Just when I thought this wedding from Karlin Connell Photography couldn’t get any better… Jenna Claire + Tyler pull out the big guns with their reception at the Pebble Hill Plantation.  If you know me, you know I’m a big fan of long, simply-dressed banquet tables, and J + T’s tablescapes definitely get my whole-hearted approval.  Heavenly Tiers Cakes designed the black + white cake with floral accents.  Now, I’ve heard of some brides that don two dresses for their big day, but did anyone catch the groom’s quick change from a basic black tux to a white smoking jacket?  Loves it!  If you need me, I’ll be trolling Karlin Connell’s blog for more images.  Here’s a good place to start, if you care to join me!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I knew I wanted to find something unique and couture, but classic at the same time. I made three appointments in Atlanta to try on dresses one weekend. I thought I had found “the one” at the first appointment; however I wanted to go to my second appointment just to be sure (and to not be rude!). When I walked in Bridals by Lori, I was overwhelmed with their selection of beautiful gowns. My maid of honor spotted the Rivini beauty on a mannequin and insisted I try it on. As soon as I put it on, I felt like a bride. It was everything I wanted in my dream dress and more!
Describe your wedding flowers: My favorite flower is the hydrangea. I knew I wanted them showcased throughout the wedding. We used them both as Tyler’s reception boutonniere and in our centerpieces with a combination of pears and limes. Because each of my bridesmaids are extremely different, I chose 10 different white flower bouquets consisting of hydrangeas, lilies, daisies, etc. that would accentuate each of their personalities.  My bouquet was made up of a mixture of each of the ten choices that I used for my bridesmaids and turned out more beautiful than I could have imagined.
Describe your wedding cake: We wanted something simple and elegant. It was a three tier round fondant cake with pearl and black ribbon accents. We adorned it with dark plum flowers.  Tyler, a huge music fan, chose his groom’s cake in the shape of a vintage record player, complete with an edible David Bowie LP and album cover.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Of all the wonderful moments on our special day, the most memorable moment was probably when Tyler and I had our first dance. We danced to “A Girl like You” by The Troggs. Our band, The Grapevine, of Macon, GA, learned the song especially for our wedding. It was very upbeat and so much fun. We put our own spin on the first dance and it was fantastic!
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows, but since Tyler’s closest childhood friend who is a minister in Athens, GA married us, he sent us separate questions to answer about one another and included some very funny answers in the ceremony. It was extremely intimate and sweet and really gave our guests a glimpse of “who we are” as a couple.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We just purchased our first home and are enjoying decorating and spending time there. We are looking forward to spending some time together as a young married couple traveling and enjoying each other as husband and wife, and eventually having a house full of children! 

Congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy marriage, Jenna + Tyler!

Y’all knew I wasn’t going to let this Karlin Connell wedding slide without some form of minor freak-out, right?  Jenna Claire + Tyler’s wedding at the Pebble Hill Plantation is glitzy, glam and jam-packed with black-and-white goodness.  But seriously, how awesome is the bride’s stunner of a dress (Rivini, naturally) and matching veil?  And that shot of the bride with her gown moments before putting it on?  Wow, wow, wow!  Other faves?  The bridesmaids’ asymmetric Priscilla of Boston dresses, and all-white bouquets from Singletary Flowers.  And from one B&W bride to another: Jenna Claire, it was your bridesmaids’ coordinated bouquets that made me completely redo my own flower vision!  

