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When Nicole and Tyler struggled to find a venue that felt just right for them, their planner, Rachel Youd, suggested celebrating their ceremony in Nicole’s parents’ backyard. With the help of some thoughtful planning to make it work, Nicole’s father was able to see his daughter come down the very same stairs she’d walked down in the years past for her dances and proms. Creating a moment so meaningful might not always be the easiest option, but I imagine that out of all the memories on those stairs, this day probably tops the list! After saying their vows under the oak trees, Nicole and Tyler celebrated with their guests just a few miles away at Panama Country Club with a reception that looks equally as fun as it was stylish!

Thanks for sharing, Jennifer Blair!

Describe your wedding flowers. Our flowers were soft and delicate. We had mainly white flowers with splashes of blush and green. We had peonies, garden roses, hydrangeas, seeded eucalyptus, freesia, and anemones to add a graphic punch.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Yes! Seeing each other for the first time was such a surreal experience, and I’m glad that we had a chance to take in the moment. We loved getting to spend the whole day together and share some quality time on our wedding day. I can’t imagine not being able to burst into conversation upon seeing my groom for the first time! It was so wonderful to snap a few family photos after the ceremony and then be able to run off to the party! Doing a first look also allowed us the time to have a private dinner. We were able to talk about the ceremony and actually eat, and I had the chance to touch up and bustle my dress in peace!

We looked at several wedding venues and nothing felt quite right. I remember early in the planning process, my dad had mentioned he wanted me to get ready at the house so he could see me coming down the stairs, like he had done for all my dances and proms when I was younger. Our wedding coordinator suggested the backyard, which we hadn’t even considered as a prospect. After walking through the yard and envisioning the ceremony, we couldn’t think of a better place to have our ceremony than under the oaks on the bay in a place we have so many memories. It was so special to be able to walk down the stairs of my house that day! The reception was at a country club about five minutes away. The club has beautiful bay views and tied in to the waterside feel we had at the ceremony.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite detail was the aisle. My parents’ yard didn’t really allow for a traditional aisle, so we decided that the dock would be the aisle! I arrived to our ceremony via boat, which added a fun Floridian touch to our ceremony.

My something blue was also my old and new. Tyler had given me a beautiful pair of sapphire and diamond earring when I graduated from Auburn University. I was on my Master’s Practicum in London while I was in grad school at Florida State, and lost an earring while sightseeing. I remember calling Tyler that day, so sad, and I exclaimed “That was going to be my something blue!” under my breath. He heard and I was quickly embarrassed. He took the remaining earring and had it made into a simple and dainty necklace that he gave me for Christmas, just a few months before the wedding. Our something borrowed was the venue!


