Bridal Portraits 2

 After weeks of anticipation, we should be getting our wedding pictures back this week and our video in the weeks following--I can't wait! I'm ready to see how the whole day came together, and see all my friends and family who came to celebrate.

I'm also a little anxious...all those months of planning, and it comes down to just this one day! All the prep, and I can hardly remember what I, or what any of it looked like. So today I thought I'd share just a few more of my faves from my bridal portrait session before the wedding. It's rainy and humid here {thanks to the second tropical storm in as many weeks}, so hopefully this will brighten up your day, too!

Also, be sure to head over to Facebook to like my photographer's page: Ari Merritt Photography, especially if you're in the Savannah area!

Spring {Bridal} Shower

I was born in Florence, South Carolina, but never actually lived there until I was in college. My family moved back right after I graduated high school, so I spent every summer and school holiday going home to Florence. I fell in love with the town, which is always stunningly beautiful in the spring, but mostly with the people.

We started attending First Baptist Church, and it was there that I've made some truly lifelong friends and a real church family. I miss them so much, especially now that I'm working and don't just have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and can go home every weekend for four days!

 My sweet bridesmaid Brittney, her mother, and a few other ladies from church threw me the prettiest, springiest shower Saturday! Mrs. Nancy hosted it at her beautiful home, and put out her amazing collection of spring and Easter decor for the event. Everything was pink and green perfection! It was a holiday themed shower, and Christopher and I received so many wonderful holiday decorations to help us celebrate throughout the year.

I 

Beautiful homemade red velvet cupcakes...and some pina colada ones, too! 

Crackers with a vegetable cream cheese spread. I love this cake stand...the ribbon can be changed out to match the different holidays!

Graham crackers with a pineapple cream cheese spread, topped with a pecan.

Sparkling Punch
Bottle sparkling apple cider
Equal parts lemonade and cranberry juice
{or replace lemonade with champs!}
Frozen raspberries, or cranberries for Christmas 

My Florence family, The Wallaces!

This is my friend Brooke. Her mom and my mom got to know each other years {decades?!} ago through Southern Living chat rooms, and eventually blogs. Brooke and I are the same age and got to know each other as well. She came and stayed with us one summer during the fourth of July, and drove all the way from Durham, North Carolina, to come to my shower! She's an amazing girl who has recently overcome Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and is a blogger, too! Check her out here.

Brooke gave me different yard flags for St. Patrick's Day, the fourth of July in honor of when we met, and this Happily Ever After one for wedding week!

In addition to hosting this event, the hostesses got together to create an all occasion box of goodies, with home decor items for every holiday. I loved this precious hydrangea bunny! The gifts came in a purple Rubbermaid container which was brilliant--I'm always needing more boxes for storage. 

Of course I had to snap a selfie-stick pic with my pretty mama before we left! I'm so glad I got to spend time with my family this weekend, too. 

Being a Bride: Emily

Emily is a sorority sister of mine, one of my closest friends, and will also be singing in my wedding!

Bride Name: Emily Pacitti Hollis
Groom Name: Carter Hollis
Wedding Date: September 4th, 2015
Total number in wedding party: 12
Total guests: 60
Venue: Rose Hall in Dallas, GA

How you met, and the proposal: Carter and I met during our time in college at Georgia Southern University. A mutual friend had been trying to get us to meet for quite some time but we both kept refusing to go on a blind date. After some time we both gave in to the idea of meeting. It was then we realized we had unknowingly met weeks prior and had been starting to talk and get to know each other.

We gradually started attending social events together and spending more time with one another. From then on we couldnt deny the chemistry and the fact that we were always meant to meet.  Nearly two and a half years later, while hiking in the mountains at his parents’ cabin, we came to a waterfall in the woods.  He got down on on knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. At the time I didn't realize what he was doing and thought he had slipped on the wet rocks. It wasn't until I saw the ring that I stopped trying to help him back up. I imagine that will be a funny story we can tell our kids one day.

What was the best bridal shower and/or pre-wedding event you attended, and why? I really enjoyed going to my dress fittings with my mom and sisters. It was such a special and emotional experience I will only have once in a lifetime.

