Oh y’all! I’m so excited to share today’s Real Wedding with you. Not only is our bride absolutely cute as a button, but she is talented, and just as much a doll as she looks. Yes, it’s true, I know her! Today’s bride is one of our darling sponsors, and the owner of the fantastic accessory line MOLLYGEEdesigns! Oh yes, and Justin’s new wife!

I knew when I clicked into Molly Gee + Justin’s wedding that I’d be in for a real treat. Together with their uber-talented planner Kendall Poole (another fabulous sponsor!), and the creative styling direction of Lesley at Tulip, MG + J created a glamorous but comfortable celebration for five hundred people. Five hundred people — talk about a big ol’ Southern wedding! I’m sure Molly Gee took her own advice when she said, “If the wedding doesn’t flow exactly as you planned, you are still marrying the one person you care the most about!” Exactly!

Big hugs to B. Mo Foto for sharing this sweet day!

Even though I work in the wedding industry, I had no idea what my dream dress would be! I fell in love with two completely different styles: a cafe Watters ruffled ball gown and a blush Allure lace and tulle mermaid style. I chose Allure and added my own tulle straps and beaded sash. I also styled the dress with a tulle veil and organza flower clip from my collection. What was supposed to be my farewell dress turned into my reception dress as well once the dancing started. I wore a 1950′s vintage tulle and lace tea-length party dress that I happened to find in Austin, TX for $40! I added my Russian netting headband and glittery gold heels as well.

Did you decide to do a “first look”?
 Yes. Justin and I both wanted to have all our photos taken before the ceremony and to relieve ourselves of those initial wedding jitters. I loved having a quiet moment with Justin to take in the day. Our first look is when it began to ‘feel’ like our wedding day.

My bouquet was wild and unstructured, composed of dusty miller, agonis, cafe au lait dahlias, antique lavender roses, pink astilbe, amaranthus, and thistle.  The stems were wrapped in a nude-toned antique lace. Each bridesmaid carried a different bouquet, but all had the same unstructured, wild feel.  Each bouquet was composed of a combination of dahlias, pink protea, thistle, caramel roses, and gold-painted seeded eucalyptus. Nude-toned lace and gold ribbon accented each bouquet.

I am having a serious swoon-fest over this simple pew tie! That lace is perfection!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding.
 Since our ceremony was not held in a church setting, we had complete control over our music choices. Each song was very thoughtfully chosen and our amazing musicians made our day even more special. They were able to adapt to any song with their mix of acoustic guitar, cello, and mandolin. Prelude songs included Chris Rice’s “Untitled Hymn,” Tom Petty’s “Wildflower,” “Amazing Grace,” Alexi Murdoch’s “All My Days,” and “On Eagle’s Wings.” The wedding party walked to The Beatles’ “In My Life,” and then, my dad walked me down the aisle to an acoustic guitar version of Sondre Lerche’s “Family Theme.” It was a beautiful transition from the wedding party to my entrance. Our first dance was to The Arctic Monkey’s cover of “Baby I’m Yours,” which is totally us! Instead of hiring a DJ or band, we used a Spotify playlist and sound system for our reception. It was perfect, and we were able to include all our favorites!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Fresh Cut Catering created a delicious display of Southern comfort foods complete with a mashed potato bar and all the fixings (Justin’s main request!), and of course we had mint tea and cranberry punch.

The centerpieces were modern white vessels filled with wild arrangements of dahlias, pink protea, antique roses, thistle, and astilbe accented with gold-painted eucalyptus. The tables were accented with items such as mid-century brass candlesticks, rose-colored candle votives, silver mercury glass, and wooden tree stumps for a rustic touch.  White lace tablecloths adorned each table.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There are so many wonderful details, it is hard to narrow down! I loved the overall decor of romance with a touch of vintage, especially the candlelit aisle for the ceremony. A beautiful dusty rose pink chandelier hung above and a draped cream curtain with tree branches on each side stood behind us.

I love the little painting of Molly Gee + Justin – what a fun piece to have in their home after their big day!

