I always love to read what our darling brides tell us about the Southern details and traditions they included in their big day. Sometimes it’s the decor, sometimes it’s a piece of their mother’s dress and for others, it’s the food. But today’s bride, Angela replied with what makes the South the best (in my humble opinion): heart. She said the Southern hearts, hospitality and the love are just a few of the Southern details that made their Charleston nuptials special. That, along with the horse and buggy getaway that their fabulous planner Katherine Miller pulled out of her hat, of course!

Special thanks to Juliet Elizabeth Photography for capturing all the love this day evoked!

I tried on about 20 wedding dresses with just my mom and Katherine. Terri and Krista at the Gown Boutique of Charleston were a dream team. They helped me to find my dream dress on my first and only day shopping for my dress. Everything about my Augusta Jones silk organza Tina dress was beyond perfect for me!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
We fell in love when I was playing the wingwoman for my friend and Tobi playing the wingman for his friend at a bar lounge in New York City. They became deeply engaged in a conversation and sent us away to the bar to get drinks. We went and waited for drinks to arrive for us to carry back. We started to talk to each other to be polite. Then, a very long time passed and we didn’t even realize that we had gotten no drinks, our friends were looking for us and the bar was closing! Tobi called me two days later and asked if I would like to grab dinner sometime. I gladly said yes and the rest is history! Our friends are both happily dating others and were the bridesmaid and groomsman at our wedding.

Oh my stars – that ceiling is everything!

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
I John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.”

The most memorable moment of the day was when we got to Lowndes Grove for our reception immediately after the ceremony. Tobi and I got off our trolley first — about 10 minutes before the rest of our guests did. The first trolley had already dropped off a batch of guests 20 minutes earlier. The minute Tobi and I stepped off our trolley, we just stood on the gravel, several feet away from our guests, and just watched everything from a distance: from the jazz band his dad surprised us with and all the beautiful shades of pinks, peaches and golds surrounding the plantation, to our closest family and friends chatting away over Pimm’s Cups and Arnold Palmers. Knowing that everyone came to this one place from all over the place just for us made us so amazed and we felt so much joy in our hearts. It was also the only 10 minutes we got to take it all in, just by ourselves, before being swept back into the storybook night again! I will never forget those 10 minutes and the beautiful mental snapshot.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
So many things! In summary: Charleston, Arnold Palmers served in mason jars, a low country menu and dance cards, Southern hearts, hospitality and the love we all shared that day!

I wanted the wedding cake to resemble the top part of my wedding dress. It had a soft and beautiful layered petals look to it. We also tinted the cake to a very subtle blush. Other than the beautiful design, the flavors were the best and everyone loved it — even those who weren’t cake fans! Th bottom tier was spiced cake with ginger butter cream icing, the next tier was a lemon cake with almond butter cream icing, the next tier was a hazelnut cake with spiced butter cream and the top tier was a hazelnut cake with spiced butter cream.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
I had always dreamed of my wedding sendoff to be me waving goodbye to our loved ones from a white horse carriage with my husband. When my wedding planner told me that regulations and traffic in the plantation’s neighborhood made this vision nearly impossible, I was devastated and could not believe that this would be not become a reality in Charleston! Then, the following morning, Katherine pulled the rabbit out of her hat and found me the white horse carriage that I’d imagined since I was 6!

Describe the proposal. 
Tobi proposed over a home-cooked meal the weekend after the weekend he planned to propose! Here is the short version of the story/original plan: We were taking a day trip to Richmond on a beautiful summer day because I had always talked about wanting to visit. He planned the entire day and was going to propose over a champagne dinner at the Jefferson Hotel except I had gotten into an argument with him while on our way to dinner because I was wondering if and when he would ever propose! I had no idea that was supposed to be the day!

In what month did you get married? 
September

How many guests attended your wedding? 
86

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. 
Our first dance was Let’s Stay Together by Al Greene

Describe your wedding flowers. 
The flowers were AMAZING and I cannot do them justice by trying to describe them here!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
The kissing bells that everyone also used as sendoff bells with pink, peach and lavender ribbons!