What was something your bridesmaids or family members did for you that made your day or pre-planning experience special?  My mom and bridesmaids made the morning of my wedding so relaxing and special. When I woke up my mom had a beautiful breakfast with fruit bouquet waiting for me my bridesmaids and the ladies doing our makeup and hair. It was so relaxing and fun like we were all having a big slumber party. It was just reminding me of how special it was growing up in a house full of girls. I gave me a chance to reminisce about my past while preparing for my future.

What was the best wedding gift you received? We wouldn't have survived this long without our crock-pot. {Piper’s Note: I gave her that crock-pot, and was very concerned that it didn’t arrive due to Target’s lack of wedding registry related communication!}

What inspired your wedding day (theme/look/feel): We wanted our wedding to be very low key and low stress. One of the most important things to me was for everyone involved to feel a warm welcome like they were enjoying time with family. The theme was "simplistic elegance." I feel this idea came off very well, mixing elements of sparkle and glamour with touches of rustic elegance.

What is something you couldn’t live without for your wedding day (ex.: a certain band, a specific cake, etc.): I could not  have done without my childhood pastor officiating our wedding. He was such a huge part of me growing in my faith with the Lord from a young age. I feel his presence on my wedding day represented a healthy faith based start to our marriage. His words were so meaningful to Carter and me.

What is something you could have lived without for your wedding day: I truly loved everything so much but if there is one thing I wish I could have changed, it would be adding a runner to the aisle I walked down. Not having a runner outdoors caused very big problems for my long veil and overall walk down the aisle.

If you have any wedding décor DIY tips/tutorials, or money saving suggestions, please share: Make your own programs! It is so worth it and was such a big money saver. I downloaded a template from Etsy that was only $8. The programs in total with all the supplies cost about $100, instead of the original ones which would have been over $200.

Connect with the Bride

Instagram: @emykpac

Being a Bride: Megan

Megan is one of my sorority sisters who was recently married in the most beautiful of venues. She's helping me kick off a new feature, Being a Bride. Enjoy! 

Bride Name: Megan Smith
Groom Name: Frank Smith
Wedding Date: October 31, 2015
Total number in wedding party: 23
Total guests: 150
Venue: Biltmore Ballrooms- Atlanta 

How you met & the proposal: Frank and I met in high school. He sat behind me in homeroom relentlessly bugging me. Over the years, the bugging subsided and we became close friends. After graduation, we both set off to college and went our own ways. In the spring of 2012 we reconnected and by that summer we were dating.

On Friday February 27, 2015, Frank took me out to one of our favorite dinner spots, Blue Ridge Grille, in Buckhead. Frank loves a good cordial and we had wanted to go snag drinks at the St. Regis for some time. I obliged and off we went. As we headed up the gorgeous staircase to the bar, Frank made a sharp left turn towards a fireplace lined with rose petals, candles and champagne. He quickly got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Soon after, hotel staff delivered macaroons and sabered the bottle of champagne. To my delight, both of our families arrived to celebrate with us. We sipped champagne and shared plans late into the night.

What was something your bridesmaids or family members did for you that made your day or pre-planning experience special?   The day after our engagement my parents hosted Frank’s family at our house to celebrate. He had a chef prepare a special meal and played a slideshow he had created that included pictures of Frank and I growing up.  Friends of my parents threw a fabulous bridal shower at their home. I felt so special having family members fly in from California, co-workers, sorority sisters and old family friends come to celebrate with me. Frank’s family friends threw us a spectacular engagement shower at their gorgeous home. Last but not least, my bridesmaids braved hurricane Joaquin to throw me an eventful bachelorette weekend that included some of my most favorite memories. 

What inspired your wedding day (theme/look/feel): The Biltmore Ballrooms are each painted in beautiful pastels. The ballroom where we planned to marry in was painted a hue of yellow while the ballroom where reception was to be held was a powdered blue. I knew that typical fall colors would not be compatible with the venue’s walls. I opted for a color pallet of blush, gold, and an off-white color with hints of sea-foam green. In months leading up to the big day, I was asked by vendors to describe the feel of our wedding. Eventually I was able to pinpoint a phrase to accurately describe our theme: old southern glam.

What was the best wedding gift you received?  Frank’s grandma, Grandmommy, sent us a precious package containing a Bible, devotional, and a bookmark that she and Frank’s late grandfather once used. Inside the front cover of the bible she wrote us a note providing marriage advice, life lessons, and a prayer for Frank and I as we started our new life together.  

