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From the Bride… Brad and I both grew up in Georgia and wanted to portray simple, Southern style throughout our wedding.  We stumbled upon a venue just miles from our parents’ houses.  Kimball Hall is an Antebellum-style home in Roswell, GA which is owned and run by a very hands-on Julie Stephens.  We fell in love on our first visit – both with the venue and with Julie.

Our colors were a salmon-y coral with gray and pewter accents. We wanted to keep a casual, comfortable feel for the wedding where everyone could really enjoy themselves – we had a candy bar, flip flops for dancing, and koozies. We knew we wanted to have an outdoor ceremony despite our wedding being in the hot, humid month of August.  Kimball Hall has a beautiful backyard which was brightened up with beautiful florals in corals, pinks, creams, and greens.  In an effort to keep guests comfortable in the heat, I created the handmade program fans – one side the program and the other side various vintage wallpaper print cardstock.

My little 2.5 year old nephew, Finch, pulled off the ring bearer role like a pro!  Instead of a traditional guestbook which we thought we’d rarely look at, we had a large porcelain platter made with our names and the date which guests signed with special pens.  Once baked, the signatures are permanent and the platter can be used to serve food or comes with a stand for display.  We used mason jars throughout for both flowers and drinks.  Our signature cocktail was Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka with lemonade – a hit with the guests!  Our menu was Southern comfort food and included boiled peanuts served in small paper bags, mini pork sliders, short ribs, lemon chicken, squash puree, corn off the cob, grilled potato salad, and fried green tomatoes.  My side of the family is Italian and it’s tradition to have a wedding cake with the filling of an Italian pastry called a cannoli – a sweet, creamy ricotta filling with chocolate chips.  Brad is a giant tech geek so we had a chocolate, peanut butter iPad cake made for the groom’s cake.  For our exit, we got creative and my mom and I made ribbon wands with different shades of pinks, corals, and silvers for guests to wave at Brad and me as we left.  All in all, it was a great, fun night and I received what I consider to be the best compliment several times – “your wedding was SO perfectly you and Brad!”

I couldn’t have pulled it off without the help and support of my mom…and a 7 month obsession with Etsy. My advice to other brides would be to really enjoy and take it all in!  Your wedding week and especially the day will go by so fast.  Be sure to stop every so often to soak it all in!

Wedding Photography: Brenda Upton Photography / Flowers: Pat Holland’s Flowers / Wedding Cake: Pretty Cakes by Meg / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Location: Kimball Hall, Julie Stephens / Wedding Invitations: The Occassional Hello Stationery / Wedding Dress: Val Stefani / Catering: Cathy of Avalon Catering

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Post tags: Brenda Upton Photography, Georgia Wedding, Kimball Hall, Outdoor Wedding, Pat Holland's Flowers, Pretty Cakes by Meg, Roswell, Southern Wedding, The Occasional Hello Stationery, Val Stefani
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Georgia Weddings

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From Nate Henderson Photography… John and Catie met in New York where he was the lead carpenter on a project that Catie was the architect. Catie grew up in Statesboro, GA and the couple decided upon downtown Savannah as the host for their union as husband and wife.

The ceremony took place at Trinity United Methodist Church, and the reception was just a short walk for their guests at the historic Harper-Fowlkes House courtyard. 1,000 paper cranes (made by John) hung from the trees at the reception; it was an awesome and beautiful sight. Simple potted plants adorned the tables, which were marked with old family photos, and each guest received a petite gift journal. The southern food by Chef Nick Mueller included fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, mac & cheese, and brisket among the amazing selection.

As the night ended, John and Catie released a candle-lit lantern into the air; many guests signed it as part of a German custom.

Wedding Photography: Nate Henderson Photography / Flowers: Garden on the Square / Event Design: The Bride / Wedding Ceremony Location: Trinity United Methodist / Wedding Reception Location: Harper Fowlkes House / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Catering + Wedding Cake: Chef Nick Mueller

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Post tags: Badgley Mischka, Casual Elegance, Chef Nick Mueller, Church Ceremony, Garden On The Square, Georgia, Historic Harper Fowlkes House, Nate Henderson, Outdoor Reception, Paper Cranes, Potted Plants, Savannah, Southern Wedding, Trinity United Methodist
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Georgia Weddings, Savannah Weddings

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Bryant and I were both born and raised in Arkansas, yet we met and fell in love in Washington, DC.  He proposed in front of a famous engagement portrait painted by Leonardo Da Vinci at the National Gallery of Art. Since I also went to college out of state, many of our guests were going to be traveling and had never dreamed of visiting Arkansas before.  We immediately decided to show off the best our state had to offer in every aspect of our wedding.  From save the dates, to the breathtaking plantation home, to the food and the table decor – Arkansas and classic Southern details was our main focus.

