Emily and I were just talking the other day about how hard it is to find a single bridesmaid’s dress that looks fab on everyone. Cee Cee’s ‘maids have taken on the challenge and they all look gorgeous in their grey one-shoulder frocks! It’s the bride, however, that looks positively radiant in her glamorous dress and dotted veil. She and her mom agreed to keep the dress a secret until the big day and we love the sweet photos that resulted from the surprise! We’re giving out big hugs to KT Merry who shared Cee Cee + Chad’s wedding with us!

Isn’t this shot of Cee Cee’s gals all seeing her for the first time so sweet? That’s what friends are for :)

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. (From the groom) We were introduced by mutual friends when Cee Cee moved home from college. We were friends for a few years before we started dating.
Describe the proposal. Chad called me one Monday morning and told me we had a charity event to attend that Thursday evening. Thursday came, and we left for the event that I knew was taking place in a hangar at our small private airport. As part of the event, they were giving quick sunset flights over the coast and then dinner back at the airport. Chad and I boarded the plane and took off, flew out towards the beach and along the coast. As we approached our favorite beach, “Will You Marry Me” was written hugely in the sand. At first I thought how lucky the other girl was, and then turned to show Chad. As I turned around, he had my ring in his hand. I was so shocked the message was for me that I didn’t see all of our friends standing on the beach waving at us in the plane. The best part was there really wasn’t a charity event back at the airport and we were able to go celebrate with our family and friends!

In what month did you get married? February
How many guests attended your wedding? 240
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: When I was young, my mom and I agreed that when it was my time to find my wedding dress, it would be just the two of us. When the day finally came, we went to a friend’s store, Tie the Knot in Naples to just start looking. The sixth or seventh dress I tried on was absolutely perfect. My mom and I both got tears and knew it was “the one!” We decided that day to keep the dress a secret. No one had any idea what my dress looked like until I put it on for the wedding! It was so much fun and so special to share that once in a lifetime experience with just my mom.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. Chad and I both knew exactly what were looking for in a husband and wife and waited patiently until we found the perfect person. “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison was the perfect wedding song for us, then.
Describe your wedding flowers: Simply elegant. I wanted lots of candle light in the reception so I went with simple tall arrangements of baby’s breath with white taper candles. For the low centerpieces we had large full arrangements with white hydrangeas a bit of soft greenery and soft pink roses.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Our cake was a beautiful and traditional white, five-tiered cake with a simple white flower topper. The only dessert we ever eat is cheesecake, so we decided to have a raspberry cheesecake at our wedding. It was different than the traditional wedding cake but came as a pleasant surprise to all of our guests!
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Our band, The Headliners. The most important thing to us was that our guests were comfortable and had a great time. The Headliners were amazing and kept all of our guests out on the dance floor the entire evening, regardless of age!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time in church. There is simply no other feeling like it!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Relax, have fun, and make it your own. Be sure to enjoy the planning process because once your wedding day arrives, it will go so quickly you’ll be sad when it’s over!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are excited to continue building our careers and begin growing our family.

Photographer: KT Merry Photography // Videographer: Elite Weddings // Planner: Nancy Goldzsak // Ceremony venue: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church // Reception Venue: Grey Oaks Country Club // Florist: Grace Lakes Florist // Wedding Cake or Dessert Baker: Mikkelsen’s Bakery // Lighting: Jack Black Productions // Paper Products: Paper Lantern // Bride’s Dress: Romona Keveza, style RK2010931 // Bride’s Shoes: Elie Tahari // Bride’s Belt: Lazaro // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Monique Lhullier Bridesmaids style 450002 in platinum

KT Merry is a member of our fabulous Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Hi, y’all! March’s Southern Bride of the Month is Ali, and she’ll actually be a familiar face to many of you! We featured her and her fiancé Eric’s Gator engagement session awhile back, and you can see all the photos here! I’m so happy to have had the chance to learn more about this athletic duo and their wedding — enjoy this month’s interview!

Hi! What’s your name?
Ali Peek

What’s your fiancé’s name?
Eric Wilbur

What do y’all do for a living?
Eric is a professional football player and I am a sports writer/reporter.