What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$75,000-$100,000

What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? 
Definitely the gold flatware!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
1. Know that you have every right in the universe to get everything you’ve ever dreamed of for your wedding day! It IS about your vision. Also know that the “perfect” wedding, like the “perfect” man, is one that is perfect for you, who you are, and what you stand for. Don’t let the pursuit of “perfection” get in the way of progress! 2. Stress as much as your body and mind can tolerate as long as you’re still having fun! 3. Do ask for your dude’s thoughts on things that he probably does have an opinion on, like music/entertainment and food. Definitely do the tasting together as a fun date — especially if y’all love to eat! It’s his big day, too, and he’ll love you more for caring about what he thinks.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
We are just feeling happy and grateful for where we are in life at this moment, and really cherish all the bliss, memories and faith that our love, family and friends have gifted us. In the immediate future, we are very much excited about building our life and creating wonderful memories, together, one day at a time. We also hope to welcome our first puppy to the family by our one year anniversary!

Remember that gorgeous light I spoke about in Part I? Here it is again in these divine portraits from Adam Barnes! Absolutely dreamy!

A mini-food fan, I know our Emily was completely smitten when she first peeked at Tami + James’ reception. I love how T + J not only served adorable and yummy food, but it came complete with a story — the best part! Each course was a customized culinary trip through their lives, from “Childhood Favorites,” “Southern Comfort” and “Old Bay,” all the way to “The City That Never Sleeps.” What fun!

P.S. Be sure to scroll all the way down and read about T + J’s Great Gatsby moment! So cool!

We had an outdoor cocktail hour among the Carriage House and Gazebo at the Thomas Birkby House, where we served our signature cocktail, a strawberry mojito and oysters in mini Ball jars with individual Tabasco pairings.

What was your reception like? It was a tented reception where guests enjoyed our personalized four-course dinner and dancing afterward.  When planning the wedding, I wanted to incorporate something that would blow James away, and decided to surprise him with a cigar roller and scotch bar, which ended up being a huge hit at the reception!  The cigar roller did his thing on the patio, just outside of the tent, where many of our guests congregated after dinner to enjoy the last few minutes of sunlight and socialize among the trees and carriage house.  For an added unique touch of evening ambiance, we projected a romantic 1920s silent film in the background against the carriage house. The scene of bow-tied gentlemen enjoying cigars while entertaining each other and their lovely ladies was magical, drawing a comment from one guest likening the evening to one of the many painted by Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby.

Food is a big part of our lives. Growing up, we both had family dinners on Sundays and everyone always seemed to be in and around the kitchen enjoying the food and drink that day’s host was preparing. As a continuation of our quest to make our wedding personal, we took the opportunity to come up with a menu that reflected the path of our lives. We started with a “Childhood Favorites” course of Lobster corndogs, grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters, and a side of gold fish crackers. Then on to “Southern Comfort,” a nod to my Southern roots with white cheddar, gruyere and truffle oil mac and cheese, a country biscuit with Virginia ham, and shrimp and grits. The third course was “Old Bay,” a nod to James’ hometown and late night college years with Maryland crab cakes and a mini philly cheesesteaks with shoestring fries. To finish the meal and kick off the toasts, we ended with our fourth course, “The City That Never Sleeps,” which was a manhattan, the city where we currently make our home.

Describe some of the decorations or décor elements you used: We used vintage scales, vintage cigar boxes, homemade painted wooden signs, ball jars with burlap wrapping, homemade burlap silverware holders with individually sewn flowers, and a homemade “sweets” sign over the dessert bar
Describe your centerpieces: They were a mix of pale pink peonies, hydrangeas, dahlias and roses in vintage wood boxes, vintage tins and apothecary jars. They were arranged around stacked antique books and vintage tea cups with tea light candles inside.  The table number signs were designed to reflect specific parts of our personalities and story, including a Christian Louboutin pump, a bull and bear (James works on Wall Street), golf clubs, a Virginia peanut, and more.

