I get a little too excited when I see a wedding from Amy Arrington, and I’ll tell you why. Her images always tell a gorgeous story, one where even the simplest moments stand out. Her ability to capture a day in that way always leaves me chomping at the bit to get her work on the pages of SMP as soon as I possibly can. The only problem is, it’s basically impossible to choose my favorite images from a wedding as gorgeous as this one, so be sure to check them all out in the full gallery of gorgeous.
From the Bride… From the dreaming stages, my husband and I knew we wanted each piece of our wedding on the lake to be uniquely meaningful. From highlighting our families by placing them on the platform with us, surprising our guests with a show from the Groom’s improv troupe, entertaining the kids with lawn games, creating a family-style table setting, we attempted to create an environment that emphasized what we felt were the key elements of any marriage. The wedding ceremony for us was a celebration of family, community, and faith.
From the beginning, we wanted to maintain a hands-on approach in the design and development of the ceremony and the celebration to follow. We personally created concept sketches, collected each vintage centerpiece, assembled flower arrangements instead of going with a floral boutique, and even built many of the ceremony’s decorative elements. I designed the save the date, the program and other graphic elements, and worked with the lovely Anya’s bridal to personalize my ruched satin and soft organza ruffle wedding gown, deciding to add some sassyness and contrast to it by angling its straight fit and flare silhouette and adding a bridal trim I found on Etsy.
We chose a rustic door as the ceremony centerpiece. This kept our family, community and faith in the forefront because we wanted our new home to have an open-door-policy for all three. My husband, using a painting technique his father taught him, painted and weathered the door with our mint accent color and adorned it with a cross made out of a door handle which we found at an antique store. It only felt natural to include outdoor elements in the design as well, so we created an earthy display for our desserts by having a table top made of planed and varnished sections of tree trunks with wooden barrels for legs. We used salvaged twigs in our DIY flower arrangements, and placed flowers in each bridesmaid’s hairstyle. We kept things fun for our friends and family with the Mongoose Improv show, silly photo booth, gelato and cappucinos, sweet table loaded with delicate desserts created by my aunt and her company Trudle’s Catering, and metallic hand rolled streamers for our send-off. The atmosphere was fun and festive- a perfect blend of the sanctity of the occasion and the camaraderie of those who witnessed it.
We wanted our day to be a unique reflection of our individual personalities and our tastes as a couple as well as to give us the opportunity to highlight and give back to those who have helped make us who we are. This was an opportunity we cherished and, in the end, we think that’s exactly what we got. [dotted]
Photography: Amy Arrington Photography | Venue + Catering: Lake Lanier Islands Resort (Legacy Pointe) | Videographer: J & J Digital Media | Wedding Dress: Anya Bridal | Bridesmaids Dresses: Affordable Bridal | Groomsmen’s Attire: Charme Bridal | Bouquets + Boutonnières: Design House of Flowers | Decor + Floral Arrangements: DIY | Entertainment: Mongoose Improv | Cake: The Baking Grounds | Gelato: Dreamy Gelato & Chocolates | Sweet Table: Trudle’s Catering