How’s this for a perfect Monday morning? A stunning bride and groom, a beyond gorgeous garden ceremony and a literal wonderland of exquisite blooms crafted by the oh-so-talented Edge Design Group. Sounds fabulous, no?!? Well, brace yourselves, SMPers, because that’s just the beginning of the pretty that’s flowing from this romantic Atlanta soiree – and with brilliant image after brilliant image captured by Nadia D. Photography filling the gallery, trust us, you’ll be swooning for days. Click here for more.
Click here for the wedding same-day edit by Jose Ortiz Films!
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… Judson and I are both pretty private people, and we knew wanted a very small, intimate group. So we decided to have our wedding at a remote venue, preferably in a garden setting. After searching for several months, we visited Barnsley Gardens Resort, and we both instantly knew that this was the place! Stacy Price, our coordinator at Barnsley, was tremendously helpful in insuring we got the wedding of our dreams. We wanted the entire wedding to very small, but very beautiful, unique and elegant. I wanted to be surrounded by flowers – very elegant and visually spectacular. Maxine and Garbrielle Mecca of Edge Design took my mental image of what I wanted and created an amazingly beautiful Barnsley Gardens Resort ceremony site, a cocktail reception site in the Historic Ruins, as well as the lavish and lush décor for the Dinner and Dancing Reception. Also, I did not want one large cake. I wanted something different, so we decided on 3 small but exquisite cakes, arranged on antique pedestals. Sharon Alexander of Sweet Sensations, Inc. was AMAZING! The cakes were more than I dreamed of!
We decided to “swap” the sides for the seating at the ceremony. The Groom’s family was seated on the left; my family was seated on the right. This insured that each family could see the FACE of their child, rather than their back, as is the typical setup. It was a wonderful idea! It was especially meaningful to occasionally catch a glimpse of my family during the ceremony and see the joy on their faces! I wanted my own very special wedding gown, but I also wanted to honor my Mom by using hers in some way. Edge Design Group helped out by creating the most gorgeous table cloth, using lace from my Mom’s gown. This table cover was used at the cake table and was a very special tribute to my Mom. We also used one of the lace cuffs from her gown to wrap the stems of my bridal bouquet. So although I was not wearing my Mom’s gown, a part of it was with me throughout the entire ceremony. We wanted to have family photographs taken before the wedding, so that our guests would not have to wait so long at the cocktail reception. But we didn’t want to lose that unique, special moment when Judson and I first saw each other in our wedding finery. So Edge Design Group created the most unbelievable space for our “First Look.” They took the Bamboo Garden at Barnsley and turned it into a fairy tale garden spot just for the two of us … with an exquisite crystal chandelier and a beautifully-draped table for two with champagne, flowers and candles everywhere! A dream “First Look” beyond our imaginations!
One of the most touching moments was when we saw the “Family Photographs” table in the Ruins. My mom had brought my portrait that was painted when I turned two years old. She had borrowed Judson’s portrait that was painted when he turned four years old, and these portraits were hanging in the Barnsley Gardens Historic Ruins above the family photo table. My mom’s bridal headpiece and veil were beautifully draped over a corner of my portrait — this was an incredibly tender and touching moment! And the most amazing thing of all is that Judson’s portrait and mine were painted by the same artist in exactly the same year (he was 4, I was 2, and he is 2 years older than me), using the same setting (seated on an ottoman) and framed in the exact same frames! It looked as if these portraits had been designed to be alike — but they were each done independently of the other, 22 years earlier! Something tells us this was meant to be! FATE! Our first dance was to “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat — they sum up our feelings exactly: So lucky we’re in love with our best friend … so lucky we’re in love in every way!
Wedding Photography: Nadia D. Photography / Ceremony: Barnsley Gardens Resort in Atlanta, Georgia / Reception: The Historic Ruins at Barnsley Gardens Resort in Atlanta, Georgia / Event Planning + Coordination: Maxine & Gabriella Mecca of Edge Design Group + Stacy Price of Barnsley Gardens Resort / Floral Design: Edge Design Group / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: Ceci New York / Wedding Cinematography: Jose Ortiz Films / Catering: Barnsley Gardens Resort / Wedding Cake: Sharon Alexander of Sweet Sensations / Linens: Edge Design Group / Music: Mixed Company / Tent: Barnsley Gardens Resort / Lighting: Maxine & Gabriella Mecca of Edge Design Group / Chocolate Wedding Cake Favors: Godiva / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier “Amaranth” via Joan Pillow Bridal / Reception Dress: Anna Maier-Ulla Maija Couture “Fifi” / Bride’s Veil: Custom by Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Valentino / Hair + Makeup: Heidi Freeland of Formal Faces / Tuxedos: Custom / Wedding Rings + Engagement Ring: Ascot Diamonds