[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]
Yellow, peach, orange, sage, green, aubergine, sea grass, and violet.
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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]
Because we were getting married at my parents’ farm in Athens, Georgia, we landed on the vibe of “farm chic.” We worked with Soeur Events to execute our vision of a cozy, home wedding with a modern twist. We wanted to combine traditional farm aesthetics (fields, grasses, trees, rustic finishes) with refined and sophisticated artistic flourishes from Soeur Events and Pollen Flowers & Goods. The design included everything from an embellished tree stump arrangement to direct our guests to the ceremony site to an exuberant arrangement of baby’s breath as a focal point to our ceremony. Quote from Soeur Events (event designer): “There’s something truly magical about an at-home wedding, and it’s an area where our expertise in tenting truly shines. We take immense pleasure in crafting bespoke experiences tailored to each client’s vision. For Callie, it was essential to create an event that stood apart from her sister’s, and we’re proud to say we delivered beyond expectations. Guests were greeted with refreshing cocktails on the lawn upon arrival, followed by a heartfelt ceremony in a secluded field lovingly prepared by the bride’s father. His dedication, from tending to ant hills to chopping wood, epitomized the lengths to which families go to ensure a flawless celebration. Underneath an elegant sailcloth tent, guests savored culinary delights from carefully curated stations, all in harmony with the rustic charm of the farmhouse surroundings, a vision meticulously overseen by Callie’s mother, whose impeccable interior design taste left a lasting impression.”
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[field title=”Proposal Story”]
We met in Atlanta in June 2020 through mutual friends. It was the first weekend in Atlanta after the pandemic began when restaurants and bars were allowed to be open. Woody was out with his friends, and I was out with mine, and then one of our mutual friends introduced us at the restaurant. We talked at the bar in the restaurant until it closed. The proposal took place at my parent’s farm in Athens, Georgia, which later became the venue for our wedding. It’s a very special spot for us as it represents family time relaxing in the country. That weekend, my older sister Anna was coming to the farm with her family, and Woody knew I would want to drive up to see them. On Saturday morning, we went for a walk, and he proposed to me at the pond on our property. When we got back to the house, both of our families were there to celebrate. Later that day, we went to downtown Athens, and ten of my best friends surprised me at a bar with champagne in hand! It was a day full of surprises and love from family and friends! When it came to deciding where the wedding would take place, choosing the farm was easy because it’s such a special, sentimental place to us. My older sister got married there as well, and I knew that I would want to do the same someday. One of the best parts of having it there was that we were able to have all of our favorite people in a place that was so familiar and meaningful to everyone. I was so excited being able to wake up there the morning of the wedding and get ready with all my best friends in my favorite place!
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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”]
I walked into my appointment at Mandi Jackson Bridal in Atlanta I thought I already knew what I wanted. But when I put on the Oscar de la Renta dress, I knew it was the one! It was something completely different than I had ever pictured myself wearing. It felt utterly timeless and I especially loved the floral applique details. We customized the dress with shoulder straps for the ceremony, which later came off for the reception. Near the end of the reception, I changed into a short dancing dress by Amur. It felt wonderful to lighten up at that point. And it was fun to wear a second dress. I chose to wear white all weekend. At the rehearsal dinner, I wore a white linen maxi by ALEXIS.
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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]
I knew from the beginning that I did not want traditional bridesmaids dresses and thought it would be more fun for everyone to choose a dress that they felt comfortable wearing and that they could wear again! I had been a bridesmaid in at least 10 weddings, and I did not want my bridesmaids to be stuck buying one more bridesmaids dress that would only be worn once. I gave everyone a color palette of earth-toned dresses and told them the dresses could be floral or solid, so there was a mix of each. I also sent everyone some inspiration photos to help them when looking for dresses. Each bridesmaid sent me their dress prior to picking for final approval, and it ended up working out perfectly. I thought all of the dresses looked great together, and they complemented the farm’s rustic charm and blended in with the surroundings. My two sisters were my maid and matron of honor. I wanted them to stand out from the rest of the bridesmaids as they were the only ones who stood next to me during the service, so they wore matching white dresses.
