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Planning a wedding at a private residence can be quite stressful (thanks to the whole “starting from scratch” thing!), but boy, can they result in some of the prettiest and most personal wedding days. For Amy and Mike, there was no question of where they were going to tie the knot–the side yard of Amy’s childhood home, next to a beautiful lake. Through DIY decor, the help of Amy’s parents, and some good ol’ Southern traditions, they created a mint and gold wedding that felt intimate and personal, even with a guest list of over 200. Amy’s father had two large doors cemented into the yard to make her ceremony entrance even more special!

We’re so glad Amalie Orrange shared this pretty day with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! We had always wanted to do the swan paddle boats on Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, where we live. He planned a simple morning of going to the farmer’s market, followed by a quick swan boat ride, because in three years, we had still never done it. I thought nothing of it–I was just so excited he was actually making plans! In the middle of Lake Eola, he proposed. The best part was that once he paddled my blubbering self back to shore, both of our families and closest friends were all there to celebrate. It was incredible!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We were married at my childhood home in the side yard on the lake. I had lived in this home since I was born, and it is on the largest lake in Clermont, Florida. There was no question about where our wedding would be!

I walked down the aisle to the Vitamin String Quartet version of “Secrets” by One Republic. It is such a moving song, and our trio string band, The Holcomb Brothers, nailed it. My father had 10-foot doors cemented into the middle of the yard, and we waited for an entire verse of this song before they opened, building up the suspense for everyone.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? When you plan a wedding outside in Florida, you have to expect the worst: hot, humid, bugs, rain, rain, and more rain. When we planned for November, the “driest” month of the year, we still knew we wouldn’t be safe. So, a month before the wedding, we had a bourbon burying party! We buried a bottle of bourbon from Clermont, Kentucky upside down at the site of the ceremony in my parent’s yard (my mother also buried TWO more bottles later, just to be safe). Needless to say, the moment after we said “I do” on the most perfect Saturday, we opened all three bottles and passed them around to all the guests! It rained every other Saturday in November but our wedding day.

I love tulips, but tulips do not like November and they are very expensive! My florist was amazing, so she brought together all of the colors that went with our mint and gold color scheme and made an incredible bouquet full of ranunculus, dusty miller (in honor of our new last name), Queen Anne’s lace, wax flowers, and tons of greenery. To top it off, she found tulips, and it was perfection!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I designed the entire cake table myself. It was made from an old dresser I picked up from a consignment shop for $30. We had it stripped down, painted white with mint trim, and had a huge mirror attached that was painted sparkly gold. The entire table probably cost $60, but with cheap antique vases, candles, knick knacks from around my parents’ house, our initials on the mirror, and the sparkliest runner, it was a sight in itself. Neither of us are cake people, but we had to have a pretty one for pictures! We did white cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting. The cake toppers were the best–they were two little swans.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Our families were friends and business partners long before we knew the other existed. I became close friends with Mike’s sister and cousins, and even backpacked through Europe with his cousin! When Mike moved home from school, he pursued me for a few weeks, and I finally gave in. We dated for three years and were engaged for one!
When did y’all get married? November 15, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 230
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? No, we did not–I am very traditional when it comes to weddings. The build-up of not even speaking to each other for the entire wedding day made that moment when I first saw him even more “HOLY COW” than I ever could have expected. Who would have ever thought it would be him who started crying at that moment? It is something I would not trade for my life.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We had all of the plans to do so, but we are both so terrible about public speaking, we decided not to add one more thing to stress about that day!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! Of course! I borrowed my mom’s pearls. Mu something blue was my initials and our wedding date embroidered into my dress. My mother gave me my grandmother’s diamond ring on my wedding day as my something old. My something new was my dress!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Getting so many people into one yard and making sure it was the best wedding we could throw. My parents took the majority of that burden, so I won’t even try to take any credit!
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We made all of the decorations (except the flowers) ourselves. My father found the doors and trellis, I made the cake table and bought all of the lanterns at a resell store, and my aunt made all of our cocktail decorations from old, spray-painted wine barrels.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? I do have to say that the best money I personally spent was on my photographer and videographer. The day is over and it honestly went by so fast. The only way we keep getting to relive it and see the moments we missed are with our photos and video. I don’t care how much it costs, do not skimp on this part! I am beyond thankful for these two vendors, as they exceeded expectations beyond words!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are just starting a renovation on the house I bought before we were married. We cannot wait to be in our “new house!” It’s been 2+ months since our wedding and we still think about that day all the time. :)