My favorite detail of the wedding was the custom farm table my mother and father built for us to serve as the “head table.”  We weren’t allowed to see it until the day of the wedding and we were truly blown away. The most special part was that they engraved T + J on the top! It is something we can’t wait to move into our home (once we leave the cozy confines of the West Village) and incorporate into holiday family traditions. 

Tell us a bit about your first dance. We danced to Jason Mraz’s “Lucky,” which we liked because it was light and fun, and we both feel that we are each other’s best friend.  James tried to organize us for dance lessons a few weeks before the wedding, but we had too many other things to take care of.  We faked our way through it and just had fun with a couple of “homemade” twirls and dips.  None of our guests noticed the lack of dance skills, or at least we don’t think so!!

Describe your wedding cake: We used Maggie Austin’s ruffle cake design, a beautiful white cake with sugar peonies and dahlias to match our wedding flowers.  It was the classic Maggie Austin cake with meticulously molded hand-ruffled layers.  We had two flavors: peanut butter butter-creme and white velvet cake with raspberry preserves. The cake served as the centerpiece of our dessert bar, surrounded by mini strawberry milkshakes, pop-tarts on a stick, cake pops and other sweet treats.

What was Southern about your wedding? Everything from the country music playing in the background, the sweet tea served pre-ceremony, and the “Southern Comfort” menu complete with shrimp and grits, mac and cheese and a delicious country biscuits with Virginia ham.
What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day?  James’ speech, welcoming everyone to our wedding and hearing him talk about the first time he saw me and how he knew good things were to come.  It was quite the tear-jerker for all of the ladies at the wedding.
What were some of the highlights? The personalized menu was a hit with everyone — definitely something bespoke that had the intended effect of sharing with our guests the formative times in our lives. Our guests also loved the scotch bar and cigar roller!
What was the funniest moment?  What was the scariest? The funniest moment was trying to get the ring bearer to sit with the wedding party for group pictures.  Lou, James’ best man ended up grabbing the back of his overalls to keep him from exploring the gardens! The scariest moment was standing up in front of all our family and friends and taking the leap!
Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? No, but James’ father gave a beautiful blessing before dinner.
Did you toss the garter or bouquet? Both.  James tossed my garter to Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady,” a fitting tune, especially given James’ love of the guitar and Jimi Hendrix in particular.  His college band mates got a kick out of it!
Tell us about your grand exit. As a parting gift, and to keep the party rolling, we made s’mores kits for all our guests.  We all piled into a trolley enjoying whatever cocktail happened to be in our hot little hands at the end of the night and proceeded to the fire pit at the resort where everyone was staying.  It was the perfect way to end the evening, where guests who hadn’t had a chance to catch up could banter about their latest happenings and new friendships made that evening were solidified.  James and I were a few of the last to leave, enjoying everyone’s well-wishes and hearing about their personal evening highlights.
Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding:  The custom cigar labels Tami had made for our scotch and cigar bar!!
What was the biggest challenge you faced when planning your wedding?  Time management. We wanted everything to be perfect and spent a lot of our time focused on the details.  As the date neared, we weren’t quite sure we could get it all done.  But, thanks to a combined family effort, everything went off without a hitch!
What range did your budget fall into?  $25,000-$50,000
Did you take a honeymoon?  If so, where? We took a wonderful trip to the Amalfi coast in Italy, spending time on the island of Capri and the coastal towns of Ravello and Positano.  We loved the casual glamour of the Mediterranean, and of course the food and wine!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?  We are tremendously blessed with many opportunities that may either keep us in New York, or take us somewhere new.  But, for now, we can’t wait to make the most of our time as a young couple in New York City.

Adam Barnes is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

With its romantic, vintage feel, topped by the stunning light captured by our friend Adam Barnes, of course I remember Tami + James’ wedding fondly from Southern Weddings V5! But what I didn’t realize was Tami’s sweet inspiration and attention to meaningful details. Tami said that her mother was the design inspiration for their wedding (I LOVE that!). “Growing up in Virginia, my mom and I would spend weekend afternoons exploring the countryside and all its gravel roads, farms and antique shops, looking for vintage treasures to incorporate into our garden or bring into our home,” said Tami. We think the couple did a fantastic job weaving such an incredible image into their big day all while keeping their own personal style at the core.

