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Mix and match bridesmaid dresses are not going out of style anytime soon–and why would they? There’s no better way for each of your best gals to enjoy your big day in a dress she loves and is comfortable in, and when coordinated well, your whole bridal party is guaranteed to look gorgeous! When it comes to dresses that mix and match with ease, Donna Morgan is one of our favorite sources–they have so many silhouettes and colors to choose from, and ever since the launch of their Serenity collection last year, there are also plenty of glamorous and sparkly styles in the mix!

There’s no one way to mix and match your ‘maids–you can choose one color in all different styles, one style in all different colors, or even combine solid and patterned dresses. I love the mix of sparkly Donna Morgan styles below–it’s so striking! To keep the look cohesive, coordinate everyone’s accessories, or choose hair and makeup looks that fall under the same aesthetic. The look below works so well because each girl is rocking a bold lip and messy waves–they don’t look like they match, but they certainly all look like part of the same fabulous party. Both the Courtney and the Tiffany dresses come in a bunch of colors that would look so amazing mixed and matched on a glam bridal party!

A no-fail way to choose mix and match dresses is to select your favorite color and invite each bridesmaid to choose her own dress in that color. Donna Morgan is a particularly good source for this, because the dresses don’t only vary in style, they also vary in texture, giving your bridal party’s look that much more visual interest.

See what I mean? The trio below includes lace, tulle, and beading. I love the fact that even though all the gals are in long skirts, the shapes of the dresses vary as well. Even the most opinionated, fashion-forward bridesmaid would be thrilled to have options like these! These styles, from left to right, are the Amelia, Courtney, and Gia.

Are you outfitting your bridesmaids in mix and match styles? We’d love to know what they’re wearing–let us know in the comments below!

This post is brought to you by Donna Morgan–thanks for your support of the brands that make Southern Weddings possible!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Emily reply

    Wow! I adore that last trio – the lace is so beautiful!

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When a wedding planner and a chef tie the knot, you might expect beautiful styling, gorgeous details, and delicious food. And in the case of Elyse and Jack, you’d be right! Their wedding day at Stella Plantation had all of those things and more. Mixing together sweet details from their love story (yummy mini pizzas) with romantic decor (tons of dreamy candles, plus 13 different crystal chandeliers!), they created a celebration that was just as lovely as it was meaningful. I also love the way they weaved Elyse’s signature “xoxo” throughout their day, and right on into their newlywed home!

P.S. If you’re thinking the only way these photos could be prettier is if they were printed on glossy paper and surrounded by other wedding goodness, you’re in luck! We’re so glad Greer Gattuso was on hand to capture this beautiful wedding, and we were proud to feature it in Southern Weddings V8. If you don’t have your copy yet, look for it on news stands across the Southeast, or order it before we sell out here!

Since I’ve signed all of my letters to Jack with “xoxo” for years, we fell in love with the idea of having “xoxo” accents throughout the design! As guests were first introduced to the wedding through the save the dates, they noticed my handwritten “xoxo” at the top. We then commissioned one of the best local calligraphers to design our “xoxo” logo, which we used as a dance floor vinyl, had laser cut for our wedding cake topper, gold foiled on our napkins, printed on our koozies, and more! We even used “elysexoxojack” as our wedding hashtag! The “xoxo” has since carried over into our home decor, which continues to make me smile and think of our wedding.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Having shopped through New Orleans with my clients, I knew I’d have to travel to find my dress, so my mother, bridesmaids, and aunts joined me in Houston for a long weekend. Ironically, the bridal attendant had to force me to try my dress on! After removing the one-shoulder strap and some floral appliqués, it was exactly what I had envisioned myself wearing.

As the guests arrived for our wedding ceremony, they were greeted by my six honorary bridesmaids at our confetti bar! They were instructed to make their own mix of navy and metallic confetti to toss at us as we walked back up the aisle as husband and wife. Our immediate family members were given wedding bells to ring after our kiss, and my sorority sisters were each handed a Killarney rose–my sorority’s signature flower.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. My dad walked me down a long, tree-lined aisle as a cello and violin played. Once the celebrant greeted the guests, my aunt delivered an original ode to love. This was followed by the reading of the poem “Love” by Roy Croft, a poem read during recruitment in Delta Zeta Sorority, by my maid of honor, and a contemporary version of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” sung by a dear friend. Thank goodness I had gifted Jack a “Mr.” hanky because I needed it a few times myself!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote an original set of vows for both of us to repeat during the ceremony. These vows were a little more traditional, but still so meaningful to us.

Did you have a cocktail hour? If so, what was it like? The cocktail party started outside of the tent at our champagne table, where we had rows of pre-poured champagne, each glass adorned with either a gold pom, a rock candy stick, or a rim of edible gold sugar. Our family and friends enjoyed cocktails around highboys with floral ties by the glow of our three 10-foot walls of candles.

