Georgia bride Kimberly shares her peach-filled wedding at Vinewood Plantation!
Between meeting her husband while standing in line for brunch (it was love at first sight!) to her love of all things peachy, I’m fairly confident that Kimberly and I would be fast friends. Aside from our similarities, her words about exchanging vows with her husband transported me right back to my own wedding day feelings. “We looked into each other’s eyes and for a moment,” she says, “it felt like nobody else was there. At the same time, it was so meaningful to declare how we would love each other in front of our family and friends!”
Kimberly admitted to not having looked at any wedding inspiration until after getting engaged (when she promptly ordered every back issue of Southern Weddings!), and it’s so clear that every detail and decision she and Peter made came from a place of love and intention… which makes my SW-mission-filled heart beam with joy.
Kimberly, let us know if you have any extra peach wedding cake or are willing to share that bourbon peach sweet tea punch recipe :) Thank you to Rustic White for sharing this sweet day!
I surprisingly found my dress the one time I went dress shopping alone! I visited almost every bridal boutique in the DC area over the summer, and I had brought someone with me for every one. Every time, there was a dress that someone else thought was the one, but I never felt like it was quite right. When I tried on my Modern Trousseau dress, I knew I had found the one! It was so special to get in my dress for the first time on my wedding day when no one but me had ever seen it.!
I wanted to get married in my Georgia hometown because I think there is something so meaningful about returning to your home to begin your journey into your new life as a married couple. It reminds you of your roots and all of the lessons you’ve learned that you carry into your marriage. Since Peter and I are not from the same place, we wanted to find a venue that reflected both of our pasts. Vinewood was such a beautiful setting for a wedding and Peter grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, so having a barn wedding in my hometown felt like the best way to honor both of our childhoods.
Did you decide to do a first look? Yes, we did do a first look and I’m so glad we did! Peter and I weren’t sure about it at first because we thought it was a little too non-traditional, but we decided on a first look because it would give us more time with each other and with our family and friends – and because I was really afraid I would cry if I saw Peter for the first time during the ceremony!
What was your favorite detail from your wedding? One of my favorite details was the cross we had a cross built for our ceremony altar. Peter and I originally wanted to have our wedding in the church, but we were so amazed by the beauty of Vinewood that we decided to create a church atmosphere outside instead. Now the cross is in our home as a reminder of our wedding and God’s presence in our marriage.
My other favorite detail is that my grandmama let me wear the promise ring my granddaddy gave her when they were teenagers. It’s a very dainty golden ring with a little diamond in it – my granddaddy borrowed the money to buy it from the cook at the boys’ school he attended because he knew my grandmama was the girl for him. My grandparents’ marriage is the model I aspire to in my own marriage with Peter and I was so thankful to have that first promise they made to each other with me during the ceremony.
What was Southern about your wedding? Since Peter’s family is from Wisconsin, I wanted to introduce them to the South and show them some good Southern hospitality. We did this in so many ways throughout the day, from inviting participation from our congregation of guests during the ceremony, to sitting family style at the reception so we could all feel like we were at a big family dinner together, to spending quality time with each of our guests.
The most fun Southern thing about our wedding was our Georgia peach theme — it was so fun coming up with all of the little ways we could incorporate it throughout the day! During our cocktail hour, we served a bourbon and peach sweet tea punch created by our wedding planner, who turned out to be an expert mixologist. We used fresh peaches in our decor. Since Peter and I are both lawyers, we had a set of scales of justice on display that was filled with flowers and peaches. During the reception, we served a menu of Southern food that my mama and grandmama created, including brandied peaches with goat cheese. And for dessert, we even had a peach wedding cake!
What was your favorite thing about wedding planning? Believe it or not, before getting engaged I hadn’t looked at any wedding inspiration, so right after Peter proposed, I ordered every issue of Southern Weddings Magazine and dove right into planning! We read all of the magazines together and it was so fun to start a project with my now husband.
What did you serve for your wedding cake or dessert? We had a peach wedding cake with cream cheese icing! We had a lot of guests from out of state, so the peach theme was really fun for them. And I’m happy to say that the cake was a huge hit – we were lucky the top wasn’t eaten, too!
Tell us your love story in one sentence. Peter and I met a little over two years ago while waiting in line for a popular brunch spot in Washington, DC and have been inseparable ever since – it was love at first sight!
Tell us all about the proposal! Peter and I were visiting my family’s lake house in Alabama for Memorial Day weekend. The lake house was a really special place to my family and me and I had told Peter lots of stories from my childhood there, so he knew how much being there meant to me. Shortly before the trip, my father sold the house to move to the beach in Florida since he wanted to retire where he grew up. So Memorial Day weekend was going to be our last weekend together at the lake house. On the last day of the trip, Peter woke me up early in the morning before anyone else was awake and asked me if I’d like to go on a walk around the lake. We walked down to the water and sat down next to each other in a little clearing by the edge of the lake. Peter held my hands, looked into my eyes, and told me that he knew how special the lake was to me and that he wanted to give me one final really good memory before I left for the last time. Then he said “Marry me, Miss Huey” and pulled out the most beautiful engagement ring I had ever seen. I was so happy I felt like I was in a dream and I asked him, “Is this really happening?” And then of course I said yes! Peter couldn’t have given me a better memory than saying yes to spending the rest of my life with my love and best friend!
When did y’all get married? May 19, 2017
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 80
What were some of the most meaningful or special parts of your ceremony? Did you write your own vows? Have any special readings, traditions, or participants? Tell us! We had nine members of the congregation stand and give the Prayers of the People asking for blessings in our marriage and our future together. Our three siblings gave the readings and were members of the wedding party. Having so many family members and friends participate in the ceremony was such a strong testament to the work God has done in our lives building a community of support for us as we embark on the journey of marriage! Peter and I wanted very traditional wedding vows, so we took the language from an old Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. We loved that we were making the same vows to each other as our ancestors had done in the past.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. One of our favorite things to do together is seeing live music. We fell in love going to concerts together, so during the reception we played songs from many of the artists we had seen. We had an amazing DJ who did such a good job of incorporating all of the different types of music we like into the reception. People were dancing all night! We decided to do our first dance to “When You Say Nothing At All” by Alison Krauss because it was a song we both loved before we knew each other and perfectly said how we felt about each other.
What was the hardest part about planning your wedding? Since we live in Washington, DC, we had to plan the wedding from a distance, which could be tricky at times. Luckily my sister, who was also my maid of honor, lives near Vinewood Plantation and helped with a lot of details. We also had an amazing wedding planner who did a ton of work for us and was really helpful! She helped us find all of our vendors and could go meet with them so we didn’t have to make as many trips!
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? There was a couple getting married at the same venue the next day! We shared some of our rental items, like fans and chandeliers, and it really saved us a lot! Adding one more day to a rental often costs very little.
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day? The most memorable moment was when Peter and I exchanged our vows. We looked into each other’s eyes and for a moment, it felt like nobody else was there. At the same time, it was so meaningful to declare how we would love each other in front of our family and friends!
What advice would you give to someone currently planning a wedding? Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. There are so many little details that go into planning a wedding, and as you get closer to the date, it can feel like a lot of work, especially if you have a full-time job. Fortunately, my mother and my wedding planner were so helpful and I was able to rely on them to take care of all the things I couldn’t do myself. Remember that your loved ones want to make the day amazing too, and they’re always happy to help!
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding? Peter’s and my wedding was the very best day of our lives and we are so happy to share it with y’all!
Photographer: Rustic White Photography | Planner: Southern Flair Events | Venue: Vinewood Plantation | Florist: The Funky Shack | Wedding Cake: Cutie Pies and Cakery | Caterer: Tulla White Cuisine and Catering | Rentals: Crush Event Rentals | DJ: Brian Sires via Amp’d Entertainment | Special Details: Southern Vintage | Paper Products: Minted | Bride’s Gown: “Katie” by Modern Trousseau | Hair and Makeup: Jaime Marsau Beauty | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Annabelle” by Jenny Yoo | Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Love the pink blush bridesmaids dresses, so pretty!