A Classic Southern Wedding With Modern Twists At Arlington Hall

Melissa Hammam
May 24, 2023
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, Seasonal Wedding Trend, The Blog, Traditional Elegance, Winter

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

The wedding colors were pink, blue and white with touches of gold.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

The two words I kept returning to, to describe my wedding vision were romantic and elegant. I wanted a classic Southern wedding with a few unique, modern elements. The wedding was formal, but it was important to us that the flow of the night created a warm and relaxed feel for our guests.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Warren and I visited NYC (his first time!) last April, and on the first morning in the city, he got down on one knee in the middle of the mall in Central Park. The combination of him being extremely relaxed, and me thinking a proposal would be coming later in the year, was truly the best surprise! It proceeded to rain the entire day, but we were lucky to have the sun shining and see the cherry blossoms that morning. We spend the rest of the weekend celebrating in the city and will remember that trip forever!!

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

Monique Lhuillier has always been my favorite wedding dress designer due to her signature feminine, romantic lace gowns. I went to several different boutiques but found my dress at the Neiman Marcus Bridal Salon in downtown Dallas. After trying on many dresses that weren’t the one, I thought we would leave the salon empty-handed until my amazing consultant brought in a sample from Monique Lhuillier that she thought matched my vision. Before I even tried it on, I thought it was the most beautiful gown I had ever seen. The dress has layers and layers of lace paired with a corset top, low back and subtle shimmer. A few months before the wedding, I decided that I wanted to get a reception dress that was a bit more modern and that contrasted the classic ballgown style of my first dress. I have always loved the signature bow dresses from designer Alexia Maria and thought the Margaret Gown perfectly fit my vision for a second dress! It was so much fun wearing that dress; I never wanted to take it off!

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

I have always wanted blue bridesmaids dresses, and Bella Bridesmaids has the perfect icy, satin, pale blue fabric. The dress I chose is a trumpet style with a square neckline and slit — all of my girls looked incredible in it, and I’m so happy with our choice!

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

The groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos with bowties and suspenders from The Black Tux.

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]

We stuck with the Southern vibe when it came to food. Hors d’oeuvres included bacon-wrapped chicken, brie in mini Filo cups, and filet mignon crostini. Dinner was a wedge salad paired with a delicious pecan-crusted chicken with mashed potatoes and haricots verts. One of the night’s highlights was having a coffee cart pre-ceremony and during cocktail hour, which served all of your classic coffee drinks, espresso martinis, and Irish coffees! It was a bit chilly, so a warm drink was just what we needed.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

I wanted to figure out a way to pair pink and blue (my two favorite colors) together without it giving baby shower vibes. We kept blue in the accents like napkins and bridesmaids’ dresses with our florals being white and lots of different shades of pink. Our florist made everywhere you look magical, gradually bringing more color in as the event progressed.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Panini Bakery designed a 5 tier cake showcasing our wedding crest, the lace from my gown, and lots of real florals between each tier. I gasped when I saw how beautiful it turned out! We chose a white chocolate mouse with raspberry filling and dark chocolate mousse. SO delicious!

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

We had a true mix of classic and modern songs for our ceremony, which were all played on a string quartet. I walked down the aisle to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis, and our recessional was to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” a song I have always loved since watching The Parent Trap!

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Since early on in wedding planning, I was obsessed with the idea of using French Macarons as place cards at each guests seat. I thought it would be cool aesthetically, but really wanted them to be a delicious treat that guests got when they first sat down at their table. We tried a few macarons from various places and didn’t love them, so my mom and I decided to try making them ourselves. A few tries (and errors) later and after turning my parent’s kitchen into a bakery, we had 300+ macaroons made. Not only did they turn out cute, many guests told us it was the best macaron they’ve had![/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]The bide’s sister embroidered our head table napkins with our wedding monogram that was used in many details. [/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]I’ve always loved the classic look of a checked black and white dance floor and incorporating this in to the design was a must![/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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