Hello my dear friends! Earlier this week, I ventured north to New York City for my very first National Stationery Show! I’m in awe of some great new designers and swimming in amazing paper samples. There will be plenty of posts soon, but I’m happy to report that I’m back on Southern soil.

Earlier this week, our reader Karen wrote to us about maids and matrons of honor. With such large bridal parties in the South, it can be difficult to figure out who does what! We weighed in here.

May’s Southern Bride of the Month is planning her Southern nuptials with a clean and crisp color palette. We love what she’s put together! Read more about Lauren here.

You don’t have to be a Nicholas Sparks fan to love the romantic and nautical inspiration shoot that Faith Teasley sent us! (Though you’ll get an extra kick out of it if you are!) We loved the sweet details in this post inspired by the novel Safe Haven.

Real Weddings are the sugar in our tea!

Mary Simms + Alex’s South Carolina wedding had us swooning from beginning to end! Handmade details, traditions and monograms were abundant. See it here.

Rachel + Chad’s Georgia wedding was full of sparkle and family-made details. We love that these two decided to tie the knot on family property! See it here.

Before y’all head out, make sure you take a look at the lovely photos by Lynnesy Catron on our Facebook Friday!

What are y’all doing this Memorial Day weekend? I hope it’s a ton of fun!

Rachel + Chad could not be any cuter! These two love birds met in a sculpture class in college. Though they both had eyes for each other, it took a few weeks before they met and hung out at a mutual friend’s party. (Until that point, Rachel called Chad “Sculpture Boy,” which her family still calls him!) Rachel says she was smitten after seeing his dance moves and he liked her because she made him laugh. So sweet! We love their wedding for it’s jewel-toned charm, but even more because it all took place on family property with some special touches from loved ones. We’re so grateful for Anna K Photography for sharing this day with us!

My flowers were incredible! Kent Duffie of Designs by Kent did all of my florals (he was the florist for Carrie
Underwood’s wedding!). The girls had beautiful deep purple bouquets full of all kinds of different flowers, including roses, ranunculus, succulents, and so much more. I gave Kent full control to do whatever he wanted within my chosen colors and he blew me away. My bouquet had more white in it to set it apart. Our wedding planner, Chad’s Aunt Kaye of The Proposal, had these awesome frame collages made, and Kent put flowers in the corners of all the frames. Everyone was obsessed with them. We had flowers in mismatched containers (brass, crystal, milk glass, etc.) for centerpieces at the reception.

I just love Rachel’s gold belt! It’s a little hint of what’s to come at the reception.

I got my dress at Formally Yours in Lilburn, Ga. My sister got her dress there and had a wonderful experience, so it was the first place I went the day we went shopping. Me, my mom, and my sister made a day of it. We started at Formally Yours and I was debating between a couple of dresses, but couldn’t make up my mind. The owner was so sweet and told me to get some lunch and think about and call her if I made a decision. We went to another boutique and I found a dress that was beautiful, but just didn’t feel like “me.” We decided to go back to Formally Yours and try on the other dresses again. I had been torn between two beautiful lace dresses, but they felt too traditional. I ended up choosing a dress that was so different, but was absolutely perfect. We had a short engagement (five months) so I had to buy a sample off the rack. I honestly think it made it easier because I didn’t have to wait for my dress to come in the mail.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? 
I often second-shoot weddings with Anna, so I have been able to see firsthand how much easier wedding days can be if you get photos done before the ceremony. It was so nice to see each other and get excited about our wedding day. We were able to have plenty of time for portraits and were even able to leave our venue and drive down the road to have extra variety in our photos.

I had lots of special borrowed things for the wedding. I wore silk flowers in my hair that my mama wore in her hair at her wedding. I wore my sister’s veil during the ceremony and my grandmother’s jewelry.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
Walking down the aisle was so memorable. We had already seen each other, but in the moment I couldn’t help but to be overwhelmed with emotion. I started crying and my dad kept telling me jokes and to think of everyone in their underwear. I was just so excited to see Chad standing there waiting on me. We also thoroughly enjoyed our dance party, thanks to our DJ, Ali Fici!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. 
Some of our very dear and talented friends played and sang during our ceremony. Seth and Claire Rice sang “lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliat as the wedding party walked in. Jimi Bell sang the Jude Moses cover of “Book of Love” as my dad walked me down the aisle. At one point in our ceremony, Chad and I tied a square knot while Jimi sang “How Great the Father’s love.” When everyone was exiting, Claire sang “Let’s get Rich” by Ingrid Michaelson. It was the perfect happy song to end the ceremony