Favorite design element of your big day:  The wedding paper, specifically the save the dates.  Lucinda Wesson of Chocolate Creative Designs was an absolute dream to work with. I wanted to use the save the dates as an opportunity to capture our guests’ imagination and set the stage for the rest of our Southern wedding.  Together, Lucinda and I created a unique design that had guests talking for months.  When James proposed, he hid my engagement ring in a Magnolia Bakery cupcake box (the man knows the way to my heart!) so I thought it would be cute to package the save the dates in a bakers box that resembled those from Magnolia Bakery. The traditional Magnolia Bakery logo is a picture of the bakery storefront but instead, Lucinda created a custom design that included a drawing of the Thomas Birkby carriage house, the scene in which James and I would exchange our vows. As many of our guests would be traveling for our big day, we themed the rest of the details around Virginia: hints of dogwood prints (the state flower) and subtle cardinals (the state bird), textures of washed out burlap, watercolor paper and a touch of Southern hospitality – Virginia peanuts, used as box fillers!  As our guests opened the bakery box, they found the save the date card in a customer printed burlap “peanut sack” among the peanuts. Not only did our guests love the design but they enjoyed the treat inside. So inspired was one of our guests, that they used the components of the save the date to create a custom gift box and wrapping for our wedding gift – a sentimental treasure we will long cherish.

The lovely and talented Holly Heider Chapple did a beautiful job on our flowers. My bouquet included pale pink peonies, café au lait dahlias and dusty miller. The bouquet was bound with lace from my mother’s wedding dress and tucked away in one of the blooms was a tiny ruby given to me by my deceased uncle. The bridesmaids carried pale pink blush roses, scabiosa pods, ranunculus, dusty miller, and pink hydrangeas.  The stems were bound in burlap and pearl pins. The bouts were tiny pink roses wrapped in burlap.

Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses.  How did you choose them? The bridesmaid dresses are designed by Sarah Seven.  I wanted the girls to wear dresses that matched the vintage feel of the wedding and the traditional taffeta dresses were not going to cut it!  I was flipping through a bridal magazine one day and came across a photograph of a wedding with the bridesmaids wearing Sarah Seven dresses. I loved the softness of her designs, they are very whimsical and girly. I wanted an eclectic look so I chose two colors, robin’s egg blue and blush pink, and told the girls they could choose whatever style dress was most flattering on their body type. The colors photographed beautifully.

Our entire office had a little swoonfest when we first got a look at this little guy! That bow tie + that hat = we die!

Tell me a bit about the wedding ceremony. We had a traditional non-denominational ceremony.  Our officiant, Gil, who was recommended by my boss, felt the same as us and focused the ceremony on God’s beautiful creation, love, and how to nurture, honor and enjoy it.
Who participated in your ceremony? We had two readers, our friends Allison Black and Claire Vorhees.  My 14-year-old sister, Niki also sang Ave Maria during the ceremony — a performance people are still raving about!
Did you try anything new or untraditional? I walked down the aisle to Jont’s “Sweetheart,” a song that when I heard it, reminded me of James.  We had a very fun parting song, Barry Louis Polisar’s “All I Want is You” that set the tone for a perfect outdoor cocktail hour.

Our summer wedding was on June 23, 2012 at the Thomas Birkby House in Leesburg, Virginia. Even though we lived in New York, we are both Southern at heart – I with my Southern roots, and James with his country club gentleman style – so we thought Virginia would be the perfect spot.  It just felt like home.  When we visited the Thomas Birkby House, we were both blown away at the detail and care Ron and Judy put into maintaining the venue.  We also loved the old-time Virginia feel of the house and gardens.  As a logistical bonus, the house was 15 minutes away from my parent’s house – the perfect staging area for our farm table, flowers and centerpieces — and the resort we used to spend time at while dating.  That weekend, our guests were able to enjoy the pool during the day and James had a prenuptial golf tournament with his father, uncles and groomsmen – one of his few requirements for the weekend.

