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What a treat we have for you today! Brooke Images sent us this colorful Florida wedding, and it’s everything you’d want a beach celebration to be, and more. Jeni + Nate wowed us with gray striped bridesmaid dresses for the ladies and sharp khaki suits for the gents, and the pink, blue and gold ribbons waving in the breeze at their beach-side ceremony were the icing on the cake. Check back for their equally-colorful reception soon!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Nate and I met in 2002 as part of a small group of new transfer students at Principia College. We immediately became good friends and enjoyed hanging out with our group of mutual friends over the course of that fall quarter. I ended up transferring back to a different school the following quarter, several thousand miles away, but we very loosely kept in touch over the next seven years. During that time, we both graduated and moved to opposite coasts (myself in California and Nate in DC). Eventually, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to Florida. Coincidentally, Nate and I both happened to also be single at this point and now living within 700 miles of each other, so we made an excuse to meet up. We hit it off right away, and within a few months, I decided to relocate to DC to be closer to Nate and to pursue a Master’s degree in Interior Design at George Washington University while he continued his job on Capitol Hill.
Describe the proposal. After a year and a half of dating, Nate proposed to me on a foggy winter evening on the back steps of the Capitol, overlooking the National Mall and Christmas tree!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Whimsical, surreal, perfection.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The balloons! They set a perfectly joyous and playful tone.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I wanted something simple with almost no embellishment, where the design itself could stand on its own and make a statement. With only a six-month engagement, I was already behind before I even started my dress search. After trying on 100 dresses in my desired price range, I began trying on dresses outside of my price range. Suddenly, I had no problem finding dresses I loved. It just so happened that every one of these dresses was designed by Amsale. Knowing that I’d be happy with essentially any dress by Amsale, I started scouring used wedding dress websites. With almost no time left (certainly no time to order without rush fees), I made a lower offer to one seller and she graciously came down on her price.
Describe your wedding flowers: Trying to find designers/florists who understood and could execute my vision was a bit challenging. Two weeks before the wedding (yes, two!), I finally found the most amazing florist who was miraculously available and completely understood the soft, whimsical, and eclectic look that I wanted. Being on a budget, I looked at ways I could reduce my floral costs. I had an epiphany one morning to have the bridesmaids and groomsmen carry 36-inch round balloons down the aisle instead of bouquets, which so perfectly supported the feel that I was going for with the ceremony. For the reception, the flowers consisted of peonies, dahlias, garden roses, and hydrangeas in ivories, pinks, peaches, and coral, situated in an eclectic array of glass and milk glass vases and wooden boxes with painted stripes.

Photographer: Brooke Images // Planner: Christina Kopecki // Venue: The Plantation Beach Club // Florist: Shea Hopely Flowers // Wedding Cake Baker: Beaches Pastry // Caterer: The Plantation // Paper Products: Paper Source, designed by the bride // Bride’s Dress: Amsale via PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Suzanne Newman // Bride’s Shoes: Classiques Entieres // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BCBGeneration // Accessories: earrings from MontBlanc

emily Written with love by Emily
22 Comments
  1. avatar Southern Weddings Monthly Round-Up :: July 2011 « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] lacy dress with a lovely sweetheart neckline while Marissa couldn’t stop thinking about Jeni’s Amsale dress with the pretty bow in the back. I, for one, loved Mary’s flowy Lazaro […]

  2. avatar Emily Plans a Wedding: Bouquet Inspiration « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Vase (photo by Jen Huang); mini garden rose boutonniere by Shea Hopely (photo by Brooke Images via Southern Weddings); lambs ear boutonniere by European Flower Shop (photo by J-Anderson Photography); white […]

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    […] can see pastel weddings becoming more and more popular!Bride and Bridesmaids:  Brooke Images via Southern Weddings | Escort Cards: Beaux Arts Photographie via Santa Barbara Chic | Bouquet: Beaux Arts […]

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  11. avatar Sherisse reply

    I love the tulle bow. Where can I get one?

