Good morning, SMP Georgia and a happy Monday to you! It’s been two whole days since we last saw you, so I know you are ready for some pretty, pretty inspiration and a bundle of fabulous details to make you swoon. Well, have no fear, lovelies, because we have you totally covered this morning, all thanks to this beyond gorgeous Kimball Hall wedding and Brenda Upton Photography. Boasting lovely coral and gray hues, a fabulous garden ceremony, one very stunning gown and some seriously beautiful blooms by Pat Holland’s Flowers, this is what I call a perfect Southern soiree. Plus, a menu filled to the brim with comfort foods! How awesome is that?!? Click here for even more!
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From the Bride… Brad and I both grew up in Georgia and wanted to portray simple, Southern style throughout our wedding. We stumbled upon a venue just miles from our parents’ houses. Kimball Hall is an Antebellum-style home in Roswell, GA which is owned and run by a very hands-on Julie Stephens. We fell in love on our first visit – both with the venue and with Julie.
Our colors were a salmon-y coral with gray and pewter accents. We wanted to keep a casual, comfortable feel for the wedding where everyone could really enjoy themselves – we had a candy bar, flip flops for dancing, and koozies. We knew we wanted to have an outdoor ceremony despite our wedding being in the hot, humid month of August. Kimball Hall has a beautiful backyard which was brightened up with beautiful florals in corals, pinks, creams, and greens. In an effort to keep guests comfortable in the heat, I created the handmade program fans – one side the program and the other side various vintage wallpaper print cardstock.
My little 2.5 year old nephew, Finch, pulled off the ring bearer role like a pro! Instead of a traditional guestbook which we thought we’d rarely look at, we had a large porcelain platter made with our names and the date which guests signed with special pens. Once baked, the signatures are permanent and the platter can be used to serve food or comes with a stand for display. We used mason jars throughout for both flowers and drinks. Our signature cocktail was Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka with lemonade – a hit with the guests! Our menu was Southern comfort food and included boiled peanuts served in small paper bags, mini pork sliders, short ribs, lemon chicken, squash puree, corn off the cob, grilled potato salad, and fried green tomatoes. My side of the family is Italian and it’s tradition to have a wedding cake with the filling of an Italian pastry called a cannoli – a sweet, creamy ricotta filling with chocolate chips. Brad is a giant tech geek so we had a chocolate, peanut butter iPad cake made for the groom’s cake. For our exit, we got creative and my mom and I made ribbon wands with different shades of pinks, corals, and silvers for guests to wave at Brad and me as we left. All in all, it was a great, fun night and I received what I consider to be the best compliment several times – “your wedding was SO perfectly you and Brad!”
I couldn’t have pulled it off without the help and support of my mom…and a 7 month obsession with Etsy. My advice to other brides would be to really enjoy and take it all in! Your wedding week and especially the day will go by so fast. Be sure to stop every so often to soak it all in!
Wedding Photography: Brenda Upton Photography / Flowers: Pat Holland’s Flowers / Wedding Cake: Pretty Cakes by Meg / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Location: Kimball Hall, Julie Stephens / Wedding Invitations: The Occassional Hello Stationery / Wedding Dress: Val Stefani / Catering: Cathy of Avalon Catering