Anna Kirby via Southern Weddings

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.
Eric and I met the summer after our freshman year at the University of Florida. We were introduced by our mutual friends and bonded over our shared love of Florida Gator sports (and all sports, for that matter!). By that fall we were dating. Over the next three seasons, I became Eric’s biggest cheerleader. (Other than his Momma, of course!)

I knew I had found the perfect guy for me after Eric’s Valentine’s Day surprise in 2006. He told me to dress warm and be ready at my house at 7pm. He picked me up, blindfolded me, and drove me to his secret location. He carefully guided me through what seemed like a maze of steps and hallways. When we reached our destination, Eric removed the blindfold. We were standing on the 50-yard line at Florida Field! Laid out in front of us was a picnic blanket, candles, champagne, steak and lobster. Anyone that knows me knows this is basically my vision of heaven on earth! Eric has spent the last few years attempting to top that moment…so far, it hasn’t happened – ha!

Two of Ali’s bouquet inspirations! (Photos: Katie Lewis via Style Me Pretty and Haley Sheffield via Southern Weddings)

Now tell us alllll about the proposal.
I feel like this story wouldn’t be complete without first sharing with everyone how Eric asked my Daddy permission to marry me. I also need to tell you that Eric (and my Dad, for that matter) never miss an opportunity to win… at anything.

On Christmas Day, Eric and my Dad slipped out to walk three holes on the golf course behind my parents’ house. Eric and my dad have a great relationship. They also compete in everything. Whether it’s golf, beer pong, Wii or anything where score can be kept, they compete. So, of course, this day was no different. They had decided to have a “best of three” competition. Eric won the first hole and my dad won the second. The usual trash talk took place on the walk to the third hole. As my Dad lined up in the tee box, he told Eric “There is nothing you can say to break my concentration.” As he went to swing his club, Eric asked, “Can I marry your daughter?” My Dad turned to Eric laughing and said “touché”. My Daddy went on to win the third hole and he gave Eric permission to marry me.

On May 20th, 2011, Eric and I were packing up the car to head to Tampa to watch my little brother James play. We were running late (as usual!) and I was in a hurry to get on the road. Eric told me he forgot something, and ran back in the house. After five minutes passed, I went inside to see what could possibly be taking so long. I found Eric holding our new baby kitten, Mason. “Don’t you want to say goodbye to the kitty?” he asked me. I said “yes” and began kissing on the kitten. It took a full minute or so before I even realized that Eric had placed his great-grandmother’s ring on the kitten’s collar. As soon as I saw it, my eyes welled with tears and Eric dropped to one knee. He popped the question and I said, “YES!”

Let’s see the ring!
My engagement ring is a beautiful 15-carat aquamarine that belonged to Eric’s great grandmother. I had gushed over the ring years earlier, and Eric and his mom remembered. I feel so blessed and honored to have such an amazing piece of family history resting on my finger. When we say “I DO,” it will be with his great grandmother’s wedding band. Eric will be wearing his Daddy’s wedding band. It is inscribed on the inside with his parents wedding date and ours.

When’s the big day?
Our big day is April 21st, 2012.

Where might you two be tying the knot?
Eric and I are tying the knot at the gorgeous St. Leo Abbey, the heart of St. Leo University. The Abbey was built in 1881 and is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. After our vows, we will be heading over to the Lange Farm just a couple miles away to continue the celebration. It is acres and acres of rolling hills and moss-covered oak trees and a fully operational horse farm.

Photo of St. Leo Abbey by Stephen Dohring

I had actually always dreamed of getting married at this huge Catholic Church in the center of downtown Tampa, but when I started visiting venues right around the church, everything just seemed so cookie cutter. I casually mentioned getting married on a farm to Eric, but he was not that thrilled with the idea. I even called the Lange Farm, only to find out they were booked during the time frame we wanted to wed. After a few weeks of fruitless efforts, I received a call from the Lange Farm letting me know they had a cancellation on April 21st, our dream wedding day. A quick drive over to Tampa to tour the property confirmed my feelings and completely won over Eric.

