Hello, hello ELD readers! It’s been awhile and I’m so glad to be back with you all this Friday, December 23rd. Can you believe it’s already the end of the December?! I sure can’t. This holiday season has flown by. Speaking of, I thought I’d send you off on your big holiday weekend with a beautiful, classic, elegant wedding from Lanier Star Photography. In the words of the bride, Katie, their wedding combined St. Augustine’s Old World charm with a classic Southern feel. I think you’ll agree with me that the combination turned out quite well.
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
I always knew I wanted a traditional wedding with touches of coastal and southern accents. We wanted our wedding guests to enjoy St. Augustine’s Old World charm with a classic Southern feel, I am from St. Augustine and Will is from Mississippi so it seemed like the perfect vision for our wedding day. The colors were ivory and blue with touches of the classics like lace, tuxes, and a traditional candlelit ceremony in my childhood church Memorial Presbyterian. St. Augustine charm was incorporated with transportation by trolleys, coastal flavor, and a relaxed atmosphere. I turned for inspiration to bridal magazines and wedding blogs almost daily and they were very big resources for new ideas that I could apply to our wedding day.
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
The most important thing when deciding which vendors to work with was really Will and I’s compatibility with each of them. We knew that our wedding day would be busy so we wanted to make sure all of our vendors would make things run smoothly. Another large factor was location; we really wanted to have our Rehearsal Dinner, Ceremony and Reception in downtown St. Augustine so our guests could experience the wonderful Oldest City. We achieved that with the White Room Loft and Rooftop and the Casa Monica Hotel.
Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?
I think a huge hit of our wedding was the Photo Nook by Kristen from LanierStar Photography. I had planned for the Photo Nook to be revealed by the band after dinner as a surprise to our guests but I had no idea of the fun props that Kristen had in store for us. All of our guests had a blast taking pictures in the Photo Nook and I am so happy we added it to our reception just a few weeks before the wedding day. In addition, we treated guests to a ‘Family Favorites’ cookie and dessert bar which featured family dessert recipes next to the Photo Nook that they could snack on all through the night.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
Since family is so important to both Will and I, we used Will’s ninety-four year old grandmother’s silver punch bowl to serve punch in during the cocktail hour and displayed grandparents and parents wedding pictures at the reception. Also, in addition to a guest book, my mother created quilt squares for guests to sign throughout the night and a quilt will be made out of all the lovely notes people left us, which is a great wedding memory.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
I think my best piece of advice to future brides would be to enjoy every minute of your wedding day and not get caught up in all the details because it is so special yet it goes by quickly. Will and I made a point to get up during the seated dinner and walk around to each table to talk to our friends and family. Looking back now, I am thankful that we took the time to do that.
A big thank you to Lanier Star Photography for these incredible photos and to the stunning {and I mean stunning} bride, Katie, for sharing her memories of the day and providing such great advice.
I know we’ve heard it all before–stop and enjoy the moment, live in the present, smell the roses… It’s said so often because it’s true and because we need to hear it! So, lovely readers, I hope you take time this weekend to enjoy the moments. And I hope your holiday season has been filled with joy, peace, and love.
xo-Kristine
Vendors who made it all happen…
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Beautiful wedding! And captured so lovely!
Thanks so much for featuring my images from Katie & Will’s wedding. What a fun couple and a beautiful day!