The bride’s cake consisted of a center, two-tiered cake, and two small cakes on each side, all in a textured buttercream icing. The cakes were a mix of traditional wedding cake, strawberry, and carrot cake. The cake topper was a set of white lovebirds, and blush dahlias decorated the sides. Justin’s cake was a rich Dutch chocolate, complete with chocolate shavings, strawberries, and a decorative W. Surrounding the cake were photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days as well as Arsenal premier soccer league memorabilia (Justin’s favorite team!).

The most memorable part of the reception was the dance party, and Justin and his brother even started a dance off. The photo booth was also a blast — I handmade each decorative prop. The photos that came from the booth are very special. We even applied custom ‘Molly Gee and Justin’ labels to every beer and wine bottle (with the help of our friends) for a special touch!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. The Lord’s plan for our lives is so much greater than our own. Justin and I met a few times throughout college and shortly after. Just after graduation, I moved to New York to pursue a career in fashion, which is where I started my wedding accessory business. Around the time I decided to move the business to my hometown in Mississippi, Justin was making his move to Barcelona, Spain. I still remember seeing Justin for the first time in years and thought he was so good looking! When he said he was moving out of the country in one week, I was a little disappointed. When he moved back months later, I made the first move and gave him my number. I wasn’t pushy but showed my interest, which is when he took over from there.
Describe the proposal. 
It didn’t take us long to fall in love and know this was a serious relationship that was meant to last forever. Justin and I first talked about marriage in the spring of 2011. We knew we loved each other very much, but also wanted to be sure we were established in our professions before making such a big decision. Looking back, I now know that Justin wanted his main surprise to be the timing of the proposal. So, when he said sometime in 2012, I believed him! On December 23, 2011, my sister called to say she needed me to babysit my nieces while she finished last minute Christmas errands. She seemed flustered, but I figured it was just stress from a long ‘to do’ list. I called Justin to tell him my plans, and he mentioned taking me out to dinner that night. We decided he would pick me up at my house once I was done sitting. I take my dog, Fern, with me most places. So after babysitting, I parked in my garage, unloaded Fern and my other belongings, and headed inside. My first reaction? “Oh no! My Christmas tree lights exploded everywhere!” Fern tore through the foyer ahead of me, sliding on the dozens of candles that were set up and generally making a mess. I dropped my bags and just stared at Justin (who was on one knee) from across the room. He had to ask The Question from a distance, and finally said, “Can you please walk over here?” I, of course, said yes! It’s fun to find out the little details afterward, isn’t it? Justin requested my sister’s help in getting me out of the house for two hours, but in the end, only needed about 30 minutes to get everything set up! (He watched Christmas Vacation on my TV while waiting with his car parked down the street!) My sister relaxed at my parents’ house while baking Christmas dishes… not running errands!
In what month did you get married? October
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
We were on a tight budget and had to be very careful about spending. It was difficult to narrow down our must-haves and things we could live without. In the end, everything turned out perfect and we didn’t even notice some of our cut corners. The reception was a blast and the most important part was that we were now married and celebrating with family and friends!
What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? 
Photography and Videography. With this documentation, we are able to relive all the details and emotions of our ceremony and reception! Save the Date video: http://vimeo.com/41858697 Wedding Video: http://vimeo.com/61850876
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
I remember Justin telling me he was going to dip me during our first kiss…well with the emotions of our ceremony I completely forgot and when the time came for our kiss, the dip was a special surprise to say the least!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
We all want our day to be perfect and it’s understandable to focus on making that happen! Even through all of the planning and decisions, remember it is only one day of your life. If the wedding doesn’t flow exactly as you planned, you are still marrying the one person you care the most about!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
Justin and I now own our first house and are spending time in the yard this spring, planting flowers and making it our own special space. We have set goals for travel in the next few years and just overall enjoying our first year of marriage! As for adding to the family, we have talked about getting a second dog so our pup, Fern, can have a best friend.

Kendall Poole and Molly Gee Designs are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Though wedding films generally put a smile on my face, Shirley + Lijay’s big day in Austin, Texas, was one that truly reflected their fun-loving personalities and chemistry together. Though a storm was headed straight for the city, their ceremony was all sunshine, making their vows even more special and showing us how adorable these two are together and how excited they are to start their married life! Sending big hugs to Vanessa McKellar for sending this our way!