Ceremony decor ideas: baby’s breath wreath and mason jars with baby’s breath for every other pew! (Photos by Mi Amore Foto via Emmaline Bride)

Who or what has been most inspiring in the wedding planning process?
In a word, family. I want our wedding to reflect not only where Eric and I are headed in our relationship with each other, but also where we have been. We are both so lucky to be blessed with amazing families and they have made us who we are. Both of our parents have been married for more than 30 years, and all of my grandparents are nearing the 60-year mark. That’s a huge legacy to live up to.

The last few years, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how lucky I am to be a part of such a big family (the oldest of 7 children!) and at 27, to still have all four of my grandparents. A few months after we got engaged, both of my grandfathers had some health issues, and I had so much heartache over the thought that maybe I wouldn’t get to spend my big day with all four of them. This resulted in many sleepless nights and tears. In a way, I felt selfish, because all of Eric’s grandparents had passed by the time he was 10 years old.

Then, on December 16th of last year, our world changed. We had just arrived in Tampa because the next day, my aunt was throwing a joint engagement party for my sister and her fiancé and Eric and I. We hadn’t been home ten minutes before the phone rang. Eric’s father was being transported to the hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack. We immediately ran out the door to the car to drive back to Orlando and straight to the hospital. We prayed the whole way that Eric’s dad would be okay. When we were about 20 minutes from the hospital, Eric’s mom called us and asked us to pull over on the side of the road. We did and she told us that Eric’s Daddy had suffered a massive heart attack and didn’t make it. During all the time I had spent worried about my 85-year-old grandparents, it never crossed my mind that Eric’s 57-year-old dad, his best friend and hero, would not be with us. In the week after Eric’s Dad’s passing, my outlook on our wedding changed. As I watched my future husband give the eulogy at the funeral and listened to him describe the type of husband and father he was hoping to be one day, I realized the details didn’t matter. We could get married at the courthouse and I would still be happy. I’m still a stickler for the details, but I have a whole new respect for what’s really important; cherishing every moment with each other and our families.

More baby’s breath ideas: Leo Patrone via Style Me Pretty and Madalina Lesan Photography (boutonniere by Holly Chapple) via Emmaline Bride

Has your vision for your wedding changed or evolved over the course of your engagement? If so, how?
Yes. When we first started looking for venues, I pictured a formal affair in a giant ballroom. I thought about long gowns, elaborate flowers and lots of glamour. The more places I toured, the more I realized this vision was so not me!

Which part of your wedding are you most invested in?
Financially, we are the most invested in our food. Our caterer, Anthony from Stone Chef Catering, Inc. has created an amazing menu filled with delicious Southern foods. We are serving Peach Bourbon glazed chicken, prime rib, a mashed and sweet potato bar, green beans, cornbread, crab cakes, two different kinds of mac and cheese, sweet tea and lemonade. Personally, I am the most invested in the DIY projects that Eric and I have dreamed up. We bought a pair of 10 foot tall French doors that we sanded and painted white. Our seating chart is going to be printed on the windowpanes. We bought three pairs of old shutters, painted them white and then antiqued them. Then, I rolled 100 clothespins in gold glitter and will use them to pin up wedding pictures of all of our relatives. My future mother-in-law got her whole school to save old jars and we have spent the last few months covering them in burlap, lace and twine. We’ve made over 200 of them! They are going to be used for flowers and candles on all of our tables at the reception. I’ve scoured garage sales for milk glass, teacups, picture frames and lace doilies. I hope all of our guests can see our personalities and our family history in our ceremony and reception.

Mason jar DIY from Notes on a Wedding and floral hay bale photo by Kim Box Photography

Have you picked your dress yet? How’d that go? What will you be wearing on the big day?
After searching online for wedding gown options and some window browsing, I knew I wanted a Watters & Watters dress. I went on Watters website and found 6 dress shops in Florida that were supposed to have a sample size of “the dress”. As I started calling the shops, I eventually found out that only ONE actually still had the dress in the store. The one dress shop that did have the dress was Vocelle’s Bridal Shoppe…in TALLAHASSEE!! Not only was I at least partially afraid that the store would somehow sew garnet and gold thread into the dress…but Tallahassee is a 5 hour drive from Orlando! I eventually got on the phone with the stor eowner, Kristen Vocelle. I knew the name, but I wasn’t 100% sure it was the same Kristen Vocelle who was a Tri Delt with me at UF. Sure enough, it was!!!

