Bound together by their love of each other, of family, of travel, and of the South, these two cuties tied the knot in a picturesque celebration planned by Posh Petals + Pearls and captured by Dana Cubbage Weddings. By incorporating family tokens, Southern traditions, nods to their adventures abroad (hello, koala cuff links!), and carefully selecting each stamp for the invitations, this sweet bride and groom crafted a celebration as meaningful as it is beautiful. Read all about their thoughtful touches, the meaning behind those stamps, and the significance of the koalas in the bride’s own words, below!
From Dana Cubbage Weddings… My first wedding of 2018 was a showstopper. Beautiful bride Thayer looked stunning in her lace gown, while her handsome groom Josh looked oh-so-dapper in his classic black tuxedo. Pair that with a really fun bridal party, a gorgeous tented reception, and perfect weather…it doesn’t get much better!
We started their day with a sweet first look at Lowndes Grove, followed by portraits and group photos. Everyone was so sweet and cooperative despite a slight chill in the air. Before long, everyone was headed downtown to St Mary’s church, where Thayer and Josh said, “I do!” in a romantic evening ceremony. Guests were shuttled to Lowndes Grove as dusk fell, greeted with signature cocktails and delicious passed appetizers. As guests were welcomed into the reception space, everyone just oohed and ahhed at the brilliant reception space, elegantly designed by Posh Petals and Pearls. The dance floor was packed all night, and everyone was having such a good time. At the end of the night, Thayer and Josh exited through a tunnel of sparklers – the perfect ending to their fairy tale day.
From the bride… Our wedding style inspiration was really based around the winter season and wanting to throw a romantic, intimate party for our closest family and friends. We loved the idea of mixing winter colors and textures with lots of fresh greenery and a clear top tent to give our wedding a wintery, lush garden vibe. We’re both from the South, with Josh growing up in Savannah and me being born and raised in Atlanta, so we wanted our wedding to incorporate some traditional Southern details, like the menu full of traditional Southern favorite with a modern twist and the acrylic and dark wood calligraphy signs. We also brought in décor details such as oyster shells taken from Josh’s home in Savannah that were originally part of many family oyster roasts with us together with Josh’s family in their backyard.
Family is very important to both of us, so we wanted to incorporate pictures at the reception of our parents’ and grandparents’ wedding days for good luck as they all represent the start of lasting, loving, happy marriages. We both love to travel, so we decided to use the names of cities for our table numbers that each represent places we’ve visited together and made great memories in over our eight-year relationship. We also included vintage stamps on our wedding invitations that each represented something dear to us: Georgia and Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games stamps to represent where we’re from, a Utah stamp to represent where we currently live after our surprise move back in February, a science stamp as I am a scientist currently working towards obtaining my Ph.D. in Immunology, a globe stamp to represent our love of traveling together, a U.S. Navy stamp as my father and late grandfather were in the Navy for many years, and an elephant stamp to represent our love of animals and trip to Tanzania for a dream honeymoon safari. Overall, we tried to combine touches of Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston, three amazing but very different Southern cities, in a way that reflected us as a couple as well as our families.
For my “something old”, I had lace trim from the veil my mother wore at her wedding sewn onto a clutch that I used on the wedding day. For my “something borrowed”, I had mementos from each of my grandfathers who have passed away, including my paternal grandfather’s U.S. Navy wings pin, attached to my bouquet. Josh wore a set of koala cufflinks that I gifted to him because he proposed to me on Raymond Island – a tiny island off the coast of Australia with a large natural wild koala population – while we were traveling together in 2016.
Photography: Dana Cubbage Weddings | Cinematography: Siegel Films | Event Planning: Posh Petals and Pearls | Floral Design: Branch Design Studio | Wedding Dress: Mikaella Bridal | Cake: Patrick Properties | Stationery: By Invitation Only | Ceremony: St Mary Catholic Church | Reception: Patrick Properties | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Patrick Properties | Hair + Makeup: Ash & Co. | Lighting: Charleston Uplighting | Band: The After Party Experience | Men's Attire: The Black Tux | Bridal Boutique: La Raine's Bridal Boutique | Rentals: Ooh! EventHaus