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Alison + Manny just might win the prize for most (effortlessly) fashionable wedding. The bridesmaids’ ruffled frocks from London Times (available at Dillard’s, y’all!) and the gents’ coordinated blue ties are awesome enough, but throw in a pair of cowboy boots and cardigan-topped David’s Bridal gown (like Alison did) and you’ve got yourself one winner of a Virginia wedding. Katelyn James photographed A + M swapping vows at the Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, and Flowers by Rose designed the ladies’ all-white bouquets. (Alison gets extra points for keeping her basic white bouquet from looking anything but boring!)
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. The first time I saw him, he had long shaggy hair, a scruffy face, and he was riding on the back of a mini dirt bike. To say that it was “love at first sight” probably couldn’t have been more of a falsehood! We met in the summer of 2007 when we each traveled from North Carolina and Virginia to work for three months at a Young Life property in the Pocono Mountains of New York. The Lord began to develop a great friendship as we spent the summer with our team of sixteen interns. Little more than this friendship had developed, however, as the summer drew to a close. We stayed in touch over the following months where the Lord developed between us a great mutual respect and the discovery of shared joys and passions. On January 5th, 2007, our relationship became “official” with a phone call Manny made to my dad asking him for permission to date me, along with the request that he continue to pray for depth in our growing relationship.
Describe the proposal. In August of 2010, on a trip back up to the camp in New York where we had met, we took a walk one morning to a small stone chapel on the edge of the property where we had spent countless hours with our friends the summer we met. As we rounded the corner, Manny began to tell me a story about his trip to Spain earlier that summer, and the moment when he knew he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without me. As we stopped in front of the chapel doors, he dropped to one knee, pulled out the ring, and asked me to marry him. Through my flowing tears I dropped to MY knees and responded with an emphatic “are you serious?!” After wrapping my arms around him and whispering yes, Manny reminded me that I had completely overlooked the diamond ring clutched between his fingers and said “Well, this is for you!”
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Blessed, warm, homemade
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our home-made decorations like the jars, the chalkboards, and the burlap banners. Manny was so wonderful about telling me how much he loved these little things and it really felt like our wedding day was a great representation of who we are!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We used lots of fun burlap and twine… I love the warm feel it gave to the evening! Mason jars were everywhere!
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Genna, February 24, 2011 10:05 am reply Beautiful photos. Love the cardigan! Where did you find that custom hanger? I'd love to give that as a gift to my engaged friends!
Emily, February 24, 2011 10:09 am reply Hi Genna! I'm not sure where Allison got her hanger from, but I know LilaFrances on Etsy makes something very similar (lilafrances.etsy.com). Too cute!
Chelsea Patricia, February 24, 2011 11:38 am reply Saw this on KJ's blog first, and totally loved it there. Glad to see it featured! :)
Kelly Sauer, February 24, 2011 4:35 pm reply OMG - I am in LOVE with her bouquet! And a photographer's note - Katelyn, I love the way you caught the reflection of the sweep of her dress on the car - beautiful!
Brit @ Landlocked Bride, February 24, 2011 4:44 pm reply Love her dress. So chic and simple. And, their invites are great.
Shannon, March 18, 2011 1:48 am reply Can someone please list the style # of her dress? I've been searching David's Bridal for hours and can't seem to find the style!
Emily, March 18, 2011 8:09 am reply Hi Shannon! I believe it's this one: http://tinyurl.com/2fby7ex Best of luck with your search!
Gypsy, February 24, 2011 6:54 pm reply Love the country chic wedding! I also love her necklace and bracelet, any suggestions on where I can find ones like that?
Emily, February 25, 2011 10:57 am reply Hi Gypsy! I rounded up a few options in a quick internet search: (http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/jewelry/necklaces/PRDOVR~40398/40398.jsp) + (http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=31883&N=1200017&pCategoryId=3361&categoryId=235&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_235&loc=TN&gridSize=sm&showAll=true&defaultColor=Soft%20Silver&defaultSizeType=Regular) + (http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=acc_necklace&product_id=1064786859&Page=all&pgcount=25) Hope that helps!
My heart always « Katelyn James Photography, February 25, 2011 11:21 am reply [...] that it skipped a few when I saw Ali and Manny’s big day featured on Southern Weddings Blog! Part 1 and Part 2 look amazing on there and I hope some southern brides can find some amazing inspiration [...]
Rose Good, February 27, 2011 12:21 pm reply It was a pleasure working with Alison and Her family with providing the flowers for the wedding. Alison had a great theme for her event. Chic Country. Blessings ... Rose Good Flowers by Rose Grottoes Va.
Rachel - theWeddingVine, February 28, 2011 4:27 pm reply The bridesmaids are gorgeous! I love the colour and the style is lovely!
emily, February 29, 2012 11:19 pm reply Rachel - theWeddingVine: Anyone know where the bridesmaid's dresses are from?
Monthly Round-Up :: February 2011 « Southern Weddings Magazine, March 1, 2011 8:02 am reply [...] Score one for budget brides! Alison’s David’s Bridal dress was my pick for the month (here + here). Katharine fell for Christine’s Lace Blossom number (here + here), while Sierra [...]
Classy Cardigans | Something Pretty, April 4, 2011 9:15 am reply [...] from Southern Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, Snippet & Ink, and Southern Weddings… Southern girls [...]
covering accessories., June 22, 2011 2:59 pm reply [...] via: 1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6., 7. Cancel [...]
Best of 2011 :: Wedding Gowns « Southern Weddings Magazine, December 26, 2011 11:01 am reply [...] Alison’s David Bridal gown (photo by Katelyn James; originally seen here) [...]