I couldn’t possibly put my finger on what I love most about this wedding captured by Scarlett and Stephen. And it’s not because there isn’t plenty to love, it’s because everything blends perfectly together to make for one seriously fabulous celebration. It’s the vintage glamour mixed with the love of family. It’s the perfect planning by Emily Burton Designs. It’s the way this Bride’s boys (her son and new hubby) look at her. It’s all the sweetness sitting in this gallery. So perhaps I have put my finger on what I love most – everything. See it all here.
From the Bride… After the proposal, we started planning right away. One of the biggest challenges we faced was finding a venue. In my mind, I had a vision of an old Southern plantation. Such a place did not exist in our small town so I knew that I would have to create my own venue. We decided on my sister’s 30-acre farm, Maeford Manor, which was perfect for us because I grew up on a tobacco farm, and my husband and his family are blueberry farmers. Maeford Manor had a gorgeous oak tree that would be perfect for the ceremony, as well as the acreage needed for a large tent and dance floor and blueberry bushes. With that in mind we knew we had our work cut out for us and it was going to take all hands on deck to get the farm ready for the big day.
Overall, we wanted the wedding to reflect who we were as individually and as a couple. I love antiques and had a vision of vintage glamour throughout the wedding day details. I wanted to also incorporate a rustic feel that was a reflection of my husband, who is a farmer who loves to hunt and fish. Not only does my husband farm, but he is also a musician and has a rock and roll edgy side. Trying to make all these concepts flow was overwhelming and therefore, I hired Emily Burton designs to ensure that my vision was carried out perfectly, and it was!
My mother and I share a love of antiques and visit thrift stores often. After the engagement, we began looking through our collection to see what items we could use to get me closer to my wedding day look. I sent the word out to family and friends that I was looking for vintage china as well as antiques to display. Everyone came together and we were lucky enough to be able to cobble together enough plates for dinner, saucers for the wedding cake and cups for coffee. The vintage china along with the lace and burlap table clothes made my vision come to life.
My husband’s family is musically talented and therefore it was important to us that everyone to play a role in our wedding. My husband’s cousin played the piano as I walked down the aisle to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t she Lovely,” as well as sang our first dance song, “Unforgettable.” My father-in-law’s band, The Bushmen, kept everyone moving on the dance floor during our reception. My niece, sister-in-law and even my husband were on stage singing to celebrate one of the happiest days of our lives. It was as if we were at a family concert!
We brainstormed on wedding favors for our guests and came up with two that were a hit with everyone! As blueberry farmers, we spend the majority of our time in the fields preparing our crops for the next harvest; therefore, we wanted to share our pride and joy with others by making wine with our berries. My uncle learned to make wine from my maternal grandfather with whom I was very close so it was important to use his secret recipe for the process. My uncle prepared the wine and my husband and I along with other family and friends rolled up our sleeves and bottled all 150 gallons! Our wine labels were designed to match our wedding invites. We had heard from others that the day goes by so fast, with that in mind we decided on a photo booth in order to capture candid moments from our guests, give them as keepsake from our celebration and allow us to have an album of all our guests. The vintage photo booth with props was loved by all, especially the kids! Our son especially, he was in nearly every photo with our guests!
Some of my favorite moments included, the first time my husband laid eyes on me, as tears rolled down his face, his response was “Wow, it was so worth it!” Getting ready with my favorite girls in the world, my son running to me and grabbing me when he saw me in my gown for the first time, and hugging my maternal grandmother as she rolled up in her wheelchair only staying long enough to see me get married. My vision of walking through untouched nature to marry my best friend, while surrounded by my closest family and friends, under a beautiful oak tree came true. My ceremony was soft and romantic and as I walked to the reception there was pops of color, chandeliers, candelabras, vintage seating areas, string lights and a rustic bar with a TV installed so that everyone did not miss out on the SEC championship game that the GA Bulldogs played the night of our wedding. Everywhere I looked were all the details that I had imagined for so long. As we passed by the memory tree I was reminded that I truly did have everyone there that day that has made such an impact on our lives. Emily Burton designs had taken my dream and made it a reality.
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Photography: Scarlett and Stephen | Coordination: Emily Burton Designs | Floral Design: Johnson’s Town and Country Florist | Ceremeony + Reception Venue: Maeford Manor, Private Home | Band: The Bushmen | Catering: McClain House | Cinematography: Joel Rozier | Makeup: Paulina Perez | Hair: Mane Objective Salon + Paulina Perez | Cake: Savannah Custom Cakes | Wedding Dress: Lazaro | Shoes: Nina | Headpiece: Maria Elena Headpieces