From the bride:

Lijay and I live in San Francisco, but with both sides of our families back in Texas, there was no place more perfect to get married than our college town, Austin, TX. Our friends and family thought we were insane to have an outdoor wedding in Texas in the middle of the summer, but we assured them that we would keep the ceremony short and then everyone can retreat back into the hotel.

The one thing we could not plan for was the Texas thunderstorms. The week leading up to our wedding, temperatures averaged 109 degrees, so we planned to have the ceremony as close to sundown as possible. As we were getting ready, I kept looking out my window to watch the trees and the Texas flag blowing violently from the winds of the coming storm.

Our florists, Petal pushers, called my fiance to let him know that they were going to start moving their arrangements indoors. He said to wait as long as possible before doing so and “whatever you do…don’t tell
Shirley!” Our friends from Houston were calling to tell us that the storm had already blown past them and it was headed straight for Austin! My husband made the gutsy call to keep the ceremony outside and it turned out to be a wonderful ceremony. Once we got through the beautiful, picturesque ceremony, everyone moved inside for the cocktail hour. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes before it started pouring outside. It was a Texas miracle!

We’re all still pretty sore from our very first V6 photo shoot on Wednesday! We can’t give too much away yet (though our Instagram was full of teeny sneak peeks!), but we had a ton of fun with Katie Stoops. There’s still some cleanup to do in the office, along with finding the source of a mysterious frosting smell, to do next week before our next shoot!

This week’s Southern Spotting was lovely, indeed. However, the story behind this bride’s lace necklace is so heartfelt and sentimental!

Mother’s Day is coming up soon and we’re all in need of some gift ideas. We think our South prints, steeped in love and letterpressed on luxurious cotton stock, are perfect! Take a look at all three colors in our shop.

Real weddings make us swoon!

Ashley + David’s “I do’s” were full of lovely details and some killer dance moves, but the one thing that really stands out is their sweet and intimate love. See it here.

Claudia + Brad’s organic and outdoor wedding put a smile on our face and a calmness in our hearts. See it here.

Sophie + Brian’s Kentucky wedding was inspired by their love of their Southern home and the hospitality of Kentucky. See it here.

Vanessa + Jonathan’s Derby-inspired wedding was full of fun Southern touches and traditions. See it here.

Be sure to stop by our Facebook Friday! Michelle Renee Photography shares an engagement session that you’ll feast your eyes on!

Happy weekend, my dears!

Like Sophie + Brian’s wedding yesterday, today’s is perfectly appropriate for this week. Vanessa + Jonathan met at a horse race in 2007. When the time came to plan for their big day, only a Derby-inspired fete would do! In true Southern fashion, the bride and groom kindly asked their guests to don hats and bow ties for the big day, and then offered some true Southern hospitality in the form of mint juleps and bourbon after the ceremony! We couldn’t be more in love with the couple’s style and about shed a tear when we read about their handfasting ceremony!

Big thanks to Landon Jacob – these images are to die for!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
We met at a horse race, which was the inspiration for the wedding. We were at a mutual friend’s tailgate at Steeple Chase, in March of 2007. I followed him around like a puppy, smitten at first look, and he was too busy catching up with friends to notice me! Later at a party that night, he noticed me because I picked up Guitar Hero, played a song on expert and beat it.

After dating for 5 years we knew that the proposal was coming. On Thanksgiving in 2011, my female relatives and I decided to go looking at dresses for fun! I was given one rule: I had to try every dress the girls pulled for me. After nearly 40 dresses ranging from princess ball gowns to sheath gowns, my sister pulled my dress. It was stunning and everyone was speechless. I knew that was the one because I didn’t want to leave without it! We bought the dress that day, and thank goodness Jonathan proposed 4 months later!

We did a first look because we wanted to have a special moment to ourselves before the wedding. It was a good decision because we were able to appreciate each other and the importance of the day before everyone else was fighting for our attention. We also got a lot of great shots of the two of us before the ceremony!

