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Y’all have no idea how excited I am to share Molly and Eric’s wedding with you today! I just adore this couple–Molly owns a super chic bridal salon, so you know the fashion at their wedding was on point, down to Eric’s custom Olia Zavozina tux and gold pin dot bow tie! While that was so lovely, Molly and Eric spoke straight to our hearts when they felt led to scratch planning a big wedding. Instead, they decided to move up their date and keep things as simple as possible, making their wedding a reflection of their love story and a time for friends to be with their loved ones. I also can’t help but love that they chose their first dance song (“Have a Little Faith In Me”) because of their “imperfect love story,” and as a reminder “to fight the good fight together.”

We’re so glad Annabella Charles shared this beautiful day with us in V7!

P.S. Lisa and I may have shared an ugly cry session after watching their proposal video–I highly suggest watching it, but grab your tissues first!

Aside from saying “yes” to my groom, choosing the dress was one of the easiest decisions in all of wedding planning. I didn’t even try it on before deciding it was, without a doubt, the one for me. Amahlia, designed by Maggie Louise designer, Rivini, was a part of Rita’s spring 2014 collection and embodied everything I had ever dreamed of wearing. I felt the top of the dress resembled my style, classic and more on the simple side, and the bottom matched Eric, who is more of a risk-taker and modern in his taste. When it walked down the runway that spring, we both looked at each other and knew it was everything I had hoped for.

What did the groom wear? Eric wore a custom tuxedo that he designed alongside Olia Zavozina, a wedding gown designer at Maggie Louise and a dear friend of ours. She took all of his ideas and created a masterpiece! Eric didn’t tell me a single detail about the tux and kept it a secret until the day of the wedding. The tux was solid black with modern twists. He chose a black bowtie with gold pin dots, my favorite detail!

We got engaged in September and originally began planning our wedding for October of the following year. After a few long discussions, we both knew that honoring God in our commitment to each other was far more important than a wedding day that would take us over a year to afford and plan. It was then that we decided to move up the date and keep things as simple as possible! We knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony at Acre, so with the Southern heat in mind, we ruled out the summer months quickly, and landed on April 4, 2014. Our venue, Acre Restaurant in Memphis, is an older home that has been revamped into a very organic, rustic, chic restaurant venue. We knew we wanted our wedding day to be a reflection of our love story, and we wanted a ceremony that glorified God (not us). We didn’t fuss with having a bridal party or costly details. We simply wanted our friends to come with their loved one and let the night be a reminder of the love they share, all while enjoying a great meal, a few cocktails, and cutting loose for a bit. We began our Friday night at with a cocktail hour in the courtyard where we were getting married. As the ceremony approached at 6:30 P.M., our coordinator simply parted the sea of loved ones. Our families were escorted to the front and I walked down the cobblestone aisle on my father’s arm to “Til Kingdom Come” by Coldplay. After the ceremony, we kicked off the party with our first dance under the outdoor tent behind Acre, and spent the rest of the night getting smooth with Yacht Rock Revue.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. From Eric: Our officiant was Andy Savage from Highpoint Church in East Memphis, Tennessee. Andy “does a great wedding” (his famous quote), but an even better pre-marriage class. We graduated with honors. A special part for me was when he asked us to turn around at the beginning of the ceremony and gaze at how many friends/family came to support us. Man, that was a cool moment.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? We allowed the beautiful venue to naturally set the tone for the design of our wedding. In order to keep everything under budget, this worked perfectly with our individual and non-traditional wedding styles.

The food was by far one of our favorite parts in all of wedding planning. Andrew Adams, the chef at Acre, spent months designing a custom menu for our wedding day that told the history of who Eric and I are and where we come from, including my family’s Southern roots from the Mississippi Delta and Eric’s Italian heritage reigning from Chicago. In our efforts to keep the night as fun and simple as possible, we felt it was key to let all of our vendors have fun with doing what they do best. Andrew went above and beyond to create the perfect menu for our night. Although we decided to forgo many wedding traditions, I couldn’t bear to pass on the cake cutting moment. A local cake designer and friend of mine, Laura Jackson (owner of The Flour Garden), surprised us with a small cake on the wedding day, and it was nothing less than a masterpiece. Eric and I cut it before the ceremony so I could have a few of those traditional, yet priceless, images.

Our first dance was to John Haitt’s “Have a Little Faith In Me,” sung by a dear friend of ours, who happened to serenade everyone the night of our engagement as well. I came across this song a few years ago and have always felt it was such a beautiful reflection of us. Eric and I have always been open books about our imperfect love story. Over the last four years of our dating relationship, we did a lot of growing both individually and as a couple. Even on the days when it wasn’t easy, we continued to place faith in the Lord and each other–which is all we need in order to fight the good fight together!