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. Mutual friends set up Tyler and me on a blind date. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Tyler moved to Tifton, GA to work for his family’s medical equipment company. My roommate at the time, and best friend from college, was dating Tyler’s new roommate in Tifton. After spending a weekend with Tyler, she came home, walked into my bedroom and told me “I’ve just met the man you are going to marry.”  After a lot of persuading and plenty of mutual facebook-stalking, both of our roommates convinced us to at least meet each other and have dinner. From the moment we spent that first night laughing together over dinner, we knew we had something special in each other.    Describe the proposal. We were gearing up for a concert in Athens on a Friday night. Before we left for the trip, Tyler  told me that we had to make a pit stop in Greensboro, GA to pick up a piece of medical equipment. When we arrived at the Ritz Carlton, Tyler told me that they were having a medical device convention there and that one of their manufacturer’s reps was going to meet us with the equipment that we needed to take back with us. We went inside and the whole staff including the girl at the front desk was in on the whole thing. She told us that the rep. was on the way down and to have a seat in the lobby. Tyler insisted we walk around and look at the beautiful hotel.  We came outside to a beautiful illuminated fountain when Tyler turned to me and dropped to his knee.  We both had a very joyful cry together, and finally Tyler filled me in on the whole charade.  There never was any concert in Athens or any convention or person we were meeting at the Ritz.  We spent that night in the executive suite, drinking champagne and calling our friends and family, and the next morning we had a huge breakfast and a full spa day to celebrate our engagement.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Unique, intimate and timeless.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Lots of things! Most importantly, the music! I walked down the aisle to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles performed with a classical guitar and violin. Our recessional was “Wedding Song” by Bob Dylan performed acoustically by a very close friend of ours. Our band played a great mix of oldies and Motown favorites and kept everyone’s energy up throughout the whole reception. Tyler’s favorite detail was his groomsmen’s shoes, as he bought all of his groomsmen a pair of black Toms to wear with their tuxedoes. We loved the idea that no one was wearing uncomfortable tuxedo shoes, and that we were contributing to a great cause at the same time. We both loved our neon wayfarer style sunglasses that we used as wedding favors. They were a great way to add some color to a formal reception and really upped the “party-level” of our guests.  In lieu of a guest book, Tyler’s grandmother gave us a very old Royal typewriter that we had each of our guests write us a personalized note on.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration?  What was Southern about your wedding? First, the wedding venue was the iconic Pebble Hill plantation in Thomasville, GA, which is a classic example of old-world Southern design, architecture, and charm. We served our signature drink as well as sweet iced tea and lemonade in mason jars with antique lace tied around them. Any southern wedding would not be complete without shrimp and grits, and other modern takes on classic southern foods! Tyler and I left both the ceremony and the reception in a restored antique Chevrolet pickup truck. We arrived at the reception in the old truck with the entire wedding party in the wood paneled truck bed.

There’s a lot of awesomeness going on at Lauren + Dylan’s reception at the Amelia Island Plantation, so let’s try and pace ourselves, ‘mm-kay?  If you can get passed the sea of bright blooms from Artistic Florist – a feat, I know – you may notice the incredibly realistic tree trunk cake from Edgewood Bakery.  Yes, the couple did carve their name in the cake… naturally!  Want more?  Visit Brooke Images’ blog post here.  

Describe your wedding flowers: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Random, colorful, unpredictable flowers everywhere! Every single detail was exactly what I wanted. It was like the florist read my mind. And all the 180 vases we collected were worth the effort!
Describe your wedding cake: Not traditional at all. We didn’t even want a cake until we saw the tree stump cake in the window at Edgewood Bakery. We got 3 tree stump cakes. One stump was “Dylan’s cake” and it was chocolate with red raspberry filling. The other was “Lauren’s cake” and it was red velvet with cream cheese filling. The last stump was a traditional white wedding pound cake. They were delicious and fit into the theme perfectly.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  The biggest challenge was finding time to plan the wedding. I was working full-time and in school full-time. Trying to plan a wedding on top of that was hard. Thank goodness Dylan and our families were a huge help!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Calling my grandma who was not able to make it to the wedding. It was a very special moment. I will never forget our conversation or that moment I was standing outside watching the sunset and talking to her. I also loved the ceremony. It was created by one of my dad’s best friends from childhood. It incorporated elements from several different cultures and religions. It was very special.