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Dianna + Garjae put together a wedding full of crafty pastel details that looks plenty thorough, thoughtful and laid back. We are just gaga over Dianna’s custom-designed ruffled dress, the fun balloons that her bridal party carried throughout the day, and the streamers lining the reception space with a festive air. Among the more obvious details, though, are also unique and subtle ones. Those place settings are lovely with their ribbon ties, but look closer and you’ll see that they’re resting on open books! I adore how thoughtfully those settings were put together and can’t imagine a prettier place to set some Southern comfort food on. Speaking of Southern comfort food, these newlyweds chose to hire Charlottesville’s popular donut truck for dessert! Now that’s a reception I’d love to attend! Big thanks to Megan W for sharing!

Describe the proposal. Far from typical. We were headed out of town for what I thought was a post-graduation trip for Garjae. While we were in the car, Garjae gave me a gift he picked up while he was in Porto. It was a love keepsake box, but when I went to open it there was nothing in it. I was expecting something to be inside it — don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty box, but it was sort of weird to get a box with nothing in it. He then, sort of absentmindedly, asked me to get him a tissue out the glove compartment. When I opened it, all I saw was this ring box. I remember asking him what it was, but after that, everything he said was almost like background noise, I spent the better part of his proposal crying and saying yes in between sobs.

Oh the anticipation! I love this photo for it. According to Dianna, the ceremony was the most memorable part of the day. “It was the first time that day when I was able to just soak everything in and enjoy the occasion. When the music started to play, I was just so calm, looking forward to finally being married to my best friend.”

I love this idea!! Tossing felted poms right after the “I do’s” makes the moment so joyful and fun.

Finding my dress was seriously a process. After being to over 5 or 6 dress shops, I would find dresses that were nice but only parts of which I liked, never the whole dress. It didn’t matter who the designer was, I always felt like I was searching for something more and I just wasn’t getting what I was looking for. In the end, I decided to reach out to a local atelier in Baltimore. After meeting Jill and Sara, I never looked back. They looked at my inspiration photos, we discussed what I was looking for, and they came up with an absolute perfect dress to fit my personality. Deciding that a pre-designed dress wasn’t for me and reaching out to Jill and Sara was the best decision I ever made.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: I got the idea for our cake from an I Am Baker design. The cake was covered with a rose pattern from top to bottom. It was a lemon cake with blackberry and raspberry filling and a cream cheese frosting. We also served little petit fours that said “eat me” and apple cider donuts from a popular doughnut truck in Charlottesville.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The food. I’m from St. Louis (my family is originally from Arkansas) and Garjae is from North Carolina. We love comfort food, which we consider uncomplicated, incredibly rich and delicious. Having comfort food was an obvious choice for us. We had a tea and biscuit table during the cocktail hour and for dinner we served roasted chicken with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and my favorite snack: corn bread.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Garjae and I met in college. We’ve been together since the beginning of our freshman year.
In what month did you get married? June 2012
How many guests attended your wedding? 70
Did you decide to do a “first look”? We decided against it. Garjae didn’t want to see me before (he’s big on tradition) and I could really care less either way. I have to say it was great seeing his face when he first saw me, classic.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We chose three readings from the Bible: Ruth 1:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, and Mark 10:6-9, 13-16.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We used two songs for walking down the aisle: “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last and “Sweetest Thing” by Lauryn Hill. Our first dance was to Etta Jame’s “At Last.”
Describe your wedding flowers: We chose roses, peonies, and lamb’s ear. During the ceremony we had baby’s breath. I wanted something classic and romantic.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? My dress. I really believe if you’re going to spend money on anything it should be attire and photography. Megan wasn’t exactly a splurge because we budgeted for her. I definitely broke some rules on my dress though and I don’t regret it at all. It was completely worth it. My dress was absolutely gorgeous and fit and reflected me perfectly.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite detail was probably our invitations and save the dates. They were a labor of love from start to finish but came out absolutely perfect and really set the tone for our guests.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? If you plan on doing a lot of crafts for your wedding, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You will save yourself a lot of headaches and likely be able to finish all the projects you start. Creating the decor for your wedding is definitely worth the effort, but it’s not worth losing your sanity trying to do it alone. Enlist your friends and family to help. You’ll come to cherish the help once it’s all over.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re just working to build a life together. We look forward to starting a family, finding and designing our first home and also furthering our professional goals.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
7 Comments
  1. avatar Sharon @ Red Poppy | Pink Peony reply

    This wedding is adorable and stylish at the same time! Love all the little details.

  2. avatar Leslie reply

    LOVE all the bright fun colors of this wedding! And the Donut truck is such a fun idea too!