My mother was the design inspiration behind our wedding.  Growing up in Virginia, my mom and I would spend weekend afternoons exploring the countryside and all its gravel roads, farms and antique shops, looking for vintage treasures to incorporate into our garden or bring into our home.  Knowing James’ weekend style, cultivated by his passion for golf and love of leisurely Saturday county club afternoons, toasting his round with mint juleps and cigars, I knew he would be supportive of the Southern vintage theme I envisioned.  From there, I was off to the races creating a unique experience for our guests that reflected our personalities.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  James and I met in 2007 while working for the same company in Northern Virginia.  We worked in separate offices and would have never met if fate wasn’t on our side. One summer afternoon, a mutual friend and colleague invited us both to lunch.  When James arrived at our office to meet for lunch, he saw, as he says, a “bouncy blonde” walking down the hall and instantly prayed, “Oh please God, let that be the friend I am going to lunch with!”  Luckily it was, and after a long lunch filled with laughter, our relationship began.  Unfortunately, time was not on our side as James was due to leave for business school in Chicago just six weeks after we met. We dated long distance for his two years at school, including a summer in New York.  While it was challenging at times, we enjoyed the sparks that flew each time we reunited and the dream of living together in New York City after graduation.
Describe the proposal: In 2009, we settled in to our first (and tiny!) New York City apartment in the West Village, which is where James popped the question.  It was a Thursday evening when James walked through the door of our apartment with a box of my favorite cupcakes from our neighborhood bakery, Magnolia.  I opened the box and to my surprise, there was the most beautiful engagement ring right next to a cupcake!  After proposing, James told me to pack my suitcase. I was shocked.  Not only had he planned a romantic trip for us, but also arranged the vacation days with my boss without me knowing.  We spent the long weekend drinking and eating pool-side, enjoying couples massages and lounging on the beach – the perfect way to celebrate our new engagement!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Vintage, personal, Southern.
What was the weather like on your big day?  Perfect – 85 degrees, sunny with a gentle summer breeze
How many guests attended your wedding? 100
Tell us about finding your wedding dress.  What is your favorite thing about it? I purchased my wedding dress from a little bridal boutique in NYC called Adriennes.  The designer is Jim Hjelm.  Since we were having a vintage-inspired wedding, I knew I wanted a lace dress.  What I loved specifically about this dress was the design of the lace.  It wasn’t your traditional Chantilly lace, it was more of a crochet lace.  I thought it was unique and I loved the way the mermaid style showed off my curves.
How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your big day? I spent most of the day with my bridesmaids getting our makeup and hair done.  James was running around making sure our guests were enjoying themselves by the pool.  On Friday, James had a golf tournament with his dad, uncles, friends and groomsmen, jokingly referred to as the Prenuptial Open.

Adam Barnes is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Eliza + Brigham look like the kind of couple you just want to squeeze (as Kristin would say) because they look so happy and in love! The two met while teaching at the same school and made every excuse to see each other during the day, from relocating distracted students to another class to borrowing Sharpies. We love how their roles as teachers made its way into their big day. Guests chose an apple to find their seating arrangements and leave sticky notes of marriage advice and the couple used fun chalkboard signage throughout the day. The details sure did make Eliza + Brigham’s venue look sweet — but it only gets better when you learn that their big day took place on Brigham’s family farm. What a perfect place to start your married life!

Giant hugs to Abby Jiu who snapped all these lovely photos of E + B’s wedding!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
The whole process was much easier than I expected! I knew I wanted a simple dress that didn’t overwhelm my (very!) short frame and one that went with casual, country feel of our wedding, and was lucky to find a dress I loved right away!

It was really important to us that we were able to spend as much time with our guests as possible once they arrived, so we decided to do a “first look” so that we could get all of our photos done before the wedding began, while also making sure that we did not miss out on the magical moment of getting to see each other for the first time. While we initially made this decision for pragmatic reasons, it ended up being one of our favorite memories from the day — a moment just for us before the excitement (and chaos!) of the wedding began.

