Say what you want, but I’m ready to profess my love for a wedding. I’m not quite sure what put me over the edge… if it was the stunning blooms from Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio, the perfect palette to complement the Georgia fall colors, or the ridiculously perfect love that The Reason was able to capture (pretty sure it was the latter), but I simply adore it!
From the stunning bride… Taylor proposed to me on November 23rd in the church I had always dreamed of getting married in. We celebrated our engagement with friends and family that night in the Clubhouse, where we eventually celebrated our marriage almost a year later. Picking the venue was the easiest part of our wedding planning process, and we couldn’t have been happier with our decision. The Big Canoe Chapel and the Clubhouse at Lake Sconti provided the perfect location for our fall wedding. Since it was a destination wedding for both sides, we were able to make a whole weekend out of it and truly enjoy every moment! The bridal luncheon, rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception all took place in the Big Canoe community.
We both agreed that we wanted our friends and family to walk away from our wedding night thinking, “That was so them.” We aimed to create a romantic and vintage feel, while still keeping it simple and elegant. The overall lodge-like feeling of Big Canoe in addition to the rustic farm tables adorned with burlap and lace runners, barn wood boxes filled with ivory flowers, pillar candles, and a caramel apple favor (something I have wanted for my wedding since I was a little girl!) brought our vision to life. Instead of table numbers, we used letter flashcards from the 1940’s. My grandmother used the same flashcards to teach me how to read when I was little! My incredible stationery designer, Talie from Paisley Papers, made individual letter seating cards to match with each guest’s name to help them find their seat as they walked past Gertie Mae’s stunning floral wreathes to enter the reception. The laurel leaf also became a theme within our reception which stemmed from the beautiful hand drawn laurel on our invitations, also designed by Paisley Papers.
In addition, my dress was something that ended up going hand in hand with my wedding vision. I had seen Modern Trousseau’s “Ainsley” gown on their website, and I fell in love with the vintage lace over the latte colored satin. I thought it would be perfect for a fall wedding. Unfortunately the dress was not sold anywhere in Atlanta, and after trying to settle for other dresses, I drove to Nashville to give it a try. My mom, sister, and I all agreed it was “the one!” I couldn’t wait to put it on on my wedding day, and I love how the look came together with the cathedral length veil and my hair and makeup done by the wonderful Raney O’Keefe. Taylor was against anything involving a bow tie or cummerbund, and therefore we decided on his grey suit and navy tie. The suits eventually inspired the grey in our stationery, which I loved!
We not only desired for our wedding to look like us, but we wanted it to feel like us! One of our biggest goals was good food and a good party. We were not only happy with the outcome, but we were blown away! We were so happy that we decided to do a family style meal because everyone had a chance to sit down and enjoy themselves. The meal consisted of buttermilk fried chicken, prime rib, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables (a true southern supper!). The cakes were from a bakery in Athens, Georgia, and we ate cake from that same bakery on our first date together. It was another detail that was true to our story. Everything was delicious, and we still have friends telling us today how good the food was!
As soon as dinner was over, the dancing began. Time flew by as we were surrounded by 200 of our favorite people having an amazing time! Even the waiters and waitresses started dancing, and no one paused until the DJ announced it was time for our grand exit. We left in a dreamy white vintage Mercedes that The Reason captured in some of our favorite photographs from that day! We will treasure the video and photos for a lifetime. We are so glad to have had so many amazing vendors contribute to creating a flawless event and the happiest day!
Photography: The Reason | Videography: The Reason | Floral Design: Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio | Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau | Wedding Cake: Cecilias Cakes | Invitations: Paisley Papers | Ceremony Venue: Big Canoe Chapel | Reception Venue: Clubhouse At Lake Sconti | Brides Shoes: Nine West | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff | Hair And Makeup: Raney O'Keefe | DJ: D Street Entertainment | Favors: Mercier Orchards | Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Groom\'s Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Rentals: Blue Eyed Yonder