Happy Friday, y’all! We’re capping off the week with this sunshine-y engagement session from Green Tree Photography. Doesn’t this gorgeous couple’s joy just radiate off the page? Tina and Johnny met while signing papers on their first day of work — proof that love can blossom even in the most unlikely places! Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Don’t forget about February’s #SouthernDoin Challenge! This weekend would be a great opportunity to do something special :) See all the details here!

I have to agree with Carissa, her wedding to Ryan at Boone Hall Plantation WAS coastal Southern to a “T.” From the oyster wreathes to the yummy pies, each detail that went into their big day not only fell in line with the their theme, but was created as a labor of love by themselves or their family and friends. Even her stunning Justin Alexander gown fit perfectly into the feel of their wedding — the lining of the dress was called “oyster”! But Carissa’s favorite detail makes my heart happy: the table that held photos of all their grandparents.

Big hugs to our sweet friend Paige Winn for not only capturing the gorgeous details, but the fun that C + R’s guest had!

My mama, sister and some bridesmaids came into town one weekend to go dress shopping. It was a long weekend and I must have tried on over 20 dresses. I had flagged a Justin Alexander dress in a magazine early on in our engagement and after the unfruitful weekend, I kept thinking about it. I looked up where the designer was sold, went with one of my lovely bridesmaids and tried it on. It was perfect and exactly what I was looking for with a vintage feel, Venetian lace and the color of the lining of the dress was even called “oyster.” That sold me and I purchased the dress that afternoon.

Holy cow, those rows of oak trees at Boone Hall are certain to make you swoon!

Did you write your own vows? Our preacher, a dear friend, gave us a template of what he usually uses and we customized it. My favorite part of our vows was not a line, but when we took communion together and had a couple minutes just to the two of us. The violinists and guitarists played “Come Thou Font” (one of our favorite songs).
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? One of our dearest friends read Eccles. 4:9-12
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding.  Our moms walked down the aisle to “Calico Skies,” my bridesmaids walked down to “Stand By Me,”  I walked down to “Young at Heart” (one of our songs), and exited to “Here Comes the Sun.” We first danced to “Le Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong. Some other songs that we requested because they were special to us were “Let My Love Open the Door” and “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley. We left to “Your Love is Liftin’ Me Higher.”

Our wedding was coastal southern to a “T.” We had oysters everywhere, from the food to the décor. We had mason jars for everyone to grab, write their name on the tag strung to it, use and take home. We also used mason jars for decoration. We got married outside under one of my favorite century-old oak trees by the water and then had our reception in the Cotton Dock. We got married at Boone Hall Plantation, a Charleston institution run by a dear friend and one of the sweetest men in town.

The wedding was a labor of love not only from my family but from close friends in the area as well. We had so many helping hands in preparation for and during the day. Two dear family friends coordinated the day-of details and set up, Mama, myself and various bridesmaids made all the decorations, Stono Café are dear friends and were tremendously helpful, as well as the plantation owner and band. All in all, Ryan and I were overwhelmed by all of the help, love and support we received from countless people. The wedding truly would not have happened without them. Despite its growth, Charleston is still a “small town” full of big hearted, close-knit people.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: We had a dear friend make several different cakes and pies. They were delicious! The cake topper was made by my sister.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There were so many to choose from. My mother and I spent months on the details. I spent hours and hours on wrapping wine bottles in burlap, twine and lace, making oyster centerpieces and collecting old books and mason jars. I suppose my favorite detail was the table with pictures of our grandparents. My Nanna was the only grandparent that was able to physically be there and it meant a lot to us to have every grandparent there in photographs.

