Our hearts have fallen head over heels in love with this stunning summer wedding at Pursell Farms that is the epitome of a classic wedding. Southern Posies planned and decorated their day with abundant blooms from gardenia to peonies to ranunculus, all in a timeless color scheme of creamy white and “garden” green. Head on over to the full gallery to see all of the steal-worthy design details and aww-inducing memorable moments – taken by Ryan Ray Photography!
From the bride… Ben and I met at our friends’ wedding in Memphis where he was a groomsman and I was a bridesmaid. Both of us had mentioned to our friends early on in the weekend that we were interested in meeting each other, but I (Alexandra) was the one to make the first move, and I still give him a hard time about it to this day:) We immediately hit it off and started dating pretty quickly after. At the time, I was living in Birmingham, AL and he was in Nashville, so we were long distance for a little under a year. (We spent a LOT of time on I-65, we still probably could drive it with our eyes closed ha!) During my time in Birmingham I worked as a stylist/decorating editor for a couple of magazines, and am currently an interior designer in Nashville, so when it came to planning our wedding it was really important that it felt like us, almost like welcoming someone into our home.
My style as a designer is classic, collected, and detailed, and I wanted that same feel for our wedding day. When working with design clients it’s often the littlest details that bring the whole space together, which I think was very indicative of our day. We worked with Virginia Hart on all of our wedding paper goods and went for a design that felt like a spin on a really traditional wedding invitation, very ornate but with a more whimsical design and calligraphy style.
The illustration included all of the flowers that would be used throughout the wedding day: gardenia, peonies, ranunculus, etc. Those illustrations were carried out into the overall design of our reception through our choice of table settings, linens, tent draping, backdrops, and even my wedding dress! My dress was designed by Anne Barge, and customized to include tiny little flowers on the bodice and trailing down my veil. To match, I had jewelry designer Nicola Bathie, make little mother of pearl flower earrings for my bridesmaids to wear with their dresses.
We opted for very classic and fresh colors of a creamy white and “garden” green (two colors I use often in my design projects) for everything. Our venue, Pursell Farms was so lush and beautiful on its own that I really just wanted to complement the setting when it came to the design of our day. Our ceremony was very simple, we were married on top of “Outback Hill”, a piece of land that overlooked the lush rolling hills of the property, and for our reception we opted for a large open tent so guests could take in the beauty around them.
Beyond all of the fun design elements it was important to Ben and I that our guests felt “at home” in a sense. We kept our guest list on the smaller side so we could ensure we were able to speak to each person who attended and opted to serve a traditional seated dinner at long tables so guests could get to know one another over a meal. One of my favorite memories from the reception was when my father led everyone in prayer before the meal, it was so special to think that everyone there was praying in unison with and for us. We wanted the day centered on our friends and family and tried to involve them in any way we could. The most special (and memorable) family involvement was my 89 year old grandfather (who also married my parents) married Ben and I. None of the ceremony went as planed, mics didn’t work, it was so incredibly hot, my grandfather got mixed up on the ceremony order, etc., but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world! And, that would be my one piece of advice to brides, embrace every moment just as it comes, because wrapped up in those imperfections are some of the most beautiful memories.
Photography: Ryan Ray Photography | Cake: Barb's Cakes | Stationery: Virginia Lucas Hart | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Hair and Makeup: Perfectly Undone Beauty & Be Loved Beauty | Lighting: onsite productions | Transportation: Vintage Auto Irondale | Venue: Hamilton Place at Pursell Farms | Bridal Gown: Anne Barge | Catering and Bar: Hamilton Place at Pursell Farms | Ceremony Musicians: Cahaba River Strings | Ceremony and Reception: Pursell Farms | Groom and Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux | Placecards: Kara Anne Paper | Planning, Design, and Florals: Southern Posies | Reception Entertainment: Big Night Dynamite | Rentals and Drapery: Party Tables | Rentals and Tent: Pre Events | Tabletop Rentals: White Glove Rentals