Both our ceremony and reception were held at the historic Marlsgate Plantation in Scott, Arkansas.  We were married on the front porch and then proceeded to the garden for cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing in our reception tent.  Our signature drink was sweet tea vodka and lemonade in mason jars and we served peach glazed pork tenderloin, corn cakes, wild rice, asparagus and Southern homemade rolls for dinner.

Our color scheme derived from Bryant and his love of bow ties. We found the magnolia bow tie at Southern Proper and easily decided on bright yellow, pale green and ivory touches.  I also love poppy and used that as an accent color to spice things up a bit.  To pay homage to Bryant’s Southern style, the napkins were tied in the shape of bows and we reminded our guests in our wedding invitation suite that it was a “bow ties welcome” event.

Wedding Photography: Katie Day Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Andrew Logan Price / Florals: David Garner, Marlsgate Plantation / Layout + Table Design: Finishing Touch Event Design / Ceremony + Reception Location: Marlsgate Plantation / Ceremony Music: Searcy String Quartet / Reception Music: William Staggers Trio / Wedding Invitations + Programs: Sincerely Yours Paper Inc. / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Dress: Enzoani / Bride’s Hair + Make-up: Payton Place Salon / Bridesmaid Dresses: Dillards / Flower Girl Dresses: The Toggery / Bow Ties: Southern Proper / Wooden Sign: Chocolate Butterbean / Wedding Cake + Catering: David Garner, Marlsgate Plantation / Rentals: Mahaffey Tent / Vintage Car: Vintage Motor Car Company

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Post tags: Andrew Logan Price, Arkansas, Chocolate Butterbean, Christian Louboutin, Dillards, Enzoani, Finishing Touch Event Design, Katie Day Photography, Mahaffey Tent, Marlsgate Plantation, Payton Place Salon, Searcy String Quartet, Sincerely Yours Paper Inc., Southern Proper, Southern Wedding, Tented Reception, The Toggery, William Staggers Trio
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

More, more, more? Check our the great video from Prodigy Media Group!

I really wanted to get married outside while still incorporating New Orleans and the South into the vibe of the day. We went to visit Destrehan Plantation and I knew driving up that the huge live oak trees covered in Spanish moss with the historic plantation in the background was the perfect place for our ceremony. And what was even better was the rustic mule barn on the property that we could use for the cocktail hour and reception.

After discovering Style Me Pretty and the world of wedding blog’s I soon found myself drawn to the same images over and over, and easily came to the conclusion that I wanted my wedding to look like Anthropologie threw a wedding at a barn, everything rustic and natural but still clean and crisp.

I wanted my bridesmaids to be able to make their own dress choices, so I chose an array of purples and corals from J. Crew and let them go to town on their dresses and accessories. My Dad and I ordered the flowers online from the Flower Exchange and he and a good friend put together all the arrangements and bouquets like experts. I enlisted everyone I know into collecting jars and bottles, ordering and finding things on etsy, ebay and in flea markets, put bridesmaids to work crafting reception decor items, and forced my brothers and best friends to come help me decorate the day before the wedding.

I wasn’t really falling in love with any wedding cake pictures, so my amazing mother stepped up and baked and frosted all of the different cakes and cupcakes for the desert table and John’s mom even made his favorite mint brownies and brought them in with her from St. Louis. We provided to go containers and there wasn’t a desert left at the end of the night!

Picking favorite photos is impossible. Sandra of EAU Claire Photographics blew us out of the water with her work. We knew from looking at her previous weddings that she was going to be great, but we never thought the pictures would be as amazing as they are. I never once saw her the whole ceremony and reception, yet she and Sam managed to capture a perfect picture of everything! All the details that were so special to me, all the guests candid faces, the emotions on our faces and the excitement vibrating throughout the whole barn.

Photographer: Eau Claire Photographics / Videographer: Prodigy Media Group / Floral Designer: The Flower Exchange / Event Designer & Planner: Emily with Get Polished Events / Invitation Designer: Meredtih with RE Style & Design, Printed by Mercurio Brothers / Cake & Desserts: Brides Mom / Wedding Gown Designer: Allure Bridals from Ventura’s Bridal / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: J. Crew / Flower Girl Dresses: Lesley at Homemade Grits

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Post tags: Allure Bridals, Barn Wedding, Color Palette Pink Purple, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Eay Claire Photographics, Get Polished Events, Homemade Grits, J. Crew, Louisiana, Mercurio Brothers, New Orleans, Outdoor Wedding, Plantation, Prodigy Media Group, RE Style & Design, Southern Wedding, The Flower Exchange, Ventura's Bridal
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Virgil Bunao photographed this sweet Southern affair and it is setting the bar through the roof. It has classic, gorgeous style for days without being too stuffy or overdone; more like a really beautiful backyard soiree. As Goldilocks would say…it’s jussssttttt right. Take a bite out of more of this Charleston wedding in the gallery.

