Project Wedding Blog

This wedding is super special to me.  The bride, Katie, and I were college roommates for three years.  Not only is she the sweetest person alive, but she has amazing taste and is just totally graceful and beautiful.   I also went to high school with the groom (who is hilarious)!  Katie and Jason have a playful, enduring kind of love… they celebrated their ten year anniversary of dating just before taking their vows!  When I first caught their gorgeous photos by Clary Photo up on Facebook, I fell in love with every part of their day.  I’m so happy to share their album as this week’s Real Wedding of the Week! Katie and Jason wanted to have their wedding in a place where everyone could hang out for a weekend, relax, and have fun!  Lake Geneva is just ninety minutes away from their previous residence in Chicago, and it offered the feel of a destination wedding, without the long distance planning or travel for their guests.  The Grand Geneva Resort ended up being the perfect property for the event.  (Above, the bridal party gathers in lovely Plum Pretty Sugar robes)! Katie was the picture of bridal elegance.  Both she and her maids dressed in sophisticated gowns by Enzoani. The couple envisioned a day that was both rustic and elegant, deciding on an earthy palette of olive, silver, champagne, and ivory with navy accents.  The reception was held in an out-of-the-way space on the resort property that gave life to their vision.  They adorned the ski chalet (the space) with twinkle-lit draping, mercury vases, rustic centerpieces, and tons of candlelight to get the look.  

So, so beautiful!  There’s tons more to see, enjoy the full photo spread {here}.

Many congratulations to my old friends Katie & Jason!

(thanks so much for sharing with us)…

P.S. If you’re a Chicago/Wisconsin-area bride, be sure to check out all of their fabulous vendors, below:

Photographs by Clary Photo

Venue: Grand Geneva Resort

Invitations by Smitten Boutique

Bridesmaid’s Robes by Plum Pretty Sugar

Bridal and Bridesmaid’s Dresses by Enzoani

Bridal Shoes by Kate Spade

Bride’s Hair by Kelly Hough

Florals by Pesche’s Flowers

Ceremony Music by Elegant Music Services

DJ: Okyne Medialab

Cake by Grand Geneva Resort

Rentals by BBj Linens and Lakes Area Rental

Day-Of Coordination by Sweet Pea Wedding Studio

Tags: Elegant, film photographs, Navy, rustic, sophisticated.

Jon and Keri first met while studying abroad in Italy, but it wasn’t until years later, when they ran into each other at a mutual friend’s birthday party in California, that the sparks flew. Their wedding was both a fun celebration of their love, and a snapshot of gorgeous, Tuscan-inspired details.  In fact, I’m in awe of just how much these photos by Amanda Patrice take me straight to the dreamy, rustic Italian countryside…I just love the sophistication of black bridesmaid’s dresses…  The palette featured black, pewter, and hints of purple.  Cupid’s Arrow Floral Studio worked with heavy greenery in the bouquets and décor to create a balancing effect, a pairing of deep hues with organic accents.

The Mission Inn couldn’t have been a more perfect venue…with its amazing architecture and old world ambiance. Italian lights hung from above, while authentic postcards marked each table. 

A special thanks to Amanda Patrice for sharing these awe-inspiring photos!

Sending heartfelt wishes to this beautiful couple, Jon + Keri…

Photos by Amanda Patrice

Reception Venue: The Mission Inn

Event Design by HMC Event Solutions

Bridal Beauty by Dollhouse Hair & Makeup Design

Flowers by Cupid’s Arrow Floral Studio

Video by Godfather Films

Tags: black, green, Italian, pewter, rustic, succulents, Tuscany-Inspired.

The setting in this week’s Real Wedding of the Week is just incredible.  Without even seeing it in person, Vanessa and Scott chose The Inn at Palmetto Bluff to host their dream of a good old fashioned Southern wedding.  They couldn’t have chosen a more perfect locale.  The charming architecture and breathtaking landscape of Carolina Lowcountry provided an entirely unique backdrop for their day.  Enjoy the gorgeous photos by Michael Moss. To complement the setting, Vanessa and Scott opted for a neutral palette of pewter, beige, white and green.  The invitations were a custom design by etsy vendor {B.} Designs.  Vanessa layered strips of burlap on the paper goods, for a rustic effect. 