New Orleans thrives on a buffet-style reception–they keep people moving, mingling, and dancing! Food was really important to Jack, as he’s a chef, but I am a picky eater, so we wanted to have food that could could represent us both. We offered elegant food like oysters bordelaise, turtle soup, red snapper filet with crawfish ravigot, cajun duck breast, and marsala mushroom-topped tenderloin to suit Jack’s sophisticated palate. Then, to represent my favorite foods, we served miniature Margherita pizzas and had a french fry and mac and cheese bar that guests could top with their favorite accoutrements!

Did you try anything new or nontraditional? Our guest book was a nod to the hopeless romantic in each of us! Like the Parisian love lock bridge, we asked guests to sign and add their well wishes for our relationship to a padlock, then lock in their love by attaching it to a trellis, which we continue to enjoy in the landscaping in our backyard!

What was your reception like? As cocktail hour came to an end, the drapes of the tent were pulled back to reveal the reception inside. A golden-draped tent with 13 different crystal chandeliers added the backdrop and lighting for our perfect night! Our tables were a mix of round and square tables, the chairs were a mix of gold chiavari, gold estate, and ghost chairs, and our three different specialty table linens added various navy textures to the room. The whole room twinkled!

Our cakes added some wow factor! The wedding cake was a four-tiered fondant cake accented with gold leafing and topped with our xoxo wooden cake topper! It sat on a gold bar cart–a gift from my aunts for my bridal shower–adorned with candles on the bottom shelf and on the floor around the base. The backdrop was a custom painted and gold-leafed wall that our florist created. After we cut our cake, we asked the ladies of the bridal party to join us for a cake pulls–a Southern tradition where each girl pulls a charm out of the cake that is said to predict their fate. The groom’s cake was four stacked king cakes, a New Orleans speciality, with a fleur de lis topper and purple, green, and gold Mardi Gras beads scattered on the table!

Don’t miss Elyse and Jack’s wedding film by our Blue Ribbon Vendor Bride Film below!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. In eighth grade, my parents moved to a new city right outside of New Orleans, where I made many new friends! One afternoon, I had joined my new girlfriends at the ballpark to watch their friends play baseball. After a foul ball was hit towards the stands, I scooped it up and chucked it back to the boys. Let’s just say that I didn’t throw like a girl! Impressed by my athleticism, Jack came to chat with me after the game. We spent many afternoons together at the ballpark after that, and the rest is history!
Tell us about a date you’ll always remember. For our one-year dating anniversary (keep in mind that we were 16 years old), Jack told me that he was going to cook pizza, my favorite meal, from scratch. He surprised me by writing “I <3 U” in pepperonis! He had already discovered his love for cooking (he's now a chef) and had gotten pretty good at it, so the fact that he simplified his dinner plans to cook this simple dish showed that he really understood and loved me. I’ve always told him just how special that meal made me feel! Describe the proposal: After the weather forced Jack to change his plans of proposing in the park in front of a photographer, the ring must have been burning a hole in his pocket. The very next day, he surprised me with another hand-tossed pizza, this one reading “Marry Me?” in pepperonis– a nod to our one-year anniversary date! Needless to say, we were too excited to eat the proposal pizza!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Elegant, custom, lively
How many guests attended your wedding? 200
What did the groom and groomsmen wear? Jack had purchased a light navy suit months before the wedding, but three weeks before the big day, an editorial arrived in the mail with a velvet, navy tux blazer that he had to have! It arrived just in time! He also wore my late grandfather’s Rolex watch that my father asked him to wear. During my dad’s rehearsal dinner speech, he said, “Jack, I would like you to wear this watch this weekend so that Elyse’s grandfather can be a part of his granddaughter’s wedding. Keep it on your wrist so he can feel your pulse quicken as you watch Elyse walk up the aisle in her beautiful wedding dress.” It meant so much to me to have my Dide there in spirit! The groomsmen all wore matching black suits with navy skinny ties. We also gifted them polka dot socks for a fun touch.
Tell us about your wedding flowers. I really wanted my bouquet to have a hand-picked, natural feel, so we used lush blooms in whites, ivories, and blush mixed with loose, cascading foliage to give it lots of movement. We applied gold leafing to a few leaves for a gilded touch! We used Frou Frou Chic hand-dyed ribbon to tie it all together. As a finishing touch, I had “Mrs. Jennings” in my handwriting turned into a gold bracelet, which we wrapped around the stems. Just as the bridesmaids’ dresses were different, I wanted their bouquets to be different as well. Each had the same filler flowers and foliage, but a unique focal flower! I also made each of the ladies a handwritten gold bracelet with their names to wrap around their bouquets.
Tell us a bit about your first dance. We danced to “Amazed” by Lonestar, which has been “our song” since we first started dating in 2003–the year the song became most popular. We sang every word of the song to each other while we danced! So romantic and nostalgic!
Tell us about your grand exit. In true dramatic fashion, we ended our reception with fireworks over the Mississippi River to celebrate not only our love, but all of the love that surrounds us each and every day! It was a truly magical ending to the most incredible weekend of our lives, and the perfect start to our forever!