Date of your wedding: April 4, 2014
Tell us about yourselves! From Molly: I was raised a Mississippi girl and moved to Memphis for college. I fell in love with the city and decided that it was, without a doubt, the place for me. I worked for 7.5 years in the photography industry with Allison Rodgers Photography and fell in love with all things bridal behind the lens throughout the years. I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2010 with a business degree in Marketing and Management. Aside from living out my dreams at the bridal boutique, my lists of “hobbies” are short, but I love food, music, a good glass of wine, and traveling with my new husband. From Eric: My boss is on the cross. I’m proudly a janitor/handyman at Maggie Louise on off-days. I love to exercise, cook healthy, and keep my ducks in a row. I bake 15-minute chocolate chip cookies for 10 minutes. I hope you never get injured, but I would love to be your doctor one day. This is my first wedding questionnaire.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met seven years ago via a mutual friend at a bar on Beale Street, Silky O’Sullivan’s. I still remember the night, December 20, 2007, like it was yesterday–where I was sitting, the second I saw him, even down to the outfit I was wearing. We hit it off immediately and hung out periodically throughout college, but didn’t make it official until three years later. In May 2010, a few weeks before we both graduated from the University of Memphis, Eric said something along the lines of “I’m ready to be your boyfriend”… I said “No way,” of course. Obviously, I caved, and we’ve been together ever since!
Describe the proposal: We got engaged on September 7, 2013. Every year, Eric throws an outdoor party at his mom’s house–an all-day affair that is the adult version of every kid’s dream-come-true, complete with a homemade slip-and-slide, volleyball, jell-o wrestling, and a belly flop contest. The day went as planned and we spent the afternoon surrounded by our family and friends, enjoying the summer heat and shenanigans. At sundown, Eric’s mom asked me to ride with her to pick up dinner for all of our guests, and I reluctantly agreed, hesitant to leave behind all the excitement and loved ones. When I returned, I saw an enormous projector screen with Eric’s face and everyone holding champagne in their hands. The video began to play, and it was filled with flashes of family and friends holding signs that said “Say Yes,” and then Eric saying he wanted to spend his life with me. At the end of the video proposal, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his bride. Here is the video!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: From Eric: Honest, holy, honorable.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? From Eric: Throwing a memorable, yet affordable, party for all of our friends to enjoy. I have champagne taste on a beer budget, and she has Jimmy Choo taste on a Target gift card budget.
Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. We bypassed serving the traditional wedding cake and let Andrew have some fun with his culinary skills for the desserts. He came up with unique, homemade ice cream sandwiches and an assorted donut bar. The ice cream sandwiches included dark chocolate brownie with cookie dough ice cream, strawberry cheesecake ice cream stuffed in a candied croissant, and ice-cream-filled chocolate éclairs. The donut creations were blueberry cake donuts with lemon-vodka glaze, Reese’s Pieces donuts, cereal milk donuts topped with Frosted Flakes, and apple cider fritters.
What are you most looking forward to about marriage? Seeing God’s plans for us unfold throughout our lives together. There is so much unknown as to what is in store, but that is what makes everything so exciting. Eric has plans of going to medical school and living out his dreams as a surgeon. I’m thrilled to see where the Lord takes us and how he uses us, both individually and as a couple.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Don’t sweat the small stuff!! Set your priorities together and don’t lose sight of them or the big picture. It is so easy to get caught up in the material aspects and expectations, but at the end of the day, people will remember seeing the happiness between you both.

Photographers: Allison Rodgers Photography, Annabella Charles Photography, Amy Dale Photography, and The Studio J / Videographer: 22 Magnolias / Coordinator: Simply Perfect Weddings & Events / Venue, caterer, and desserts: Acre Restaurant / Bride’s bouquet: Beth’s Flowers / Floral archway: Haute Horticulture / Wedding cake: The Flour Garden / Bride’s Gown: “Amahlia” by Rivini / Bridal salon: Maggie Louise Bridal / Bride’s veil: Erin Cole / Hair and makeup: Jena Bruback of Headlines Salon / Groom’s tuxedo: Olia Zavozina / Ceremony music: Jacob Zachary / Reception music: Yacht Rock Revue and Charvey Mac / Paper products: Kendyl Mounce

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

    Wow! What is not perfect about this wedding? HER DRESS. Love

  2. avatar Debra Seger reply

    I dont know what pulled me to stop my busy life and read this beautiful story…..Im a grown woman crying of happiness for two people I have never met. Thank you for sharing, simply a beautiful story that inspired my day. Wishing you a continued life of joy!