Our cake was so good that as we were about to make our grand exit, we stopped to asked the caterer for a to-go box to stick a big slice in! The cake was the most important thing to Tyler, so we were set on finding a baker who could make a beautiful cake with buttercream, as neither of us like fondant. We chose a classic white almond cake with buttercream icing. We are both eagerly looking to our first anniversary for another slice!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Tyler and I met at a fundraising gala when I was home from college for Thanksgiving break. Neither of us was really supposed to go that night, but my parents had an extra ticket. I tried to stay home with the dog, but was (thankfully) unsuccessful. Tyler’s mom was sick, so Tyler went in her place. Our fathers know each other, so they ended up chatting at the event, and I talked to Tyler’s dad a bit. Soon after, Tyler came over to say hi to my mom and dad (who he had met before). He introduced himself to me when I was mid-bite of red velvet cake. Unbeknownst to me, we had gone to the same high school and were both on the golf teams at the same time, but we had never met! We ended up chatting, and later on that night, he asked me to dance. He asked me to play golf that week, and we’ve been hanging out ever since!
Tell us all about the proposal! Tyler conspired with my two best friends to surprise me! My two best friends were teaching at the time, and I was about to enter my last semester of graduate school, so we decided to plan an elaborate girls night out at Rosemary Beach to celebrate the end of school! When we arrived, it started to sprinkle, but they were insistent on walking across the street to get a quick picture before dinner. We spotted a man with an umbrella in the exact spot we wanted to take the picture, so I was hesitant, until I realized the man under the umbrella was Tyler! He said a lot of sweet things I don’t remember due to my state of shock. He had our parents waiting at a Mexican restaurant nearby so we could celebrate in the best way…with margaritas!
When did y’all get married? April 9, 2016
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 180
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I bought my wedding dress the first time I went to try on dresses. I went in with one idea and left with a completely different thing! I tried on about 20 dresses, and when I put on mine, I remember feeling so comfortable. Seeing yourself in a wedding dress is a strange experience, and despite all the dresses being gorgeous, most made me feel like I was in a bride costume. I felt like myself in my dress, but it still had that something that made me feel special! It also didn’t hurt that my mom, mother-in-law, and maids of honor immediately said “That’s the one!” without hesitation!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We were all nervous about the Florida weather cooperating with our outdoor ceremony, so we relied on the tradition of burying the bourbon. Tyler and his dad are avid bourbon collectors, and him and his father are also Kentucky Colonels. The bottle selected to be buried was an Elijah Craig that was aged 23 years, to reflect my age when we got married!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Tyler and I took a premarital counseling course through our church. Additionally, we were putting together our first home together while we were engaged. Design decisions and DIY home upkeep, while still living in two separate places, will teach you teamwork and compromise quickly!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are working on our first home in Tallahassee, Florida, where we plan to stay for a few years as we build our careers. We just added to our family with Walter, our three-month West Highland Terrier puppy! We are enjoying settling into living together and celebrating our other friends who are tying the knot!

Photographer: Jennifer Blair | Videographer: Jason Tuno | Planner, Florist, and Paper Products: Rachelle Youd | Ceremony Venue: Private residence | Reception Venue: Panama Country Club | Wedding Cake: Sweet for Sirten | Caterer: Chef Paul Stellato | Rentals: H&M Tent | Band: Creativity | Bride’s Gown: Maggie Sottero | Bride’s Hair Accessories and Jewelry: BHLDN | Hair Stylist: Bunny Franklin | Makeup Artist: Rebecca Griffith | Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung | Groom’s Bow Tie: Brackish | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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I knew I was going to love Jessica and Nick’s wedding as soon as I started reading their interview–their day was completely packed with some of our very favorite things! A meaningful location full of family history? Check. Details inspired by their love story and pulled together/created by family and friends? Check. Plenty of Southern traditions and cuisine? Check! Nick even built their beautiful sweetheart table, which now lives in their new house for them to enjoy their meals at every single day. Wedding details that can literally become part of your newlywed life are so special–not only are they a great way to remind you of your wedding in the years that follow, they can also help you focus on all the good that is to come when you’re in the midst of planning. Be sure to read J+N’s interview–I wouldn’t want y’all to miss a single sweet thing!

Thank you so much to Annamarie Akins for sharing this special day with us!

One of my bridesmaids lives in Charleston, and while visiting her, we had set up an appointment to look at bridesmaid dresses. I ended up trying on wedding gowns at the same time, and completely fell in love with one! The dress fit my style so well, and embodied everything I wanted my wedding to be: classic, modern, casual, and a little bit nautical! It was such a special moment with my bridesmaid, and there was no pressure or stress–that really helped me to know I was making the right decision. The salon was kind enough to ship the dress I loved back to Virginia so I could try it on with my family; once it was dad-approved, the decision was made! I was able to meet with the designer on our next visit to Charleston, and together, we customized a few details of the dress. I was thrilled to be able to purchase a gown from a Southern designer who was just launching her wedding gown line.

