Southern Weddings

What a happy, happy wedding! Stephanie + Erik chose pink and red as their wedding colors and then let wedding stylist Ginny Branch Stelling take the reigns with flowers. I love it when couples and vendors build such a trusting relationship and the gorgeous bouquets are only a portion of the pretty proof that it paid off. The rest of the wedding was styled by Ginny, who the couple chose to work with over a planner. Stephanie was happy to plan the logistics of the big day but left the translation of her vision to Ginny. Those cute balloons and the streamer-decorated ceremony? So adorable. Read on to find out what S + E said in their hand-written vows. Even sweeter! Big thanks to Kate Byars for sharing this colorful wedding!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Erik and I met while in school at Georgia Tech. We dated briefly in college, and were friends for a few years before Erik moved into the building next door to me and we started dating again. The rest is history!
Describe the proposal. We take a big two-week trip every year. Last summer, we spent two weeks driving the ring road around Iceland. We spent our days hiking around volcanoes, visiting fishing villages, and swimming in the blue lagoon. It was the trip of a lifetime, made even better by Erik’s proposal in front of a bright orange lighthouse, on a cliff overlooking a black sand beach. We were the only people for miles and it was the most perfect, intimate surprise!
Tell us about your engagement and wedding rings: Erik and I went the non-traditional route with our rings. I knew that I wanted a colored stone engagement ring and absolutely fell in love with Becky Kelso’s designs. I gave Erik and little hint while we were dating and he worked with Becky to design my blue calcite in yellow gold engagement ring. It is perfect! We found my wedding ring unexpectedly at a small boutique jeweler on a trip to Portland, Oregon. It’s designed by Alex Sepkus and features lots of diamonds around a yellow gold band. I love it’s eclectic/mid-century look. For Erik’s ring, it was important to him to have an eco-friendly ring, so we used an environmentally conscious designer in Philadelphia that works with reclaimed metal to create his hammered palladium ring.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Personal, charming, fun.
In what month did you get married? October
How many guests attended your wedding? 145
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The photo booth! Our guests had SO MUCH FUN.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I knew I wanted a vintage glam dress from the very beginning. I went to a few bridal stores in Atlanta and was having a hard time finding a dress I loved. I ended up finding Matthew Christopher online and fell in love with his dresses. Unfortunately, there is only one store in Georgia that sells his designs and they didn’t have the dress I wanted. Luckily, I spend a lot of time in New York City for work, so I was able to visit a small boutique in the meat packing district while on a work trip and try on the dress. I fell in love immediately and ordered it. It was hard since I bought it without any of my friends or family seeing it on me, but I knew it was the perfect dress. When it was ready, they shipped it to Atlanta and I had my closest friends and family over to see it in person. It made for a very fun and exciting day.
Describe your wedding flowers: Erik and I have a pretty eclectic taste, so we didn’t want to be “pigeon holed” by any of our decisions. We wanted the wedding to be a true representation of the two of us. We opted to use shades of red and pink as our wedding colors and I gave Ginny Branch free reign to choose the types of flowers we would have. I just wanted them to look elegant with a vintage vibe. She chose a beautiful mixture of locally sourced flowers that pulled in all the colors of our wedding.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote part of our vows and also included portions of other ceremonies that we found and we liked. This was my favorite part, which we each said to each other “Erik, I promise to be your faithful and loving wife,
to cherish your intellect and uniqueness, to delight in your happiness and comfort you in sorrow, to communicate openly and honestly and to listen carefully, to support and encourage you, and to be your eager partner in exploring the things we have yet to learn and places we have yet to go. My love is yours now, and for all the days before us.”

Photographer: Kate Byars // Videographer: Nora Figlia // Day of coordinator: Misty Paige // Stylist: Ginny Branch Stelling // Venue: Glen Ella Springs Inn // Florist: Ginny Branch Stelling // Wedding Cake Baker: Terri Watts of Watts Farmhouse // Caterer: Glen Ella Springs Inn // Rentals and Linens: Glen Ella Springs Inn // Paper Products: Ginny Branch Stelling // Bride’s Dress: Matthew Christopher from Gabriella New York // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Gracylu Originals and ban.do // Bride’s Shoes: Butter // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew // Accessories: vintage and Bloomingdales // Invitation Suite: Christy Thiessen // Hair & Makeup: Scoobie West // Photobooth design & props, Reception garlands, Aisle Runner, and Love Always sign: Erica Loesing // Groom’s suit: Sid Mashburn

Written with love by Nicole