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 happened without Chad’s Aunt Kaye. We got married at her farm, and she just so happens to be a wedding planner and interior decorator. I couldn’t have lucked out any better if I tried. She was so great at coordinating vendors and making everything look just right. Anna, our photographer was INCREDIBLE. She is a dear friend and made our day so special. She and Lynnsey, her second shooter, were the best!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
Our wedding was on a big Southern farm. We got married at Chad’s aunt and uncle’s farm and it was the perfect Southern backdrop. Our reception was under a big old oak tree all strung up with lights and lanterns. Our favors were honey that Chad’s uncle harvested from the bees he keeps on the farm. We had peach cobbler and Blue Bell ice cream. Of course, there were all those Southern accents mingling in the air too.

Our entire reception was dessert-themed. We decided to get married late in the evening, after suppertime, so we just did desserts and drinks, and it was perfect. We had everything you could think of: parfaits, cookies, s’mores, cupcakes, peach and blackberry cobbler, ice cream and more.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. 
Chad and I met in a sculpture class during our senior year of college. We were both Art majors; I’m an Art teacher and he’s a graphic designer. The first day of class, I was sitting with my dear friend Anna (of Anna K Photography) and leaned over and asked if she knew who the outdoorsy guy with the moustache was. Chad was wearing these Merrell hiking shoes and had a serious-looking carabineer on his belt loop, but he had this goofy moustache and silly hat that made me think he had a good sense of humor. Apparently, he went home that day and told his roommates there was a cute girl in his sculpture class. It took me about a week to figure out his name, so in the mean time I started calling him “sculpture boy” to my friends and my mom. As I learned more about him, I realized that we had tons of mutual friends but had somehow never managed to meet. We kept up the secret mutual crush for a couple of weeks until he finally asked me out. The first time we ever hung out, we went to a party at a mutual friend’s house and danced the whole night. Once I got a glimpse of his dance moves, I was sold. I think he liked me because I made him laugh. Chad is a good egg, a true Southern gentleman. My family (who still calls him “Sculpture Boy”) was smitten as much as I was. The rest is history. We were made for each other.

Tell us all about the proposal! 
The proposal was a total surprise. I knew it was coming, but was caught so off guard when it did. Chad is from Eatonton, which is about a three-hour drive from where we live. We had just been up there the weekend before for a family function of his, and then he said he wanted to go up the next weekend for his best friend’s birthday. We left after work late Friday evening and arrived in Eatonton after 9. When we arrived, we went straight to his best friend Josh’s house. Josh and his brother were there, but Josh’s wife and his brother’s fiancé were gone “shopping.” I was bummed out to be alone with the boys (and feeling tired and yucky after a long workday). Josh suggested that we take his German Shepard, Jed for a walk, so the four of us set out. Josh and his wife, Bailey, live in downtown Eatonton, so we were walking around all the historic sites. As we walked down the sidewalk, I pointed out the Methodist church that Chad grew up in. Their original sanctuary is over a hundred years old and has beautiful stained glass. I was going on and on about how beautiful it was and that I wanted to see the inside because I never had. At this point, it was about 10pm, but when Chad suggested that we see if the door was unlocked, I hopped right up the steps. When we opened the door, I heard music playing and told Chad that we needed to go because we were interrupting something. He insisted that it was ok and kept trying to pull me inside. When I peeked around the corner, I noticed candles on the floor. I freaked out and told Chad that we had to leave “NOW! Because someone is getting engaged and we’re going to ruin it!” Remember how I said I wasn’t expecting it? Chad said, “Yeah babe, someone is getting engaged, now come inside!” He dragged me into the building and there were candles EVERYWHERE — all down the aisles and across the altar. It was beautiful. Our friend John was in the corner playing guitar and singing a song. It was all a blur. The girls who I thought were out shopping had really been at the church lighting all the candles. Chad got down on one knee and told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him. It was perfect.