Photographer: Amalie Orrange Photography / Videographer: Seltzer Films / Planner: Bonnie Dutka of Mobella Events / Venue: Private residence / Florist: Atmospheres Floral and Decor / Cake: Cut the Cake / Caterer: Arthur’s Catering / Rentals: Chair Affair / Linens: Over the Top / Dance Floor: Letz Dance Floor / Lighting: Get Lit Productions / Band: The Leonard Brothers / Ceremony Musicians: The Holcomb Brothers / Bride’s Gown: “LZ3258” by Lazaro / Hair and Makeup: Jasmine Doublette of Brides Be Beautiful / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Wedding Dress Bee / Menswear: Absolutely Fitting

marissa Written with love by Marissa
10 Comments
  1. avatar Amalie Orrange reply

    We cannot thank you enough for featuring Amy and Mike’s wedding! Such a kind and amazing couple, we were thrilled to be a part of their big day. XO~Amalie

  2. avatar Kyla Fetzner reply

    Mint is such a lovely color to include in a wedding palette! Amy and Mike did a wonderful job incorporating it in with their neutrals (the suspenders and bowtie are my favorite pops of color!).

  3. avatar Amalie Orrange reply

    Also a big thank you to my amazing associate shooter Ashley McCormick!! And Amy’s dress was from The Collection in Winter Park Florida.

  4. avatar Amy & Mike’s Orlando Wedding | Southern Weddings featured photographer » Amalie Orrange Photography Blog reply

    […] the feature on Southern Weddings |  Check out their wedding post here | See their engagement session […]

  5. avatar Emily reply

    Y’all’s ceremony spot is pretty epic, especially with those doors and that light! Just beautiful!

  6. avatar Stephanie reply

    Such a beautiful, soft, joyful wedding! The ceremony location is especially meaningful and gorgeous, and I’m obsessed with the string lights hanging over the reception!!

  7. avatar Friday Fresh Squeeze #180 – Floridian Social reply

    […] up at a lakefront home on a property as gorgeous as this one, it's only proper that you host your big Southern wedding there and treat your guests to minty […]

  8. avatar Amber Bako reply

    I absolutely love this wedding. This location is perfect. I am planning to get married in November of 2016 in Florida. I was wondering if anyone had venues similar to this in Florida? I am looking for low cost, beautiful scenery.

  9. avatar 43 Best Outdoor Wedding Entrance Ideas I love Pink reply

    […] image source […]

  10. avatar Private Residence: A Mint and Gold Wedding – A Chair Affair, Inc. reply

    […] To see more of this stunning mint and gold wedding, visit the feature on Southern Weddings. […]

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I’m married to my own college sweetheart, so I always love reading about couples who share a similar courtship. Of course, since we all know how deeply college allegiances run in the South, I can’t help but adore Lauren and Casey’s nod to not only their alma mater, but also to their relationship, at their wedding! The Jefferson is a beautiful hotel, and I especially love that these two had both their very first dance and their first dance as husband and wife in the same ballroom there. Lauren said, “we felt it would be very special and fitting to our relationship to get married on campus, where our relationship not only began, but has also grown.” So sweet!

Thanks to Whitebox Photo for sharing such a sentimental day with us!

Aren’t these little gals the cutest?!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Finding the dress was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning! One long weekend, my parents, sister, and I went dress shopping in Miami. At first, we all had very different opinions on what the dress should look like, but in the end, when I tried on my dress, we all knew it was the one. It had a lace bodice with a full tulle skirt and lace detailing at the bottom. For the church, Chic Parisien made me a custom lace bolero, which I removed for the reception. My favorite part of my look was the cathedral-length veil with lace detailing around the edge.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did not do a “first look.” We wanted to stay traditional on this and have the first time we saw each other to be when I walked down the aisle, so we planned for a longer gap between our ceremony and cocktail hour. This gave us plenty of time to get all the photos we wanted! In the meantime, the guests enjoyed champagne on a scenic shuttle ride down Monument Avenue on their way to the reception site, and had a few minutes to freshen up before the cocktail hour.