What an amazing photo! I just love the laugh Eliza and her dad are sharing before the ceremony.

We put together our own vows based on a mix of phrases and verses that spoke to us. A favorite passage from our vows is: “From this day on, I will be your partner and companion, for you are my dearest love and my best friend. I look forward to the joy we will find in each other’s separate successes, as well as in those we share. I welcome the challenge of whatever obstacles we encounter, for I know that whatever we face, we face together.”

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
We got married on Brigham’s family farm in Poolesville, Maryland, so our wedding definitely had a Southern vibe built right in! We also added some “Southern details” of our own, such as using red bandanas as dinner napkins and serving comfort food like fried chicken and mac and cheese!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
In keeping with our teacher theme, we had an easel to which our guests stuck post-it notes of advice for life and love.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. 
Neither of us are big fans of wedding cake so we went with apple and chocolate pie!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
Planning a wedding in September — the busiest time of year for teachers!

What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? 
A fabulous band that got everyone out on the dance floor!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
We met while teaching at the same DC charter school. The magnetism was there from the start, and we would invent every possible excuse to visit each other’s classrooms — relocating distracted students to “buddy class,” borrowing Sharpies, etc.

Describe the proposal. 
Brigham came over to my apartment after work on a Friday, and awkwardly asked me to join him for a glass of wine on the building’s rooftop deck overlooking Rock Creek Park. I found his urgency strange on a cold, windy evening, but was still shocked when he took to a knee on the roof and asked for my hand. My response was “Are you kidding me?!” which he took for a “yes.”

In what month did you get married? 
September

How many guests attended your wedding? 
225

Describe your wedding flowers. 
We went a bright mix of rustic flowers in rich fall colors that would compliment the natural beauty of the farm where we were married.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. Our first dance was the Jackson 5′s “ABC,” which got the party started as only two teachers could. We relieved Brigham’s dancing anxiety and my fear of public performance by having everyone join us on the dance floor after 30 seconds or so. The band ‘Round Midnight got the party going with all our Motown favorites, and channeled everything from Van Halen to Lady Gaga.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
Looking back at all of our family and friends as we walked through the evening sunshine at the end of the ceremony!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
Try not to sweat the details so that you can really enjoy what the day is all about!

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re taking a long-awaited honeymoon to Italy this summer, then we both start in new roles at DC charter schools, which will keep us busy but growing. Our new puppy, Otis Redding Kiplinger is a trial run for the family we look forward to starting some day!

I just love when we get weddings with a surprising pop of color! Maggie + Alec’s wedding decor incorporated a lot of vintage charm, but I am just head over heels with their blue accents. It’s at once electric and romantic! If their color scheme has you pumped to see the rest of this wedding, too, I’ll go ahead and let you know that M + A don’t disappoint. With tradition in their hearts, but a love for the rolling Texas hills, the newlyweds decided to bring their ceremony outside. Maggie loved the stained glass windows at the altar and we have to agree. “The old, gothic church doors and stained glass church windows gave us the perfect combination of God’s presence in our vows and the beautiful creation,” said Maggie. Among the other heartfelt additions were the bouquet pin, gold ring and handkerchief that Maggie carried down the aisle — all belonged to her great grandmother and namesake.

Big thanks to The Nichols to sharing this lovely day with us!

Vividian Design Studio of Kerrville, Texas created much of the floral décor. The color palette was soft ivory and white with rich shades of blue and vintage silver. My bouquet was a romantic mix of white peonies, vendela roses, white majolica spray roses, white hydrangea and white ranunculus. The stems were wrapped in antique French blue ribbon that my mom had collected and a silver name pin that belonged to my great-grandmother and namesake, Maggie was added to the ribbon. My bridesmaid’s carried bouquets of blue delphinium, muscari, cornflower, dusty miller and blue anemone. Our beautiful flower girls had headbands of fresh flowers and the men worn boutonnières of white anemone. The head tables at the reception were decorated with random pieces of antique silver serving as both candleholders for the beeswax candles and unique vases for ivory roses and hydrangea. The guest tables were decorated with antique and vintage crochet, silver, cut glass, books, clocks and wedding cake toppers. These were accented with ivory hydrangea, roses, dusty miller, spray roses ranunculus and a touch of blue delphinium.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? We did not do a “first look” because we were pretty traditional in our approach to our wedding. We wanted Alec’s first look to be as I walked down the aisle with my dad. This was difficult to accomplish at an outdoor wedding on a hilltop. The church doors that we used for the ceremony were the perfect solution to the “moment” that was very important to us both. We wanted my dress to be a complete surprise so Alec never even saw the dress before the doors opened at the ceremony. His reaction was perfect!