My most memorable moment about the wedding day was the private oyster roast that we had for Ryan, myself and the bridesmaids and groomsmen after the ceremony and before we were all introduced at the reception. I just remember thinking how wonderfully happy I was to be married to my best friend and surrounded by all of the friends we accrued throughout our lives and who will be by our side for many years to come. It was just a moment of pure joy to have my husband by me, with our friends surrounding us shucking oysters.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ryan and I met while we were in school at the University of Georgia. We started to catch each other’s eyes in the first semester of our junior year. One night after hanging out with friends, Ryan asked if I wanted to “borrow” some wood from a construction site on the way back to his apartment to build a table together, as he knew we both enjoyed building things. We started building the table but it was really an excuse for us to hang out together. One night in November, it was too cold to stay outside and work on the table so he asked me on our first date.
Describe the proposal. Ryan picked me up from work to take me on our third anniversary date. He took me to see the movie “Hugo” and then we were going to dinner. After the movie, he took me by his neighborhood’s clubhouse we were shared our first kiss three years ago to the day. I still was not expecting anything because we had revisited the spot many times before. We got out of the car and the porch where we first kissed was decorated with flower petals, lanterns, and candles. He led me up onto the porch to a canvas picture of Boone Hall Plantation’s Avenue of Oaks (a very special place to my family and the place where we got married!). He knelt down and I immediately started bawling. He had one of our dearest friends hiding, taking pictures of the whole proposal. After the proposal, I tried to call my family but no one picked up. Ryan drove us back to his house where all of our family and close friends were waiting to surprise us. That is why we went to the movie, so he could kill time as my family drove in from Charleston, South Carolina. It was the most amazing thing to share the moment with them!
In what month did you get married? January
How many guests attended your wedding?  150 guests
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Yes, we did decide to do a first look. We wanted to get beautiful pictures of just the two of us that weren’t rushed after the ceremony. We were hesitant to do the first look, but it was a great move for us as it really calmed us down before the ceremony and gave us a moment to soak up each other before things got crazy.
Describe your wedding flowers: I wanted a very natural, meadow-like look to all the flowers. They were beautiful and consisted of a lot of wildflowers like lavender, mums and bells of Ireland.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? My father has had health issues for years now but got very sick during the period of planning the wedding. We were unsure about whether or not he would be able to walk me down the aisle. It put a lot of stress on our family but it also put the wedding in perspective and made us aware that, while the day is important, it’s about Ryan and I coming together first and foremost.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$20,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? My shawl that I wore day of. It was an Etsy purchase that I did not budget for. The Etsy designer made it custom for my dress and it was my favorite accessory that day.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Pick one, two or even a handful of things that are really special or important to you. The rest is negotiable.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We just bought a house and started new jobs recently. I’ll think we think concentrating on nesting and relaxing for a while. Who knows, the world’s our oyster!

Paige Winn is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

This month, in honor of all things love, we’ll be sharing a valentine a week from an SW gal. Lara is up today, and this is her love letter to North Carolina.

Have you caught the love letter bug? Check out More Love Letters, an organization after our own hearts. Their goal? To turn your best love letter into a lamp to light the path of someone who needs to read it. Find out more here.

Can y’all believe Whitney + Clarke’s wedding day boasted temperatures over 100 degrees?? Their French-meets-Southern countryside wedding looks as cool as a cucumber, though, thanks to some extra fans and the quick thinking of the Easton Events ladies, who handed out lavender-scented chilled cloths as the dance floor heated up. Whitney + Clarke spent the majority of their evening there, celebrating with loved ones, until it was time for their emotional getaway. W + C managed to steal a few moments to themselves just after Whitney changed into her getaway dress, and it ranks as one of her favorite moments. Just imagining the newlyweds standing upstairs overlooking their reception before they left gives me chills. “We finally got a chance to breath, to just be together in the moment, and to watch all those we love dancing, laughing, and enjoying the celebration,” said Whitney.

What was Southern about your wedding? For me, it was Southern because it was rooted in the traditional. The Southern fare, the station-style dinner, the Blue Ridge Mountain setting, the big band, the Motown and beach music, the warm hospitality, the pink gingham bow ties, the white dinner jackets, the stifling heat, the fireflies, and the sweet late-evening Virginia breeze.

What advice would you give to someone planning his or her wedding? I don’t even know where to begin. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It goes so quickly, take a moment to soak it all in. Don’t forget to eat. A wedding planner/coordinator is a must have, especially on the day-of. Hire a videographer. Enjoy every minute. All of my initial advices seems so cliché, and at the same time each is so true. And yet, it takes walking in bridal shoes to really appreciate most of this advice. Not stressing beforehand, and enjoying the day is easier said in hindsight than done at the time. Although this is not novel advice, I think the following words of wisdom are most helpful: hire vendors you trust, and trust them do their job; you can never show enough pictures – even ones of things you don’t like, are helpful – because something in your head that you describe could be very different in someone else’s head; lighting is invaluable; you spend all of this time thinking about, fretting over, planning and preparing for one day, and it does go by more quickly than you can ever imagine. You cannot re-live it, so live it the first time; at the end of the day, all that remains are the marriage, the memories, and the photographs – so hire a good photographer!