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From the Bride… When reflecting on how I envisioned my wedding day, I thought of the white dress, the flowers, and the band.  Now, after seeing photographs of my March 5th wedding at Lowndes Grove, it was a day full of so much more.  The material “things” faded into the backdrop of a low country landscape balanced in perfect harmony with our closest friends and family.  This was a celebration of love in all its incredible and many forms.  By design, this wedding came directly from our hearts.

With all the love featured in this wedding, the greatest is that of family and friends surrounding us.  My grandfather joyously read scripture during the ceremony, our cousin-in-law performed the marriage, and a dear family friend, who watched me grow up, traveled to arrange the most beautiful and perfect floral arrangements at Lowndes Grove.  Anyone could see the outpouring of love from my “second family” in Atlanta.  Maggie and Lisette stood by my side as Junior Bridesmaids, tickled to be a part of such a memorable event, and Charlie, their brother, helped me rock out to the tunes played by the band.  From the energy on the dance floor to the sparklers during our getaway, Jeremy and I felt the presence of our family and friends.  These people gave us love and honored the love that we had committed to each other.

Love of the past extended into our wedding planning.  I incorporated heirloom touches in my attire:  my bouquet holding a handkerchief from my maternal great-grandmother, a pearl stickpin from my paternal great-grandmother, my veil from my beloved sister, and a mink stole from my paternal grandmother.  A decorative touch reminded us of our values in marriage—we showcased our two sets of parents with their very own wedding photographs—both happily married for almost 38 years.  Jeremy and I cannot wait to add our wedding pictures to a collection of which we are so proud.

Beyond the glow of lanterns and moonlight of Charleston, one could easily notice our individual love of favorite destinations.  The low country provided our “Transfer of Grace,” a book title appropriately named for its black and white images of Charleston.  I gave this book to Jeremy as a wedding gift, and now, after guests signed it with heartfelt messages, we have a gorgeous keepsake of our wedding night.  My love of everything British was evident in the retro London taxi used as our getaway car.  The beautiful English spring garden flowers bloomed all around us, and the beautiful interiors of Lowndes Grove could have come straight from an English manor house.  Jeremy pledged allegiance to his new Texas roots as he heard Robert Earl Keen and Cory Morrow in the play list.  Even closer to home, though, was his idyllic setting along the Ashley River.  A Florida boy, the pier and hum of twilight on the water sealed his idea of perfection.  All of the dreams came true.

As my mom wrote, “Your wedding was not the biggest or the grandest, but it may have been the most loving–it was truly a celebration of the two of you, and as I look at these photos over and over again, I see the love apparent everywhere!”  This, my friends, is what I call true love.

Wedding Photography: Virgil Bunao / Wedding Planner: Sara Hosch of Southern Protocol / Wedding Cake: Chef Susie Ieronemo of Fish Restaurant / Catering: Fish Restaurant / Band: Skate Rink Jukebox / Wedding Gown: Jenny Lee via Kelly’s Closet / Florist: Benny Campbell / Favors: Southern Sisters Bakery / Wedding Musicians: Charleston Virtuosi / Bridesmaid Dresses: LulaKate / Wedding Venue: Lowndes Grove

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Post tags: Benny Campbell, Charleston, Charleston Virtuosi, Fish Restaurant, Grey, Jenny Lee, Kelly's Closet, Lowndes Grove, Lula Kate, Navy Blue, Nina, Outdoor Ceremony, SC, Skate Rink Jukebox, South Carolina, Southern Protocol, Southern Sisters Bakery, Southern Wedding, Tented Reception, Virgil Bunao, White
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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Our wedding was a fantastic reflection of our Kentucky past and our Chicago present. Returning to our hometown for our wedding weekend was a great opportunity for our Chicago friends to witness where we grew up and the wonderful things Kentucky has to offer. Events included a day at the races, a barbecue on the family farm, complete with hayride, and an outdoor garden wedding at the historic Bodley-Bullock House.

The wedding afternoon started with a cocktail hour at the Hunt Morgan House, paying homage to Thomas’ grandmother, Betsy Alexander, who at one time tended the gardens. The ceremony, in the Bodley-Bullock garden, was a laid back occasion with a vintage feel. The evening was capped off with a Bossa Nova band at the LexArts gallery. The day could not have been more magical for my husband and I.