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I’d have to agree with Kathie–being announced as Mr. and Mrs. your-new-last-name is one of the most memorable moments of a wedding (even if it’s pronounced wrong, like when you new last name is Kloess–pronounced “close,” by the way!). There is something so magical about it–it somehow solidifies in your mind that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with your best friend! Along with hearing those sweet words for the first time, Kathie and Matt also shared with us that seeing their stunning tent for the first time was one of their favorite moments of the day, and I can totally see why! They worked with the gals at Karson Butler Events to take the already lovely Inn at Perry Cabin and create a wedding day that was as beautiful as it was guest-friendly. They even provided an on-site nanny for their guests with littles ones–so thoughtful!

Big thanks to our friend Kate Stoops for sharing this wedding day with us for V7!

My bouquet was a lush, romantic, hand-gathered bouquet of beautiful flowers in shades of ivory and soft peach. Our florist incorporated a brooch that has been in my family since the 1800’s.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. The ceremony took place in a small, Catholic church in St. Michaels, Maryland. My brother and Matt’s aunt did the readings. It was very special to us because we had Matt’s family priest from Colorado marry us.
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony? No, but we did mention my cousin’s husband, who is in the Army and was overseas, as well as my mom, who passed away in 2007.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? That it took me 30 minutes to pick it out! It was the second dress I tried on, and I immediately fell in love with it.
Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? I was not a high maintenance bride, so I let my bridesmaids pick their own dresses. As long as it was within my color scheme, I felt confident that my bridesmaids would pick something that would work for them and look great.

We started our reception with cocktail hour under gigantic trees decorated with string lights. A bluegrass band played in the background to keep the guests entertained while we took pictures. A silhouette artist made our guests their thank you gifts. Guests dined on finger foods, an antipasti bar, and signature drinks inspired by our home states.

We wanted the tent to feel romantic and warm. We used antique silver vases for the centerpieces and had lanterns and flowers hanging from the fabricated tree branches in the tent. Silhouettes of Matt and I hung behind our chairs. The cake stand was made to look like a tree stump with our initials carved into it. We also had couches and lounge chairs for guests to sit on.

What kind of food did you serve? Our appetizers were watermelon cubes with feta and aged balsamic, spicy tuna tartar, mini twice baked potato, Gougéres cups filled with truffled mac and cheese, coleslaw mix on mini potato rolls, shrimp wontons with Asian dipping sauce, and an Antipasto display. Dinner was yellow heirloom tomato gazpacho, pickled cucumber salad, roasted chicken breast, and pan-seared salmon.

Our cake was absolutely amazing. Maggie Austin did such a wonderful job–we couldn’t have asked for anything better. The cake was such a hit that our guests were asking for seconds, and we totally ran out!

Tell us about your grand exit. As the night died down, we left and looked back at our tent. The lights on the fabricated trees in the tent cast shadows, so when you looked at the top of the tent, you could see the shadows of the trees. It was beautiful, and a great way to end the night.

Date of your wedding: August 24, 2014
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Matt was working for a woman running for Congress in Colorado, and my family and I pledged to donate money to that campaign. Before an important fundraising deadline, Matt was required to drive to donor houses to pick up checks, including my house. We met and he picked up my check, and the next day, he called and asked me out on a date. I was supposed to be set up on a blind date through the same person running for Congress, but Matt asked me out first! We dated for six years before getting engaged.
Describe the proposal: Matt took me on a surprise overnight trip to the Inn at Little Washington. We arrived in the late afternoon and decided to have tea before heading up to our room. Normally, Matt would have wanted to take his time, but he kept asking if I was done and if we could go back upstairs. I finally gave in, and as I was getting ready for dinner, he turned to me, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him with my late mom’s engagement ring. It was a complete surprise. I, of course, said yes, and the Inn at Little Washington helped us celebrate.
Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring and how/why your husband (or the two of you!) chose it: My engagement ring was my mom’s. She passed away in 2007. The ring means a lot to me, and it means even more that Matt understands how important she was and is in my life. Wearing her ring reminds me daily that she is still with me.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Memorable, fun, and exhilarating
How many guests attended your wedding? Approximately 60
What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moments for me were the father-daughter dance, our first look, the dancing, looking at the tent for the first time, and being called Mr. and Mrs. Kazan.
Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? My father and I danced to one of my late mother’s favorite songs, “Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.
What’s next for you as a couple? We just had a daughter, so we are looking forward to being parents.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Your wedding needs to be guest-friendly. We provided a nanny service for all of our friends who have small children, so they could enjoy the night knowing their children were close by and safe. Taking care of our guests was an important component of our wedding. Even though it’s your wedding, your guests (family and friends) need to be celebrated–without them, you would not be able to have such an amazing wedding.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration: “Walk slowly back up the aisle after the ceremony is over to take it all in.”

