We took a poll in the Southern Weddings office today, and the unanimous decision is that Amy + Clayton, married at the Rosemary Beach Eastern Green, have the formula for an authentic Southern wedding down pat: quaint venue on the lush Seaside, FL property + rich navy and lime green accents x Paul Johnson Photography = wedding success!  We’ve had a week of brides in gorgeous veils this week, and Amy is no exception in her lace-trimmed veil from Opulent Creations at Kelly’s Closet.  Looks great against her classic Modern Trousseau princess gown, right?  Christina Gshwandtner of Fete Events planned and designed the couple’s Florida nuptials.  Wonder if the chic Coren Moore b’maids frocks and hand-tied bouquets from Nouveau Flowers were her suggestion?  Adorable!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  We love sharing the story of how we met! We had both recently moved to Atlanta after college.  I met a friend through Bible study who had been good friends with Clayton in college.  For months, she tried to set us up on a blind date, but we were both hesitant. One Friday night, both Clayton and I were out with friends at one our favorite bars, Five Paces, and Emily finally had the opportunity to introduce us! I thought Clayton was so cute, and was kicking myself for not going on that blind date! Luckily, he asked for my phone number that night and the rest if history!
Describe the proposal.  Clayton proposed to me on the morning of July 4^th in 2009. The morning of the proposal was no different than the other 4^th we’d spent together:  we woke up, drank our coffee on the balcony and headed to the beach for a walk. We were casually walking by the ocean when Clayton stopped me. He looked at me and told me how much he loved me and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me – then he dropped to one knee!  I had no clue this was coming! I immediately started crying, and we both hugged and kissed! Then we went back to our beach condo to share the good news with everyone.  We walked back up the boardwalk, only to be greeted by our whole family – in their pajamas – shouting and screaming with excitement from the balcony! We cooked a big breakfast, had a champagne toast and spent the day at the beach calling family and friends! That day ended with fireworks over the harbor.  It was a day we’ll never forget!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Beautiful, cheerful and fun!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: God was so in the details and so many neat things happened over the weekend! We were blessed to have such amazing weather. We also loved the overarching theme of our wedding: we went with a preppy, nautical, J.Crew-like look. Our colors were navy and green, and they looked so crisp against the Eastern Green!  Clayton’s favorites included the oysters and the band! We hired the 24/7 Band out of Nashville, and they literally kept everyone on the dance floor the whole night!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My mom, sister and I started the wedding dress hunt last fall. I thought I wanted a simple lace dress, but when I tried on my Modern Trousseau dress at Kelly’s Closet in Atlanta, I fell in love. It was the first “big” dress that I tried on and I loved it! When do you ever get to wear a dress like this again? My sister knew this was the one, because I just kept looking at it from all different angles in all of their mirrors. I didn’t want to take it off! After trying it on, I knew I’d have to call my father and discuss the “budget,” but I ended up being able to purchase it right off the rack for half the price. It was meant to be!

More green, more silhouettes and more stunning images from Stacy Reeves Photography.  The black + white accents at the Stoneleigh Hotel and Spa provided the perfect backdrop for Deziree + Jon’s New Year’s Eve wedding celebration.  Granted, they did feature my favorite candy of all time – Champagne Bubbles, thank you very much – so maybe I’m a bit biased, but did you see the dessert bar?  Crazy awesome.  Fun fact: the newlyweds’ glittering wedding “cake” was, in fact, an ice sculpture boasting silhouettes of the happy couple.  Talk about a cool way to ring in 2010!  (I crack myself up.)

Describe your wedding flowers: White!  I did not want the flowers to distract from any of the lovely details, and since it was winter, I wanted all of the flowers to be light and fluffy, like snow.  My favorite pieces had to be the very simple, but elegant silver trumpet vases with baby’s breath.
Describe your wedding cake:  The cake was incredible… it was an ice cake carved in the shape of a cake with a zebra pattern carved into the bottom layers and our sillhouetes carved into the top.  I didn’t see the cake until the doors were opened and the cake was unveiled to all our guests.  I could not have imagined anything more perfect.  It was exactly what I wanted: non-traditional, breathtaking and oh-so unique.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  I am not a good decision maker, and I’m sure my poor wedding designer wanted to kill me about a million times.  I wanted every detail to be perfect, and wanted to make sure was selecting the right item for me.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? Ten days after we got home from our honeymoon, I started nursing school.  The next two years are going to be very busy!  I am looking forward to graduating from nursing school and having a quiet, calm and relaxing little life with my husband.

Congratulations, Deziree + Jon!  Good luck with the big changes in your life!