For the reception, we envisioned a European Provincial cocktail hour with French countryside elements such as wooden Bistro chairs around low tables dressed in Duck Egg blue linens, and centerpiece bowls filled with fresh blackberries and cherries; Russian sage-filled urns on the linen square bar and topiaries flanked the tent entrance. In the Tasting Room, long tables were dressed in white linens with bistro chairs and blue and white Chinoiserie bud vases filled with Sahara roses. The main event space was more formal, and meant to feel like a Parisian pied-å-terre with white-washed Chiavari chairs around dinner tables dressed in grey and white damask linens, and several seating groups of lounge furniture around the dance floor. Floating gardenias in small bowls were placed on the side tables and in the ladies room.

What kind of food did you serve during the cocktail hour, dinner and dessert? The locally inspired cuisine included traditional Southern favorites, with a European-style vineyard twist. We had canapés such as fried goat cheese balls with honey, sweet potato biscuits with Virginia ham and piquillo pepper spread, fried Chesapeake Bay oysters, local strawberries with robiolo cheese and a balsamic drizzle, lobster Salad on a Yucca chip, and deviled quail eggs with caviar. Guests dined at dinner stations with various themes such as a Vineyard inspired station featuring a wide selection of local and imported cheeses, charcuterie, fresh breads and homemade condiments; a Farmer’s Market station filled with fresh heirloom tomatoes, watermelon and feta salad, and local strawberry and arugula salad; a French fare station complete with beef tenderloin, lavender-glazed lamb chops, haricot verts, and roasted potatoes; and the popular Southern Comfort station with jumbo lump crab cakes (a nod to Clarke’s VA Beach hometown), truffle mac n’cheese, skillet cornbread, and pulled pork sliders.

Tell us a bit about your first dance. We were both nervous about the first dance, Clarke especially, so we took one lesson a few weeks before the wedding – that probably made us more nervous! But it went really well, and once we got out there, it was easy to forget about everyone watching and nice to just talk and laugh with one another. Clarke picked the song, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s classic “You’re All I Need to Get By”, which he said reminded him of me… and it has enough of a beat for him to keep pace!

Our cake was five round tiers of alternating layers – vanilla with blackberry filling, and poppy-seed almond – with pale pink, buttercream icing and scattered fresh blackberries. Kathy’s cakes are wonderfully moist and taste deliciously homemade (which they are!), yet better, and still are beautiful. I wanted a traditional-style cake, yet the rough, swirled buttercream exterior in barely blush pink was a contemporary twist. It was impressionistic, and the pink hue was dead on – I wanted people to say, is that pink? Or are my eyes playing tricks? The wedding cake was complemented by silver-tiered servers filled with homemade macarons – in lavender and raspberry flavors.