Describe the proposal. 
We had plans set for a romantic weekend after Valentines day in 2012. Jonathan planned to propose at a restaurant that I was excited to try. We had a crazy night Friday and didn’t end up in bed until early Saturday morning, so I cancelled all of our plans! Jonathan panicked and decided to act on the spot. While I was getting a bath ready for our dog, Zoey, he got the ring and the dog. When I turned around, he had Zoey in his arms, and the box in Zoey’s paws. He asked me to marry him and I was so thrilled I almost flooded the bathroom!

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
We had one reading used in tandem with a special ceremony called Handfasting. Jonathan’s family roots are Irish, so we used this celtic ritual before saying our vows as a nod to his family heritage. Our minister used a cord that Jonathan and I made to bind our hands while he read, “These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.” We didn’t let go of each others hands until after the pronouncement of marriage.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Choosing what to do with our tables! I was afraid the estate tables looked old and not timeless, but the round tables didn’t fit well in the space and made us question the table design. Going with the estate tables was the best idea for the venue space and the table design was perfect. We scattered rose petals across all the tables, mixed in with lanterns and candles and mirrors.

Our whole wedding was Southern-inspired! We met at a horse race so we asked guests to wear hats and bow ties! We used horseshoes to attach escort cards to and served mint juleps during the cocktail hour. Our dinner was fried chicken, shrimp and grits, BBQ sliders and sweet tea — the quintessential Southern menu!

In what month did you get married? April
How many guests attended your wedding? 150
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We used “Give Me Jesus” for the walk of the grandmothers and mothers, Air on G String for the entrance of the bridal party, and Cannon in D as I entered. During the ceremony, we had an Irish jig, a butterfly jig, play during the handfasting ceremony. We recessed to the Irish jig again.

Describe your wedding flowers. 
My flowers were beautiful! The bouquets were white and all different textures. We used roses, hydrangeas and peonies.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. 
Our cake was so delicious! It was a three-tiered round cake with cream-colored fondant and pearls on each layer, and a bunch of sugar roses that were dyed the same color as the bridesmaids’ dresses. Each tier was a different flavor of strawberry cream cheese marble pound cake, lemon citrus cake, and white chocolate cake!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
The handfasting ceremony, it has so much meaning to us and it meant so much to us that Jonathan’s father was able to be our minister and marry us.

What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$25,000-$50,000

What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? 
The venue. The wedding would not have been the same if we had a different venue. It set the perfect tone and was formal enough inside the house that we didn’t have to spend a lot of money to decorate it.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
Walking out of the balcony for my entrance and looking down to see Jonathan and all of our close family and friends there for our wedding day. I will never forget how special that moment was for me!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
There is no such thing as planning too far in advance! Get as much done as soon as you can, I thought I kept up with the plans and suddenly two weeks before the wedding I was running around feeling so unprepared that I could barely appreciate the rehearsal and the people.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
We are looking forward to buying a house this year! We have to save for a few months, but we are so excited to buy a house we can grow our family in.

If you feel like so many wedding start-ups are focused on bridesmaid dresses, you’re right! For many brides (including myself!), bridesmaid dresses are still one of the trickiest parts of wedding planning, so at this point I’ll welcome all the innovations we can get. Starting with today’s sponsor, Brideside!

Brideside promises to make it easy and fun to shop for bridesmaid dresses. Here’s a little film that explains how:

In case you’re at work and can’t watch the film, here’s how it works: Search through carefully selected styles from more than 120 designers, including favorites like Alfred Sung, Jenny Yoo, and Dessy as well as up and coming local labels, to create your “closet.” Search Brideside’s collection of real wedding images to get inspiration, too! Their blog is even click-to-shoppable :)

You can then share your closet with your ‘maids (or, if you’re feeling generous, let them add their favorite styles, too!), and once y’all have decided on your top three picks, order your “Brideside Box” for an at-home try-on session.

Once you’ve made a final decision, you can purchase the dresses in one fell swoop, or each bridesmaid can log in and purchase her dress individually. Make sure everyone gets professionally measured first!

Love the sound of Brideside? It’s about to get even sweeter! Sonali and Nicole, the friends and founders, are offering up an exclusive offer for Southern Weddings gals. Click here to sign up for a chance to win $100 off your bridesmaid dresses! Thank you, ladies!

Tell me: Have you already purchased your bridesmaid dresses? If so, did you go with all one style/color, or a mix and match look?