A chic color palette of metallics and black and white makes for a guaranteed stylish soiree; add in one athletic and glamorous couple and the whole bash becomes even more beautiful. Planned and designed by The Graceful Host, this Southern wedding takes sophistication to a whole new level, and Lauren Rosenau snapped every second of it for us to crush on in this gorgeous gallery right here!
From The Graceful Host… Emily Breeze and Montell are both athletes from Virginia who knew of one another growing up, but never formally met. They were introduced by a mutual friend, but were completely uninterested in each other originally. In fact, neither of them were attracted to each other in the beginning! But after developing a strong friendship and talking daily, their friendship turned into a sweet romance. Then during a trip to Chicago, which is one of their favorite cities to visit, Montell proposed to Breeze. And shortly after their dream proposal, Breeze and Montell jumped right into planning for their October wedding!
When planning for their wedding our bride knew that she wanted something different – something that stood out from the rest. This bride wanted a wedding style that was all her own, with a color palette that was timeless. With an ivory, gold, and black color palette we created a design centered around a mix of traditional Southern elegance with modern sophistication. The bride and groom choose the venue, the Duke Mansion, for it’s elegance and historical roots. For the decor, we used lush textures with the floral and linens, and then mixed in pops of geometric prints giving a nod to modern style among the more classic designs. All-white, elaborate floral centerpieces and floral chandeliers by New Creations Flower Company filled the dinner tent beautifully. In addition to the metallic elements throughout the design, we included many mirrored accents throughout the tablescapes, like the oversized mirror seating chart and mirror place cards. The 8 foot mirrored tables from Nuage Designs were simply breathtaking and spoke to our bride’s style perfectly!
Even with our bride’s desire to stand out from the traditional in her decor, she still wanted to have a wedding that would stand the test of time in other ways. Breeze choose a Modern Trousseau gown from Hayden Olivia that had a classic shape with some major flare. As a professional athlete, the wedding dress was an important and personal purchase for Breeze. And she added heirlooms to her bouquet from the her paternal grandparents as a way to honor their memory on the wedding day; just as the color palette was rooted in tradition, but executed in a new and unique way.
The guest experience was of utmost importance to Breeze and Montell. We had jazz singers serenading guests during dinner, and then to get the party started, Split Second Sound was on hand to entertain all night long! A cigar roller was present during cocktail hour to pass out freshly rolled cigars and teach guests about cigars – which was actually a surprise from the bride to her groom! And then as another surprise, local mixologist Bob Peters was available to serve a few specialty drinks chosen by the bride and groom especially for their wedding.
One of the bride’s most emotional moments of the day was walking down the aisle with her dad. Just before the wedding ceremony the skies opened and it started to pour down rain! We were fearing the worst thinking we might have to pull the intended outdoor ceremony indoors. As the wedding planner, deciding to keep the outdoor wedding outside rather than pull everything indoors as it’s raining and guests are arriving is not an easy decision. But my gut was telling me that everything was going to be okay – even when the radar was impossible to predict! It was the right decision in the end, and the bride got to have her dream ceremony outdoors in the beautiful garden at the Duke Mansion. The moment I sent Breeze down the aisle to greet her groom was one of the best of my career – and I love seeing the emotion on her face as she’s walking with her dad! Our beautiful bride is an only child, so this day was special just as special for him, too. For this daddy’s girl, this amazing moment is priceless. The two of them cried a lot – and it was perfect!
Photography: Lauren Rosenau Photography | Event Design And Planning: The Graceful Host | Floral Design: New Creations Flower Company | Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau | Wedding Cake: Kathy Allen Cakes | Shoes: Valentino | Wedding Bands: Diamonds Direct | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Amsale | Catering: Duke Mansion | Makeup Artist: Erin Ashley - Makeup Artis | Hair : Mirror Bomb Studios | Calligraphy: The Graceful Host | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Wedding Venue: Duke Mansion | Tent: Party Reflections | Bridal Boutique: Hayden Olivia Bridal | Invitations And Paper Goods: Pink Toast Ink | Mixologist: Bob Peters | Reception DJ: Split Second Sound | Rentals: Party Reflections | Rentals: Nuage Designs