Planning and Design: Elyse Jennings Weddings | Venue: Stella Plantation | Photographer: Greer Gattuso Photography | Videographer: Bride Film | Candles and Lighting: Luminous Events | Florist: Bee’s Wedding and Event Designs | Rentals: Perrier Rentals | Vintage Rentals: Distressed Rentals | Hair Stylist: Ginger Dickey | Makeup Artist: Ashley Sievert | Band: Groovy 7 | Catering: New Orleans Catering | Ceremony Musicians: New Orleans Finest Musicians | Officiant: Rev. Johnny Adams | Transportation: Bonomolo and Hotard | Save the Dates and Invitations: Tupelo Honey | Invitation and Envelope Calligraphy and Signage: Ebb and Flow | Cake Baker: Royal Cakery | Champagne Flutes: Anthropologie | Bride’s Gown: Ines Di Santo | Bridal Salon: Ivory Bridal Atelier | Bride’s Veil: Wedding Belles | Bride’s Earrings: Kendra Scott | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bride’s Robe: Flora Nikrooz | Menswear: Express | Bridesmaid Dresses: Adrianna Papell and Badgley Mischka | Tinsel Stirrers: Em for Marvelous | XOXO Cake Topper: My Girl Josephine | Bouquet Ribbon: Frou Frou Chic | Name Bracelets: Yvonne Boutique | XOXO Floor Decal: Off the Wall Expression | Confetti: Inside My Nest | Frosted Go Cups and Napkins: For Your Party | Koozies: Discount Mugs

Greer Gattuso, Bride Film, and Stella Plantation are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
7 Comments
  1. avatar Brittany reply

    By far one of my favorite weddings. It is the perfect mix of elegant and fun. I might be using some of these ideas :-)

  2. avatar Champagne bar with tinsel stirrers – Em for Marvelous – reply

    […] of my very favorite weddings from the latest issue of Southern Weddings is on their blog today! Elyse and Jack, who began dating when they were 16, blew me away with all of the thoughtful and […]

  3. avatar Elyse reply

    Our wedding was the very best day of my life and it’s made me smile from ear to ear to relive it through the magazine and the blog! You ladies are just the sweetest! XOXO

  4. avatar Sybil reply

    Beautiful wedding! I love alll the detail and how special it seems for the couple.

  5. avatar Nicole reply

    Beautiful…so this is what a wedding looks like when a super talented wedding planner makes the dream of her wedding day come to life. Details, Details, Details, Love, Love, Love!!!

  6. avatar Brooke reply

    This was one of my favorite weddings from the new magazine! Seeing even more pictures on the blog is just so exciting! I absolutely love the confetti bar and the mini chicken and waffles!

  7. avatar 5 Southern Wedding Traditions Any Couple Can Incorporate reply

    […] See the full wedding here! […]

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Growing up in Charleston, Lindsay knew she wanted to get married at a plantation home, and had her fair share of beautiful places to choose from. I’m sure we can all agree that most anywhere in the Lowcountry would have been simply lovely! In the end, Lindsay’s love for the Old South was the deciding factor, and she and Ty chose the Legare Waring House for their wedding. It not only made Lindsay feel completely at home, but its beautiful Spanish moss and plantation house porch also made the perfect backdrop for their classic Southern celebration. While their venue was just the right place for them to exchange their vows, their hearts were focused on tying together past family traditions with new traditions for their future family. Lindsay said that “focusing on the future that we were building kept the stress of the wedding low.”

Big hugs to Dana Cubbage for sharing this lovely day!

My something old was lace cut from mother’s wedding dress, which I wrapped around my bouquet. Something new was a bracelet and earrings from my mom. My something borrowed was my grandmother’s sapphire ring, originally given to her by her grandfather. My something blue was a necklace my papa had made for me from one of his baby rings. He had necklaces made for all four of his grandchildren when he got sick.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Definitely walking down the aisle. That was a one of a kind moment–just knowing that we were about to cross a huge milestone was so overwhelming and exciting!