Photographer: Katie Stoops / Planner and designer: Karson Butler Events / Ceremony venue: St. Michael’s Chapel / Reception venue and catering: Inn at Perry Cabin / Florals: Amaryllis, Inc. / Cake baker: Maggie Austin Cake / Bride’s gown: “2073B” by Watters / Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka / Hair stylist: Julie Jackson Stylists / Makeup artist: Amie Decker Beauty / Men’s attire: Brooks Brothers / Bow ties: Thomas Pink Ties / Paper products: The Dandelion Patch / Calligraphy: Meant to Be Calligraphy / Tent and lighting: Sugar Plum Tent / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Silhouettes: Marie Cheek / Transportation: Sunny Limo / Cocktail hour band: Chester River Run-Off / DJ: Michael Bell of My Deejay / Babysitting service: Nannytainment

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Malou reply

    Lovely shoot!

    Loves Malou

  2. avatar Lisa Werth reply

    This was such an amazing wedding for us at Nannytainment. I am sorry for delay in posting as I missed announcement of it being featured. We got some great images of the childcare set up and some terrific glimpses of the fun we had with the kids. It’s great timing to come across this now as I have a bride wanting a quote for there soon.

  3. avatar Richard Photo Lab reply

    […] Pink Virginia Wedding A Bryan Photo – Spring Auburn Wedding Katie Stoops – Inn at Perry Cabin Wedding (design by Karson Butler Events) A Bryan Photo – Spring Auburn Wedding Harwell Photography […]

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We often talk about the mission of Southern Weddings, and how we want to inspire couples to celebrate their families, the culture of the South, and what matters most to them. Y’all, nothing makes us happier than when we see couples do just that! Jen and Schuyler’s wedding had us seriously swooning when we featured it in V7. By incorporating Jen’s heritage into artwork in front of their escort table, and celebrating their big day in Virginia wine country–a place Jen and Schuyler both love–their wedding is such a lovely example of how details can be as meaningful as they are beautiful.

Thanks to Abby Jiu for sharing this sweet day with us!

I wanted the bridesmaid gifts to be really special, so I put together a bag of personalized gifts, such as monogrammed compacts with the quote “The best mirror is an old friend” engraved on the back, and ring holders with each lady’s name and an imprint of a gray dress imprinted on them. For our welcome bags, we had Antiquaria (the same company that did our invitations and day-of stationery) create a custom stamp for us, which we used to stamp the gift bags with our personal touch. We included snacks and a Virginia wine map. My favorite snack was chocolates from Cocoa Vienna, which are the best chocolates we have ever had. Some of the flavors included red velvet cake truffles and pumpkin truffles.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I have always known that I wanted some element of color for my wedding dress, but I was never sure what that element of color would be. I was being terribly picky and running out of time. Finally, at the last minute on a Friday, I scheduled an appointment at Hitched Salon in Georgetown for the next day. That weekend, Austin Scarlett was bringing in his creations straight off the runway for a trunk show. After trying on a few dresses in the store, the Camellia gown by Austin caught my eye and I asked my consultant if I could try it on. Once I put it on, it was so amazing. It was elegant and classic and so incredibly light, it was like walking on a cloud. Austin Scarlett was there with his business partner, Allison, and they were just the sweetest (it was really neat to have the designer there and to be able to talk with him and ask him questions about the dress!). On a whim, I asked Austin if it would be possible to recreate the dress in blush, and he said of course! When I finally got my dress, the blush tulle was just so stunning and subtle. The dress was really perfect, because it was exactly what I wanted and I was truly able to make the dress my own–no one else has a dress exactly like it!

When we were choosing a place to get married, the obvious choice was Charlottesville. It is a special place to both of us and has the most stunning views and scenery. We love great wine, and Veritas had some of our favorites from the region. They did an amazing job on the day of our wedding, and we couldn’t have been happier with our choice.

Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. I wanted to give the bridesmaids a chance to show their own styles, and I didn’t want a “matchy-matchy” wedding party, so I gave the bridesmaids guidelines on the dress (gray and long, a pattern would be okay), and sent them some examples. Some of the ladies rented their dresses from Rent the Runway and some bought their dresses, and in the end, everyone looked amazing. I loved seeing the spectrum of unique gray dresses and how cohesive everything looked together.