Describe your wedding flowers. I am so fortunate to have a mother-in-law who happens to be a fantastic floral arranger! Nick’s mom is an active member in the local garden club, and she organized for her garden club friends to come over to the house on Friday morning to make all the arrangements for the reception. Women I had never met were bringing flowers from their own gardens to help make our day beautiful–it doesn’t get more special than that! A local florist and family friend of the groom, who had provided flowers for my now-sister-in-law’s wedding, also provided gorgeous bouquets for the bridal party. I knew I wanted a relaxed, garden-style arrangement with natural colors of predominately white and green. The florist was also able to incorporate magnolia from my parents’ house in order to make my Alabama (my home state)-meets-Virginia (groom’s home state) vision come true in a magnolia and cotton wreath for the church doors.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We had a string duet play at the church for the ceremony, and they put together “The Book of Love” specifically for Nick–it’s one of his favorite songs! I walked down the aisle to “Canon in D,” the song that my mother had walked down the aisle to. We chose to sing “Be Though My Vision” as a congregation during the ceremony. A traditional hymn, this song is special to my family because we had just sang it at my sister’s wedding a year prior. Perhaps it will be a new family tradition!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We chose to say traditional vows. There was something special about speaking the same words that our parents and grandparents vowed to one another so many years ago.

The most memorable moment was arriving to the reception by boat and seeing all our family and friends, drinks in hand, cheering and waiting for us to celebrate with them! Nick and I were so happy, and we couldn’t wait to get up to the yard and spend time with everyone. It was such a great feeling to have people from all walks of life standing in our favorite place, experiencing why we love this part of Virginia.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Nick and I spend most of our free weekends during the warmer months down on Gwynn’s Island, a remote area on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Both sets of grandparents have a history there, my parents own a summer house on the island, and Nick’s parents live a short drive away. The house has a way of drawing us all together, no matter where we are in life, to watch the sunset and share meals together on Saturday nights. We knew immediately that we wanted to share this region with our family and friends. Nick’s family is a member of a stunning historic brick church where Nick was baptized, and it was so special to have our ceremony there! The river house and the church were natural choices to meld traditions from both our families.

My favorite detail of the wedding was the sweetheart table. Nick started hand-crafting our wooden table with his dad a few months before the wedding, and it was stunning! He searched for weeks for the perfect plans and images to create the table that we now use in our dining room of our new house. It’s so special to have a handmade piece of the wedding in our everyday lives!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. This was a no-brainer for us! I have been known to eat pie for breakfast on multiple occasions, so we had an assortment of apple, pecan, and chocolate pies from our favorite Richmond bakery, Ukrops. We also had a small cake made of funfetti, the groom’s favorite! I hand-painted some oyster shells I found on the beach near the house and arranged them on top of the cake the morning of the wedding with my bridesmaids.

