[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]
The wedding colors are Ivory/White, Black, and Gold Accents.
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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]
There were two specific visions in my head while dreaming of my wedding. First, I did not want people to be able to tell in which year we were married. Second, I did not want to pick details seen on repeat at other events. I tried to stray away from choosing extremely trendy elements, whether it be small details, color palettes, bridesmaids’ dresses, my hairstyle, and every detail in between. I kept thinking about the day that my children and grandchildren would look back at our wedding photos and hoping they would see our collaborative efforts in a timeless way. The design elements I chose stand the test of time and will still be elegant and classy fifty years down the road. I kept thinking back on wedding photos and the overall vibe aligning with classic brides like Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly. I wanted every moment to be extremely elegant and classy but also dramatic and glamorous. I opted for an optional black tie dress code, which fit the overall vision I had for the wedding perfectly.
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[field title=”Proposal Story”]
In the fall of 2016, we met briefly at the University of Alabama. By the end of the semester, we were talking for the first time. We mutually attended the same college church service on Thursday nights, and J.R. played guitar during the worship portion of the service. In passing, we would see each other. Towards the end of the semester, we would both seem to find reasons to linger and talk to each other after the service. The conversations were not flirty because, at the time, I had a boyfriend. We instantly talked about very deep topics, and we felt like we had known each other for much longer than just a few run-ins at church. Our magnetic attraction was mutual and natural. This made it easy for us to want to be near one another. When J.R. went home for Christmas break a few weeks later, he told his mom he had talked to the girl that he was going to marry one day. Fast forward to the spring semester of 2017, I ended that relationship I was in and also joined the worship team for vocals. When I did see J.R. after the rehearsals were over and in between, he was definitely shy towards me and didn’t talk too much. He would, however, always sit near me, and I would catch a few side glances. I noticed the conversations we used to have before Christmas break did not seem to happen as much, and I missed them. One night after rehearsal, I had a 7 p.m. final exam for my English class, so I had to go straight to the exam after rehearsal. That night, I had a courageous feeling come over me to ask J.R. to call out my study guide questions for my exam. We ended up getting to question number two before we got carried away into a long, deep conversation that you usually only have with someone who is going to be in your life for a very long time. It felt different. I lost track of the time and barely made it to my exam on time! A few weeks later, J.R. called me and told me he had feelings for me and wanted to pursue me, not just to go on dates with me, but felt like I was the one who God had for him. It was the first and only time I had ever been told so clearly by a guy what his intentions were, and I respected him so much for the way he handled it. After the spring semester ended, I landed an internship with the Rick and Bubba radio show based in Birmingham. J.R. is from Birmingham, so this allowed us to spend many days together that summer, and we officially began a serious relationship. J.R. proposed in September of 2021. He was living in Houston, Texas, at the time, and we had been in a long-distance relationship for about a year and a half. It was challenging, but we both never had doubts about our future, and both just looked at it as a season that would not last forever. Because of the space between us, the times that he would come to Birmingham were planned well in advance. I had a very busy schedule that summer, so my open weekends were limited. There was an obvious weekend that I kept thinking, “If he is going to propose this summer, this is the only weekend I could imagine him doing it.” A few days before that weekend, J.R. had convinced me he was very sick and went so far as to fake cough and tell me he had an awful virus that kept him out of work. He’s a mysteriously great fake cougher! So, the last weekend I had thought I would get engaged was a no-go. That same week, on Friday at about 4:00 p.m., my best friend showed up at work. It absolutely felt like an out-of-body experience because she lives in Indiana and had driven to Birmingham since 4 a.m., so I really couldn’t believe my eyes. She came with my makeup bag, the yellow dress I had always wanted to wear for my proposal, and letters from my family and best friends. Her arrival left me with plenty of time to get ready, pull myself together, and read the most precious letters from my favorite people. She drove me to the neighborhood where J.R.’s family lives. On the way, she pulled off to a beautiful barn in a grassy field. He was waiting there for me with a new bible with my new name on it. He had written the final letter and read it to me before he asked me to marry him. I have the letter framed and read it all the time. Afterward, we headed to his family’s house, where our family and friends were all waiting to surprise us!