See the full feature in our Real Wedding Gallery, and read more of Vanessa and Scott’s story down below.

Photographs by Michael Moss

Venue: The Inn at Palmetto Bluff

Day-Of Coordination: Weddings with Leah

Flowers by Garden on the Square

Invitations by {B.} Designs

Cake Topper by YourTops

Cake by Signe’s Bakery

From the Bride: Scott and I met at a wedding!  A good friend of mine, who also happened to be a good friend of Scott’s sister, was getting married in October of 2008.   Both Scott and I ended up going stag and happened to find ourselves on the same corner of the dance floor when the band started to play one of the night’s inevitable slow songs, “At Last” by Etta James.  Instead of retreating to the bar with other singles in the crowd, and inspired by Scott’s parents’ endless energy on the floor, I asked Scott to dance.  A year later we were in Hawaii celebrating our one year anniversary.

Scott’s family has vacationed in Point Au Baril, Ontario, Canada for years. A vacation getaway passed down from generation to generation, several weeks out of every summer, the entire family makes it a point to get away from the rest of the world to relax and lavish in the natural, serene beauty of Point Au Baril to focus on the most important thing in this life: family. In the summer of 2010 I was invited along.  Mid week I was sitting down on the dock, book in hand, oversized straw hat shielding my face from the afternoon sun, when Scott came down from the house and asked me if I would like to go out and see the lighthouse. I jumped at the chance to go exploring and we hopped aboard a tiny wooden boat. In no time we were speeding across the inlet when I realized I had forgotten to grab shoes, Scott said it didn’t matter. His family had known the lighthouse keeper for years and he had called ahead. As we approached the lighthouse I was taken aback by how perfect it seemed perched where the water met the land, its red and white hues standing boldly against a backdrop of bright blue sky. We docked the boat and headed in. We were greeted at the front door with giant hugs from the tiny lighthouse keeper and her husband. We made our way to the back of the house where I was ushered up a tall ladder to the very top of the light house, out a small hatch, and back into the sun. We stood at the top of the deck, hand in hand beside the brilliant lamp which would guide boats back to Point Au Baril once the sun went down. It was so beautiful and such a perfect day!  Much to my surprise, Scott turned to me and said, “You know. I brought you out here for a reason…”, then he dropped to one knee, and pulled out a beautiful wooden ring box. I immediately burst into tears, I was completely shocked, and had absolutely no idea that he was going to propose. The next few minutes were a total blur. We kissed, I cried, and he slipped his great grandmother’s wedding ring onto my finger after I finally managed to get out a “YES, of course I will marry you!!!” When we went back downstairs, the lighthouse keeper presented us with a bottle of champagne and two antique glasses.  We found a place to sit on the rocks, drinking our champagne, and taking it all in while celebrating our future.

We wanted a good old fashioned Southern wedding… and we found the perfect place during a random google search.  The minute we saw the Chapel at the Inn at Palmetto Bluff we knew that was it!  We called and found that October 8, 2011 was booked… so we booked the very next weekend sight unseen and its a good thing we did!  It ended up pouring rain on October 8th in Bluffton, but on our big day, October 15th, the sun was out and a nice cool breeze lazed across the lawn.  It could not have been more perfect!  We actually planned our entire wedding from San Diego, before moving to Indiana.  Quite a challenge!  But we pulled it off and I have to say it was pretty incredible pulling onto the property, having never seen it, feeling like we were coming home, and having it not only meet but exceed all expectations!

We picked a natural palette of colors to complement the absolutely stunning grounds and scenery of our venue. Our invitations were custom made from a designer on Etsy that helped me to create one of my favorite elements for our wedding.  We used dark grey and ivory papers with burlap bands and unique touches that made it “us”.  The florals featured oversized white dahlias and draping greenery reminiscent of the huge Spanish Oaks covered in moss that originally caught our eye and drew us to the locale.  The guys wore lightweight tan suits with grey tennis shoes that matched the bridesmaid’s dresses.  The palette reminded us of the color of sand and the color of water on the May River at twilight. My dress and jewelry had a very vintage feel with a soft, understated Southern elegance.  I did a lot of the décor myself, using burlap and twine.  I even made my own clutch from burlap and a vintage bridal headband I found at an antique store!  We had a trolley transport the wedding party to add a little Southern thrill.  Scott’s two best friends played acoustic guitars and my little sister sang me down the aisle to “Make You Feel My Love.”  We had about 100 guests in the tiny chapel, filling it to the brim.  Fishbowl vases were filled with an assortment of flowers and hung on the end of each pew.  Our cake was another one of our custom touches! Scott’s dad makes custom vintage wedding cake toppers and he made an intricately detailed replica for us- including details like Scott’s beard and tennis shoes, along with the exact details of my dress.  Our friends and family came from all over to join us in Bluffton and I think it was an experience that none of us will forget!