When did y’all get married? 
April 6, 2013

How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
About 130

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
Having everyone we love with us all day. How often do you get to have all of your favorite people in one place?!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The hardest part was controlling the guest list. We knew we wanted a smaller wedding, but it’s hard to cut people off when the time comes.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
RELAX! Before my wedding, everyone told me I was going to be so stressed out and that it would all be a blur. Having a great planner helped tremendously with the stress, but I also tried to remind myself to let the little things go. The only person who won’t notice if things aren’t exactly the way they’re supposed to be is you, so don’t worry about it. I had an incredible day and enjoyed every minute of it. If I had been stressed out over someone’s hair or shoes, I would have missed the joy of the day.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Right now, we’re just enjoying being newlyweds. We don’t want kids for a while, so we’re enjoying each other and have plans to travel as often as we can.

Anna K is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Y’all, I’m a total romantic. I believe in love at first sight (this totally happened with BDK), happily ever after, and even Cinderella stories (I always cheer for the underdog!). That being said, I am not embarrassed to admit that I have cried during every single one of Nichols Sparks’ movies. Come on, The Notebook? I’ve seen it hundreds of times and still ball my eyes out at every viewing.

Even if you’re not a devoted NS fan (like Kristin and myself), you’re in for a real treat with today’s inspiration from our friends Faith Teasley and Kickstand Events. Inspired by Nicholas Sparks’ Safe Haven, this talented duo created a nautical dream wedding for the characters, Alex and Katie. I’ll let Faith take it away with a little insight into their creative process!

I’ve always been inspired by the North Carolina coastal town of Southport. When I first saw trailers for Nicolas Sparks’ new movie Safe Haven, which is based in Southport, I knew it’s small beach town vibe would be a beautiful source for wedding inspiration. I reached out to the talented ladies of Kickstand Events who were thrilled to create a dream wedding for the Safe Haven characters, Alex and Katie.

We decided to incorporate details that would really resonate with fans of the book and motion picture. We strategically chose locations straight from the movie. The beautiful Southport Marina served as our ceremony and reception location – the Marina staff was absolutely wonderful! The Southport Marina is a perfect venue for an intimate wedding. The white house pictured is the actual home used in the movie. The tower-like structure in the background is seen throughout the movie as well.

In the story, Alex gives Katie a special letter, so we decided to incorporate handwritten letters in the ceremony.

Readers of the novel will recognize the reception menu – it’s straight from Chapter 16.

Kickstand Events’ incredible vision and enthusiasm for this project was beyond amazing. Together, we created beautiful imagery that we hope will bring inspiration to brides seeking a small beach town romance vibe for their wedding.

An extra treat: this adorable couple in action plus behind-the-scenes details in this fun film from the guys at Blueberry Fusion!

Haven’t seen Safe Haven? That’s okay, take a gander at the preview, and you’ll love this shoot even more! But I must warn you, you may get teary-eyed!

Faith Teasley and Blueberry Fusion are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Ladies, I am so happy to be sharing our interview with May’s Southern Bride of the Month! Lauren is getting married in just a few weeks, and I think you’ll love the inspiration she’s collected for her nuptials. Please make her feel welcome!

Hi! What’s your name?
Lauren Kelley

What’s your fiancé’s name?
Danny Evans

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.
Danny and I both grew up in North Carolina, attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduated in the same year (2008) and never knew each other. He moved to Stamford, CT to work for GE Capital and I moved to Manhattan to work at The Wall Street Journal. One evening in February 2009, he met his friends (Janus and Carter, his best men) at a bar in New York, and I was already there in the booth with the boys and a few of my girlfriends. Janus and Carter still argue over who actually introduced us. He sat across from me, and the rest is history…

Now tell us alllll about the proposal.
One of my college roommates got married on May 19th of last year in Edisto Island, SC. My family decided to make it a beach week after the wedding to celebrate my birthday. I had my suspicions of an engagement, but I did not expect the creativity he brought to it! After we were finished eating my birthday dinner on Sunday, Danny asked me to help him with a cake they had bought for my special day. I went inside and he told me to grab the napkins. Then he decided I should just bring out the cake. I went over to the cake to close its box, and that’s when I read, “Lauren, Will You Marry Me?” I of course freaked out and turned around, and there he was on one knee. It’s a pretty incredible feeling, and I can’t tell you how surprised I was! He had the cake made at the local Piggly Wiggly (hilarious!) and kept it a secret with my dad and brother from Thursday until Sunday. They knew not to tell my mom because I would break her instantly. She’s a terrible liar.