At this point, I was beginning to think this dress might be my fate. What are the odds that one of my very own gator girls had a wedding dress shop in Seminole Country?! But, I still had to decide if I was going to make the drive all the way to Tallahassee. I was explaining my dilemma to my future mother-in-law, and she had a solution! She was driving just past Tallahassee the upcoming week to pick up her grandson from camp. She told me I could hop in the car and we’d go look at the dress. I was in!! I called my sister and MOH, Gabbie, and asked her to come along for the ride. As I expected, I LOVED “the dress.” But now I had a different problem: Kristen had introduced me to another dress that I was also in love with! I did finally decide on a winner, but y’all are going to have to wait until the big day to see which one I picked. I know my fiancé secretly reads Southern Weddings, and I wouldn’t want to give him any hints!

Family photo display idea via Style Me Pretty (photo by Chris and Adrienne Scott), burlap chair decor via Hey Gorg (photo by Hailey Erickson)

What do you love most about Southern weddings?
“We don’t become Southern. We’re born that way.” Probably my favorite quote of all time. Since I was lucky enough to be born into a family that loves God, each other and SEC football above all else, I think I’d be doing everyone an injustice if my wedding didn’t celebrate those things that we hold dear. I hope our guests leave full, tired and sweaty from dancing and oozing with happiness (and pie).

What has been the biggest challenge so far in wedding planning?
I come from a very large family. When I say large, I mean 7 children, y’all! I have 16 cousins on my Dad’s side and 12 on my Mom’s… that’s just first cousins! So, working within a budget with what turned out to be a massive guest list was definitely a challenge. I have certainly learned the meaning of “thrifty” and have surprised myself with negotiating skills I didn’t even know I had!

What do you wish you would have known at the beginning of your engagement?
A couple weeks ago, someone sent me the quote; “A wedding is a party, not a performance. If at the end of the day, you married the one you love, then everything went perfectly.” This could not be truer. As much as I want the perfect wedding, what I really want is to spend the rest of my life with Eric. So no matter how smoothly (or not smoothly!) our wedding day goes, it’s still a win in my book. In the beginning, I think I got so caught up in the wedding, that I missed the bigger picture. I’m not praying for the perfect wedding anymore, I’m praying for the (almost) perfect marriage!

Burlap banner via Hey Gorg (photo by Hailey Erickson)

What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
I cannot wait until those church doors open and my Daddy walks me down the aisle to my best friend. All of our family and friends being there to watch is just the icing on the cake!

Any advice you’d like to pass along to fellow brides?
Everything is negotiable. I think that sometimes brides don’t end up with what they truly want because they are either too afraid to ask or they accept the first number given by a vendor. Don’t be afraid to do a little negotiating! The worst someone can tell you is no. But, they just might help you build the wedding of your dreams at a price your Daddy likes.

Now it’s your turn to ask for advice – is there anything you’d like to poll the SW readers on?
I want to find a few subtle ways to honor my father-in-law on our wedding day. My future mother-in-law already gave me his embroidered Florida Gator game day polo and I have had “Gator Dad #10” cut out in the shape of a heart and sewn into the inside lining of my wedding dress. But, I want to find some other ways to make his presence felt. Any ideas?

Thank you so much for playing along, Ali! Readers, 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!

P.S. One year ago, our first Southern Bride of the Month feature was posted!


Anna Kirby and Haley Sheffield are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

We’ve covered the tradition of carrying a white Bible instead of a bouquet, but I still thought y’all would love this twist! Haley Sheffield, the photographer who sent in this Southern Spotting, tells me that her bride tied the rings with beautiful vintage velvet ribbon to her grandmother’s bible, and then had her ring bearer carry this pretty (and meaningful) package down the aisle instead of a ring pillow. I love it!

Catch up with past traditions here:
Burying bourbon
A moment of prayer
The sorority sing

Haley Sheffield is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

How was everyone’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend? We had a blast at our yard sale (thanks to all who came out!) and Lara + Ari celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary with Baby Grace. We love that L + A shared their rules for a happy marriage.