Tags: beige, pewter, rustic, South Carolina, Southern, vintage.

With the holidays less than a week away, we thought we’d celebrate with Emily and Chase’s cozy winter wedding in Atlanta.  The space and décor elements were styled reminiscent of time Emily spent as a child in her grandparent’s cabin in the Northwoods.  Earthy and organic accents added rustic beauty, while the chocolate, mocha and ivory palette was warm and inviting.  Special thanks to Nadia D. Photography for sharing these absolutely exquisite photographs with us!

See the full album in our Real Wedding Gallery…

Photos by Nadia D. Photography

Event Coordination by Peachtree Weddings & Events

Bridal Gown by Winnie Couture

Flowers by The Flower Post

Venue: King Plow Arts Center

Cake by Frosted Pumpkin

Music by The Symphony Crack Orchestra

From the Bride: Throughout the planning process, our goal was to have fun, keep it simple and focus on the important things, like family, friends and faith. Even though the wedding was not at a church, we wanted it to be centered on our faith and the beginning of our life together. I think weddings are an opportunity to celebrate a new beginning and the focus needs to be on the couple making a life-long commitment to each other. Not to say the details aren’t fun and important too, but in the end, no matter what happens at the wedding, the marriage is what is significant.

Chase and I love winter weather and being outside. We wanted the wedding to feel warm and inviting while capturing elements of our favorite style, something we started calling “rustic elegance”. Both of our families are down-to-earth, outdoorsy types so we wanted the wedding to reflect that. I grew up in the midwest playing at my grandparents’ cabin in the Northwoods and farm in Ohio so there were lots of elements drawn from those places… the farm table and flower box on the alter, the old antique bottles and the cake stand that was actually made by my grandfather from an old tree at their cabin. It made the 20 hour trip to Atlanta just for the wedding!

My gown was nothing like what I had originally said I wanted, but when I tried it on it was as if it was made just for me. It was by Winnie Couture and had Swarvoski crystal beading- like I had never seen before- all around the top and along the train. The best part about it was that it matched my family’s heirloom veil perfectly. I was the 12th bride to wear the 80 year old chapel length veil and all twelve of those marriages were, or are, “till death do us part”. We had pictures of all twelve brides at a table on display and four of the brides were at the wedding.

We did a lot of DIY: The invitations, the centerpieces, the save-the-dates, the programs, and the cake stand, among a few other things. My mom and I had the time of our lives planning this wedding together and we had so many wonderful friends who pitched in to help us. It was amazing because we were like, “Oh, we have a friend who does this, and one that does that, and can help with this…” so it was a team effort. We were very blessed in that respect.

Looking back, there is not one thing I would change about our wedding day. The things that didn’t go exactly to plan made the night memorable and added to the fun, and the things that did go right were better than I could have ever hoped for. It was the perfect party for celebrating with my family and friends. I wasn’t nervous at all until right before my dad and I started to get ready to walk down the aisle and it all felt real. During the ceremony, our two pastors, Kevin and Russ, asked both my grandfathers to stand and give a few words of advice. Both sets of my grandparents have been happily married for more than 50 years and are an incredible testament to a marriage founded in faith and love of God. It was a total surprise and it was the only time throughout the whole ceremony that I cried. Looking at them and knowing some of what they had been through together, knowing how much they still loved each other, it reminded me of what marriage was really all about and helped to put our vows into perspective.

Another unforgettable moment was when our pastor left out “you may now kiss the bride” and we didn’t know what to do so we started walking down the aisle when Chase’s aunt yelled “KISS HER” and others joined in. He planted one on me right in the middle of the aisle amongst cheers and cat calls. It’s the unexpected moments that make it memorable!

