This sweet duo has rustic elegance down to an absolute science. From their crazy gorgeous sunset ceremony beneath a large oak tree to their chandelier and farm table filled reception at the always amazing Vinewood Plantation, it’s a serious lesson in southern charm meets downright sophistication. See every glorious moment captured by (once like a spark) photography right here.
From the Bride… When planning our wedding, we knew we wanted something unique, beautiful, and warm. We wanted our guests to feel at home and Vinewood Plantation had just the right touch of southern charm and rustic elegance our hearts were set on. Our family and friends are such an important part of our lives and we wanted everyone to feel like family that day, because to us, they are!
Our bridal party style was simple, neutral, and fun. I let the girls choose their own dresses within a blush color palette. I wanted them to show off their own personalities and they did a fabulous job. For the reception, I chose to wear a handmade headpiece by Doloris Petunia. It was absolutely my favorite piece of the night. I fell in love with detailed Swarovski crystals and silk petals and knew it would be the perfect addition to my look for the reception.
The ceremony under the wedding tree could not have been more beautiful. We chose to get married during the “golden hour” with the sun setting in the background. The natural setting our venue provided was so gorgeous that we decided to add minimal touches of decor. We had small flower arrangements on wooden barrels at the front of the aisles and a vintage mantle frame at the altar. To symbolize my husband’s father who passed away one year before our wedding, we had a picture and a candle placed on the mantle. We have kept both to be displayed in our home and this is so precious to both of us.
Of course, as tradition says, everything at our ceremony did not go exactly as planned. I was standing with my father preparing to begin the processional when my wedding planner, Maria, had a look of horror sweep across her face. I heard the pastor starting into a prayer that wasn’t supposed to begin until after I was there. Our officiant was so excited that he forgot to wait for me to walk down the aisle! When the pastor began the service without me, my sweet groom leaned in and said, “I think she may want to be here for this.” He didn’t realize the microphone was right there and all of our guests heard. Everyone had a good laugh and it is a funny memory that we will cherish forever. In the end, I did get to walk down the aisle and see my husband-to-be for the first time that day. We chose not to do a first look beforehand and that moment was something we will never forget.
The reception was held in the stables, which provided the perfect canvas for our imagination. We chose to utilize a variety of small details to create the atmosphere we wanted. The mismatched vintage china, multicolored antique goblets and stemware, assorted florals, lace and burlap runners, and crystal chandeliers created the inviting, shabby-chic ambiance we had envisioned. Having fun, mismatched stemware and china was really important to me, but we couldn’t afford to rent the average 6 pieces per guest. Instead, I handmade name tags and placed one on each antique goblet. Our guests could choose from any of the uniquely shaped glasses in varying hues of blush, amber, and purple, keep it for the night, and refill it with any libation they wanted. I also really wanted a picture table to display the precious wedding photos of our close family members. I framed the wedding photos in varying rustic frames I found from a local craft store and placed them on a table scattered with single stem flowers, our guest book, and tea-light candles. Above the frames, I strung my favorite photos of my husband and I with miniature wooden clothespins and twine along the chalkboard. This table was one of my favorite additions to the reception decor because of its personal meaning to our families and us.
We catered southern style food including shrimp and grits, a rib-eye carving station, fried green tomatoes, biscuits, jalapeno-pimento cheese sandwiches, and crab cakes. We had three different cakes, keeping in line with our eclectic wedding style. The cakes were lemon, white-chocolate raspberry, and carrot. Instead of a groom’s cake, we opted for a dessert bar with my husband’s favorites: mini peach and blackberry cobblers, as well as bourbon pecan pies. After everyone ate, we danced the night away to the music from our live band, Rustic Charlie. Later in the night, our guests enjoyed s’mores by the fire pit and we were sent on our way with an amazing sparkler send-off.
Our wedding may not have been perfect, but it was everything we wanted. We became husband and wife and spent the day celebrating with many of the people who matter most to us. What a beautiful day it was.
Photography: Once Like A Spark | Videography: Justin Suttles | Styling + Design: Vinewood Plantation | Floral Design: Southern Stems | Wedding Dress: Bel Fiore Bridal | Bride's Shoes: Steve Madden | Bridesmaids' Dresses: ModCloth | Catering: Tulla White Catering | Hair And Makeup: Face of Makeup | Groomsmen Attire: Bel Fiore Bridal | Venue: Vinewood Plantation | Cake And Desserts: Blooming Flour | Chandeliers: Funky Shack | Dessert Table Styling: Southern Flair Events | Headpiece: Doloris Petunia | Kimono Robes: Etsy | Vintage China: Southern Vintage | Wedding Dress Sash: Etsy