This Bride envisioned a traditional fall wedding with opulent florals, inspired by her mother’s love for flowers, and a wow-worthy cake. The team at Invision Events definitely brought her dream to life with the help of some of the South’s most talented vendors! HotHouse Design Studio installed over-the-top orchid- and hydrangea- filled floral arrangements anywhere and everywhere, and Barb’s Cakes created a wedding cake masterpiece. Needless to say, this gallery by Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography cannot be missed.
From Invision Events… Alex and Wes are college sweethearts who met while attending Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. Born and raised in the south, they knew they wanted a classic southern wedding full of opulence and glamour to set the stage for an over-the-top party to entertain family and friends. Alex chose a grounding color of deep emerald, complemented with ivory and gold. A traditional church ceremony at Cathedral Church of the Advent followed by a glowing reception at the Birmingham Museum of Art were just the beginning of this magical fete.
The team at HotHouse Design Studio sourced three varieties of orchids, and A Social Affair presented a menu boasting traditional Greek fare, Southern classics, an entire raw bar, and Mississippi tailgating favorites like tamales, french onion dip, and mini hot dogs. Not to be overlooked, the showstopping Bride’s cake was a fun and exciting focal point that tasted just as good as it looked!
The day was extra special as Alex and her girls were able to relax and get ready in her family home, which is always our favorite way to begin a wedding day. Other meaningful details were incorporated throughout including that they departed in the same vintage vehicle (with the same driver, too!) as Alex’s older brother and sister-in-law, who were married just a few years before. But before I get ahead of myself, let me have Alex tell you everything in her own words…
From the Bride… I am a girl who has pictured her wedding for as long as she can remember. Through the years, really not much changed! I always wanted a big, traditional wedding. I wanted a fall wedding, as it is my favorite time of year; whites, blushes, emerald, and champagne were a staple; a BIG cake; and TONS of flowers. I also wanted a long train, lace veil, big and beautiful church, and a trumpet. I guess I would say, I wanted a traditional, breathtaking, and love-filled day.
Wes and I both love our dogs more than we can say. We wanted them included in some way, so we decided to name our signature drinks after them. The “Scout” was Wes’s take on a Kentucky Mule, and the “Winnie” was my take on a French 77 (we even had napkins done with the drink recipes and our pups silhouettes)! Given that it was football season and Ole Miss (our alma mater) was playing, we handed out stickers like the ones you would see all over the Grove on gameday that said, “Alex and Wes love the Rebs.” My garters were another little piece that ended up being very special to me. I found a vintage, one-of-a-kind “love birds” charm during our engagement. It’s a gold coin, with two little birds sitting atop a diamond and a ruby. I attached this charm to my handmade garter that I got to design with LaGartier.
I think I have three favorite moments. Getting to see everyone for the first time is definitely a piece of the day that stands out in my mind. I let my Bridesmaids see me first, then my dad and my brother, but my first look with Wes was the most perfect part of the day. After that I would say walking down the aisle with my father is my second favorite. I can’t begin to put into words the magnitude of everything I felt, but being on my dad’s arm was the most perfect place at that moment. Lastly, saying goodbye to our families at the end of the night. Getting to thank them for everything, let them know how loved they are, and how loved they made us feel was just the perfect ending to the perfect day.
One of my favorite details was the wedding goblets my mom and sister found in the silver vaults in London. My brother and sister-in-law used them and had their wedding monogram and date engraved on them, and mine and Wes’s are too!
My mom’s love for flowers made them really important to me. I wanted them to be everywhere you turned, and they were! We had orchids, roses, hydrangeas, and greenery everywhere we could put it. It was exactly what I had envisioned.
I went into the dress process thinking I wanted long sleeves and lace everywhere, but in the end, once I put that dress on for the first time, I knew it was the one – with no lace on the dress itself! We designed my veil, and they did all of the lace applique by hand at the Pronovias flagship store in New York City.
My cake was seriously what wedding cake dreams are made of. It was a 7 tier, half chocolate, half yellow cake with buttercream frosting. It had flowers between each tier and was set atop the most beautiful “blanket” of flowers that cascaded towards the floor. It was just as delicious as it was beautiful. Wes’s cake was a 3 tier yellow cake with creamy caramel frosting. It had a duck on top as Wes is an avid duck hunter, and Scout made an appearance there, too, in the form of rice krispies!
The six pence in my shoe was an antique my mom found that had an oak leaf on it. We used oak leaves/acorns throughout the paper suite and even included little acorns on the bouts!
Wes’s gift was an out-of-production Ruger Red Label 28 gauge that I had hand engraved by Lisa Tomlin. It has his initials in gold inlay, our wedding date, one side engraving of Scout and ducks, another side engraving of Winnie and quail on it. (See, I told you we love our pups!) I also gave him a letter and a journal I had been writing in for 3 years with love quotes, Bible verses, and sayings I had found.
My piece of advice would be to truly enjoy every second of the process and TRUST your planner, as well as the process itself. It is the most wonderful time. You’ll have parties and showers that prove just how loved you are as individuals and as a couple. There were moments (few and far between) that I found myself completely stressing, but at the end of the planning time, everything falls into place. It all works just like it should, and all of the little details you stressed about worked themselves out. Just appreciate and delight in being engaged, being celebrated, and being loved. You’ll never have another time like this in your life – it’s special! Don’t forget that.
Photography: Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography | Cinematography: Inkspot Crow Films | Event Design: Invision Events | Event Planning: Invision Events | Floral Design: HOTHOUSE DESIGN STUDIO | Wedding Dress: Pronovias | Cake: Barb's Cakes | Stationery: Allison R. Banks Designs | Stationery: Paces Paper | Ceremony Venue: The Cathedral Church Of The Advent | Reception Venue: Birmingham Museum Of Art | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Dessy Collection By Vivian Diamond | Catering: A Social Affair | Makeup: Rachel Griffin | Hair: Tonya Jones Salon | Calligraphy: Allison R. Banks Designs | Groom's Attire: Mr. Burch Formal Wear | Groomsmens' Attire: Mr. Burch Formal Wear | Transportation: Coats Classic Cars | Transportation: Rare Transportation | Garter: La Gartier Wedding Garters | Lighting + Draping: Unique Event Elements | Linen Rentals: BBJ La Tavola | Linen Rentals: Party Tables | Rentals: PropHouse Birmingham | Rentals: Event Rentals Unlimited