For the food, we tried to re-create a meal that Chase and I had when we were at a vineyard in Chianti wine country in Tuscany. We had Italian meats, cheeses, roasted vegetables and homemade breadsticks in a big Mediterranean display in the center of the cocktail hour room. Then the guests moved in to the reception room where we had stations set up with made-to-order pasta and Italian roast beef, salad and mashed potatoes. For dessert we had a coffee and hot chocolate bar with homemade Italian biscotti, and wedding cake, of course!

Our entertainment was incredibly unique and talented. They are such gifted musicians and played classical piano, violin and guitar for the ceremony, transitioned to the electric violin, guitar, and keyboard to re-mix popular songs for the cocktail hour, then deejayed our favorites during the reception. I had so much fun on the dance floor with my family and friends and Nadia, our photographer, got lots of pictures to prove it.

At the end of the evening, guests saw us off with bubbles and sparklers and Chase and I rode off in his big old red truck, a throw back from when we first fell in love in college.

Tags: chocolate, Christmas, cozy, holiday, mocha, rustic, winter.

These photos are so fresh and very sweet…

(Just love that Paper Antler).

Jen and Charlie married at Quivey’s Grove in Madison, Wisconsin; it was a rustic, homespun fall wedding.

The couple met in Thailand while he was learning to become a scuba diving instructor and she was teaching English.  Charlie is from the Southwest of England and Jen is from Wisconsin. After having enough of the tropical heat, they moved to New Zealand where Charlie proposed!

The bridesmaids looked pretty in mix and match turquoise dresses by J. Crew and Jen was completely lovely in a dress by David’s Bridal.   Furnished with dark wood chairs, exposed beams, and rustic lighting, the ceremony took place in the stable at Quivey’s Grove.  Connie Engmann officiated.

They spent hours and hours making all of the decorations for the wedding. Jen and her mom crocheted and sewed all of the bunting used behind the alter and for the reception. Charlie painted and sewed all of the buttons for the table numbers (Jen felt like the luckiest bride)!

For dessert, there was a spread of pies from Hubbard Street Diner in Middleton.  There were ten in all: fall classics like pumpkin, apple and pecan and then some of their favorites - French silk, peanut butter silk, and black forest- YUM! A friend of the bride made a small cake for cutting. There’s more from the bride, just below!

Thanks to Charlie + Jen and Jonny + Michelle for sharing this wedding with us!

Photos by Paper Antler Photography

(psst. if you haven’t heard Paper Antler is traveling around the country ALL of 2012 photographing weddings.  Double bonus is that they’re donating $1,000 from each wedding towards an amazing nonprofit that works to rescue children who are victims of human trafficking.  There are a few dates left, so check out their route and schedule and book ‘em)!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Quivey’s Grove

Florals by Abundance Acres

Bridal Gown by David’s Bridal

Bridesmaid’s Dresses by J. Crew

Bride’s Hair by Holly’s Salon Studio

Officiant: Connie Engmann

Ceremony & Reception Music by Krause Family Band

Cranberry Chutney Favors by Quince & Apple

Pies by Hubbard Street Diner

From the Bride: I was never one of those girls that knew what sort of wedding she wanted from a young age, but when we started planning the wedding we quickly decided we wanted a wedding that reflected us as a couple, so we wanted something rustic, crafty, colorful and intimate. Since we were living in New Zealand and weren’t able to look at very many venues, we chose somewhere we were familiar with. Once we had decided on Quivey’s Grove- so many things fell into place. The venue was beautiful - dark wood, a charming old home and very eclectic décor. - - I love food, all kinds of food, but it was really important that we sourced everything for our wedding as locally and sustainably as possible (food, flowers, services) and supported small businesses.

We didn’t have any particular color scheme - I love color, all colors and so we tried to incorporate lots of colors - especially into the table decorations. Even though we had a fall wedding we wanted to stay
away from typical fall colors - red, orange, browns… For the ceremony we used mainly white and pinks and all colors for the rest.

The weather wasn’t perfect - it sprinkled on and off during the day, but I don’t think anyone noticed - and in the evening we had a lightening storm, which I think everyone enjoyed. We had originally planned a late summer wedding - but we pushed the wedding back and decided to have an indoor wedding and I’m glad we did - I would have been worrying about the weather for weeks before the day.