Wedding Photography: Bella Grace Studios / Pre-Ceremony Cocktail Location: The Hunt-Morgan House Gardens / Wedding Ceremony Location: The Bodley-Bullock House / Wedding Reception Locations: The Bodley-Bullock House + LexArts Gallery / Makeup: Bethany Tiesman of BEAUTY by Bethany / Floral & Event Design: Melody Walker Rodgers of All Occasions Event Productions / Invitations and Programs: MOK DUK by Anne Benjamin

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: All Occasions Event Productions, BEAUTY by Bethany, Bella Grace Studios, Bethany Tiesman, Garden Wedding, Grey, Kentucky, KY, LexArts Gallery, Lexington, Outdoor Ceremony, Purple, Southern Wedding, The Bodley-Bullock House, The Hunt Morgan House, Vintage Chic, Yellow
Post categories: Casual Elegance

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From the Bride… During a visit back to Charleston the last week of August 2009, Bill surprised me with a beautiful room at the Vendue Inn, along with a sweet marriage proposal.  I always knew I wanted to get married in the garden at Magnolia Plantation in front of the little white bridge, underneath the oak trees, rain or shine.  We chose early October of 2010 as our date, and I immediately started planning my idea of a perfect vintage Southern wedding.

A few of my favorite details were the antique blue Mason jars & the candelabras (both which took me months of hunting & gathering from many antique stores), the antique lace & doilies (which belonged to Bill’s late grandmother) used throughout the location, Mrs. Brehmer’s vintage chandelier that hung above us during the ceremony, and all the fuchsia pink tones partnered with peacock feathers scattered around the veranda.  We even had a few peacocks make an appearance!

My most treasured memory was before the ceremony when Bill made a blindfolded visit over to where I was getting ready with my bridesmaids. We really wanted a photo of the two of us holding hands, but not seeing each other, before it was time to walk down the aisle.  It turned out absolutely perfect!  The best part was when Bill slipped me a note he had written on one of our wedding cocktail napkins. Altogether, our wedding couldn’t have been more perfect.

Wedding Photography: Captured by Kate Photography / Second Photographer: Jake Drake Photography / Wedding Coordinator: A Charleston Event & Bridal Library / Makeup: Leslie Moore / Floral Design: Elyn Rahman of Charleston Florals (A Division of A Charleston Event) / Catering: Carolina Catering / Entertainment: Permanent Vacation / Wedding Cake: Linda Blackwell of Artistic Cakes by Linda / Wedding Venue: Magnolia Plantation & Gardens / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Bridesmaid & Flower Girl Dresses: Melissa Sweet / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: JoS. A. Bank / Ring Bearer Bow Ties: Etsy / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Flower Girl Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid – Jacksonville

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Charleston Event, ACE Florals, Artistic Cakes, Blue, Candelabras, Captured By Kate Photography, Carolina Catering, Charleston, Jake Drake, Leslie Moore, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Mason Jars, NC, North Carolina, Outdoor Ceremony, Permanent Vacation, Pink, Southern Wedding, Vintage Chic
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… We had a small wedding of only 35 guests, consisting of family and our closest friends. We wanted the wedding to feel comfortable and laid back for everyone, since the majority of us came from Atlanta.  We chose The Farmhouse Inn because of its openness, southern charm, and natural beauty.  It is a bed and breakfast located on farmland, with actual cows, chickens, goats, and a vegetable garden! Our immediate family members were able to stay with us at The Farmhouse Inn the night of the rehearsal.  The wedding ceremony was held on the brick patio, and the reception was held in the garden. We chose the garden because of its gorgeous lighting and quaintness.

We wanted to reflect our personalities in the wedding.  We like good, southern food, old fashioned sodas, vintage vases and pitchers, and old timey family photos.  The flowers were the most important focus of the wedding for us, so we spent a great deal of time choosing the colors and types we liked best (garden roses, peonies, babies breath, and ranunculus).  We chose to serve a strawberry shortcake to our guests, and have a mini-wedding cake for only Alex and I.  We needed to keep the wedding affordable, and with a little borrowing and lot of creativity, we were able to have our dream wedding (everything included) for under $13000.

Wedding Photography: Liz Banfield / Floral Design: Gardenia Floral Design / Catering: Hallie Jane’s Catering / Officiant: Pastor Troy Bryant of The First United Methodist Church / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: The Farmhouse Inn / Wedding Invitations: Bumblebee Press / Bride’s Shoes: Capezio Ballet Shoes / Wedding Dress: J.Crew (Whitney) / Hair: The James Madison Inn Spa and Salon / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew + Adrianna Papell via Nordstrom

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Post tags: adrianna papell, Blue, Budget Beautiful, Bumblebee Press, Capezio Ballet Shoes, Casual Elegance, farm wedding, Garden Wedding, Gardenia Floral Design, Georgia, Hallie Jane's Catering, intimate wedding, J. Crew, Liz Banfield Photography, Madison, Nordstrom, Peach, Pink, Southern Wedding, The Farmhouse Inn, The First United Methodist Church, The James Madison Inn Spa and Salon, Vintage Chic, White
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Casual Elegance