Did you write your own vows? No, we opted for traditional vows. We both agreed we did not want the added stress of reading personal vows in public on our wedding day, and we wanted to stay relaxed.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had a traditional Christian ceremony with two readings. My aunt read Colossians 3:12-17, and Casey’s aunt read 1 Corinthians 13:4-13.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. While the parents’ and bridal party’s entrances were traditional wedding songs, I really wanted my entrance song to be different. I spent forever trying to find the right one. The church has a beautiful organ, which we wanted to use, but I also wanted to incorporate a cello. I finally found “Song for Sienna” by Brian Crain, which could be played as a duet by the organist and cellist. It was perfect! It has a 30-second introduction by the organ, and when the deep cello started to play, the doors opened, and I walked down the aisle. Our first dance was Lady Antebellum’s “When You Got A Good Thing.” We have always loved that song and we were so happy that our band, The Boomers, learned it for us.

The University of Richmond is very special to Casey and me. Not only did we meet on campus, but we were also both athletes there and feel a strong sense of school pride. Since we still live five minutes away from campus, we support the Spiders at many home games, go for jogs around campus, and are able to take part in many alumni events. We felt it would be very special and fitting to our relationship to get married on campus where our relationship not only began, but has also grown. Our reception site, The Jefferson Hotel, is an iconic Richmond hotel that has very special meaning to us. Since our first dance at Ring Dance, we have frequently visited the Jefferson for happy hour, dinner, and brunch. It’s the only place we wanted to have our reception!

Describe your wedding cake. I wanted the wedding cake to be a central decor item at our reception. The cake plate was placed on a sparkly gold linen behind our sweetheart table with large flower arrangements on either side. Behind it, French doors opened to overlook the Jefferson’s grand staircase. It was magical! The cake had a simple design with alternating layers of ruffles and sparkly gold detailing. It was so beautiful that I didn’t really want to cut it, but good thing we did, because it was delicious!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? From the iconic Jefferson Hotel to my lace-detailed dress to the song selections played by our band, our wedding had many Southern touches, but to us, the South is all about hospitality. We wanted our guests to feel welcomed and taken care of. When they arrived, our DIY, Virginia-themed welcome bags, complete with Virginia peanuts, Route 11 chips, Hardywood Singel, and more were waiting for them. The night before our wedding, we hosted a dessert and cocktail reception at the Boathouse, which overlooks the James River, so everyone could get to know each other. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed champagne on the shuttle back to the hotel. And our main goal, of course, was to make sure our guests left very well fed. Our cocktail hour featured seasonal, local ingredients, and of course, a couple of Southern classics, including shrimp and grits in mason jars. Our guests enjoyed a plated dinner and our dessert bar featured pecan pies, among many other desserts, which guests could enjoy at the reception or take to-go.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met junior year of college at the University of Richmond. Casey and his teammates were having a party, which my teammates and I went to. Casey and I bonded over being the only two Southerners and the only ones who wanted to listen to country music. A couple of weeks later, we attended “Ring Dance” together, which is a school tradition where junior women are escorted down the grand staircase at the Jefferson Hotel by their fathers and receive their class rings, followed by a dinner and dancing reception. I invited Casey and we shared our first dance together at the Jefferson Hotel. It was so special to later share our first dance as a married couple in the same place.
Tell us all about the proposal! Casey, who can never keep a secret, somehow managed to plan an elaborate engagement with the help of our close family and friends. They completely transformed my backyard with candles, twinkle lights, pictures, champagne, cake, wedding magazines, and our love story. We were so blessed to have both our parents and close friends surrounding us for this special moment, and the next day, we all went out for brunch to celebrate!
When did y’all get married? April 12, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 125
Describe your wedding flowers. Vibrant! Given that our main wedding colors were black and gold, I really wanted the flowers to pop and make a statement. I prefer garden-style arrangements that incorporate a lot of greenery along with the flowers. They turned out beautifully and really helped transform the ballroom and church. Our florist, Rick, was fantastic!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Both of our favorite details were food-related. Casey says his favorite was the dessert table with Sugar Shack donuts and pecan pies! Mine was the fusion of Cuban and Southern touches at the cocktail hour. The Cuban sandwiches and shrimp and grits in mason jars were delicious and very “us!”
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I borrowed my hairpiece–my sister (matron of honor) had worn it on her wedding day, and it was so beautiful and made such a statement that I was so thankful when she offered to let me wear it. My maid of honor gave me a blue garter with a pearl pendant to wear on my wedding day. My something old was my great-grandmother’s hand-stitched handkerchief that was pinned to the inside lining of my dress. A lot could fit into the something new category, but my favorite was the pair of David Yurman pearl earrings my parents gave to me the night before my wedding. They were simple, but breathtaking, and went perfectly with my dress.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Our biggest challenge was planning our wedding far away from our families and trying to make sure that everyone’s wants and needs were fulfilled. Sometimes, this meant taking longer to make decisions.
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? A big money saver was having our ceremony floral arrangements reused at the reception venue. Our pew clusters were hung on the sconces around the ballroom and the two large arrangements at the church were placed on either side of our wedding cake at the main entrance.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our wedding would not have been the same without our wedding planner, Lindsay! She is the one who introduced us to all of our fabulous vendors and really took the time to get to know us and our vision for our wedding. Because our families live out of state, she helped us pick out all the small details, attended meetings, and sat down with us on some of the most stressful planning days. She became more than just a wedding planner–we definitely consider her a great friend.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? That would have to be when the preacher accidentally showed up 45 minutes late for our ceremony. Once I knew it wasn’t Casey who had gone missing, I enjoyed the extra time with a bridal portrait session. It is something we will joke about forever, and it all worked out when the preacher made a great recovery in his sermon.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? First, hire a wedding planner. On your big day, you want to be stress-free, relaxed, and confident that someone is behind the scenes making sure every detail is as it should be. Second, relax on your big day and soak up as much of it as you can. It’s over before you know it!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Casey and I recently adopted a dog named Harley from the Richmond SPCA, so the three of us are adjusting to our new lives together! I am finishing medical school and Casey is continuing franchise development for sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt. We are excited for all of our family adventures ahead!