What was your reception like? We had an outdoor sunset cocktail hour with a stationed dinner event and band reception following.  The guests ate, drank, mingled, and danced until our midnight departure.
Describe your centerpieces:  Low mercury bowls of lush overflowing arrangements composed of pale blush and grey – antique hydrangea, Sahara rose, Café au Lait Dahlias, Patience Garden roses, Champagne Lisianthus, Dusty Miller, and vines
Did you have a cocktail hour?  If so, what was it like?  After the ceremony, guests were transported out to Pippin Hill Farm where they cocktailed underneath a Sperry tent on the lawn, and attempted to stay cool underneath the draped Veranda and inside the Tasting Room.  The Peter Richardson Jazz Trio played light tunes in the tent, where guests picked up flip-flops, dined on hors d’oeuvres, grabbed drinks from the big square bar, and enjoyed the panoramic views.
What were some of the highlights?  The whole night was a highlight.  We wanted a beautiful event, full of thoughtful details, yet we also wanted a good party and for everyone to have the best time.  The band was phenomenal and guests danced all night.   We were on the dance floor the entire time, which is exactly where we wanted to be.  For me, the father-daughter dance was particularly special.  We danced to “My Girl”, and as one of three daughters, it has been a song we have all danced to with my dad over the years.  Another standout, is the few minutes we took to ourselves, after I changed dresses, as we stood upstairs overlooking the main event space below.  We finally got a chance to breath, to just be together in the moment, and to watch all those we love dancing, laughing, and enjoying the celebration.
Tell us about your grand exit.  Our grand exit was to a sea of sparklers leading up the candle-lit pathway to our antique car, with a Bon Voyage sign on the back.  Unexpectedly, it was one of the more emotional moments for me, as we hugged our parents and laughed and cried as all our friends cheered us on.  Many guests continued the party back at the hotels, and we shared a nightcap with friends and snacked on Pippin Hill’s famous croque monsieurs.
What is the one thing that made your wedding different from anyone else’s wedding?  Our wedding was different than any other, for it was the perfect confluence of personal circumstance – for this fleeting, yet amazing, moment in time, everyone and everything comes together to create magic.  That day will forever be a part of us, and a part of our story.
Did you include any Southern traditions in your wedding?  We had a groom’s cake the night before, in the shape of UVA’s Rotunda; the groom’s father was the best man; my sisters gave me a bible with my new name embossed on the front as a gift on our wedding day; guests tossed lavender as we exited the church.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when planning your wedding?  Combating the heat that week!
Did you take a honeymoon? We honeymooned at the fabulous Curtain Bluff in Antigua – and loved it!  We relaxed, read, eat, drank, and soaked in the sun for ten days.  We didn’t want to come home!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?  Immediately after the honeymoon, we packed up and moved to Houston.  We have settled in and are adjusting back to reality.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration.  “We’re only doing this once, so enjoy it!”  And that we did.

While Lara and I were completing layout on V5, we basically died every time we scrolled through Whitney + Clarke’s wedding. Not only are they a gorgeous couple, but their Charlottesville wedding is among one of the most elegant outdoor soirees we’ve seen. Though Whitney drew design inspiration from Degas’ ballerina paintings, the Pippin Hill setting gave their French-infused nuptials Southern roots. And although it was a destination for all the guests, Whitney + Clarke knew their wedding had to be in Charlottesville. It was, after all, where they met and fell in love.

We are so very grateful for Patricia Lyons who captured this day and shared it with us!

Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: My printed materials – from the letterpressed save the date to the stunning calligraphy and wax seals on the invitations to the Arturo blush paper we used for the welcome note! The custom suite set the tone for the rest of the design, and included really fun calligraphy details such as cocktail napkins with French phrases, the flip-flop “Check your ‘Choos” sign, dinner station signs, etc. The Napoleanic bee and garland motif was carried throughout the wedding and really branding the weekend as ours.

My Something Blue: My mom used antique lace she found in Italy on a recent trip, and had my monogram in blue sewn into a patch, that was then sewn into the back of my dress.
My Something New: On the day of the wedding, Clarke surprised me with a gift from our family jeweler – a pair of pale pink pearl and diamond earrings, which I wore that day, and matching pearl necklace. It was so special, and made me smile, since pearls have a particular significance to us.

My bouquet was composed of ivory patience garden roses, white peonies, white hydrangea, and Sahara roses tied with lace and satin ribbon. My grandmother’s handkerchief, edged in lace, was tucked inside. The bridemaids’ bouquets featured café au lait dahlias, antique green hydrangea, and Sahara roses tied with satin ribbon.

My literal inspiration was Degas’ ballerina paintings, the romantic quality, their balance of soft hues and saturated color. I wanted the wedding to reflect a similar elegance, grace, timelessness, and Parisian sophistication. Pippin Hill’s natural design has European countryside influences, and so it was a blend of Southern landscape and French Provincial aesthetic.

How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your big day? Friends of my parents hosted a lovely brunch at King Family Vineyards on the day of the wedding, which Clarke and all the guests attended. I slept in a bit and spent the day getting ready and sipping champagne with my sisters and friends.

