Southern Weddings

Didn’t I tell you the flowers in Cassie + Ryan’s reception were gorgeous? Ilex for Flowers created romantic yet dramatic arrangement from white and green orchids and topped off the couple’s four-tiered cake with the pretty blooms. The real floral wow factor, however, was the bed of hydrangeas that the cake sat upon. In addition to good eats, Cassie + Ryan’s wedding was a show of Southern hospitality. Cassie’s Alabama-born family coaxed Ryan’s Canadian relatives onto the dance floor for the night, showing the great tradition of two families coming together. Read on to the interview to see what Cassie had to say about her great Southern community and thanks again to Amelia Strauss, who photographed C + R’s Alabama wedding!

Describe your wedding flowers: It was the sweetest compliment of white english sweet pea flowers for my bouquet (understated and elegant), a bounty of white orchids romantically strung across the stone wall, and green orchids surrounding our wedding cake and groom’s cake. The details of each display on every table was so unique and tied the whole theme together incredibly.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We decided to get married in Huntsville, Alabama, where I spent my childhood. We got married at the Ledges in the intimate golfer’s patio, which overlooked the entire city of Huntsville. You could even see the Tennessee River off in the distance. My husband is from Canada and we wanted to make his family and friends feel welcome by having a chocolate caramel cake (it is far more delicious than you would imagine) with a Canadian flag draped across it. There was a bunch of delicious fried food served in the banquet hall and the Alabamians were slowly coaxing the Canadians onto the dance floor. What truly made this wedding Southern was the community that gathered together and helped make all the details possible and filled with love, by hosting brunches, making incredible eats, and so much more.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Planning our wedding was not very challenging at all because we had Dori Thorton from The Social Office based out of Nashville. She was always calm and in control in a crisis and took care of deadlines. Without Dori handling all the details, my wedding would have not been the incredible vision that it was on that day. If there is one thing I can suggest to any soon-to-be bride, it is to find a wedding planner who compliments your personality and makes you feel comfortable during every meeting you have with them.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Deloaine’s hair styling and Babette’s makeup done for my mother, my grandmother, my bridesmaids, and myself.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Having all the family together, my father with slightly damp eyes and a sweet smile telling me how happy he was for me just before the ceremony, and then Ryan’s face when he saw me for the first time that day, while I was walking down the aisle.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes we did. Mine were written on tiny sheets of paper, which Ryan now keeps in his wallet. We both mentioned being each other’s best friend, how we both made each other better people and how much we don’t want to picture our lives without ever knowing each other.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We both live and work in Los Angeles. We have been writing together and workshopping screenplays. Ryan has a film that is screening worldwide and has won some impressive awards and I am continuously filming and acting on stage. We don’t plan on children in the near future because we both want to see so much of the world together before we fully settle.

Photographer: Amelia Strauss // Planner: The Social Office // Venue: The Ledges Country Club // Florist: Ilex for Flowers // Wedding Cake Baker: Dessert Designs // Caterer: The Ledges // Paper Products: Nico and Lala // Bride’s Dress: Amsale // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Saks Fifth Avenue // Bride’s Shoes: bride’s mother’s // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alvina Valenta // Hair and Makeup: Deloain New York // Stylist: Chic Critique,

Written with love by Nicole