Southern Wedding at the Ribault Club

Maegen and Joe had a gorgeous spring day {dare I say, summer day} for their Ribault Club Wedding. Decorated with southern blooms, and shades of blue, they had a perfect southern Soiree. One of my most favorite flowers are gardenias, and they are probably the hardest flower to work with because they brown so fast in the heat. But, I have to say these bouquets of Gardenias were beyond spectacular! Kristin at Happily ever after floral did such an amazing job!

Maegen and Joe- what a pleasure it has been to work with you guys. I am beyond happy for you guys, and Maegen am so thankful you were brought into my life. In case anyone wonders about divine intervention…we are living proof!

Their Fabulous Team of Vendor

Ceremony and Reception  The Ribault Club

Dress and Dress shop Modern Trousseau and The White Magnolia

Catering  Catering by Liz                  Coordination Catering by Liz

Floral Happily Ever After Floral             Hair and Makeup Sarina Durden

Invitations  AP design Co          Cake and Desserts Creme de la Cocoa

Video Pine and Perfume

 

I love Maeyens custom gown from The White Magnolia.




Bows + Diamonds… enough said

The lace on this dress, and the way it shapes on her back is so beautiful! The White Magnolia did a stunning job with her details.




Gardenias…not an easy flower to work with, but the smell is DIVINE! Such beautiful work by Happily Ever Florist!

The sunset at The Ribald Club never disappoints- mosquitos and all!

How did you two meet?
Joe and I met while playing trivia one night in Saint Augustine.  When I arrived to meet up with some friends, the only seat open was next to him.  He had me cracking up all night and impressed me with his smarts!

How did he pop the question?
Joe and I went on a trip to Kentucky to watch some horse racing and visit a few distilleries.  Right when we got off the plane, we headed to Buffalo Trace Distillery where Joe proposed in their gardens.

How did you choose your theme? Flowers? and overall wedding design?
Ever since watching Steel Magnolias, I knew that I wanted an outside, Southern wedding.  I wanted to see pearls, bow ties, suspenders, seersucker, and everything else Southern.  Magnolias were a given, being that they’re the flower of the South, so we lined our aisle with those.  The rest of the wedding was filled with gardenias, which are my mother’s favorite flower.  She used to grow them all around our house so I wanted to honor her by having those at our wedding.

What was the best moment{s} of your wedding day?
I think the best moment for both of us was our wedding ceremony.  Pastor Wes, who performed our ceremony, has known me since I was a little girl.  Joe and I had the great privilege of going through pre-marital counseling with him, which was the most important way to start off our marriage.  During our time in pre-marital counseling, we were assigned to ask our parents to write a letter of why they want our future spouse to be their son/daughter-in-law.  We weren’t able to read the letters until our ceremony, where our fathers came up and read them aloud.  It was such a special moment that we’ll always cherish.

How would you describe your overall wedding experience?
Joe and I both have wonderful memories from our wedding!  I think we can both agree that it felt short and sweet.  Time really went by fast!

What photography related advice would you offer to a couple?
Hmmm… I can’t say that we’re the most photogenic couple but Kelly always seems to capture moments that make us look good.  I think following her directions of where to stand, look, etc. makes it easy and quick!  I’m always so surprised how much good material she gets in such a short amount of time!

Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?
I went to the White Magnolia to pick out my dress with a few of my bridesmaids and close friends.  I knew that I wanted lace and long sleeves.  I think I had a Kate Middleton, classic look in my mind.  When I originally tried on my wedding dress, it didn’t have sleeves.  I really loved the lace and tulle so I asked if they could add sleeves.  Fortunately, Modern Trousseau agreed and I bought it, not knowing what the completed dress would look like.  When I went back to try it on when it was finished, I fell in love with it all over again and knew that it was the dress of my dreams.

How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?
My experience was a great one!  Kelly worked with us to make sure that we didn’t miss a moment of the wedding!  She even let us bring our desserts with us so that we could enjoy them while taking pictures!  Who doesn’t want a picture of your husband feeding you French macarons on your wedding day?

Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not!
We did not see each other before the wedding.  I tend to lean on the more traditional side so I really wanted to hold true to this tradition.  I think it was more emotional and special for us to share that moment with all of our closest family and friends.  I wouldn’t have changed it for the world!

Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos?
We honestly didn’t do much preparing.  Kelly had done our engagement pictures so we knew that she did amazing work.  We trusted her judgement and everything has turned out wonderful.

Did you find a store/site that had everything you were looking for?
Yes!  My makeup artist, Sarina Durden, works out of Pretty Simple Bridal Boutique in San Marco (Jacksonville).  I went to visit her there to have my hair and makeup trial.  While there, I feel in love with everything they had to offer.  Veils, garters, hair pieces, jewelry, bridesmaids gifts, etc.  I ended up buying a garter that day, as well as a few pairs of earrings for everyday use.  A few weeks later, I asked Sarina if she had a good seamstress to alter my dress.  Thankfully she did and she worked out of that same boutique!  Robin made my dress look so beautiful and flattering!  During that visit, I bought pearl earrings for my bridesmaids, a bracelet for my flower girl and put in an order for personalized handkerchiefs for mine and Joe’s parents.  Everything turned out so beautiful!!  I am so thankful for Mandy and her shop!!

What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?
I was so afraid that it would rain but it ended up being 0% chance of rain that day.  The weather was perfect!  I was also afraid that I would be a blubbering mess, crying the whole time.  Surprisingly, I did okay and it was Joe that got emotional.

Any tips that you have about preparing your wedding party for the photos? What did you tell them, how did you get them to cooperate, what did you do or what would you have done differently?
We trusted Kelly and her judgement!

Any tips on what to bring?
Read the instructions on the emails from Kelly prior to leaving for the venue!!  I didn’t do that and ended up forgetting my invitations and stationary.

What do you want to always remember from your wedding day?
I loved our ceremony so much and want to remember how we felt as we finally said “I do!”

“IF I only I knew!” what is one piece of advise you would give to brides planning their wedding day?
Pinterest is your best friend.

What kind of food was served at your reception?
We had a Southern menu (of course!).  During our cocktail hour, we had fried green tomatoes and grilled peaches wrapped in prosciutto.  Before our guests went to get their meals, there were preset dips and spreads at their tables.  They could choose from pimento cheese, black bean salsa, and pico de gallo (an homage to Joe’s Texas roots).  For the meal we had beef tenderloin and pulled pork on a jalapeno cornbread muffin.  There was mac and cheese and fried polenta, as well as broccoli and a peach gorgonzola salad.
Our desserts were our favorite part – wedding cake, dessert shooters, French macarons, and chocolate truffles.

What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife? Father-daughter dance? Mother-son dance?
Joe and I danced to “Forever and Ever Amen” by Randy Travis.  I think it was pretty apparent that we hadn’t practiced!!  My dad and I danced to “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw.  That was a tough one to get through!!  Joe and his mother danced to “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts.

And where are you going on your honeymoon?
After our wedding, we spent a few days at the Addison B&B in Amelia Island.  We absolutely loved it there!!  But… the real honeymoon will be our trip to Europe.  We will be spending a few days in Rome before hopping on a cruise and visiting cities in Italy, France and Spain along the Mediterranean coast.