You could say that I am slightly obsessed (read: totally obsessed) with all things Jane Austen, so when I first read that this darling Atlanta wedding was inspired by a scene from Emma, I knew I was going to love every.last.second of wedding bliss. And, oh my goodness, do I ever. From the oh-so-romantic purple hues to the sweet stylings of Juli Vaughn Designs to the beyond glorious images captured by CWF Photography, this, my lovelies, is a vintage-inspired masterpiece. And totally Jane approved. See so much more right here.
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From the Bride… For our wedding, Ryan and I wanted to embrace the idea of relaxed romance, so we decided to go with a vintage-inspired picnic theme. My initial inspiration came from a picnic scene in the movie Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow, where they bring along tables, china and beautiful linens. This seemed like such a wonderful idea for a wedding: an elegant, upscale picnic. Once I had this vision, everything else started falling into place.
Our venue, the Retreat at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, was one of my first choices, and the minute I stepped into the beautiful room, with its exposed beams and mason fireplace, I knew it was the perfect place. The gardens were a gem hidden in the big city of Atlanta and gave us the picture perfect, romantic vision we were seeking for the ceremony. Because the garden was so beautiful and naturally decorated, we didn’t need to add much. As far as the reception site, we rented beautiful farm tables from Four Inch Fold and placed burlap runners and vintage lace (from a trunk in my mom’s attic) on top, then used heirloom silver pieces and vintage books to bring it all together. For our sweetheart table, we used a pub table that my parents bought 20 some years ago when traveling. Initially, our invitations were going to be simple white invitations bought from a website. However, as with everything else, I wanted something unique and special, so with the help of my mom, we designed our own custom invitations. They turned out amazing, printed on canvas with a button attaching all the pieces together. In addition to the invitations, my mom and I made the place cards, napkin rings and our favors, which were Farkle games (a dice game similar to Yahtzee). For the favors, we found plastic containers, made custom stickers for the top and wrapped the outside with burlap, purple ribbon and a vintage safety pin holding it all together. Our families are big gamers, so instead of dancing at the wedding, we decided to play a round of Apples to Apples and ended with Farkle.
One of the most important (and personal favorite) aspects of the wedding was the fashion. My dress was actually the second dress I bought because the first one did not have the vintage feel I was looking for. So I went back to Bride Beautiful and found a great dress that fit me perfectly. The only problem was it was about 18 inches too long and had the wrong neckline! I customized the dress to be the perfect tea length, changed the neckline to a deep sweetheart and added a Swarovski studded belt. For my matron of honor, I found an adorable, cream-c0lored, Nanette Lepore dress that she will surely wear again. The men were dressed in tan suits, and Ryan wore an amazing purple and gray Burberry tie. The most adorable aspect of the day were my five nieces and nephews. The girls wore frilly cream dresses with stylish gladiator sandals, and the boys were decked out in tan and white seersucker pants, vests and newsboy caps. In addition, the boys wore purple ties that my wonderful sister-in-law made just for this occasion. I’m afraid that the kids stole the show!
In the end, our wedding was a beautiful day that really captured our love for life, for our family and most importantly, our love for each other.
Wedding Photography: CWF Photography / Wedding Venue: Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia / Styling: Juli Vaughn Designs / Catering: Talk of the Town / Vintage Rentals: Four Inch Fold / Matron of Honor’s Dress: Nanette Lepore