Southern Weddings

Alrighty, y’all. It’s group swoon time. Alaina + Ryan’s wedding was a classic Southern fete filled with some of my favorite things: a gorgeous one-shoulder dress, a lush bouquet with lamb’s ear, an outdoor ceremony underneath the trees, chalkboard signs and good eats galore. What really takes the cake for me, though, is that when Alaina met Ryan in college, she bet her friend $20 that they would marry! Big thanks to Q Weddings for sharing this lovely one with us.

What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The location. The gorgeous plantation house, Avenue of Oaks, and lagoon are stunning. It is what allowed for us to leave everything simple. We knew having the wedding near our town would be less expensive, but if it had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been the idea we both fell in love with. Ryan always wanted to get married at the beach and I wanted to get married under a tree. Charleston is the only place we could make that happen for us both.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Before we cut the cake, we gathered most people inside and toasted. The toasts were stellar. To see and hear everyone who we care about share stories from different parts of our lives and to wish us well on our new adventure was beautiful. It was really intimate and something that we will never forget.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ryan and I met in college when he was a freshman and I was a junior. We quickly became friends when we discovered we were from the same hometown and had mutual connections. Before long, we were the best of friends and nearly inseparable. I can remember doing class projects together and spending weekends and school breaks together with our group of friends. What Ryan didn’t know is that the week that I met him, I bet my friend $20 that this was going to be the guy I would marry.
Describe the proposal. Ryan and I had been dating for about three years when we decided to take a trip to California. We were staying in a beautiful lakeside resort on top of a mountain in San Bernardino and we decided to go to Sequoia National Forrest. The nearly six-hour drive was hardly close enough for a day trip, but Ryan knew that I absolutely love trees and wanted to take me to see the most amazing trees in the world. He made the trip into a whole fun day’s adventure. When we got there, he found a picnic table and we had a quick lunch and then it was time to explore. It had been a perfect day already, but as soon as we entered the forest, I was awestruck. We were in a gorgeous meadow when Ryan decided to pull me off the path to explore a small clearing. I was still so excited and looking around that I hadn’t noticed what Ryan was doing. I remember standing between two giant Sequoia trees looking up and not being able to see their tops when I looked back and saw Ryan on one knee with the ring. I don’t even remember saying yes but I do remember the tears. To keep my mind off the fact that I missed my family and couldn’t share the moment with them, Ryan planned a special breakfast on the terrace for the next morning and when I walked up to our table, I realized that my parents and his mom were sitting there waiting for us! Being able to hug our parents and spend the weekend calling our families together was the perfect way to end the best trip of my life.
In what month did you get married? April
How many guests attended your wedding? 80
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My grandmother’s wedding dress was one that her mother made and that my mother wore. It was beautiful and had such sentimental value to it, but it was not well enough preserved for me to wear. Instead, I found my dress and in the pocket, I carried a handkerchief that my mom hand-stitched from a small patch of lace from the dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: I liked the look of all white flowers and almost had all the girl’s bouquets pure white as well, just because it looks so classy. I was happy to find those little yellow billy balls which added a splash of color and a bit of fun to their bouquets. My bouquet was solid white with garden roses, white hydrangea, and dusty millers. The stem was wrapped in twine and ribbon with small opalescent buttons sewn on. Like everything else, I wanted it to feel effortless, a little rustic, but still classic.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: A friend of ours bakes cakes for weddings and honestly, that was the easiest decision we made. We knew we wanted a simple and rustic design which would be easy to achieve and still look elegant. She did a four-tier cake with layers of yellow cake with black raspberry jam and layers of spice cake. It was decorated with a brushed buttercream and a few small flowers on top. Simple. Delicious. And it was moist! Oh, and we didn’t spend a dime!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Currently, we are looking to move to Denver just for a change of scenery. We only have a few friends there and will be visiting in the middle of February to see if it’s a good fit for us. We both have jobs that are flexible and willing to lets us move, so why not?

Photographer: Suzi Q // Venue: Legare Waring House // Florist: Tiger Lily // Wedding Cake Baker: Amanda Taylor // Caterer: Cafe Catering // Bride’s Dress: Modern Trousseau // Bride’s Hair: Affair Hair by Tanesha // Bride’s Shoes: Nina // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Sarah Seven // Accessories: J. Crew

Love this wedding? Check these out:
Melissa + Eric’s green, gray and peach wedding here and here
Beverly + Curtis’ green and white outdoor wedding here and here

Written with love by Nicole