    • avatar Nicole reply

      Hi Sherisse! I love Jeni’s tulle bow, too. I believe she got hers from Suzanne Newman at this website: http://suzannehats.com

  12. avatar Striped Bridesmaid Dresses reply

    […] Brooke Images/BCBGeneration via Southern Weddings (left); Jonathan Canlas via The Bride’s Cafe (top right); Tessa Barton Photography via […]

  13. avatar Beach Wedding Inspiration – Elizabeth Anne Designs reply

    […] – beachy bridal party, image by Brooke Images* via Southern Weddings 2 – elegant beach tabletop, image by KT Merry via Style Me Pretty 3 – beach wedding […]

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    […] Jeni and Nate‘s wedding, photographed by Brooke Images 8. Consider noise levels. Between the wind and the waves, there is quite bit of noise to account for during a beach ceremony. Particularly if your guests will be more spread out or there are a large number of them, consider using microphones for your officiant and any important speakers. 9. Provide shade. Beaches rarely have much natural shade, and even on the mildest day, some of your older guests may not be able to sit in the sun for long. Parasols or sun hats at your ceremony can help, but be sure to designate a shady spot where people can sit if they really need to. […]

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Hi, ladies! Some of you long-time readers may remember our friend Katie, from the wonderful and hilarious blog Marriage Confessions (and some of you might just recognize Katie from MC, apart from SW!). Katie used to write a monthly column for Southern Weddings, and though it was hugely-popular, it somehow fell by the wayside. Well, we thought we’d give it another shot! Katie will be dropping by monthly to share her funny, smart, and poignant perspective on life after the wedding, and we know you’ll love her as much as we do! Emily

My husband and I have been married for four months and are considering purchasing our first home. I’ve been a little frustrated him when it comes to home purchases and repairs. We just can’t see eye to eye and it is causing a lot of friction in our marriage. Any ideas about how to make this process more successful as a couple?

My husband and I closed on a house today. Which you would think would be cause to celebrate. And perhaps if this were our first home purchase together, I might, in my naïve romantic mind, think this was worth popping open some bubbly over. But I’m too smart for that now.

I’ve bought a house with my husband before and lived to tell about it.

You see, when we bought our first house together four years ago, I had plans for bright yellow kitchens and monogrammed towels… only to discover that my husband also had plans. But his were of blue kitchens and no hand towels (he thinks they are a waste of space… don’t get me started…). Nothing irked me more than having a beautiful home planned out in my mind and then having my husband take one look at a paint chip and announce, “It really wasn’t what I had in mind.”

Taking on large projects together as a couple, such as home purchases or renovations, can be a really fun experience to share. Your home is an extension of who you are and so combining your ideas into something that represents the two of you is a big part of your union. But for some (myself included), taking on large projects that require a husband and wife to agree on everything together can be a little… well, it can drive you absolutely insane.

Take last Sunday, for example. Chris and I had been talking about paint colors for our living room for weeks. I’d been clipping pictures and saving boards on Pinterest and every night after the kids were in bed, I’d sit down with Chris and we’d talk about what we liked in each picture and what we didn’t. By the time we were ready to go to the hardware store to purchase paint, we had a clear understanding of what our house was going to look like. It would be yellow. And bright and cheery. And comfortable. So, imagine my surprise when we walked over to the paint counter and Chris started pulling BLUE paint chips off the color wall.

Blue. Blue had never even been on the table. I had never heard blue brought up once in our conversations. And yet, there he was in the hardware store, comparing different shades of blue.

When I asked what he was doing, he shrugged his shoulders and said in a very nonchalant tone, “I’m thinking maybe a blue would be better.”

This is how divorce happens, people. You think you’re both looking in the yellows and before you know it, one of you has wandered off into the wild blue yonder.

Now, am I exaggerating? Depends. How much did you like that yellow?

In the two times that Chris and I have bought and sold homes together and in the countless other projects we’ve taken on as a couple that requires us to reach shared decisions (including raising our two children), I’ve learned that the keys to success in home projects are the same keys to success in your marriage:

1. Be flexible. Just like in marriage, it can’t all be your way, all the time. You have to compromise. Sometimes you’re going have to give, and sometimes you’re going to get to take. When you feel yourself digging your heels in about a decision regarding your home, stop and ask yourself how important this decision is to you. There will be some decisions that are extremely important (for me, it was a safety gate around the pool for our kids – that was a non-negotiable for me), but there will probably be more decisions that you might realize in the grand scheme of things aren’t that big of a deal (which is why there are no hand towels in my house).

2. Be patient. I have found with Chris that the more I rush him or push him to make a decision, the more likely it is that he’ll push back against me. Instead, we talk about something and then we put it to rest for a few days before we talk about it again. This gives me time to decide how flexible I want to be on the decision and, more importantly, it gives Chris time to think things over and come to a conclusion on his own. No adult likes to be told what to do and when, and your spouse is no different. Voice your opinions and ideas, but then sit back and be patient while your partner thinks it over. This is true for every decision you make in your marriage, from talking about paint samples to if you’re ready to have a baby.