  3. avatar Emilia Jane reply

    What a STUNNING wedding!!! Gorgeous work Megan

  4. avatar Madelynne Moulton reply

    One of my favorite weddings ever featured! I mean, the details are just so stunning! I love the moss as a table runner, the invites, and the wedding cake! It’s all so beautiful!

  5. avatar Belle Thomson reply

    What a perfect wedding. Excellent work as always Megan, you have out done yourself.

  6. avatar Wedding Inspiration: Romantic Neutrals » Pearls for Paper reply

    […] from top left: shoes; table setting; chair signs; bouquet; bridal party; cake; gown; […]

  7. avatar Fiesta comunión: ideas para la decoración reply

    […] (foto de Southern Weddings) […]

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I know, I know… last week, I said the Paper, Cotton, and Flour shoot was my favorite from V4. And now, here I am this week, introducing you to another of my favorite features! Can you blame me, though? Courtney Spencer of Merriment Events and I emailed incessantly for months to pull all of these beautiful details together, and the wonderful Katie Stoops surpassed our expectations for capturing them to share with y’all. I am so, so pleased with how everything we built in Williamsburg turned out, and I hope you all love this shoot, too!

The Lettered Olive designed these breathtaking invitations for us using calligraphy by Elizabeth Porcher Jones. Wouldn’t handwritten, personally-addressed invite letters be an amazing idea for an intimate celebration? Even if you were having a larger wedding, you could still do something similar, but write “Dear family and friends” instead of individual names.

Our bride’s gorgeous gown is the “Arabella” from Christos. It is stunning in person!

Out of all the gorgeous and historic locations in Colonial Williamsburg, we settled on the spa as the spot for our ceremony.

Courtney was not only the amazing stylist for this shoot, but the florist, as well! She did a wonderful job transforming the wholesale flowers from Fifty Flowers into centerpieces and bouquets for our bride and bridesmaids.

Our classic tablescape was set on a Colonial Williamsburg porch. I particularly love the nods to Virginia culture, like the boxwoods and peanuts!

A few more details? Oh, okay!

For dessert? Monogrammed tarts and a classic white wedding cake.

Finally, the butter on the biscuit: the Beau Bar! Trade your tie for a bow tie, y’all!

Be sure to pick up a copy of V4 to see all the details!

The talented vendors who made this shoot happen:

Photography: Katie Stoops // Film processing: Richard Photo Lab // Styling: Courtney Spencer of Merriment Events // Stylist’s assistant: Danielle Hines // Venue: Colonial Williamsburg // Hair stylist: Rachel Shrader of Ceco Studio // Makeup artist: Natalie Mitchell of Avenue 42 Designs // Wholesale flowers: Fifty Flowers // Flower styling: Courtney Spencer // Invitation suite and programs: The Lettered Olive, with calligraphy by Elizabeth Porcher Jones // Rentals and flatware: Colonial Williamsburg // Table linens and colored chair cushions: La Tavola Linen // Monogram, menus, placecards, signature drink sign and popper wrappers: Moya Minns of MM Ink // Glassware, some silver pieces and china: Festive Fare // Popper tissue paper: Nashville Wraps // Coaster and custom wine label design: Magpie Paper Works // Coaster and cocktail napkins printing: For Your Party // Beau Bar sign: Chocolate Butterbean // Bow ties for Beau Bar: Upper French, Lumina Clothing Company, and High Cotton Ties // Boxwood wreaths: Save on Crafts // Wedding cake, ham biscuits, petit fours, and calligraphy tarts: Colonial Williamsburg // Bridal gown: “Arabella” by Christos // Bride’s shoes: “Forbes” by Nina from Bella Bridesmaid // Veils: Toni Federici // Ivory bridesmaids’ dresses: Saja // Bridesmaids’ sashes: Untamed Petals // Colored bridesmaid dresses: Bella Bridesmaid

Colonial Williamsburg is a Southern Weddings sponsor. Katie Stoops, Moya Minns, and Merriment Events are Blue Ribbon Vendors.

emily Written with love by Emily
32 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    Absolutely beautiful! Williamsburg is my hometown and this shoot captured its charm perfectly. That bow tie bar is going to be all over Pinterest in a few hours! Amazing work, once again! :)

  2. avatar Desiree reply

    I want those dishes for myself! How gorgeous!

  3. avatar Erin reply

    I love Chocolate Butterbean!

  4. avatar Jackie reply

    It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg…Anywho, I truly adore this wedding. The calligraphy, the stationery, the all-white scheme. It’s divine!

  5. avatar Kristine {In Love, Engaged} reply

    This is an amazing shoot! I love all the details and the setting is beautiful!

  6. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Weddings holiday cheer! One of our favorite features from V4 (okay, okay, one of many) was the Williamsburg Wedding shoot! The classic details and clean green and white colors combine perfectly with the colonial setting […]

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  20. avatar danisa flowers reply

    Stunning dress.Love the hair! The place is breath taking. Thanks for sharing. Love it!