Our first dance was to an acoustic version of “Mean to Me” by Brett Eldredge. My dad had chosen our father-daughter dance song many, many years ago, long before I met Nick. It was so special to finally dance to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland with him after picturing this day as a little girl!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Nick and I met at Virginia Tech during our senior year; despite having many mutual friends, our paths hadn’t crossed before. We found out we lived a block apart from each other behind the football stadium, so Nick would walk his dog during the day hoping to catch me on my way to class. My big sister in my sorority had been dating one of Nick’s fraternity brothers for a while, and encouraged me to take Nick up on his offer to go to a pumpkin patch with the group on a Saturday morning. I had no idea it was a couple’s event and we would be paired up, but we had a blast, and Nick invited me over for a home-cooked meal later that week. I promptly called my dad, who works for the FBI, to get some advice (and a background check), and he gave me the thumbs up over the phone. Nick cooked a fantastic meal and we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on the couch–probably one of the best dates we’ve ever had!
Tell us about your proposal! The nearby town of Urbanna hosts an annual oyster festival, and our tradition is to attend with family and friends and then host a chili dinner, courtesy of my dad’s secret recipe. Nick and I had taken time off to celebrate our four-year anniversary by heading down on Friday to relax before the festival. We grabbed some beer and oysters at our favorite “rivah” oyster shack, Merrior, and headed back to the house for the sunset. It had started to drizzle, but Nick still wanted to take a walk out towards the water. It was then that I saw his handwriting in the sand, “Will you marry me?” Nick’s dad was hiding in the bushes to snap a few photographs, and later that evening, Nick had arranged for many of our friends from Washington D.C. to surprise me by arriving at the house to attend the festival with us the next day! It was so special to have our family and friends together for a river weekend to kick off a wonderful engagement.
When did y’all get married? June 20, 2015
How many people attended your wedding? 155
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? There were so many Southern touches to the wedding; it’s hard to them narrow down! Nick and I love to cook and eat, especially Southern food. We sat down together and made a list of all the foods we love to eat, and then handed the unorganized list to our caterer. They turned it into an amazing, Southern Virginia-inspired menu, including Virginia ham biscuits, pimento cheese, shrimp and gouda grits, scallop succotash, honey chicken, pulled pork, fried okra, and a biscuit and cornbread bar. Our signature drinks were named after our home states, a Virginia Beau and a ‘Bama Belle. During cocktail hour, we had a champagne and oyster bar from Merrior, the oyster shack Nick and I ate at the day we got engaged. True to Southern tradition, we gifted our bridal party with monogrammed gifts galore–mason jars, seersucker shorts for the gals, and fishing shirts for the gentlemen (their monograms were disguised as nautical flags!). My mother-in-law hosted my bridesmaids and house party for lunch the day before the wedding, and I surprised everyone with a delicious pound cake with cake pulls! My mother-in-law read everyone’s fortune out loud as they pulled their charms. Thank goodness we buried a bottle of bourbon (that Nick had engraved with our wedding date!)–the rain held out until the end of the reception, and as soon as the last sip of moonshine was gone, the skies opened up! The most Southern thing about our wedding though? Having all our family and friends help us work on the house and yard to prepare to host the wedding. The months and weeks before the wedding were spent with our hands in the dirt planting flowers, and my bridesmaids accompanying me to the beach to search for the perfect-shaped oysters for the place cards. The true beauty of the venue came from all the hands that tended to it; it almost brought me to tears!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge we had to overcome was the remoteness of my parents’ house and limited vendors nearby. With a background in design, I knew exactly how I wanted everything to look, but when you’re in the country, sometimes you take what you can get!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Strive for a joyful and gracious attitude throughout your engagement, and into your marriage! There are always things that might not go according to plan.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are starting our lives in Richmond, Virginia! We moved from Washington, D.C. to be closer to our families and embrace the smaller, slower city life. I will continue to work for my D.C.-based architecture firm (while writing a blog and pursuing graphic design and residential design on the side!), while Nick has started a new job in the medical information technology field. We are thrilled to live together in the downtown Fan neighborhood of Richmond and can’t wait to explore this Southern city!

Photography: Annamarie Akins / Second Shooter: Nikki Santerre / Ceremony Venue: Ware Episcopal Church / Reception Venue: Private residence / Florist: The Wild Bunch / Bride’s Gown: Kate McDonald Bridal / Cake Baker: Cakes by Graham / Catering: The White Dog Bistro / Band: JB and the Get Down Browns / Hair and Makeup: Bombshell / Rentals: Paisley and Jade, Grand Rental Station, and Distinctive Events / Coordination and Styling: Ruie and Grace / Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN, J. Crew, LulaKate, Nordstrom, and Revolve / Bride’s Shoes: J. Crew and Jack Rogers / Menswear: Jos A. Bank and Bull + Moose / Raw Oyster Bar: Rappahannock River Oyster Company / String Duet: Strings and Things

Lula Kate, Kate McDonald Bridal, and Paisley & Jade are all delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
6 Comments
  1. avatar Annamarie reply

    Thank you so much for sharing one of my all time favorite wedding days!

  2. avatar Nick & Jess reply

    […] images can be seen as featured on Southern Weddings last […]

  3. avatar Daniel reply

    Stunning photos, love the boat picture!

  4. avatar Shore Thing | Creative Cake Toppers | Maine Wedding Venues, Photographers, Planners reply

    […] Painted oyster shells add an elegant touch to this simple white cake.  [Cakes by Graham  / Annamarie Akins via Southern Weddings] […]

  5. avatar Megan reply

    Just wondering if you could provide the name of the designer of the dress? I love the striped silk! I love the cut! Its so pretty.

  6. avatar Mike reply

    Beautiful pictures! Very interesting shell decor on the cake and the whole nautical theme is amazing!