About a year before the big day, I took my mom, grandmother, and sister dress shopping with me. It was the classic story of trying on those first few dresses, then trying on about 20 more before your gut tells you that first dress was the one. I fell in love with the simplicity of it and the light, flowy, breathable fabric that hugged all the right spots!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? I’ve always been in love with the Old South, so I knew I wanted a Charleston plantation wedding. I grew up here, and Legare-Waring House made me feel at home.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The entire venue screamed “Southern,” thanks to the Spanish moss draped from the old oak trees, the plantation house porch, and the hanging vines.

Describe your wedding flowers. We had white peonies, cream and sahara patience garden roses, sweet pea, jasmine vine, seeded eucalyptus, peach Juliet garden roses, dusty miller leaves, cream ranunculus, peach stock, and spirea.

For my walk down the aisle, a string quartet played “A Thousand Years.” Our first dance was to the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” which is the song that my grandparents danced to on their wedding day.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. According to Ty, he and I met long before I remember, back in 2008. I didn’t believe it until I found a random picture I took with my cousin, Callie, where Ty was in the background! Callie used to date Ty’s best friend, Chris, so they were always invited to the same events, and their paths always crossed. Ty constantly reminds me that the night we met, I did not speak to him, and ignored him on the way out. I still refuse to believe that was the case! A year passed, and Ty and I would see each other every now and then, but never truly got to know one another until 2009 when I came home for Christmas break. Callie invited me over to her new place, and when I arrived, I saw Ty sitting on the couch. I introduced myself, only for Ty to reply, “Yeah…we’ve met before…” Assuming any possibility for a friendship was lost, I just laughed it off and changed the subject. Later that night, Callie, Chris, Ty, and I decided to go to the infamous IBG (Island Bar and Grille). This is where the magic really happened. Callie came over to me what I thought of Ty, and before I could reply, Ty walked over and put his arm around me. Instead of asking me out, he said, “I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a minute, that biker lady over there is trying to ask me out.” Romantic right?! Needless to say, we kept in touch ever since that night. I returned to Columbia, but Ty began visiting Gamecock country all the time. We decided to become an official couple on March 16, 2010. We have been through a lot together since, and know, through our experiences, we will be able to get through anything. On December 15, 2013, Ty got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, forever.
Tell us all about the proposal! I knew it was coming; I just wasn’t sure when. Every time a big event was coming up–birthday, graduation, surprise camping trip, etc.–I just knew Ty was going to pop the question, and I was wrong every time. Ty caught on quickly that I knew it was coming, so he knew he had to ask when I least expected it! Every year, Ty and I love going to the James Island County Christmas lights. We both enjoy the Christmas season so much, so we make a point to go every year, and this year was no different! Once we arrived, we decided to head to Santa’s Workshop and walk around, as we do every year, but first, we had to stop at the mistletoe light for a quick picture! When it came time for Ty and I to take our picture, we posed for a few shots, and then Ty looked at me and said, “Do you know how much I love you?” I responded, “Yes, I love you too, Ty!” Tyler said, “No, do you know how much I love you?” Confused, I remarked, “Umm, yes, I think so?” This is where is became a blur to me, as I saw him reach into his jacket pocket and pull something out. He then got down on one knee and asked me, “Will you do me the honor of being my wife, forever?” I was SHOCKED, and of course, said YES!” Although it was simple, it was perfect! I couldn’t imagine being asked any other way!
When did y’all get married? May 22, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My uncle read “The Art of Marriage” and Ty’s father read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We bought a home together while engaged and started planning for the future, dreaming up holiday parties we could throw and traditions we would want to start for our future family. Focusing on the future that we were building kept the stress of the wedding low.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Prioritizing what I had always dreamed of including vs. things I had never given much thought to. Things on the bottom of that list needed the smallest budget–for us, the cake was low on the list because we aren’t cake people, so we opted out of extravagant cake and dessert options.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? It’ll be special regardless of how much you spend, so keep it simple! If you’re creative enough, you can have a dream wedding without spending a fortune!

Photographer: Dana Cubbage / Videographer: Finger Snappin’ Entertainment / Planner: Jacqueline Volz of Sweetgrass Social / Venue: Legare Waring House / Florist: Branch Design Studio / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Kait / Caterer: Crave Catering / Rentals: Eventworks / Lighting: Technical Event Company / DJ: DJ Y.Not / Band: Charleston Chamber Musicians / Bridal Salon and Accessories: Bridal House of Charleston / Hair Stylist: Madison Hughes / Makeup: Jonny Cosmetics / Bridesmaids’ Dress Salon: Bella Bridesmaids / Vintage Decor: 428 Main

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Brianna reply

    Where can I find those bridesmaid dresses!? That is exactly what I’ve been searching for!?

  2. avatar Lindsay + Ty | Legare Waring Houses| Charleston, SC – Sweetgrass Social reply

    […] To read more about their story check out Lindsay and Ty’s feature in Southern Weddings. […]

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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