Weddings: A Summer Wedding in Blue and Lavender

Once again, more proof that 2011 was the undisputed year of weddings in the color purple...

From the very start, Bride Courtney knew what she wanted. "Carol, please make the bouquets look like a bunch of wildflowers just picked from a field." So we fashioned these garden-fresh bouquets of lavender stock, waxflower and heavenly fragrant tuberose that absolutely popped against the bridesmaids' royal blue dresses.The color scheme was fresh, cool and easy on the eyes, even on a hot August afternoon deep in the heart of the south.

 

For the bride's bouquet, we paired the feminine Amelia rose with clouds of Queen Anne's lace that floated and moved at the slightest breeze.

I love having Brandon and Stacey Gresham's cameras snapping a Lillie's wedding. Stacey told me once that flowers were among her favorite things to shoot on a wedding day, and you can sure tell it here. I'm a sucker for crisp and clean color in wedding photography.  

The ceremony was held at this adorable white wooden church in Branchville, Alabama.

The church's simple white mantle was transformed into a flower garden with spires of larkspur, stock and bells of Ireland growing up through tufts of hydrangea anchored to a mossy base.

For the reception, we set out simple and blooms in a fantastic assortment of milk glass containers collected for the occasion by the bride's family.

As I write this, having just arrived home from a weekend wedding out of town, I am reminded of how a good wedding planner can make all the difference between a well-orchestrated event and a fiasco. Anita Kanellis, planner for both Courtney's wedding and our most recent event, was the string that kept all the moving parts connected. 

Check out the video by Cam Productions for a closer look . . . http://vimeo.com/16038965

Weddings 2011: Elegance and purple roses at Ross Bridge Resort

gratitude ~

More perfect weather could not have been ordered for Kiella and Jamal's wedding day at Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort. The early fall sky was clear blue and the temperatures in the 70s with a little fall breeze in the trees. But the perfect weather was not the coolest thing about the day.

 A most unusual thing happened the afternoon of the wedding that the bride still probably doesn't know . . .

As I was cleaning up and loading the van after flowering the arch, the groom in his tuxedo came JOGGING towards me across that wide stone terrace at Ross Bridge!

. . . Big smile big guy . . .

Miss Carol, "Thank you so much, it is all beautiful!"

Wow . . . well that never happens, WHAT a SWEETHEART ~ what a gentleman!

I will never forget that. It's not often people express gratitude.

Honestly we really felt it was quite an honor to work on this wedding. Kiella is an event planner for a large Embassy Suites in North Carolina and has excellent taste. She knew exactly how she wanted the ballroom to look and I was thrilled she chose us.

Bride Kiella LOVED purple, purple and more purple.

Bridesmaid's bouquets of coolwater and bluebird roses with royal stock.

Ross Bridge is beautiful on a Fall afternoon don't you think?

Bride's bouquet of Amelias with a sweet ruffle on the petals.

The weather was PERFECT that day -- fall must be the best season for outdoor weddings, particularly here in the South!

Bride Kiella timed her ceremony perfectly ~ the pictures after the ceremony capture the long shadows and golden hue of the fall sunset.

A dozen large silver candelabra with Amelia roses and hydrangea gave the ballroom at Ross Bridge an elegant look with silver chivari chairs and elegant purple linens.

Dancing to the tunes of Just a Few Cats and Alvin "Cornbread" Garret.

The guest left for home with a sweet treat from Gigi's Cupcakes.

Perfect ending for a sweet girl with a dream of an elegant purple wedding.

Thank you Arden for the images from the day.