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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]
Although our wedding was in the country, we wanted a certain level of formality so the dress code was black tie. Everyone looked sharp in their tuxedos, especially Woody, who wore a classic black tux by Sid Mashburn and a black silk bowtie
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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]
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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]
After the ceremony, we passed signature cocktails to the guests. The drinks included my favorite, a margarita, and Woody’s favorite, an old-fashioned. Guests enjoyed Dennis Dean‘s passed hors d’oeuvres which included caprese skewers, lobster rolls, ahi tuna crudo and Spanish Christorra in puff pastry. Although we had originally considered doing a seated dinner, we decided that food stations would encourage guests to move around the property and sample a variety of exquisite dishes. We had four chef-attended stations, including street tacos, shrimp, and grits, leek-wrapped halibut over fettuccini, and braised short ribs with mashed potatoes. Guests mingled and ate while taking full advantage of the lounge areas designed by Soeur Events.
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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]
Quote from Pollen Flowers & Goods: “The style of the flowers needed to suit the family’s property, not only the pastoral nature of their landscape but also the modern but rustic style of the house. But, we had to be careful – we didn’t want anything to go dark or blend in too much — so we chose bright materials that would show up against the more organic elements we picked to use, like the tree stumps, baskets, and our grass pendants. We achieved this by using the white baby’s breath, white delphinium and yellow butterfly ranunculus, also bright yellow velvet ribbons. To keep these more pristine flowers feeling appropriate, we mixed in lots of foraged branches and plants that grow and bloom at that time of year. I loved that we were able to pull off a somewhat dressy event without feeling too “woodland.” I love the woodland look, but I think it can feel dated and dark if not in the right setting. This was both happy and bright while still reflecting the family’s easy and outdoorsy style.”
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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]
We tried to use as many local vendors as possible for our wedding, and the cake was no exception. Our favorite baker in Athens is Cecilia’s Cake Shop. After our tasting, we decided on a classic 3-tier buttercream wedding cake with vanilla and chocolate layers. Pollen Flowers & Goods adorned it with a few loose blooms of purple clematis on the vine. Just like the wedding itself, the cake was a perfect mix of traditional and rustic sophistication.
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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]
We loved it when the band came out with horns and led us and the guests to the dance floor to transition from dinner to dancing. Our first dance together was “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne. My favorite memory from the reception was dancing on stage with Woody and looking out and seeing the dance floor filled with all of our best friends and family, knowing they were having such a great time. Our band, TPG, was truly amazing and played for three straight hours.
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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]
Soeur Events orchestrated a beautiful white sailcloth tent decorated with hanging basket weave lanterns and inviting lounge areas. One of my favorite details was a large square wooden bar that served guests on all four sides so that no one had to wait in line for a drink. Milk and Honey Bartending was on hand to make cocktails all night long. Pollen Flowers & Goods decorated the bar with large foraged greenery in oversized hand-blown vases and finished with a loosely tied yellow velvet ribbon.
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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]
We wanted to finish the evening with a bang, so we arranged to have a sparkler exit outside the tent. Although it had been sprinkling on and off that night, the rain wrapped up at just the right time (I swear Erica Missell from Soeur arranged this just for us!). We took one last look at our guests, and Woody gave me a big kiss. Then, we took off in a vintage white Buick Wildcat convertible.
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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]My parents were both deeply involved in preparing for the wedding since it was hosted at their home. They worked with Soeur to ensure that the house itself as well as the entire property was primed and ready for hosting our weekend. And now that it’s over, we feel so lucky that we can return there and be reminded of our wonderful wedding celebration.
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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Photography: Liz Banfield | Cinematography: Philip James Films | Event Planning: Soeur Events | Floral Design: Pollen Flowers & Goods | Wedding Dress: Oscar De La Renta | Invitations: Paper Daisies Stationery | Catering: Dennis Dean | Lighting: Production Design Associates | Groom's Attire: Sid Mashburn | Bar Service: Milk & Honey | Beauty: Raney O'Keefe | Dancing Dress: Amur | Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Alexis Nolana | Rentals: EventWorks | Rentals: Peachtree Tents & Events