When’s the big day?
Saturday, June 1st

Where might you two be tying the knot?
The French Protestant Huguenot Church in Charleston, SC

A classic inspiration board from Snippet & Ink that’s guiding Lauren’s style!

How did you pick your ceremony and reception venues? What do you love most about each space?
I am in love with Charleston. It has such a juxtaposition of old and new: a rich Southern history and amazing new restaurants and bars with a college feel. Our church is crazy beautiful, and I didn’t even get to see the inside when I chose it. I knew from the outside and the location in downtown that it was exactly where I wanted to get married. The reception venue is the historic rice mill right on the water. The inside is dark wood floors, a beautiful dark wood wrap around bar and tall windows that let in a lot of light. It has a perfectly-sized dance floor and a little outdoor space so guests can enjoy the view of the water.

Tell us a little bit about the wedding you’re planning: style, theme, feel, colors?
I like really clean and simple, so my wedding is a lot of white, gray, pops of Carolina blue and turquoise. There’s green in the flowers, but overall they’re clean and white.

In looking at Lauren’s Pinterest board, I love that she’s pulling inspiration from interiors and sources outside of weddings — always a great idea! (Bedroom by Armonia Decors and living room by Katie Rosenfeld)

Who or what has been most helpful and/or inspiring in the wedding planning process?
My wedding planner, Ellen Robinson from WED. She has made my life so stress free!

How have you involved your “community” (friends, family, etc.) in the wedding planning process?
My mom’s group of friends from my hometown are throwing my bridal luncheon for me, and Danny’s sisters are helping with the rehearsal dinner at Magnolias. I’m usually not great at delegating, but with this project I knew it was way too big to take on myself!

Lauren was also inspired by this invitation set from Dauphine Press. So pretty!

How has the budgeting been? What’s your best budgeting tip?
Ahem… I wish Danny was answering this question. It’s been a little difficult, and I’m so happy I have him to rein me in and really apply his Excel knowledge :) My best budgeting tip is hire him to help you! He’ll keep you in line.

Have you picked your dress yet? How’d that go? What will you be wearing on the big day?
Yes! It was the fifth dress I tried on at Hitched in Georgetown. It’s Amsale, and it’s named Lauren. Meant to be? Perhaps. My mom went with me, and we tried on her dress to see what it would look like after 20+ years. Needless to say it was a miss. She’s a little shorter, and got married in the 80′s. It made for a good time. I have sewn part of her dress in the lining of mine and am wrapping part of her veil around my bouquet.

Lauren loves this clean + smooth updo — I think it will look perfect with her gown! (Photos by Hyer Images)

What do you love most about Southern weddings?
The food! Low country boil and pimento cheese sandwiches? Yes please!

Do you have a favorite independent store you’d love to tell us about?
Maddison Row and Cacky’s Bride + Aid in Charleston have been amazing! A bug ran into me and died on the left top of my dress during my bridal portrait, and they tacked a pleat and were able to hide it. They’re also being so great and letting me keep my dress at their store so I don’t have to bring it back and forth from DC!

What has been the best part of wedding planning? The worst part?
Best part is seeing this event you have thought about for most of your life come together. It’s kind of indescribable. The worst part would have to be the technicalities of who you can/cannot invite and staying within budget. Both can be a little stressful at times!

Tell us about planning with your fiancé. Has it gone smoothly? Is he more involved, or hands-off?
Involved and amazing. Danny has been a trooper and when he says he wants something particular I listen. There haven’t been many things we disagree on.

Decor + rentals Lauren loves with a clean + preppy feel (photos by A Bryan Photo)

What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
Seeing Danny and being surrounded by our friends and family. Also, all the dance moves. My dad loves to dance at weddings, so I know it’s going to be epic.

Any plans for a honeymoon? Where do you want to go and what will you do?
We’re going to St. John and I haven’t really planned much of that. Lots of relaxation!

Any advice you’d like to pass along to fellow brides?
Enjoy the entire process. Sometimes I take a step back and think, “this only happens once and I need to appreciate this moment.”