I don’t usually comment on a couple’s invitation suite (paper goods are our Art Director’s happy domain), but I am head over heels in love with Deziree + Jon’s Vera Wang invites + custom Orange Spot, Pink Nose pieces.  The simple silhouettes, the bold green, black + white color palate, the lining –ah, the lining on the inner envelope! – are the perfect blend of traditional sophistication and Southern whimsy.  I’d like to imagine the rest of the couple’s Texas wedding celebration – photographed by the talented Stacy Reeves and planned by Tara Wilson Events – were designed around these gems, starting with the crisp bouquets and bouts from Absolutely Blooming.  Emily loves the bride’s veil + Jim Hjelm gown, and I’m a fan of the pewter-colored bridesmaids’ frocks, so overall a double fashion victory.  More soon!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. We were introduced at a cocktail hour by a mutual friend, but I don’t think she had any idea we would ever end up together. Jon says he noticed me that night, but I had just been laid off from my job and was far from interested in meeting anyone at that time.  Our friend invited us to another happy hour the following week and we talked for a while, but I was oblivious to the fact that Jon was interested in me.  One week later, that same friend had a party and Jon and I both were there.  At the end of the evening, Jon asked for my phone number and I told him that I would give it to him, but only if he was going to call.  He did call and asked me out on an official date for the following week.  We went out on that date, and then a date the next evening, and, well, the rest is history.
Describe the proposal. Jon had been pondering how he was going to propose, and there were some key dates he wanted to either avoid or use as a distraction: my birthday & Christmas.  It just so happened that the weekend we had planned to visit Sonoma was the weekend before my birthday, so he figured I would be thrown off.  Jon had the ring designed by a family jeweler (with a little input) and decided that a private, secluded spot in a vineyard would be a romantic place to propose.  The problem: finding the perfect spot in Sonoma from Dallas.  Jon found the Jack London State Park and picked up some wine and cheese along the way.  We happened upon the perfect spot and, after some food and wine, he decided to make his move.  He got up and walked toward a row of vines, and then acted surprised, as if I had seen a bunny or something – I like bunnies – and got me to stand up and walk towards him.  At that point, he met her halfway, read something he had written over the past few weeks, and got down on one knee.  There were tears and shaky voices and an answer: yes.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Surreal, calm and unbelievable.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I’m not sure if I can pick just one favorite detail, but if I had to decide on just one, it would be our save-the-date cards and invitations.  Those items were very much a reflection of our personality and style. 
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:  I had been looking for a dress for quite a while, but I had not found one that made me feel like I thought I should feel when I found “the one.”  I had been to far too many places and had tried on way too many dresses, and it was becoming more of a chore than anything else.  On a recommendation, I made an appointment at Star Dust Celebrations, but did not have high hopes for finding a dress there, either.  After trying on about 10 dresses, I had narrowed it down to two.  My mom and I decided to take a break for lunch and think about, and I went back and tried on both gowns again, and realized one was much more “me” than the other.

Warning: Anar + Dale’s Alabama celebration at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort and Spa is not your grandmother’s Southern wedding.  But it is all kinds of awesome, in large part due to Karen Wise’s brilliant images from the three-day event.  The stunning – literally can’t-take-my-eyes-away stunning – bride wore a custom sari from Ensemble Mumbai in India and carried a lush bouquet of pink lilies.  As a professed sugar addict, I’m a little hung-up on the couple’s gilded, too-many-tiered to count confection from Olexa Bakery.  Other office loves?  The groom’s dramatic entrance atop a white steed and the authentic Scottish bagpiper who serenaded the newlyweds.  This (Indian/Scottish) Southern wedding planned and produced by SJS Events may well be one of the most vibrants blends of culture we’ve seen yet!

Describe the proposal. Dale surprised me with a trip to Paris. I was so enamored with the hotel and the city. I thought for sure he would propose later that night, but I never could have expected what was to come.  We had a driver waiting to take us to a historic chateau in the French countryside, where we rode in a hot air balloon and Dale proposed – in Hindi! Although we’ve both have been to Paris, the city seemed romantic in a way I’d never experienced. We spent the rest of the weekend celebrating in Paris and going to a fabulous dinner at the Alain Ducasse Restaurant.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Triumphant, passionate and hilarious.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There really wasn’t just one detail that stood out, but the fact that all our family and friends were there celebrating and mixing cultures is what we appreciated most. Everyone was dancing, whether the DJ was playing Indian music or American music. The party went on well past midnight and we were so happy to see everyone having a great time. 
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: My mom, aunt and sister spent a week shopping with me in Mumbai. We had little information and a million stores to visit. Thank god for my friend who worked at India Vogue. She guided me to a few stores and on the very last day of our trip,  I found what I was looking for. It was a custom-made piece that they altered in the color and style I wanted. I was supposed to go back for a fitting several weeks later, but the terrorist attacks in Mumbai disrupted our plans. I had to trust on the designer, but was so happy that it turned out exactly as I had hoped, especially in such a short period of time.

I’m willing to bet that Sierra + Derek’s guests remember the couple’s family-style wedding as one of their all-time favorites.  You can’t really go wrong with hotdogs, s’mores and a three-tiered red velvet cake, and the bride’s family farm leant an especially intimate and laidback feel to the Missouri celebration.   My favorite part, though?  The hundreds and hundreds of twinkle lights that make Sierra + Derek’s reception look positively magical. They were one of Sierra’s favorite parts, too — she even included Taft Electric in her vendor list!  (Twinkle lights are the reason I’d consider an outdoor wedding, folks… don’t judge!)  See more of the fun on Alec Vanderboom’s post, appropriately entitled “Married in the Forest.”

Describe your wedding cake: We served a three-tier red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and buttercream cream frosting. Not only delicious, but this was the aesthetic element that everybody said they loved most.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Figuring out the location was the most stressful part of planning. We wanted a destination wedding but some of our closest family and friends wouldn’t have been able to make it, so we looked for closer destinations.  Deciding to have the wedding at the farm was actually more of a “concession” for us, but it ended up giving us the most beautiful wedding we could have hoped for.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? That feeling of excitement and anticipation right before my dad walked me down the aisle.  Also, the overall feeling of joy and love Derek and I shared for each other and our families throughout the day.  We looked around in awe at everything our families had put together.  The wedding was such a labor of love!
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re looking forward to staying nestled in our new home for the next few years and then picking up and moving out west for new adventures. 

Congratulations, Sierra + Derek!  Sending you lots of love and warm wishes from the SW team.