When Monday rolled around, we celebrated the first week of Spring with a pretty Cherry Blossoms Inspiration Board. Who else is dying for a trip to D.C. after seeing this board?

We’re thrilled to welcome our dearest co-worker, Marissa to her new role as Ad Director! Though y’all know her as our resident fashion expert, she’s also wonderful at helping our vendors shine! Get to know more about her here.

Have you been falling in love with our Southern Stems series? We’re all about wisteria this week and the romantic backdrop it creates.

We’re happy to welcome Courtney from Pizzazzerie to the blog! She’s telling us all about the preppy J.Crew and Kate Spade inspired wedding she’s planning!

We’ve been waiting for this Southern Hospitality tote! Our home base of Chapel Hill is the center of attention this week.

We love the twists we’re seeing on the Southern Wedding Tradition of the first look. The images of the bride and groom calming each others’ nerves makes our hearts so happy!

If you weren’t able to come our yard sale, check out our recap and say hello so we can get to know you!

Lara’s planning a bridal shower for Emily in our Sit a Spell series! This nautical dream is one we are just dying to actually bring to life!

This week’s featured Real Wedding Gallery is Victoria + Jeremy’s Georgia soiree. We’re still in love with their gorgeous ceremony!

Your weekly dose of wedding greatness!

K + T’s extended weekend of wedding celebrations was complete with plenty of peonies! See it here.

Paige + Adam’s equestrian wedding from V4 looks positively dreamy. See it here and here.

Meg + Jeremy’s seersucker wedding was the perfect dose of spring! See it here.

Happy news for the weekend

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway with One Ocean Resort and Spa! On April 1st, One Ocean Resort and Spa is also hosting a bridal event called “A Taste of Bridal Bliss.” Check out their site for more info!

Love gingham like we do? Head to our Facebook to see this week’s Top Ten: Gingham Details!

If you’re a Southern gal planning a wedding, or a gal planning a wedding in the South, we’d love to have you as one of our Southern Weddings Bride Bloggers! You can see the whole group here. If you’re interested in joining, just send your blog address and wedding date to Nicole!

Have a terrific weekend, friends! Tell us what you’re up to in the comments below.

Tis the season for bridal showers, so for the last few weeks, we’ve been dreaming up fabulous soirees for each other! No, we aren’t worrying about particulars like whether or not the guest of honor is not actually engaged (Whitney) or actually already married (Lara) – we’ll take any excuse to plan a party! This week, Lara has whipped together a nautical bridal shower for Emily, the only one of us who actually IS engaged!

Well, Miss Ayer is getting married this year and, since this post is supposed to be her “dream” shower, dream I did!  This was easy as peach pie for me to dream up, y’all! 

Emily loves the ocean.  Nautical theme at a stunning Southern harbor location!  Done!  Emily loves mini food.  Fly in the “Master of Mini Food”, Peter Callahan. Check!  Emily loves pretty paper.  Check!  And most of all, Emily loves her family, so my shower for her would be a family AND friends shower.  First, the ladies would gather for a delicious lunch of mini crab cakes, classic salmon with fresh greens and mini fish tacos.  Then, the gents would join after for a plethora of mini desserts on a sunset cruise!  Quite the shindig.  But, we’re dreaming right!?  The ideal location for said shindig would be either Charleston at the harbor or perhaps in Watercolor, Florida.  The Southern coastal possibilities are endless!  Now, does anyone want to chip in so we can really make this happen!? : )

1. Knot bracelets from Etsy seller, Pardes, as favors for the ladies.  2. A gift for the bride to be!  A nautical necklace with her new last name initial.  3. Beautiful watercolor bunting invites via 100 Layer Cake.  4. Custom sea-inspired cookies from Glorious Treats.  5. Classic nautical decor via Martha.  6. A preppy pretty nautical tote from Ann Taylor for the bride-to-be!  7. A sunset cruise on a beautiful boat with blue pillows. Source unknown.  8.  Nautical knot lapel pins for the gents as they board the ship photographed by Stacey Kane via The Knot.  9. Blue stripe drink stirrers for lemonade on the boat created by Miss Emily herself  10. Mini fish tacos from Peter Callahan via Brides.