Tags: crafty, fall, homespun, Madison, Paper Antler Photography, pies, pink, rustic, Wisconsin.

Mary Kate and John’s Austin wedding has that feeling of the classic South, yet the color palette and details were perfectly unique.  We were taken by the blues and greens, and of course the beautiful Barr Mansion setting.  Katherine O’Brien did an extraordinary job capturing the day in creative film and digital photos!  Each bridesmaid selected her own ivory dress, but they were coordinated with blue ribbon and the gorgeous hydrangea and succulent bouquets by  STEMS Floral Design.  Love those blue nails in the pic below!Mary Kate and John first bonded over a similar taste in music and they definitely had music on the mind as they planned their day.  During the ceremony, Barton Strings played Over the Rainbow for the processional and Here Comes the Sun for the recessional.   Along with their officiant, Sarah de la Fuente, the two designed a custom ceremony that spoke to them.  They said their vows on the scenic grounds of the Barr Mansion.  The reception, held in the Barr Mansion’s modern ballroom, featured a rainbow of rustic florals and lots of dancing to local Austin band, Soul Track Mind.  Their music was a hit with guests!Mary Kate and John married on what would have been her grandparents’ 61st wedding anniversary.  To honor them, she baked 700 peanut butter cookies (her grandmother’s recipe) to give to guests as favors!

Read more from the bride just below or {click here} to see the full feature…

Photos by Katherine O’Brien Photography

Venue, Event Coordination & Cake by Barr Mansion

Bride’s Hair & Makeup by Snodene Blakenely

Bridal Gown by Modern Trousseau from Unbridaled

Invitations & Programs by Bella Figura

Ceremony Musicians: Barton Strings

Officiant: Sarah de la Fuente

Florals by STEMS Floral Design

Reception Band: Soul Track Mind

From the Bride:

The weather was perfect considering the summer we had. The week of our wedding was the first break we had from 100+ degree temperatures all summer long.

One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing for the first time the bouquets that Abby Daigle of STEMS put together. When we met to discuss the flowers, I didn’t have a concrete idea of what I wanted. I told her the colors that I wanted in my bouquet and the bridesmaids’ bouquets and she was able to help me pick out some flowers that would include all those colors. Then she took it from there and put together the perfect bouquets. I could not have been happier with them!

We were very glad we chose to see each other before the ceremony. It calmed our nerves. And despite the fact that our wedding party was all watching with our photographers Katherine and Jeff taking pictures, it was still a very personal moment.

My father has a huge baseball card collection from his childhood that he has kept in great condition over the years. On the day of the wedding he gave John, John’s father, and his groomsmen each a baseball card from his collection. They were all cards of Red Sox players as John and his groomsmen all grew up in the Boston area and love the Red Sox.  John and the guys also toasted with John’s favorite whiskey before our first look photos.

I gave John Ghostbuster cufflinks the day of the wedding. It has been his favorite movie since he was a child. His grandmother has lots of stories of him pretending to be a Ghostbuster when he was younger.

The ballroom where our reception was held was newly built, finished just a few months before our wedding. Just before we got engaged in June of 2010, lightning struck the original Barr Mansion ballroom and burned it to the ground. It had been a beautiful structure and was a huge loss for Barr Mansion. Right away they set out to begin the rebuilding process. We were confident that they would rebuild it to be just as beautiful as the original. And they did!

Although we wanted a short ceremony, we wanted it to be meaningful to us. We chose Sarah de la Fuente to officiate our wedding because she was more than happy to help us write a ceremony that spoke to us. It was really special to know that we didn’t just write our own vows, but helped create the entire ceremony.

John and I bonded over similar tastes in music when we first met, so it was important to us to have a great band for our reception. In Austin we have a great local band called Soul Track Mind and we were thrilled that they agreed to play at our reception. Our guests could not stop complimenting them long after the wedding was over.

Our friends and family gave some great toasts during the reception. Most were planned but a few folks jumped up on stage without warning, including the father of one of my bridesmaids who told us to “live long and prosper.” John’s brother (and best man) also read a beautiful poem written by their grandfather for our wedding, as he was not able to make the trip from Massachusetts.