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There is no one way to have a Southern wedding–from family farms to city halls, we love them all! It’s not the decor that makes a wedding Southern, or even necessarily the location; rather, it’s the hospitality shown and the focus on creating meaningful moments for the bride and groom and guests alike. Kaki and Jay’s Chattanooga wedding was fabulously chic and modern, and they took great strides to ensure their guests felt involved and taken care of. From the hymn everyone sang during the ceremony to the gelato and chilled towels passed around to keep guests cool in the middle of June, Kaki and Jay made sure that everyone at their wedding felt like family. What could be more Southern than that?

We’re so grateful to our Blue Ribbon Vendors, Bamber Photography, for sharing this beautiful day with us!

Jay proposed to me at my parents’ house, and it was a complete surprise! He had the ring in a small pouch tied around my dog Zoe’s collar, and after I chased her down in the yard and realized what it was, Jay got down on one knee and proposed. It was such a special moment, and it was even better that my family was there to celebrate with us!

We wanted our service to be uplifting and joyful, so we chose songs and verses that we thought went along with this theme. The guests sang “To God be the Glory” during the service. At the reception, we entered to the band playing “Oh Happy Day,” and they surprised us with special lyrics–they inserted our names, Kaki and Jay, into the song. We exited the reception to the band playing “Love Train” with their horns, and the guests leading us down to our car!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We were married at the Presbyterian church where my mother was also married. My grandfather and mother have been major cheerleaders of the Hunter Museum for a number of years. I loved the beautiful river setting there, and it made for a beautiful backdrop!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? To cool the guests down at our summer wedding, we had fans and cold washcloths for the dance floor that were kept frozen in coolers. They were a big hit on such a hot day! Along with that, we had a local company, Milk and Honey, serve delicious and COLD gelato. As a shoutout to Jay’s football days in high school, I threw a football that had “You’re Next” written on it at the end of the reception!

Golf has been a big part of both of our lives, so when we were making our exit at the reception, the wedding party and guests surprised us by holding up golf clubs and making a tunnel that we ran through to our convertible!

When did y’all get married? June 21, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 250
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. My mom and I scheduled a number of appointments at different bridal boutiques in Atlanta. Lo and behold, after trying on just three dresses, I knew the search was over. I had found the dress I had always dreamed of! Since I found my dress in record time, my mom and I cancelled our other appointments and had a nice, long, leisurely lunch and a day of fun together.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our getaway car! A friend of my dad let us use his ’57 Bel Air Convertible that had a banner with our new married names on it as we left the church! We loved cruising to the reception with the top down–especially since a huge storm had passed through before the ceremony began!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I was so excited as the preacher pronounced us man and wife that I began to literally jump for joy! I was completely unaware I had done this until I was at the reception and guests were laughing about it!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? One of the best pieces of advice I received was from my mom, who told me, “You have to remember, it is only four hours out of your life,” which could not be more true! It is easy to get caught up in all of the details and get stressed, but it is so important to keep everything in perspective and remember what this day is truly about!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? After we returned from our honeymoon, we purchased a house, so we have been very busy settling in and doing small projects. We are just happy to be settling back into normal life, which includes lots of golf, tennis, and playing with our dog, Zoe!

Photographer: Bamber Photography / Reception Venue: Hunter Museum of American Art / Bridal Salon: Joan Pillow / Flowers: The Clay Pot / Caterer: Lee Towery Catering / Gelato: Milk and Honey / Grilled Cheese Truck: The Muenster Truck / Bridesmaid Dress Salon: Prado / Band: Big Blast and the Party Masters / Paper Products: Shadow Box Paperie

Bamber Photography is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    LOVE their car sign + garland – perfection!

  2. avatar Lindsey Bamber reply

    Thanks for the feature! We always love reading the Southern Weddings blog!!

  3. avatar Loverly reply

    That Chevy is just amazing- what a way to exit the most perfect day!

  4. avatar Inspiration No. 4 (Shades of Green) reply

    […] Sources from Left to Right: Getaway Car, Emerald Bridesmaids, Classic Green Tie, Magnolia Escort Cards, Candlelight Fireplace, Mint Juleps, […]

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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