Photographer: Whitebox Photo / Videographer: Ginger Topham / Planner: LK Events and Design / Ceremony Venue: Cannon Memorial Chapel / Reception Venue: The Jefferson Hotel / Florist: Rick Lunsford of Blooms at The Jefferson Hotel / Wedding Cake: Sweet Fix / Caterer: Ashton Hassan at The Jefferson Hotel / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Lighting: Blue Steel Lighting Design / Band: The Boomers / Bride’s Gown: “LZ3251” by Lazaro / Bride’s Bolero and Veil: Custom by Chic Parisien / Paper Products: Paper on the Avenue and Elise DiPace / Jewelry: David Yurman / Hair Stylist: Welsy Mourino of Elle Style Studio / Makeup Artist: LaCretia (LC) Baskfield of Ave 42 Style Studio / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Aidan” in Black Luxe Chiffon by Jenny Yoo / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Transportation: James River Transportation and Richmond Trolley Company / Calligraphy: Mary Sue Sanderlin / Save the Dates: Dear June / Eclectic and Vintage Rentals: Paisley and Jade / Custom Stamps for Invitations: Verde Studio

Whitebox Photo is a delightful member of the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
5 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    What a beautiful bride!! Love their sentimental venue choice–I’ve been wanting to visit the Jefferson Hotel, but now I want to attend a wedding there even more!

  2. avatar Ashton Toler Hassan reply

    Would you please be so kind as to correct, under the vendors section, Caterer to read: Ashton Hassan at The Jefferson Hotel? It would be most appreciated.

  3. avatar Kelsey reply

    This wedding is just perfection! I am in awe of the bride’s gorgeous dress and hair! Do you know where she got her hair clip? I am looking for one just like it for my wedding!

  4. avatar Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography, LLC reply

    What a beautiful wedding. The reception tables took my breath away.

  5. avatar Lindsay Kennedy reply

    This wedding was just STUNNING! Thank you for the feature!

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