and wife.

Our photographers, Jordan Thompson and Landon Jacob of Landon Jacob Photography, were our absolute favorite vendor. They went above and beyond our expectations for our engagement and wedding photography. Jordan made the swag for the back of the pickup and they were both so helpful throughout the entire day.

Did you spot our gold vows print? We are tickled pink that Whitney + Gary displayed it at their reception!

Our food was very Southern. From boiled peanuts, watermelon, fried chicken, biscuits, BBQ, and a macaroni and cheese bar, we had a spread of Southern deliciousness. Our signature drink was lowcountry lemonade, which consisted of local Firefly sweet tea vodka, lemonade, a sprig of mint, and a lemon twirl.

Ashley Bakery was wonderful! We selected a four-tier, round cake with alternating layers of red velvet and yellow almond cake with delicious almond buttercream frosting. The cake was adorned with handmade sugar peonies in spring colors.

When did y’all get married? 
May 24, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
100
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
I scoured Pinterest and wedding magazines before getting engaged and knew that I loved Jim Hjelm’s alencon lace gowns. The second wedding bridal shop I visited had two lovely Jim Hjelm alencon lace dresses that I loved. I went back and forth between the two and finally decided to go with the one that was more simple. The process of finding the dress wasn’t stressful at all and I really enjoyed the support of my mom and sister throughout the process.
Describe your wedding flowers. 
May was my top choice for having a wedding because I knew peonies would be available! My bouquet was a whimsical mix of white and light pink peonies which was wrapped in ivory lace and vintage ribbons. My maid of honor, my sister Chelsey carried a bouquet of white peonies. The mothers also carried small posy bouquets of white peonies. Aisle flowers were white hydrangeas. Centerpieces were vintage blue and clear mason jars filled with white hydrangeas, pink peonies, pink roses, peach garden roses, dusty miller and grey berzillia berries.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
Our favorite detail of the wedding was our lavender toss exit and taking off in our 1954 International Harvester pickup!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? 
My something borrowed was a strand of pearls that belong to my mother that I wore for the reception. My something blue was a lovely blue stone bracelet from J.Crew. My something new was my coin pearl drop earrings from Etsy. My something old was a hanky that originally belonged to my great-great grandmother.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? 
We are setting up our home, which happens to be on a farm. I am excited to spend a relaxing summer on the farm with a few trips mixed in. I am finishing my master’s degree and Gary is hard at work on the farm and at his real job. We are so excited for what the future holds!

Landon Jacob is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Emily