We know that the bridal party typically stands with the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony. Although we thought that was great (it is so comforting to have your best friends and family standing with you), we also wanted the ceremony to be very intimate between us, with no distractions. Therefore, we decided to have our wedding party sit during the ceremony so that it would just be the two of us standing.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? Early in the planning process, we were drawn to subtle, beautiful colors, like blush, whites, and greens. We loved the French toile print we chose for our cocktail tables, and that quickly became an inspiration for our black tie vineyard wedding. We were drawn to the natural and timeless look of the toile, and loved how the European formality of the print elevated our more casual venue. Throughout the planning process, the subtle, soft blush color of my dress also remained a constant source of inspiration, which led to a feminine color palette accented with gold for the evening. Being inspired by the French toile print naturally led the design to subtle Parisian accents, like bistro lights, gauzy organza runners, filigree votives, and romantic floral décor.

What kind of food did you serve? Our menu included butternut squash soup with apple chutney, roasted sirloin steak with horseradish mashed potato, citrus shrimp, seared red snapper with roasted eggplant, cabbage ragout with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, and truffle risotto with ratatouille and red wine reduction with fried leeks.

One of the most unique parts of our wedding was the painter who painted our wedding, Dan Nelson. As our wedding gift, Schuyler’s aunt brought him in to paint our ceremony. He not only painted the scene of our ceremony, but he also stayed throughout the entire reception to finish the painting as part of the evening’s entertainment. All our guests loved it and couldn’t stop talking about it after the wedding–he was so fun to watch! The final oil painting turned out so beautifully and is now hanging in our home. It is such a perfect reminder of our wedding day, and we love seeing it every day.

What was the funniest moment? I fell off the chair during the Hora!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We first met when we were 15 years old at a summer camp. We knew each other, but were not really friends, and did not keep in touch after the summer ended. By chance, we both ended up going to UVA for college, and ran into each other during my fourth year (his third year) at the gym. We recognized each other and chatted for a bit. We did not start dating, however, until a few years later, after we had both graduated. Even after that, we were long distance for awhile (due to grad schools, jobs, etc.), but were finally able to settle down in the same city.
Tell us all the basics of your wedding! We chose a date in late fall (October 26, 2013) because we knew the changing colors of the leaves would make for beautiful photos. We love Virginia wine country and wanted to invite our guests to a venue that was fun and special for us.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Refined, personal, and classic
How many guests attended your wedding? 131
What did the groom and groomsmen wear? Schuyler wore a custom English-tailored tuxedo with his grandfather’s gold cuff links. The groomsmen wore tuxedos of their own choosing, paired with gifts from the groom: mix-and-match gray silk pocket squares and cuff links.
What was your favorite detail from your wedding? I wanted to incorporate something from my heritage, but I wasn’t sure how to go about doing it. I proposed the traditional paper cut-out double-happiness characters to Kate (our planner), and wanted to know if there was an elegant way to incorporate it somewhere. Kate suggested that we create artwork for in front of the escort card table. I thought it was a wonderful plan, so we had Nikki, our calligrapher (an amazing artist) design the paper cut-out of the Chinese characters, as well as the other elements of the display. We framed them in mirrored frames, and our florist and decor vendor, Beehive Events, provided the draping to hang the artwork on. It was a great personal touch, and now we get to hang the artwork in our home!

Photographer: Abby Jiu / Videographer: Underground Short Films / Planning and Design: Kate Harlan of Simply Chic Events / Venue and Catering: Veritas Winery and Vineyard / Florist: Beehive Events / Cake Baker: Anita Gupta of Maliha Creations / Bride’s Gown: “Camellia” by Austin Scarlett / Bridal Salon: Hitched / Bride’s Shoes: Lola Cruz / Bridesmaid Dresses: Robert Rodriguez, BCBG MAXAZRIA, Liz Fields, and David’s Bridal / Hair and Makeup: Joy Pfister of Faces by Joy / Paper Goods: Antiquaria / Rentals: Beehive Events and Festive Fare / Transportation: Ambassador Limo / Live Painting Artist: Daniel Nelson

marissa Written with love by Marissa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Wow! So pretty! I just love the bridesmaid dresses!

  2. avatar Kelly reply

    This is where I’m having my wedding in just 4 months!! Looks absolutely beautiful!!

  3. avatar Caitlin reply

    I adore the ring holders that the bride customized for her maids. Any idea on where they are from?

  4. avatar Sweetheart Tables for Fall | The Dandelion Patch reply

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