Our wedding was filled with so many wonderful details. My personal favorite was the unique stained glass windows that stood behind us during the ceremony. The three antique stained glass church windows were narrow and ten feet tall and were simple and elegant against the background of the gorgeous Texas Hill Country vista. The windows were the only “decorations” that we had for the ceremony. On the day of our wedding, it was predicted to rain heavily and the morning was overcast and drizzling. The rain stopped just an hour or so before the ceremony and the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the stained glass just as we began our vows.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
We did not have any particular readings at the ceremony, but the pastor spoke at length from several scriptures. We did have one of Alec’s groomsmen sing “Ten Thousand Reasons” by Matt Redman. We love the lyrics that speak to praising the Lord for all of His blessings to us and His overwhelming love for us when we don’t deserve it.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. 
We used only one song as the parents, grandparents, and my bridesmaids walked down the aisle, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Bethany Dillon. I walked down the aisle to an instrumental of “Before the Throne of God Above” by the King’s Chamber Orchestra. Adam Naylor, one of Alec’s groomsmen, sang “Ten Thousand Reasons” by Matt Redman during the ceremony. The recessional song was a mash-up of “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “God Bless Texas” by Little Texas in recognition of our heritages from the proud states of Alabama and Texas. We walked into the reception to “Crazy Little Thing called Love” by Michael Buble. Alec and I danced to “When You Say You Love Me” by Josh Groban. I picked the song I wanted for my first dance when I was in middle school. After all the years of practice dancing in the living room with my family, it was a surreal moment in my wedding to actually dance to the song with my husband. My father and I danced to “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw and Alec and his mom danced to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
My dress was actually the first one I tried on! It was in a small bridal shop in my hometown of Boerne, Texas. I really liked it, but I didn’t want to buy the first dress I saw! After spending another day or two trying on dresses with my sister and my mom all over San Antonio, I realized that I kept choosing the exact same style of dress that I had first tried on at Beatitude. We returned home to Boerne and I purchased both the dress and the veil from my hometown store!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
Our wedding was all about the Southern details. I guess you could describe it as classic Southern elegance with charming vintage accents. The décor for the reception and the cocktail hour was tarnished antique silver, accents of old white paint pieces and the comfort of tea-stained crochet. The guests picked up an antique skeleton key tied to a tag with a clock face stamped to a specific time. The tables were decorated with ivory silk tablecloths topped with antique crocheted table accents with a combination of two centerpieces. Half of the tables were antique silver champagne buckets filled with ivory and white hydrangeas, roses, ranunculus and dusty miller surrounded by antique cut glass sherbet glasses of varying old patterns filled with floating candles. The other half of the tables were decorated with heavy antique silver trays topped with vintage wedding cake toppers from the 1940s and 1950s collected by my mom. The cake toppers were under a glass cloche and were surrounded by a ring of ivory spray roses. Each table was accented by old books of varying shades of our accent color of French blue and each table had an antique, silver Big Ben Westclox clock. The clock for each table was set to a specific time and this corresponded to the clock face stamp on the escort cards. Another Southern tradition with a twist was the ceremony. We wanted the ceremony to be in a church, but we also wanted to be outside in order to take advantage of the venue’s views of the Texas Hill Country. The old, gothic church doors and stained glass church windows gave us the perfect combination of God’s presence in our vows and the beautiful creation. It was a church without walls. I also continued the bridal traditions from my family by carrying a gold ring of my namesake and great-grandmother, Maggie Webster and a ring of my grandmother’s, Pat Webster. I also carried a tatted handkerchief made by Maggie that all my cousins have also carried on their wedding day. The greatest Southern tradition that was present at our wedding was the tremendous of amount of help we had from family and friends for setup and for cleanup. There were at least thirty people that spent hours helping to make our day perfect! We literally could not have accomplished either the setup or the clean up without their kindness and show of Southern hospitality and love.