  21. avatar Danisa Flowers reply

    I love the bride’s wedding gown, so lovely and exquisite. I love the white front porch with the tables and chairs. I love the arrangements and the whole ambiance of the place looks really classy yet relaxing.

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  24. avatar Wedding Flowers Arrangement reply

    I love this! What a gorgeous wedding!

  25. avatar Wedding Flowers Arrangement reply

    OH….and the dress is breathtaking!

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  28. avatar Jerry reply

    Are the “candy” shaped gifts wedding favors? I really love this packaging idea!!

  29. avatar Christina reply

    Hi there! I’ve loved the custom wooden wedding signs by Chocolate Butterbean featured on SW, but I see that Chocolate Butterbean is not currently accepting any orders. Do you have a suggestion of another vendor that makes a similar product?

    Thanks so much for your time!

  30. avatar Green Garlands reply

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There are so many gorgeous Southern wedding ideas to be gleaned from Victoria + Michael’s celebration! Not the least of which, is how to still look graceful and elegant in the sweltering Southern summer heat. Step one, I gather? Choose a light-as-air Delphine Manivet gown. It also helps to have good-natured guests like those of V + M, who will still pull Christmas crackers and don crowns even in 95+ degree heat. Thanks to Amber Karson Events for planning, and Brian Tropiano for capturing, all of the gorgeous pink and gray details!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My family is British, and at Christmas, our table is set with Christmas crackers that contain a joke, a trinket and a paper crown that you pull apart with the person sitting next to or opposite you. We had our wonderful calligrapher write guests’ names on silver Christmas crackers and we used them as place settings. It was joyful to look around at dinner and see friends and family celebrating with paper crowns on their heads.
Describe your wedding cake: Michael and I really wanted pies at the wedding, so we decided to have a small cake, mainly for us to cut, and a number of our favorite pies (apple, blueberry and strawberry-rhubarb) for guests. At our tasting, we nearly changed our mind because the raspberry-cream cake that Windows Catering made us was amazing. We ended up sticking with the pies, though. However, shortly after the cake cutting we got pulled away to take photos and didn’t get to have more than a bite of cake. We’re planning to order some for our first anniversary to make up for it!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The late-breaking news that it wouldn’t just be hot, but that it would be the hottest day in the Washington area in over a decade. Having to adjust on the fly to make sure guests were as comfortable as possible at our outdoor wedding and that the ceremony could proceed as planned was a challenge. Thanks to our great wedding planners, who knew exactly how many industrial-sized fans we could plug into each outlet and who came up with the wonderful idea of handing out chilled towelettes, some late purchases of extra parasols and fans, and the great attitude of our guests, we managed.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Brian Tropiano, our photographer, was amazing to work with and captured the particulars and the spirit of the wedding.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? It was so touching having our friends and family play such an important role in our ceremony. Good friends and family did readings and both Michael’s mother and one of the groomsmen and his girlfriend sang us songs.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are looking forward to a honeymoon early next year that will take us from winter in Washington to a romantic getaway in Paris followed by an island vacation in the Seychelles.

Photographer: Brian Tropiano Photography // Event Design and Planning: Amber Karson Events // Venue: George Washington’s River Farm // Florist: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers, Ltd. // Catering: Windows Catering // Calligraphy: Meant to Be Calligraphy // Musicians: Sage String Trio // DJ: Bialek’s // Dress: Delphine Manivet from Lovely // Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August // Rentals: Perfect Settings // Transportation: Sunny’s Limo

emily Written with love by Emily
5 Comments
  1. avatar Jan – Green Tree Photography reply

    Oh my goodness gracious! Her dress is absolutely amazing!!! So elegant and pretty =)

  2. avatar Kelli Taylor/Daniel Taylor Photography reply

    What a great vintage-inspired wedding. Such a beautiful dress, and the ribbons on the back on the chairs are so cool.

  3. avatar Southern Weddings Monthly Round-Up :: September 2011 | Gift Registry News reply

    […] SWEET: The sweets we feature on the blog always have us licking our lips! Just looking at Victoria + Michael’s wedding pie made Sierra hungry. Emily was ready to dig into Lisa + Blake’s strawberry cake […]

  4. avatar Escort Cards VS. Place Cards & Seatings Charts Too | Heart Love Weddings reply

    […] Calligraphy by Meant to be Calligraphy photo by Brian Tropiano Photography via Southern Weddings […]

  5. avatar Josianne reply

    What a beautiful wedding!! I totally felt in love with one of the picture above and I was wondering who I should ask permission from to be able to use it on my website (which is under construction right now).
    Please if you could get back to me to let me know, that would be greatly appreciated!
    Thank you so much!

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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