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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”]
My gown was designed by the tremendously talented Anne Barge. It was fitted with a sweetheart neckline, gorgeous stitching at the waist, and a dramatic pleated bottom with a long train and buttons going down the back. I had always wanted a massive train, so we added a couple of feet to the original dress. The dress originally came in a crisp white, but I knew I wanted to have a dress that wasn’t completely plain at the same time. Anne Barge has an embroidery pattern called “confetti” that I was so drawn to and wanted to incorporate into the dress, but I didn’t want it to overpower the dress itself. My mom and I had an idea of adding the embroidery on the train and back of the dress to add the perfect “wow” factor! Carolyn in The White Room is an angel on earth and hand-embroidered the material onto the back of the dress. They helped me make my dress one-of -a-kind and getting to design part of it myself made me cherish it even more. I chose a long veil with a blusher and included the same confetti pattern that was embroidered on my dress. Everything came together so perfectly, and I could not have dreamt up a more dramatic and classic dress. My earrings were made by SJ Bailey Co., who specializes in designing bridal earrings. We worked together on the design of my pearl drop earrings together and added the smallest amount of rhinestone accents. They complemented the overall look perfectly. I even matched my earrings to my shoes, closed pointed-toe white satin heels with pearl and rhinestone accents by Jimmy Choo. Although I deeply loved all of these details, my favorite accessories were the heirloom jewelry belonging to my mother and grandmother. I wore my mother’s sapphire and diamond band on my right hand; this was a gift from my father on their five-year anniversary. I had admired this ring my entire life, and she surprised me the week of the wedding by getting it sized to fit my finger so that I could wear it on my wedding day. My grandmother’s wedding ring was pinned to the silk on my bridal bouquet, and she got to be with me every step of the way.
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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]
My bridesmaid’s dresses were designed by Amsale. They wore black strapless gowns with a fit-and-flare silhouette and folded detail on the neckline. I loved how timeless and dressy they looked. I have always loved the combination of black and white and wanted to incorporate that in their dresses somehow. We had our seamstress create silk ivory bands to go around the waist of each dress, which I had never seen before, and I loved how much it elevated the overall look! My mom was an absolute vision in her ice blue shantung silk dress that complimented her sapphire blue eyes perfectly. She had a vision for the dress – a one-shoulder neckline, fitted silhouette, and a stunning train. Victory Bridals in Florence was able to make my mom’s vision come to life. A sapphire bracelet and a sapphire and diamond necklace tied the look together so beautifully.
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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]For the ceremony, J.R. wore a custom-fitted black and white tuxedo with a black bowtie, cummerbund, suspenders, and black dress shoes. After the ceremony, he exchanged his tux jacket for a white dinner jacket and wore that for our sunset photos and the reception. I absolutely adored the white dinner jacket and it was the perfect element of classic glamour. The groomsmen also wore traditional black and white tuxedos with black bow ties, cummerbunds, and black dress shoes.[/field]
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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”]
When cocktail hour began, the guests were greeted with hors d’oeuvres consisting of pimento cheese crostini, mini lump crab cakes, and Conecuh sausage skewers. We had an open bar featuring a Yellowhammer as our signature drink, the staple beverage of the University of Alabama, as a nod to where our love story began. I also wanted to have a coffee bar for the guests to give them a little caffeine boost if they needed it before the band struck up because I wanted nothing more than to dance the night away with my family and friends! We opted for a seated dinner with a bread service and wedge salad to start, followed by a dinner of braised peppercorn short ribs, mashed potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts. Later during the reception, we passed out Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches as a late night snack, these proved a crowd favorite!