“This only happens once” — such a good thing to remember, right, ladies? Amen. Thank you for joining us, Lauren! If you’d like to apply to be a Southern Bride of the Month, check out this post for all the details! If you’ve already emailed me, you’re still in the running for future months!

WED is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Oh y’all, you know a Real Wedding is going to be gorgeous when you’ve already swooned (multiple times) and you’ve only seen the first three photos! It’s even better when you’ve also cried while reading the bride’s interview! Be sure to check out Mary Simm’s most memorable moment below — I know you’ll love it, too!

Mary Simms + Alex’s sweet South Carolina wedding was filled with family traditions, like the prayer her grandfather said before every meal, and handmade details like the amazing cross Alex made for their ceremony. When asked what was Southern about her wedding, she replied, “What wasn’t Southern about it!?” A girl after my own heart!

We SW gals are sending Jennings King some big ol’ hugs for sharing this lovely day with us!

Well hello, you beautiful sparklers! Mary Simms is giving the Duchess of Cambridge a run for her money!

Keep an eye on that monogrammed beauty there — it will make its debut later in the evening!

I found my dress at the first place I tried gowns on. However, I wasn’t quite ready to commit… finding THE one is a big deal, plus trying on all these beautiful dresses was beyond fun! My mother and I went to four other stores and I tried on probably 25 other dresses before returning to the first place.

A month before the wedding during my bachelorette party, my bridesmaids and I went out to the wedding site at Boone Hall and buried a bottle of bourbon under a tree. (This is an old Southern tradition that if done correctly (the bottle must be buried completely full and upside down) means it will not rain on your wedding day.) Not a drop of rain on March 29th, so it’s safe to say I am a believer!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Honestly, everything. Every little detail was made with love. One detail that we really enjoyed was our getaway car. It was a 1952 light green Ford pick up truck appropriately named Sweet Pea and it was used for so many things throughout the night. It was set up next to the Cotton Dock with the tailgate down. We had burlap-wrapped buckets with water bottles and cans of champagne in them for our guests. After the ceremony, Sweet Pea became the backdrop for our photo booth. It certainly made for some GREAT pictures! At the end, Alex and I sat on the back of the truck while a driver drove us off into the night.

For our wedding favors, Alex and I made 200 cotton angels that we tied strings to so they can be used for ornaments. We love to travel, and we always bring home a Christmas ornament from every place we go, so we thought the cotton angels would be a personal touch for all of our guests to keep. Alex picked the cotton himself from a family cotton field and we spent many nights gluing on halos and wings.

We did not write our own vows, but we made them custom to fit us. My favorite line from our vows was, “I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together.” My favorite verse from the God of Love Prayer was, “Bless this husband. May he so live that she may find in him the heaven for which her heart truly longs. Bless this wife. Give her the inner beauty of soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. God, give them enough tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them human, enough failure to keep their hands tightly clenched to yours, and enough success to make them sure they walk with you God.”

We didn’t do a first look either. Alex didn’t know anything about my dress or how I would wear my hair, and he wanted it to be that way until the moment he saw me walking down the aisle. As much as we wanted to see each other before, we knew the surprise factor would make it much more exciting for us. The second I saw him standing in front of me at the end of the aisle was the best second of my life. It was such an amazing and overwhelming feeling and I will never ever forget it.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Enjoy every minute because it all happens in the blink of an eye. Soak it all in and remember that at the end of the day it’s about the two of you. After your ceremony, have a friend or family member make you a plate of food and eat it! You will be so busy talking to everyone and dancing that it is easy to forget to eat. Also, a piece of advice that my photographer Jennings gave me a few days before the wedding: Try to take a moment or two away from everyone during the reception, just the two of you. Say I love you, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy your first moments as a married couple.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had a round, three-tier cake with a bead border around each tier. Each tier was a different flavor: the bottom tier was white chocolate, the middle tier was hummingbird with a cream cheese filling (my absolute favorite!) and the top tier was chocolate Kahlua (which we have in our freezer!).

