Real Weddings : A Peachy Perfect Couple

Sure... Georgia might be called the peach state, but Lauren and Ryan know the truth. 

Alabama peaches  =  love!

And, to be sure, their wedding was a celebration of everything dear to the heart of a true southerner. True romance, the scent of sweet flowering trees on a warm breeze, oodles of friends and family gathered around food and backyard games, and - of course - fresh peach pie!

 Lauren's rustic but elegant bouquet leans against a picket fence in front of an old Presbyterian church. The bouquet had the perfect finishing touch with burlap and delicate ribbon.

Bridesmaid's nosegay bouquets of peach roses and tiny white spray roses, stock, seeded eucalyptus and scabiosa pods. 

We loved all the little details Lauren and Ryan sprinkled throughout their reception such as apothecary jars filled with peaches and adorable hand-painted signs for stations where guests played games like cornhole and badminton.

What better way to show off this peachy perfect wedding cake than a huge peach basket and sugared peach leaves.

Did you know that the peach is the official state fruit tree of Alabama? 

Or that Alabama's peach industry is the state's leading commercial fruit crop? As a matter of fact, peaches have been grown in the state since the early 1850s.

So if you're making you summer travel plans and you love big, juicy peaches, then be sure to check out this like to this Southern Living Magazine article on where to find the best peach stands in Alabama. Mmmmmm!


A special thanks to photographer Jessica Messer and wedding planner Alene Gamel.

Weddigs 2011: A European Wedding in the Deep South

A crusty baguette and freshly cut roses fill the the basket of a rouge red bicycle rested casually against an old brick wall. At once, what appears to be an everyday scene from a quiet residential avenue in Provence is actually one of several vignettes designed to transport wedding guests to a European destination far from Alabama -- if only for a single evening.

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Joann and her wedding planner, Alene Gamel, brought Lillie's on board to set the scene for an evening in the South of France at the historic Avondale Villa in Birmingham. If ever there was a venue that exudes genuine, old world charm from corner to corner, it is this place. 

 

So how to make a charming spot more charming? 

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One vignette included an iron tabletop arbor with fresh flowers and a vine of smilax winding its way up. Sap buckets, wirework baskets and watering cans were set about with flower bunches and freshly cut rosemary to emulate a European market setting. Bride Joann had planted pots of French lavender and collected wine crates to use with our iron lanterns and candles. We worked with Natalie at Kathy G. & Company to complete the scene with purple cabbages and fresh cheeses.

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The mottled petals of this antique green hydrangea tucked into a box beneath the crudites  looks as if it has been sprinkled with nutmeg.

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The finishing touch...as a late night surprise, Joey and Joann had milk and cookies sent out to their guests. Yum

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.

Weddings 2011: Blue thistle and a Greek Orthodox wedding

January is anniversary month for Alex Petelos Vakakes. Alex married on a beautiful sunny January day at the Holy Trinity - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral in downtown Birmingham. Thank you Amber Ford for sharing images of the day. 

Alex carried a hand tied garden bouquet of Amelia roses and thistle with touches of seeded eucalyptus and fragrant freesia.

Alex requested slate blue thistle with Akito roses for her bridesmaids.

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a girl and her daddy . . .

~ father daughter dance ~

If you look closely at the boutonnieres the men are wearing you will notice a tie of tartan plaid in honor of Alex's Mother and Grandparents from Scotland. Of course the blue thistle was also a nod to her European heritage.

Anita of AK Brides and her team kept the wedding day running on schedule and we were happy to be on the wedding team.

~ happy anniversary Alex Petelos Vakakes ~

Weddings 2011: Fall leaves and wood slices

Fearless color isn't the only fearless thing about Ryan and Whitney's wedding. After all, this is the groom who chose to pop the question in one of  the most daring ways I've heard (And I've heard a bunch!) He sent his beloved, Whitney, high into the air aboard a skydiving plane and then stood at the target landing sight with a giant sign:

"I Love You Whit. Will You Marry Me?" 

Come to think of it, Whitney is the real firecracker! How many girls would jump from a plane into the arms of her man? 

And so it was appropriate that Whitney's wedding at The Sonnet House was a riot of fall's brightest colors: firecracker red, tangerine, and fearless yellows. 

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I love how photographer Frank Carnaggio captured the intensity of Whitney's bouquet of tulips, freesia, rosehips, and billy balls.

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 The rustic mantle at the Sonnet House was the ideal foil for a swath of fall foliage and vines.

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To round out the rustic theme,Whitney's precious parents brought in these wonderfully aromatic slabs of cedar from a fallen tree.

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Weddings 2011: Fall Dahlias and a Charm Bouquet

From the first few minutes into meeting Betsy I knew it was a match make in heaven...sure, Jonathan and Betsy make a great pair too, but I'm talking about me and Betsy. All the things she wanted to bring to her special day were second nature for me. A love for soft, natural elements and a romantic, garden aesthetic.

Looking at these wonderful images shot by Amanda Pair and her equally talented friend, Wynter Pate, it's easy to see how Betsy's vision was perfectly matched for the venue she chose, The Sonnet House.in Leeds, Alabama. The historic home and grounds are a balanced blend of pristine and patina. Just look how russet dahlias and delphinium sing against that blue gate and rusted roof!  And, oh, that kiss!

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Love for family was the golden thread that ran throughout Betsy and Jonathan's wedding day. Betsy's charm bouquet wrap suited her charmed wedding

We were happy to get to work with some of our favorite friends on Betsy's wedding day. Jerrod and Corey do such a great job at the Sonnet House and John and Angela Deaver at Main Street Productions are always fun to have around on wedding day!

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I wanted to share my favorite shot last. Betsy and her mother, no flowers necessary. Just an honest and lovely depiction of the wonderful bond between mother and daughter. 

I want to call my mom....