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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]
From my bouquet to the bridesmaid’s bouquets, to the arch on the altar, and everything in between, I knew I wanted my flowers to be all white. I wanted each arrangement to look very crisp. As much as possible, we used baby’s breath, white delphinium, and stock instead of leafy greenery. The flowers, especially with all of the baby’s breath, gave the entire ceremony and reception an airy, dream-like feel that proved simply unreal. Upon entering the ceremony, the guests were greeted with all-white floral wreaths on the doors consisting of garden roses, hydrangeas, calla lilies, white delphinium, and stock with a monogrammed sash at the bottom. Next, they walked under an arch of baby’s breath before being greeted by ushers. Baby’s breath lined both sides of my custom painted aisle runner and made the room feel so heavenly. My bouquet was solely luscious white peonies with clean cut stems wrapped in a monogrammed silk wrap. The bridesmaids’ bouquets featured a stunning mix of classic white flowers, including garden roses, calla lilies, hydrangeas, white delphinium, stock, and baby’s breath. The mothers and grandmothers carried small bouquets of white calla lilies with crisp stems. Calla lilies have always held a special place in my heart; they are my mother’s favorite flower and also were the ones she used at her wedding. I knew from the beginning of my planning journey that I would include this flower throughout our design. J.R. and my father wore calla lily boutonnieres. The rows of baby’s breath lining the aisle drew your eyes forward to the most jaw-dropping floral arch that encompassed us standing on the altar. The arch was curved in shape, consisting of baby’s breath, white garden roses, and white hydrangeas. I was simply at a loss for words with such a dreamy, textured, and clean color scheme. These different tones of heavenly white made the room feel like it was floating. For the reception centerpieces, we chose to alternate a few different floral designs that all felt cohesive. The room was flipped during cocktail time, so when you re-entered the reception, a long head table sat where the original aisle was during the ceremony. We filled in a lush and long row of baby’s breath down the length of the table. There is something so glamorous about the baby’s breath that continued to take my breath away in every place it was used. On the round and rectangular tables surrounding the oversized head table, we alternated the heights of each centerpiece. A few tables had tall, dramatic calla lilies; a few had tall mixed arrangements with white florals similar to the bridesmaid’s bouquets; and a few had short, wide vases of baby’s breath to match the head table. Equally as beautiful as the arch inside was the circular floral ring suspended over the dance floor on the terrace for the reception. The white stock, white roses, and white delphinium dangled downward, giving it a misty and romantic feel. Baby’s breath from the aisle runner was repurposed to line the top and bottom of the band stage. The high-top tables outside, the bars, and the restroom vanities had medium-sized mixed white floral arrangements and julep bud vase arrangements to bring the vibe of the dreamy florals to every corner of the reception.
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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]
Diane Olexa from Olexas Cafe is an absolute magician. I was utterly obsessed with my wedding cake, and the best part was that it actually tasted as amazing as it looked. But with the complexity of our design, the magnitude of how jaw-dropping the cake simply took my breath away. It was a solid white and smooth seven-tiered cake. Diane placed sheets of rice paper along the sides and conformed them to meet the curves of the cake. She painted the edges of the rice paper gold, and it was so beautiful it almost looked like crystals popping out of the cake. Words can’t even properly describe how glorious it was. The cake table stood on the white altar we used during our ceremony, with the flower arch in the background. It was the only proper setup for a cake that was so gorgeous! To this day, I have never seen a wedding cake like that.
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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]
Cahaba River Strings in quartet played our pre-ceremony and ceremony music. The grandmothers and mothers walked down the aisle to “Ave Maria,” and the wedding party walked down to “Canon in D;” My entrance with my father was the traditional “Bridal Chorus.” During the communion, the quartet played “The Blessing.” We opted for a traditional service, and we exchanged traditional vows with wedding rings. Our first dance song was “On My Way to You” by Cody Johnson, who is our favorite singer. My father-daughter dance song was one that will go down in the books! It was “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” by Travis Tritt. My dad gave a brief speech before we danced, explaining the special meaning behind it. When I was little and was in my car seat in the back of his truck, he would play this song, and we would sing it to the top of our lungs together. It has always been “our song,” and we sang it as loud as we ever have that night! The mother-son dance was “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw. J.R. and I shared a last dance as our guests lined up for the send-off to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Brother 2 Brother was the band for the evening, and they were absolutely unbelievable! They are the reason nobody left the dance floor all night long!
