Hold on to your hats, girls. This little number is for you. We’re talking the most beautiful Southern inspired, romantic inspiration you can ever imagine…perfect antiques, gorgeous mercury glass candles, rustic details with totally chic personalities. But what I love even more than all that (even more than the amazing pillbox hat the bride is rocking) is that Alyse Woodward, the incredible designer, thoughtfully laid out each and every detail. From the menu choices and cocktails to the perfect details that made the scene so special. So it really is a steal-worthy wedding. Photographed by the wonderfully talented Richard Israel with flowers by Flowers From The Cellar, paper goods by Salutations and attire by Hayden Olivia Bridal, this is one gorgeous piece of perfection.
There are SO many more details that we couldn’t fit in. Click right here to see!
The Ceremony: With the incredible natural light, wood flooring and breathtaking views of the rolling countryside and cattle outside the doors, I wanted to emphasize the natural, organic look of the barn, so I had benches constructed by a local antique dealer, modeled after another bench I found at a local antique show. The barn windows were flung open to reveal a stunning view of the countryside and the windows were flanked on either side by kitschy arrangements of florals with no real rhyme or reason. The mercury glass votives and loose florals flanked the aisle to bring a softness to the rustic feeling offered by the barn.
To Sip: We incorporated one of the top things the English Countryside and The South have in common… a great love of tea. Sure in the south they serve it iced with a boatload of sugar… but who’s counting? :) I found this vintage ironing board at a fantastic antique shop in Charlotte {the sleepy poet antique mall} and immediately fell in love the height and size for a tea station. The sign on the tea station is from an Irving Caesar quote “Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two and two for tea.” To quench the thirst of both the ladies and the gentlemen, we decided on two signature drinks very telling of the English ladies and gents. For the fellas we selected the bold, classic whisky on the rocks and for the ladies raspberries and champagne.
Cocktail Menu Selections: Goat Cheese Black Pepper Biscuits with Smoked Salmon and Dill, Radish-Chive Tea Sandwiches with Sesame and Ginger, 1960’s Succulent Shrimp Cocktail, Meyer Lemon-Garlic Infused Mussels with fresh garden herbs and grilled brioche, Caviar Dip with Garden Vegetable Flatbreads
Dinner Menu: Heirloom Tomato Fennel Salad with a Purple Basil Vinaigrette / Wellington Surf n’ Turf Fillet of Beef with a Puff Pastry top; Side by side Maine Lobster Tail with Herbed Garlic Butter atop a lacy bed of pea shoots / Vanilla Butter Cake with Lemon Curd and Raspberry Jam filling and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, paired with a Raspberry Sorbet
On the table: On the table-top, we paired vintage $200 a stem glassware and vintage silver from a personal collection, with china and stemware available though a local party rental company. A bride can easily recreate the look for her own wedding by mixing and blending stemware from a party rental company and forgo the hunt for vintage pieces. The natural wood table and mismatched chairs added to the estate-style of an English countryside home, but if bringing in wooden tables for all the guests is not an option, a bride could achieve a similar look with a simple linen in white, ivory or tan for the majority of the guests tables and a wooden table for the bridal party/head table OR cake table.
Paper: We carried the “Shut Up and Kiss Me” phrase throughout the paper designs as the envelop liner and belly band on the invitation suite, as well as in the sign carried by the bride. The light, airy colors displayed in the washroom on the inspiration board, inspired the color palate for the paper goods. The menu and invitation suite also feature a duogram of the couple’s initials designed by the talented team at Salutations. In keeping with the quaint, yet refined English countryside style, we utilized a magnifying glass and seating list for guests to magnify their name and table number.
Design: Alyse Woodward Events / Photography: Richard Israel Photography / Super 8 Film: Richard Israel / Paper: Salutations / Bridal Attire: Hayden Olivia / Floral: Flowers From The Cellar / Cake: Cake Lady Jill / Catering: La Tea Das / Location: Flying King Ranch, York SC contact Alyse Woodward Events or Flowers From the Cellar for more information on rentals / Gown: Cabotine by Christos from Hayden Olivia Bridal / Jewelry: Kristin Morris {also found at Hayden Olivia Bridal} / Bridal Shoes: Grace with Kristin Morris shoe buckes / Maids Dress: Coren Moore / Men’s Suit: Penguins Tux / Men’s Tie: Maddison, available at Belk / Custom Benches/Furniture/Antiques: Alyse Woodward Events / China: Party Reflections / Linens: First Impressions Linen / Magnifying glass, frames: Homegoods / Hair and Make-up: Elizabeth Tolley