I love that Mary Simms changed from a white sash at the ceremony to this fabulous monogramed Tiffany blue sash at the reception!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. The night after a mutual friend pointed out we had a lot in common and should go out Alex asked me to go to dinner with him on Folly Beach. I ordered the tuna and asked for it to be cooked rare, and from that moment on Alex says he knew he was going to marry me one day. We in fact did have a lot in common (including our love for a good piece of seafood) and have had many dates since then!
Tell us all about the proposal! A few of our close friends had already booked a Mediterranean cruise and had been begging us to join them for months. Although Alex and I had just got a new puppy a week before, we decided that we just could not pass up this offer. We booked our spot on the cruise along with our plane tickets the very next day. Getting ready for the long journey across seas, I was nervous and excited all at once: not only was this my first time going to Europe, but we were also going to be there for my 25th birthday! Our itinerary said we would be in Rome for two days, the first of which would be on my birthday. On July 18th, Alex and I and our friends decided that we would tour the city of Rome, beginning with a tour of the Vatican. There is a strict dress code for the Vatican, where men have to wear long pants and women should not have their shoulders or knees showing. Needless to say, it got a little hot walking around the city in 80 degrees after the tour of the Vatican was over. We all decided to walk over to the famous Trevi Fountain to toss in our good luck coins before breaking for lunch. During the walk over, I noticed Alex wasn’t talking very much and seemed like he was trying to catch his breath. He assured me nothing was wrong, that he was just hot and would be fine soon. We made our way through the crowd, down the steps and to the bottom of the Trevi Fountain where my best friend Gina told Alex and I to face her as we tossed our coins in so she could get a picture. It was then, as I was grinning from ear to ear, tossing my coin over my shoulder at the same time Alex was, that Gina screamed, “Oh my Lord! Mary Simms!!” I had no idea what she was shouting for until I turned my head to look at Alex, who was down on one knee proposing. It was hands down the best moment of my life. I was in a beautiful city known for its romance, surrounded by my closest friends, and the man of my dreams asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. I said yes, and the entire crowd began clapping. It was magical, to say the least.
When did y’all get married? March 2013
How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 175
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. A trio including a flutist, a trumpet player and a violinist played music before the ceremony started. We used “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” for the seating of the mothers, “Trumpet Voluntary” for the processional, Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” for my processional, and Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” for our recessional. Our first dance was “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” by Van Morrison and our father/daughter dance was to “I’ll be there” by Jackson 5.
Describe your wedding flowers. Our flowers were absolutely beautiful: pink peonies, white roses, cherry blossoms, and white hydrangeas in large and small vases. Since our wedding was two days before Easter, we wanted our decor to be soft, but elegant.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? What wasn’t Southern about it!? We were married on an old dock on a historic, breathtaking Southern plantation surrounded by live oaks with hanging moss, cotton fields, oyster beds, and salt water. We also had a family prayer that was said before the food was served: “Lord, Bless us and Bind us, Put our Sins Behind us, and Hide us where the Devil can’t Find us!” My grandfather would say this before every meal, and it has been passed on to every family member. Alex built the cross we used as our backdrop on the dock. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. My aunt hand-sewed my new initials into the handkerchief that I used to wrap around my bouquet. We had a direction sign of our favorite places that we have traveled to over the years. The special thing about the sign was that each of my bridesmaids painted an arrow.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? It was all very memorable, but the one moment that I will cherish for a lifetime was when I arrived at Boone Hall in the car with my maid of honor. We were waiting for the go ahead from my wedding planner that we could get out of the car when I saw one of Alex’s groomsmen running down the road toward us. I had no idea what was happening, or why on earth he was not with Alex and the other groomsmen. The ceremony was supposed to start in less than five minutes! He motioned for me to roll down my window, and when I did, he handed me a folded up piece of paper and said, “This is from Alex. He says he loves you to the moon and back times a million and he can’t wait to see you.” (Alex and I say that to each other all the time). The tears were already starting to roll, and I contemplated for about a second whether I should read the letter or not, because I didn’t want to be a complete mess walking down the aisle. But I pulled my self together and read aloud the sweetest letter I have ever received. All of my wedding jitters were suddenly gone, and I couldn’t wait to get out of that car!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Alex and I are most excited to start building a life and a family together. We closed on our first house two weeks after the wedding, and are now getting all settled in. We have plans to travel as much as we can and continue to enjoy every day that God gives us.

Ooh! Events is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!