I’m most happy we splurged on the vintage pieces from Revive Vintage Rentals, the doors and windows for the ceremony, the unique tables for the cakes, the wooden head tables, upholstered couches and chairs for seating and various accent pieces gave our wedding a warm, personalized feel as if our family had brought the furniture from our home. All of the details of this wedding were taken care of beautifully by Revive Vintage Rentals. They worked diligently to make every detail unique and so special.

It took me awhile to decide if I wanted to do just cake or cake and cupcakes. I love red velvet cupcakes, but in the end I decided just to go with a traditional cake. The bride’s cake was a simple three-layer, round, white cake with buttercream icing and a simple pattern of random linear etchings. It was topped with ivory roses and hydrangeas. The groom’s cake was a layered, square chocolate cake with chocolate icing. It was covered in crumbled Oreos and chocolate covered strawberries. We added a punch bowl of strawberries and chocolate sauce nearby for those that might want a little more or just the fruit. Both of the cakes were made by a small place in my hometown called Bumdoodler’s. It is hard to find better tasting icing or cake anywhere. My sister’s diet is gluten free and so we had a whole three-layered cake made completely from Rice Krispies, which was a huge hit with everyone.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. 
Alec and I met working as counselors at Pine Cove Christian Summer Camps in Tyler, Texas. Alec went to the University of Alabama for undergrad and I went to the University of Texas at Austin. We were both counselors during the summer, but we didn’t go on our first date until the NCAA football National Championship between Alabama and Texas at the Rose Bowl in January. He asked me to go to dinner with him the night before the game and so we went on our first date in California! We officially started dating in February after he asked my father’s permission.
Describe the proposal. 
The proposal was perfect! We were on vacation in Hawaii with my family and we spent the day just relaxing on the beach. In the afternoon, the girls were treated to a massage at a nice resort and I thought Alec was snorkeling with my brother. After our massages, we drove to a new beach to pick up my brother and Alec. My dad and I walked down the beach to find their snorkeling spot and, to my great surprise, Alec was standing by a blanket on the sand all dressed up. My dad hugged me, and then Alec very humbly and sweetly asked me to marry him as the sun was setting on the Pacific. We were on the beach made famous by South Pacific on the North Shore of Kauai. We brought home a small jar of sand from the spot on the beach where I said, “Yes!”
In what month did you get married? 
March
How many guests attended your wedding? 
250
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? 
I am actually currently in my first year of medical school in San Antonio, so it was difficult to balance planning the wedding and the details with studying for school. Thankfully, my mother and bridesmaids were incredibly helpful with all the details that needed to be completed. Also, Alec was living in Alabama for the first half of our engagement, so it was difficult to coordinate some events that involved his input.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
$50,000-$75,000
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
I have so many moments from that day that I will never forget, but I have one that stands out. Our wedding ceremony was at the top of a hill on the open hillside. We had these old wooden church doors set up at the end of the aisle that were closed when I was driven up to the site. I was so nervous as I got out of the car and got ready to walk down the aisle. My dad took my arm and the ushers opened the door. All I could see was Alec’s face. He was in tears and I never lost eye contact with him as I walked toward him. All my anxiety was completely gone as soon as I saw his face.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Ask those around you for help. There is no way you can plan a wedding by yourself and stay sane. Use the knowledge base that is already around you. Also, figure out the details that you absolutely want and then try to be flexible on some aspects. It will make it less stressful for everyone.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
I will be in medical school for several more years and Alec found a job in the oil and gas field, which was an absolute blessing from God. We pray that as a couple we serve and bless those around us and continue to run the race that God has set out in our future.