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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]
My mom is easily the most talented human being I have ever known. I have grown up watching her complete calligraphy project after project for weddings and commission pieces. She teaches classes for a global audience, has collaborated with Crane Stationery, and even co-edited The Speedball Textbook, 25th Edition. She is incredibly esteemed and admired in her field and is known for her one-of-a-kind flourishing that can be mimicked but never replicated. She has created her own calligraphy scripts and written a curriculum that is world-renowned. I’m not saying this because she’s my mom, but she’s absolutely the best calligrapher there is. She is so precious and would never brag on herself, so I’m going to! It’s honestly hard to summarize her talents in a paragraph because they are truly so immense. Her gorgeous work speaks for itself. We have always talked about how much fun we would have designing my wedding suite and wedding calligraphy my whole life and getting to actually sit down and brainstorm was a memory I would forever cherish. Of course, your wedding invitation will always be so special, but for mine to be handwritten by my mom, who has impacted so many people, makes the excellence of it simply incomprehensible. I had a vision for my wedding, but my mom knew exactly how to translate that vision into all of the paper details for the wedding. Trusting her vision included her creation of our invitation suite, cocktail napkins, rehearsal dinner invitations, bridal shower invitations, aisle runner, place cards, seating chart, and so much more. Her artistic touch was in every element of the entire weekend. She deserves all the praise and recognition in the world! Here are the specific details of our wedding suite: paper is from Arzberger Stationers; the stationer we used is Ledgewood Fine Stationery; the entire suite was hand-calligraphed by Suzanne Cunningham Calligraphy (my mama). The envelope liner was black with a hand illustration of our wedding venue in gold foil by Angelly Nissel, founder and creator of Leslie & Paper. The calligraphy done by my mom was a flourished Copperplate script featuring custom flourishes. Each element of the suite was double thick with a hand-painted gold beveled edge. The details card, accommodations card, map card, and reply card were custom sized by Arzberger Stationers; the map card had a custom-drawn map by Graham Carraway of J. Graham Studios. The wedding invitation featured a personalized guest line so that each recipient got to have their own custom invitation with their name hand-calligraphed on it (one of my favorite parts of the suite!). The crest at the top of the invitation was a custom drawn monogram by Graham Carraway of J. Graham Studios. The vellum enclosure on the outside of the suite was wrapped in gold twine and featured a custom wax seal by ARTISAIRE with our wedding date on it. So many creative juices went into making this suite absolutely spectacular, and it has never been done before. I will cherish this element of the wedding so much; every part of it is intertwined with so much love and care!
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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]
After dating for six years, it’s only natural for me to envision our first look many, many times. Actually, experiencing this moment was something I’ll simply never forget. The first look was the first moment that day that it hit me: Our wedding day is here, and it is real. We shared handwritten letters, and the moment was authentic and precious.
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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]I had always said I wanted my wedding reception to be a big party and wanted the guests to not want to leave the dance floor. It was a priority to book a great band and have the ideal reception set up for that, and multiple people ended up telling me after the wedding it was the most fun they’d ever had. I personally never left the dance floor after the mother-son dance was over, and it was so packed with people throughout the night. Brother 2 Brother was the best wedding band I had ever heard, and there was never a lull in the night or in the music. It was genuinely the best party I’ve ever been to and filled with all of the people we love. My parents surprised us with a live painter to capture the moment of our first dance, and I will cherish that forever. I wish I could go back and do that over again a hundred times more![/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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Photography: Hannah Miller Photography | Videography: Awaken Films | Wedding Planner: Faith Woods Events | Floral Design: CS Floral Design | Wedding Dress: The White Room | Cake: Olexas | Rings: Levy’s Fine Jewelry | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Makeup: Makeup By Reagan Cunningham | Hair: Kendall Brashier | Hair: Danielle Ivy | Lighting: AG Lighting | Band: Music Garden Bands | Groom’s Attire: Q Clothier | Groomsmen’s Attire: The Black Tux | Venue: Pursell Farms | Balloons: Up Up & Away Nashville | Bouquet Wrap & Wreath Sashes: Marsh Monograms | Ceremony Strings: Cahaba River Strings | Classic Car: Coats Classic Cars | Earrings: SJ Bailey Co. | Guestbook: Charming Scribe | Late Night Snacks: Chick-fil-A Sylacauga | Live Painting: Sherri Arias | Monogram: J. Graham Studios | Napkins, Cups, Koozies: PSI Printers & Stationers Inc. | Painted Champagne Bottle: Charli Gulledge | Paper Goods: Ledgewood Fine Stationery | Printing: Arzberger Stationers | Rentals: PropHouse Birmingham | Rentals: Pre Events | Rentals: Mullins’s Special Occasion | Venue Sketch: Leslie & Paper | Wax Seal: Artifiact Uprising | Wedding Submission Services: Published Pretty | Yellowhammer Watercolor Painting: Kylie Ann Artwork
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