3. Be nice. Best marriage advice I ever got? Be nice to your spouse. So simple and, yet, so easy to forget, too. My husband is my best friend. There’s no one I’m closer to in this world. And with that level of comfort and familiarity, it can be easy to forget to speak kindly. It’s not that I ever have to filter what I say to him, but every true, honest thing I say to him should be said nicely – even if we are disagreeing. There’s no reason to become mean. Especially in the aisles of Home Depot. No matter how passionate you might be about a particular home renovation or purchase, there’s never a reason to be mean to your spouse. Agree. Disagree. Whatever you want. But do it nicely.

Truthfully, buying homes and building our lives together in those homes has been such a highlight in my marriage. I love my home because it is a physical representation of my marriage. And so, on those days when I really want to beat my husband with a paint stirrer, I just remind myself that a little bit of yellow paint and a little bit of blue paint actually makes a pretty darn spectacular shade of green.

Love all things Katie? You can check out her blog, Marriage Confessions, here, or check out her past columns for Southern Weddings here, here, here, here, and here. Have a question for Katie? Feel free to email her!

emily Written with love by Emily
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We’re starting a new feature round here called Southern Hospitality which I know y’all are going to just love! Why? Because it focuses on different cities and states across the South (hopefully yours!). How it works: Each month, we pick a Southern city and host an “expert” in that area. The expert will select their favorite items that give a taste of what the city is all about. These items will go in a customized tote to make the perfect gift bag for friends and family to enjoy upon arrival for your wedding weekend. A perk for attending destination weddings!

This month, we featured one of my all-time favorite cities and hometown, Nashville, TN! Holler if you’re from Music City USA! The Nashville “expert” was our good friend Amber Housley of Sweet Life Designs. Below are Amber’s picks for a Nashville tote bag. She chose everything from Loveless’ Cafe Butter My Biscuits Gift Pack (famous secret biscuit recipe you can make at home along with apple butter) to a bottle of Jack Daniel’s with glass bottles of Coke (since us Southerners know that Coke always tastes best in a glass bottle! – or Lemonade to make either one of these famous recipes: Jack and Coke or Lynchburg Lemonade) to tickets to a backstage tour at the historic Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry!

A. Hatch Show Print Ladies Cowboy Tee ($20), B. Southern Artisan Chocolate ($5.99 each), C. Bluebird Cafe Gift Certificates (varies), D. Loveless’ Cafe Butter My Biscuits Gift Pack ($19.95), E. Bottle of Jack Daniel’s ($19.99), F. Spirit of Nashville Shortbread Tin’s with Willa’s cookies and Spirit of Nashville Postcards ($14.95). G. We Are Nashville Decal ($4), H. Handmade I Love Tennessee State Necklace in Silver ($55), I. Tickets to a Backstage Tour at the Historic Ryman Auditorium ($17), J. Plantable Music Note from Country Music Hall of Fame ($3.99), K. Blackberry Wine from Belle Meade Plantation Winery ($19.50) and Meet me at Belle Meade Plantation Recipe Book ($19.95), L. Tickets for a Dinner Cruise on the General Jackson Showboat down the Cumberland River and past downtown Nashville ($87.95).

Okay, these really make me want to plan a trip to Nashville. I mean a showboat. Any takers?

Amber also created an overlay to go on your Nashville tote. There are two options: You can download a PDF of just the design with no customization or you can download a PDF with room to add the couple’s name and date (example left). Either way, you can download the print from our site and take it to your local screen printer!

From the Nashville area and have additional suggestions to add to our Nashville tote? What did you love about Nashville if you’ve visited before?

Have a city in mind for future posts? Let us know!

Written with love by Sierra
6 Comments
  1. avatar Tracy reply

    You say in the blog that there’s a free PDF download but there’s no link?

    • avatar Sierra reply

      Hi Tracy, thank you for letting us know. I’ve relinked the downloadable graphics for you, so you should be good to go. Enjoy!

  2. avatar Southern Hospitality :: Atlanta Tote « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] you’ve visited before? Have a city in mind for future posts? Let us know! Check out past totes: Nashville xo Sierra September 7, 2011 | view Sierra's blog 6 viewcomments hidecomments What […]

  3. avatar Southern Hospitality :: Austin Tote « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Have a city in mind for future posts? Comment below and let us know! Check out past totes: Nashville Atlanta xo Sierra November 2, 2011 | view Sierra's blog 0 viewcomments hidecomments […]

  4. avatar Southern Hospitality :: Austin Tote | Gift Registry News reply

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  5. avatar 2011 : Year in Review | Amber Housley | Nashville Wedding Design | Style | Custom Invitations | Lifestyle | Inspired reply

    […] such as Southern Living V4 where I was a featured Southern wedding expert, and also  here, here and […]

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