One of the funnier moments of the night was towards the end of the reception. My father and his friends have a history of dancing the Gator as they do in the movie Animal House during each other’s wedding receptions. They continued the tradition at our reception when our band played the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.” They were a huge hit.

As a result of the hot, dry weather we had all summer we were in a burn ban so we could not have a sparkler send off at the end of the night. In place of sparklers we bought a few hundred glow sticks. John and I have gone to quite a few concerts where we threw around glow sticks so it was very appropriate for us.

We did not want to take on a lot of little DIY projects for our wedding, mostly because the Barr Mansion grounds really don’t need much in the way of decorations. But I did know I wanted to honor my paternal grandparents as we were getting married on what would have been their 61st wedding anniversary. My grandmother was a great cook and our favorite treats growing up were her cookies, specifically molasses cookies and peanut butter cookies. So the week of the wedding, using her recipes, my sisters, bridesmaids, and I made over 700 cookies as favors for our guests. It ended up being quite a project but I am glad we did it!

Tags: Barr Mansion, blue, classic, green, Katherine O'Brien photography, rustic, Southern, succulents.

Brittany and Mark’s wedding in Salt Lake City was held in November… it was intimate, relaxed, and cozy… held in the evening hours at the Mill Creek Inn.  Kristopher Orr documented their memory-filled day in beautiful film photograms.  This first one, so crazy beautiful…  The couple was very relaxed about planning the details, they were mostly concerned with creating a close and comfortable atmosphere with their very favorite people and serving great food.  They worked with a unique deep purple, mustard, and black palette, which was very pretty in the autumn mountain setting.  The pair met at a party while both attending the University of Utah.  A year and a half after they got together, they decided to tie the knot.  Mark works for a small roofing company and Brittany is a PR rep for a physical therapy company.  They share passions for exotic travel, photography, and adventurous outdoor sports!  For a wedding gift, Mark got Brittany an old Yashica 124G Mat twin lens camera. She got him a framed scratch map of the world on which to document their travels together.

During the course of the evening, Mark and Brittany found lots of time to sit and visit with guests.  Just before they cut the cake, Mark gave a beautiful, impromptu speech about his love for Brittany and his gratitude for everyone that had come to share the day.  The entire wedding night just felt like a big, relaxing get together with the people they love.

Photographs by Kristopher Orr

Bridal Gown by Romona Keveza (with lace added to the back).

Gown purchased at …And Then Some Bridal Couture

Bridesmaid’s Skirts via Target; Cardigans via J. Crew

Bride’s Hair & Makeup by Shantell Eyre in Roy, Utah

Venue: Mill Creek Inn

Flowers by DaNeice Eliot in Kaysville, Utah

Cake by April Baird

Tags: autumn, cozy, film photography, intimate, kristopher orr, mill creek inn, mountain, mustard, purple, rustic.

Dani and John have a love for the great outdoors…

their wedding was centered around mountain fun and the natural beauty of Park City, Utah.

Here is their story in photos by Gideon Photography

(love that b&w shot… so sexy, don’t you think?!)

The tall pines of Deer Valley Ski Resort provided the backdrop for the outdoor ceremony.  Dani and her bridesmaids carried a palette of wildflowers.  The picturesque ceremony was followed by dinner, drinks and dancing across the lawn at the Empire Canyon Lodge.  Natural, wild florals, mixed with vibrant shades of blue and pink decorated the lively evening. 

For the honeymoon, this adventurous couple headed out to Idaho and Wyoming for a whitewater rafting trip down the snake river… what fun!  Congratulations Dani and John!

Photos by Gideon Photography

Invitations by Sami Rose and Rachel Deitsch

Bridal Gown by Nicole Miller

Bride’s Hair by David Colvin

Bridesmaid’s Dresses by Urban Outfitters

Ceremony & Reception at Deer Valley Resort

Flowers by Branches Floral

DJ: High Mountain Music

Photobooth by Shutterbooth

Cake by Martin’s Fine Desserts

Jeweler: Lulu Frost

Videography by Kale Fitch Productions

Tags: DIY, fall, jimmy gideon, mountain wedding, rustic, wildflowers.

