I always really love when the duo at Simply Bloom Photography sends me their latest and greatest. Their vintage inspired photography always blows me away and they generally score some pretty amazing affairs…so you kind of just KNOW it’s going to be good. Well, this one. Is better than good. Aside from the incredible details and gorgeous color palette, the bride is actually rocking out a purple wedding dress. And it looks beyond gorgeous. So, although I could blab on an on about this one, I’ll just get right to the pictures.
From the gorgeous bride…
True New Yorkers at heart, Jonathan and I still grew up in small towns, which means for us that family and tradition are highly prevalent in our lives. He’s a Yankee from upstate New York and I’m a Southern Belle from the Deep South. Our lives crossed paths one day at Starbucks and since then we’ve been inseparable. Being Southern is a huge part of who I am and also played a huge role in what made Jonathan fall in love with me, so I wanted to make sure this heritage was spread throughout the Wedding. From the cuisine all the way down to the boutonnières we made sure this theme was in the details. The ceremony and reception were held in the Huntsville Roundhouse, which is an old converted train depot. The building was perfectly Southern and vintage all in one.
One of the very most important details of the day was my dress, as it is with most Brides, however being a Fashion Designer and co-owner of my own line it was of the utmost importance. I’ve always loved to place my own spin on tradition and so a white wedding dress just wouldn’t do. I choose to go with mine and my Grandmother’s favorite color of dark purple. My business partner and I then added all our touches using silk taffeta and organza as the main fabrics, and the lining was a pale pink to match the lining we use in all our clothing. The buttons were vintage antique and all the zippers used inside the dress were blue to symbolize the something blue.
I wanted more than just my dress to be special and felt that my Bridesmaids and dearest friends should have the same. Kiley, my maid of honor, was head designer of evening wear at Kay Unger and went to work designing some of the most beautiful Bridesmaid dresses I’ve ever scene. The girls held wooden fans with bows attached to match the Wedding dress, which was a true Southern detail.
We couldn’t leave the men out of being “dressed for the occasion” and so my company had ties made in the same fabric as the Bridesmaid dresses, which was also a gift to the groomsmen. Stacey, the groomswoman, wore a Sara Claire & Esther (my company) dress created specially for her to match the tuxes. The boutonnières and corsages were made by hand using feathers my Father, a hunter, had saved for me.
During the ceremony friends and family enjoyed looking through the vintage books that were recreated into the programs by using a book cover and pages I designed and pasted inside. Near the end of the ceremony one of my close friends stood up to recite a poem for the special moment that she’d written just for us. Very few flowers were used, but hydrangea and willow branches were incorporated into the alter where we stood.
The food itself was all Southern fair with the Grits station being the most important, especially for all the Yankees whom were visiting. The Wedding cake was made from my Great Grandmother’s special Charlotte cake recipe and topped with blackberries and homemade whipped cream. The groom’s cake was 3 tiers of glazed a doughnuts – a true favorite of his. A special addition to the food was the coffee lounge that was a surprise created by our Wedding Planners. Since we’d met at Starbucks this was one of the evening’s highlights. The lounge included homemade biscotti, coffee, and mint julep sweet tea.
Thank you so very much to Vania and Christine of Simply Bloom Photography for sharing this GORGEOUS wedding with you. It’s such a fun departure from your standard wedding and yet it’s still filled to the brim with such beauty. Definitely spend some time on Simply Bloom’s blog as it’s a candy store of wedding inspirations.
OH! And the amazing purple gown…it’s for sale. It’s $3900 and you can email mail{at}saraclaireandesther{dot}com for more info.