My dress was everything I dreamed it would be – elegant and timeless, yet fashionable, unique, subtly dramatic and unforgettable. I simply loved it. It set the tone for the traditional and classic route we took. I had been scoping out dresses for years before we even got engaged and I always imagined myself as a fall or winter bride. I knew I did not want a strapless dress – I loved the look of long sleeves and a high neck, with skin showing on the back. After all, that is what everyone sees during the ceremony! After our summer engagement, I began scouring designer sites and fell in love with Monique Lhuillier’s couture “Catherine” gown from her spring/summer 2012 collection. I flew home and shopped with my mom and two sisters, and tried on tons of different styles, but knew I would not be satisfied until I could try that gown. A few weeks later, the sample came available and it was as I imagined: the layers of lace detailing are exquisite. We cut the sleeves to three-quarter length, since it was summertime, however wanted to keep the traditional dress lines with a bateau neckline and deep-V back. I felt like Grace Kelly in it!

What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? There are so many, it’s hard to decide on just one memorable moment – I wish I could go back and re-live the whole day over again, and again! Most vividly, I will never forget waiting in the tiny anteroom of the church with my Dad. Right before we walked down the aisle, he simply said, “Ready?” and smiled. Then the look on Clarke’s face once we processed, was amazing. I just thank my lucky stars that Patricia so beautifully captured those moments in photographs.

Tell me a bit about the wedding ceremony. We had a traditional Episcopalian ceremony. Music included an organist, a trumpeter and soloist. It was important to Clarke for one of our readings to be the Traditional Irish Blessing, as his mother’s family is Irish. After the readings, the soloist sang Amazing Grace a cappella, which is my favorite hymn.
Did you write your own vows? We used the traditional vows from the book of prayer. I think there is something romantic about using the same words that hundreds of thousands of people throughout history have said to one another on their wedding day. It made us feel connected to all those who came before us, and to our guests.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  We met at the University of Virginia during my third, his fourth, year of college, and knew of each other through friends.  However, we officially met at a party in the basement of Clarke’s fraternity house – he donned a David Beckham costume and we ended up dancing all night.  Over Christmas break a few weeks later, we talked every day — and then every day for the next 6 years.
Describe the proposal: Clarke was working in D.C. for the summer, and I had planned to visit him that weekend.  On Friday, he called me and asked me to pick up an important package that had been delivered to his place, before I drove to D.C.  When I got to his room, nothing was there, so I called him to let him know I was getting on the road. I was still on the phone when he appeared around the corner.  I was in total shock and still confused as he led me to a garden near the Rotunda and proposed.  We spent the rest of the weekend at one of our favorite Charlottesville places, Keswick Hall.
Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring and how/why your husband (or the two of you!) chose it:  My engagement ring is a family heirloom – it was actually designed by Clarke’s father about 30 years ago, when his parents got engaged!  The ring features three oval diamonds in a classic setting, and we chose a round brilliant diamond eternity band to complement it.
Tell me all the basics of your wedding!  We were married on the evening of July 7, 2012 in Charlottesville, Virginia at St. Paul’s Memorial Church. Dinner and dancing immediately followed at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards.  As it was the backdrop to how we met, where we fell in love, what brought us back together after years of long distance dating, we naturally decided Charlottesville would be the best place to start our new life together.  We also wanted to share this special place with family and friends.  As a destination for everyone other than us, it was important that the celebration be about more than just that day – we wanted it to be a getaway for guests, and for them to have to chance to explore the city we know and love so much.  The weekend following July 4 seemed fitting for travelers.  We kicked off the celebration with a hosted party on Thursday night, and the party did not stop until Sunday.  As for the reception venue, I had a close personal connection to Pippin Hill: as the first employee, I had the privilege of being a part of its construction, development, growth and everything in between.  It was truly a labor of love, my home away from home, a house that I helped build, and we couldn’t have chosen a more meaningful place to bring our loved ones together, to start our new chapter, and say goodbye to Charlottesville.  It was an epic last hurrah!
What was the weather like on your big day? HOT!  Unfortunately, a heat wave hit Charlottesville that week and uncharacteristic temperatures ran over 100 degrees on our actual wedding day.  Luckily, our ceremony and reception sites had A/C and we brought in additional fans for the tent. Easton Events had the great idea of offering lavender-scented chilled cloths to guests later in the evening.  They were a huge hit as the dance floor literally heated up!
How many guests attended your wedding? 275
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony?  Instead of a traditional wedding band, we engraved a signet ring Clarke’s grandfather had given him, embossed with their family crest.  So he now wears that ring on his left hand, just like his father and grandfather.