With Thanksgiving just a week away, we thought Audra and Cory’s fall, country-chic wedding at the Cedarwood Mansion would be just the thing for you… We’re sort of swirling in the all the Southern charm and romance, glued to the gorgeous imagery by David & Tammy, and hanging on Audra’s every word in the story she tells below!  But first, this photo of Audra on the swing…? Come on… a total dream…

Congratulations Audra & Cory!

♥

Photos by David & Tammy

Venue, Flowers, Cake, & Event Design by The Historic Cedarwood Mansion

Bride’s Makeup by Lisa Proctor

Bride’s Hair by Mary Malone

From the Bride: If someone were to ask, “Were you raised in a barn?” I’ve always been able to answer with a proud “Yes Sir!” My dad was a quarter horse trainer on a 200 acre East Texas Ranch. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better childhood.  My dad was also a romantic cowboy, who became an avid rose grower to express his ever-growing love for my mother, and eventually me, his only daughter. Thus, I define my heritage as “country elegance” and I knew I wanted my wedding to reflect that.

After moving to Nashville and falling in love with Cory…my charming South Carolina gentleman…we knew Music City would be the best place for the wedding, as families could meet halfway. When I discovered the Historic Cedarwood Mansion, I knew that it was the perfect place for our ceremony. It effortlessly embodied our crock-pot of Southern roots. A stately antebellum plantation house on the historic registry, Mason jar candles and vintage chandeliers dripping from oak trees, sprawling rose gardens, and a big red barn. I was home. What better place for Texas to marry South Carolina, with Tennessee as a witness?

Luckily, this dream venue, also happened to be an oasis of wedding planning. Cedarwood was all-inclusive and has recently become the belle of the Southern wedding ball and I found that their reviews were as spectacular as the property. Flowers, Cake, Catering, Ceremony Musicians, Reception, Invitations, Programs. It was all a one stop shop…and the ladies in charge served up timeless elegance laced with burlap. Cedarwood made my country chic imaginations come to life in just two short planning sessions.

When I arrived on the property the day of the wedding, I ran my fingers lightly across stunning vintage decorations and breathtaking floral arrangements while whispering “This is so beautiful.” I felt as if I were sneaking upon someone else’s wedding (thus the need to whisper).  It was as if they plucked a scene straight from one of my farm-raised dreams….and improved upon it.

My husband and I chose to see each other before the ceremony. I’d do it that way a million times over. I remember him standing at the end of a cobblestone walkway that lead from the side door that I snuck out of.  He had his back to me. He was framed on his right by a charming little swing,  that was all dressed in ribbons for our day–and on his left was a kiss from the perfect amount of sunshine. I was nervous as I approached him, as though I hadn’t sought out that face a million times in our two years of courting. When I finally arrived close enough to brush my hand around his right arm, he turned and tears welled up in his gentle blue eyes, just as quickly as his hands popped out from the pockets to embrace me. “You look amazing,” he managed to squeak out. After letting him soak me in like a vision that could disappear at any moment, I lifted up the dainty lace pattern that danced around the bottom edge of my dress, to reveal: cowboy boots. We both laughed at how oddly fitting they seemed to be, under such a feminine dress.

It wasn’t long before my dad was walking me down the aisle in those boots, with 22 bridal party members and countless trees smiling on me on as I walked towards the love of my life. We read our handwritten vows under a canopy of nature. It was the most fitting cathedral for us.

Tags: country-chic, david & tammy photography, fall, rustic, Southern, tennessee, the historic cedarwood mansion.

This week’s real wedding is just so special.  The photos emanate such a divine love… and all of the planning revolved around the connection that Tessa and John share with their loved ones.  The bride said, ‘Once we found that center it was easy to let some traditional elements go and not feel pressured by trends. This allowed us the freedom to create a totally unique and intimate event for our guests.’  The day overflowed with organic beauty and rustic sophistication, and was captured in both digital and film photographs by Michelle Warren.

There is so much more of this gorgeous earthen palette to enjoy!… See the full story {here}.

Photos by Michelle Warren

Venue: A private estate

Bridal Gown: ‘Thank You’ by Reem Acra

Bridesmaid’s Dresses by Calvin Klein via 6pm.com

Event Coordination by Jackie Blackwell

Cake by Montecito Confections

Tags: brown, film photography, gold, green, Michelle Warren Photography, neutral, outdoor, rustic, santa barbara, white.