If you have any wedding décor DIY tips/tutorials, or money saving suggestions, please share:

1. Hire a wedding planner or have a close friend/bridesmaid/family member that is willing to help you secure vendors. I wasn’t prepared for the hundreds of phone calls and numerous contracts I had to keep up with. Someone to help follow up with vendors throughout the months leading up to the big day is essential.
2. DO NOT purchase anything until you have the venue secure and have come up with a complete vision of your big day. The look and feel of your venue and the flowers in season will make up a big part of the overall “feel” of your wedding. Once you choose those two things then it is safe start thinking about colors and design accents.
3. Do your research! Read vendor reviews, ask people you know for recommendations, stalk wedding websites. I spent hours on the computer looking at vendor reviews and it paid off. You can find well-rounded vendors in any budget if you take the time to do your research. I attribute everything going smoothly due to great vendors.
4. Look for wholesale items or things you can re-purpose. Wedding decor can be very pricey and nobody wants to spend a lot of money on an item they can use one time. We found our place card frames on a whole sale website which saved us a lot of money. I also found that renting items is not cost effective.  Our candelabra came from an antique store in Chattanooga. We were able to repaint it and use it during the lighting of our unity candle. Re-purposing items can save you big bucks.

The Sweetest Shower

Eliza J dress from Nordstrom

 On Saturday, I was honored to attend my very first bridal shower! I've been looking forward to this season of life for so long, and when Kim asked to throw me my first event, I was elated. Kim and her family live in North Georgia, and were my second family during my time up there post-college. Her four children are actually all in the wedding as junior bridesmaids, the ring bearer, and an usher!

Kim and my mom initially discovered each other as bloggers. As I got older, and began blogging, we discovered each other on Facebook, too. It's actually kind of funny...Wendy over at The House of Qs also followed my mom and knew of Kim. We started chatting too, and now talk every day. I was so excited she was able to come to my shower so we could finally meet in person!

When the shower planning began, we tossed around a couple of ideas, but when she suggested hosting the shower at a local candy store, I knew that would be perfect! I have such a sweet tooth, and the whole store is decked out in pink and white which of course I loved. It was especially exciting to discover that as the first bridal shower held at the shop, we would be featured in a regional wedding magazine!

Kim, her girls, and Karen, the owner of Liberty Candy Company in Flowery Branch, truly outdid themselves. Pink and gold balloons adorned each festively decorated table. In addition to an assortment of sweets, we enjoyed Chick-fil-A nuggets {of course!}, delicious sandwiches, fruit, and wine to kick off the evening. 

After eating, guests paired off to play a game about who knew the bride best. Apparently, I don't know myself at all! My friends all identified similar "favorites" of mine, that I hadn't listed as the answers. It was hilarious listening to their answers and seeing the confusion on their faces at what I had answered. The winners were two of my bridesmaids, of course! Next time, I'll have one of my best friends fill out the answers for me! 

The cutest freebie bridal shower game,
found here. 

The big surprise activity of the night was making our own chocolate bars! There were a few differently shaped molds, and we chose from dark, milk, and white chocolates before putting in different nuts and candies. It was so cute! While we took turns being creative in the kitchen, Kim's daughters had a candy ring-toss game set up in the hallway where we had three tries to toss a glow necklace over a pink or clear mason jar filled with pink saltwater taffy. It was so simple, but got really competitive and fun.

It's such an honor to spend time with friends and family members who took time out of their weekends to celebrate my upcoming marriage. Most memorable of all was the sweet toast my mother gave in my honor. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. This is such a special time for the two of us, too, and I'm so glad she could join us for the party.

To finish the evening, I opened all of the beautiful gifts my sweet friends blessed me with. Christopher and I are both so very thankful for all the love and thoughtfulness showered upon us as we start our lives together. It's of course a blast opening the gifts at the shower, but I loved showing off everything to Christopher once it was unloaded when I got home. We've made the decision to wait and save all of our gifts until after we're married and living together, so it will be like a second Christmas in the summer when we get to rediscover all of these sweet gifts again in May! 

The yummiest and prettiest white chocolate
covered Oreo's I've ever had! 

Aren't my twinning junior bridesmaids just
the cutest?!

Favors for the guests featuring pink
candies, and our hashtag:
#marryingmcafee 

All the thanks to Kim and her sweet family for showering me with so much love and fun! If you're interested in learning more about Liberty Candy Company, visit their Facebook page, or order some treats on their website.