Southern Weddings

Victoria + Michael’s wedding is dreamy, garden perfection. Their pink invitation suite goes on my list of favorite paper products with it’s watercolor treatment and white calligraphy. Even their stamps set the tone for their wedding at George Washington’s River Farm, where greenery and flowers were abundant. Victoria carried an impressive bouquet of textured blooms down the aisle to meet her beau, dressed in a handsome khaki suit and delicate boutonniere. The couple combated a scorching hot day with parasols, fans, chilled towels and drinks. We think it makes their ceremony even more festive! Big thanks to Brian Tropiano Photography for sharing this lovely wedding!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met at a mutual friend’s birthday party. It was the height of March Madness and I was wearing a Kansas University basketball jersey. Michael was impressed and it sparked a conversation in which we discovered our mutual love for college basketball.
Describe the proposal. Michael booked me a stress-relieving massage at the Mandarin Oriental after a tough few weeks at work and then surprised me again with news that we were staying over and having a romantic dinner out that same night. After dinner, Michael took me to the balcony of the club floor on which we were staying and surprised me with a table setup with champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. He then astounded me again by dropping to a knee and proposing in the shadow of the Washington Monument.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Romantic, sweltering and fun.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I went shopping in New York with my mum, my future mother-in-law and my brother’s fiancée. The moment the dress went over my head and fluttered down to the floor, I knew it was perfect. The Delphine Manivet gown was unlike anything else I tried on. The lace was timeless but totally modern and the dress was comfortable and light – a fact that I was so thankful for when our wedding day turned out to be incredibly hot. After I found the dress, all the other wedding details seemed to fall into place.
Describe your wedding flowers: I collected a page or two of wedding blog posts that I admired and sent them to my planner early in the process. She quickly picked up on what I was going for and described what it was that I liked about the photos of flowers I sent: lots of texture! Our planner set us up with a wonderful florist and the bouquets and table flowers turned out perfectly.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our wedding was on a gracious farm on the banks of the Potomac that was once owned by George Washington. It’s now the home of the American Horticultural Society and has beautiful meadows mapping a path down to the river. In addition, I asked my Mum to bring to the wedding a few handkerchiefs given to her as a child by her grandfather. One, rimmed in pink roses, I gave to Michael and the other I used to wrap the stem of my bouquet. Incorporating elements and actual mementos from generations past and upholding family traditions is both very Southern and very timeless.

Photographer: Brian Tropiano Photography // Event Design and Planning: Amber Karson Events // Venue: George Washington’s River Farm // Florist: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers, Ltd. // Catering: Windows Catering // Calligraphy: Meant to Be Calligraphy // Musicians: Sage String Trio // DJ: Bialek’s // Dress: Delphine Manivet from Lovely // Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August // Rentals: Perfect Settings // Transportation: Sunny’s Limo

Written with love by Nicole