On a day that celebrates romance in the biggest of ways, it makes perfect sense that we share this darling Savannah wedding from LeeAnn Ritch Photography. A wedding, lovelies, that began with a fairytale romance in Norway (yes, Norway!) and ended with a drop-dead gorgeous affair at the always beautiful 10 Downing. From the fab stylings of Ashley Warren Harless Event Design to the stunning florals by A to Zinnias to one moment after another of pure lovely, it’s the finest in Valentine’s Day treats. Click here for all of the pretty.
From the Bride… I’ve always had a strange draw to Scandinavia ever since I was a child. It always seemed like such a utopia so when the opportunity arose during my masters to study in Norway I jumped at the chance. It was while I was in Oslo in B-School that I met Magnus. He was charming and well put together and I was the “Cute American in a sweatshirt.” And through a series of fortunate events from run-ins on the t-bane, promises of Norwegian lessons, and the loss of an apartment key we started dating. Six years later Magnus popped the question and, although I still don’t speak Norwegian (I’m learning I swear!), I married my best friend and couldn’t be happier.
Given Magnus was Norwegian and I was American we decided to have a destination wedding so it would be a vacation for all our guests. After picking December as the wedding month and the US immigration policy strongly suggesting against being wed off US soil we selected the southeastern United States. When we researched cities and stumbled across Savannah, GA – an American city with a European charm- we were hooked! Not only did people gush about it as a wedding destination, but Magnus and I had taken a surprise weekend trip there when he lived in Florida and fell in love with the city. In love to the point that we joked how we would one day buy a mansion on one of the many squares and retire. At the time little did we know we would end up staying in one of those mansions {The Wedding Cake Mansion} on our wedding!
Knowing nothing about wedding in Savannah, I started my research and realized a friend of a friend was an event planner in Savannah. I remembered seeing pictures of her wedding and loving her style so after an introduction we booked Ashley of Ashley Warren Harless Event Design immediately. Ashley introduced us to some amazing vendors and locations and after a whirlwind planning weekend we fell in love with 10 Downing. With the location in hand we planned our color scheme….. neutrals with hints of light blue and light grey to create a classic romantic feel. The minimalist venue was the perfect blank canvas for our wedding. With beautiful hardwood floors and simplistic features in the venue’s main room to the brown bar room for the cocktail hour we were able to get that old world charm with just the right hint of modern for me and my soon to be Scandinavian husband’s tastes. Our florist A to Zinnias worked with us to pick the perfect look with white roses and hydrangea placed in handmade wooden planters carved with our initials and set the room with many candles. And our cake was exactly what we wanted, not only did Carrie of TWO Cakes design it exactly as I described but it tasted amazing.
Wedding Photography: LeeAnn Ritch Photography / Ceremony Venue: Historic Whitefield Chapel in Savannah, Georgia / Reception Venue + Catering: 10 Downing in Savannah, Georgia / Wedding Design + Coordination: Ashley Warren Harless Event Design / Floral Design: A to Zinnias / Wedding Cake: Two Cakes / Rentals: Jennifer Garcia from Nuage Designs / Accommodations: Wedding Cake Mansion / Wedding Dress + Bridesmaids’ Attire: J.Crew / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew