What do you have when you cross a gorgeous Bride, with a Southern Plantation, and add in a fabulously dry witted handsome groom- a darn good time, thats what! Lauryn and Justin had the perfect May day for their wedding at The Ribault Club- a little breeze, a lot of sun, and thank heavens, NO RAIN! The love these two had was beyond amazing, and the more time I spent with them, the more I could see why their friends and family had all traveled so far to celebrate with them! Family and friends were very important to the couple, as well as some Southern fun- which their wedding definitely delivered.

Lauryn and Justin- Your day was perfect magic, from the gorgeous Oaks that towered over your first kiss, to the rose petals thrown at your exit, pure perfection. I hope the two of you had a magical time as well- I know you did on your honeymoon! Remember- keep making each other laugh, and keep making those yummy chicken tenders 🙂 Congrats you two, thank you for allowing us to be part of your day!

Their Fabulous Team of Vendors

Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Ribault Club     Coordinator: Dairing Events

Bridal Gown: Brickhouse Bridal     Videographer: Ocho Ink Productions

Bridesmaids Gowns: Alfred Sung, Shop Joielle     Grooms Wear: Garber’s Men’s Wear

Groomsman’s Wear: Garber’s Men’s Wear     Hair & Makeup: Simply Make Up Artists

Flowers: Stephen McLeod Floral Design {Mount Vernon}    Rentals & Décor: Coastal Celebrations

Rentals & Décor: Beachview Event Rentals & Design      Invitations: Heather O’Brien Design

Ceremony Music: Carol Whitman and Kathy Dennis      Reception Music DJ Thundercat

Calligraphy: Dawn Bonner     Caterer: Perfect Pear Catering Company

Bartenders: Catered Cocktails     Cake Designer: Metro Custom Cakes

Dessert: Rhea’s Cake Pops      Lighting: Shaken Not Stirred

Officiant: Pastor Douglas Ganyo, First Presbyterian Church of Fernandina Beach, Florida

Can I say it enough? I love the trend of the monogram shirts! Love me a good monogram!

Lauryn’s Pearl Bracelet from Tiffany’s…I wonder if she will get the bracelet to match…

 

 

This is the first time Lauryn saw her dress as it would look on her- I love having the mannequin body to take, I think the dresses look so much better!

Their faces…I die…

Lauryn- you are amazing…no spectacular…no even better than that! What a stunning bride!

And Justin, your end of the night dance floor comments still have me laughing!

Um, yeah, could they be any cuter?

And there they are…the Tiffany pearls. I am trying not to hate really I am, but they are so beautiful!

I love this moment with the couple- right after the ceremony…just the two of them, it was so perfect!

One of my favorite details- I love this cake! yes, its a cake!

The decor in the ballroom was perfect for the wedding, simple, elegant, and very Southern. Lauryns florist was the florist from Mount Vernon where she is an event planner. He did an amazing job! I am pretty sure there is nothing better than mint julep cups overflowing with flowers….

 

 

 

 

 

I love when couples do a last dance- those final few moments to take it all in- the best way to end the night!

How did you two meet?

 

We met during our first day of graduate school at American University in Washington, DC.  Looking around I knew if I was going to date anyone in my program, it would be him 🙂

 

How did he propose?

 

Proposing to Lauryn in a memorable and unexpected way was important to Justin. Even though he and Lauryn had talked about getting married, Justin didn’t want Lauryn to know the proposal was coming and he wanted to pop the question at Barboursville Vineyards outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.? ?Labor Day Weekend of 2012 Justin and Lauryn planned a weekend trip to Charlottesville to celebrate the end of summer and to visit a few wineries. Justin told Lauryn ahead of time not to expect a ring because he had not had a chance to even start looking at rings. Thankfully Lauryn bought the story.? ?After a great weekend, Justin told Lauryn they would end the trip visiting their favorite Virginia winery and then head back to Washington. After purchasing a bottle of Lauryn’s favorite Cabernet Franc, Justin took Lauryn to the ruins of Governor James Barbour’s home on the grounds of the winery. And there, in the shadow of the Thomas Jefferson designed home, nestled among ancient boxwoods, and full grapevines, Justin got down on one knee and asked Lauryn to be his wife.

 

How did you choose your theme? Flowers? and overall wedding design?

Selecting the Ribault Club as our venue really set the tone for our wedding. We wanted to highlight the historic building and beautiful natural setting in a way that would bring timeless elegance to our ceremony and reception.  We are traditional couple and we chose navy and white as our wedding colors. The white flowers really stood out against the navy background and also against the beautiful green outside the Ribault Club.

 

What was the best part of your wedding day?

We have two favorite parts of our wedding day. We did not do the “first look” that many couples do today. We wanted the first time that we saw each other to be at the ceremony. When our eyes first met during the ceremony we both were emotional. Thankfully we kept it together but we are very glad that we wanted to see each other until the ceremony.

 

Also, at the very end of our reception, all of our guests lined up in front of the Ribault Club with rose petals for our send-off. Little did we know that our DJ and fabulous wedding photographer planned an unexpected last dance for us alone on the dance floor. As all our guests waited out front we were able to share one last dance with just the two of us. We talked about how blessed we are to have family and friends support us as we start our new life together. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day and made a memory that will last for a lifetime.

 

What do you want to always remember from your wedding day?

 

We want to always remember the love and support we received from family and friends. Also, during our reception we received advice from Lauryn’s God Grandparents who have been married for 68 years. They told us to not be worried about having the last word and to begin each day with a kiss.

 

 

“IF I only I knew!” what is one piece of advice you would give to brides planning their wedding day?

Take in every second of the wedding ceremony and reception together, because it goes by so fast.  It is rare that you have all of our closest family and friends all gathered together in one place, so enjoy all the love and laughter surrounding you on your first evening together as husband and wife with all the ones you love.

 

And where are you going on your honeymoon?

We went on our honeymoon immediately after the wedding and spent 8 days on the beautiful island of Antigua. We highly recommend this laid back island with gorgeous beaches to all those looking for a nice and relaxing honeymoon.