Yesterday, we featured the oh-so-chic wedding of Danielle and Lee…and lucky for us, today we are featuring Danielle’s brother and her best friend’s wedding! Danielle introduced the pair while on vacation a few years back and let’s just say, the rest is history.
From the bride, Melinda…
When Cass and I were considering places for our wedding ceremony and reception, we both knew we wanted it to be in a mountain location. Wolf Mountain Vineyards is located in Dahlonega, Georgia overlooking the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with acres of rolling vineyards. The interior of the Winery is similar to a European hunting lodge, full of gleaming wood and antiques. Cass and I were married, three years to the day we met, on my parent’s 36th wedding anniversary, over Labor Day Weekend 2007.
All photos by Ray and Erica Tisdale at 35 Atlanta
My vision was to have an elegant wedding with a vintage feel to it. Also, since I am naturally shy, and not a fan of the spotlight, it was hugely important to me to feel that the entire event was shared with all of my friends and family, not focused entirely upon Cass and me. I felt like our marriage was the product of the sum of our journeys, families, and friends, and that the wedding should reflect that.
I also wanted this wedding to be on a reasonable budget so I was feeling creative. My wedding dress was fully beaded with lace, and strapless. I was able to buy a dress that was originally a couple thousand dollars, merely because it was six sizes too large and the last one on the floor. Even with alterations, it was only a few hundred dollars for the entire gown.
As for my seven bridesmaids, I ultimately decided to go with black bridesmaids dresses. All but two of my bridesmaids live out of state, and one in Europe, so I was not only trying to stay within my budget, but to keep it reasonable for the girls that were coming from far away to be with us on our wedding day. They were able to pick out any black dress they wanted and to wear with any pair of black shoes that they wanted – the only rule was to keep it right around the knee. Two of the girls had just had babies (my Maid of Honor had twins!), and another one was pregnant, so I felt it was important for them to be able to choose what they felt beautiful in.
More to come throughout the day!