Being a Bride: Lauren

all photos by Jesse Nichols Photography

Bride: Lauren Kirven Snipes
Groom: Forrest Snipes
Wedding Date: August 20th, 2016
Total number in wedding party: 18
Total guests: 250
Ceremony: Greenwood Baptist Church in Florence, SC
Reception: The Hellenic Center, Florence, SC


How you met, and the proposal: 
In the Spring of 2014, I was teaching a Bible study of women in my town. A sweet friend of mine was participating and mentioned one evening that she knew the perfect man for me. At the time, she was serving on a team with Forrest at our church, and flat out told him one Sunday morning that he should meet me. We met on Good Friday after a church service and the rest is history.

Our proposal was almost derailed by me coming down with a horrible sinus infection the day before. I stayed home from work and, to my surprise, so did Forrest. He waited on me hand and foot, took me to the doctor and tried his best to nurse me back to health. Little did I know, he planned to propose the very next afternoon! {I suppose that’s why he was so relieved when my flu test came back negative!}

Forrest told me that he’d like us to go to our local state park to spend some time enjoying the Fall weather and reading our Bibles together. While this may sound out of the ordinary to some, it seemed completely normal to me! Forrest is known for being quite the romantic- and one of our favorite things to do is spend time in the Word together. This place was also so very special to us- we had one of our very first dates there- a canoe excursion!

We walked to the very end of the suspension bridge and he pulled out his Bible, then handed me a brand- new one. He explained that he wanted to get me a surprise, and he already planned what we should read together. Again, this wasn’t out of the ordinary. Forrest knows my love for the Word, and for surprises! He opened the Bible to 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, The Love Chapter. Written at the top and highlighted in pink were the words “Will You Marry Me?” As soon as I read the words, Forrest was down on one knee. The next moments were fuzzy- lots of tears and squeals and giggles- and of course, a loud, resounding “YES!”

We spent the next hour by ourselves enjoying our engagement, then traveled to Forrest’s parent’s home in a neighboring town to celebrate with both of our families. It was a precious and joyous time we’ll never forget.

What was the best bridal/pre-wedding event you attended, and why?  
I was absolutely blessed beyond measure to have seven gorgeous bridal showers. While each of them were precious and so very sweet, my bachelorette was one for the books! My best friend and MOH, Katlyn, hosted us for the weekend at her stunning home in Bluffton, South Carolina. It was a picture perfect weekend and so special having all of my best girls under one roof.

What was something  that made your day special?
One of my favorite weddings traditions in the South is the Cake Pull. My sweet aunts hosted a bridal brunch for myself and my maids on the day before the wedding and incorporated this sweet tradition for us to enjoy. For those not familiar- a cake was baked and small charms, attached to individual ribbons, were inserted in the sides. Each bridesmaid, friend and family member present at the brunch pulled a ribbon, exposing the charm that “predicted their future.” In my opinion, a cake pull is like a Southern Girl’s fortune cookie. We had the best time laughing over each charm pulled.

What was the best wedding gift you received?
During my bridal brunch, my mother presented me with a tiny box. Inside the box was a safety pin with a delicate gold heart attached. She explained that, on the day I was born, my Granddaddy purchased a necklace containing the charm. She saved it for 24 years for me to wear on my wedding day. Since we lost my Grandfather to Alzheimer’s years ago, it was incredibly precious to wear a piece of him on my special day. We ended up pinning it to the crinoline underneath my dress- it felt like he was right there with me!

What inspired your wedding day?
I love all things pretty- including- but not limited to-  all shades of pink, navy blue, gold and glitter. We wanted our wedding to feel deeply personal, yet welcoming. The rich pink of our flowers and elegant gold accents on the tables felt pulled together, yet warm. It was a dream.

What is something you couldn’t live without for your wedding day?
There is absolutely NO WAY our wedding could have gone on without our biscuit bar.   As a southern girl, biscuits are a part of my heritage! No gathering is complete with a warm plate full of buttermilk treats and jams to match. We felt that our heart for hospitality was displayed by our carefully selected menu. We wanted everyone to feel like they were sitting down for a large Sunday afternoon lunch with us.

Wedding décor/planning/survival/DIY suggestions:
Comparison is the thief of joy! Utilize Pinterest, magazines and other resources, but never let yourself get lost in someone else’s dream day.  Decide what your dream day looks like and go from there. Remember- it’s YOUR wedding day, not everyone else’s.

 I also recommend purchasing a Southern Weddings Planner- it was an invaluable resource for me throughout our entire engagement. If you’re a fan of spreadsheets, lists and checklists, this is an essential item for you. Inside the planner, there are so many truths and snippets of encouragement in regards to planning your marriage, not just your wedding. Focusing on this thought got us through stressful decisions and moments of impatience.

Connect with the Bride
Facebook: Lauren Snipes
Instagram: @laurenkirvensnipes
Pinterest: Lauren Kirven 
Email: lakirven at gmail dot com
Blog: www.blushandbashful.cc 

Want to be the next featured bride? Or are you a MOH with a story to tell? Email me at piperellice at gmail dot com to get all the info! 

Marrying McAfee | Let's Party!

Oh the wedding reception...one of the most fun parts of the day. After dinner, the music cranked up, and everyone hit the dance floor. We had a friend from college {DJ Hurricane Herman, what what!} DJ our reception, which allowed for a lot of personal touches and requests. He definitely played to the crowd and got a lot of people moving, which was important to us. 

We took one break from the party to do the traditional bouquet toss, or throw in our case, and the garter toss. I surprised my maid of honor Kirstie by throwing the bouquet directly at her as a surprise. It was so funny. And Christopher surprised me by having hands full of ice when he went to retrieve the garter! I was so hot that I didn't even feel it for a few seconds...it just felt wonderful and cool on my legs, but it got icy, fast. 

Both my maid and matron of honor gave heartfelt and memorable speeches. Christopher's best man Elijah was deployed on our wedding day, but he had two great men step in to fill that place. A few weeks before the wedding, I had messaged Elijah to kind of put the idea out there of a surprise speech if it was at all possible. He was able to record his thoughts and our DJ played it for everyone to hear, much to Christopher's surprise. I'm so glad we were able to do that, and include Elijah in our special day from afar.

My Phi Mu sisters also did the traditional wedding cheer, and I was so proud of myself for remembering to bring my candle from the candle-light ceremony announcing our engagement in the Phi Mu house three years prior, almost to the day! I'm so thankful we were able to get a picture with our fabulous photographer, a Phi Mu herself.

 

Throughout the reception, I could tell that our friends were getting feisty and were creating quite the getaway car. We were scheduled to leave through a tunnel of sparklers at 10:30 p.m., but about 10:15 p.m., I hit my limit. I was exhausted, hot, and just ready to be alone with my husband! So I headed back to the getting ready space, and literally laid on the couch for five minutes while the sparklers were handed out to the remaining guests. When Christopher finally made it back to the room, he asked, "How's my little introvert doing?" He knows me so well, and knew my "socializing limit" had been met!

We spent a few more minutes by ourselves with our photographer and videographer soaking in the last seconds of the day before heading out through the front door through a beautiful tunnel of sparkles. After pulling Saran wrap {and condoms...boys...!} off the car, pushing out dozens of balloons out of the seats, and stuffing my giant dress into the car, we were off! We rode back to our house to change and grab our luggage before heading to Savannah for the night. I think we both couldn't stop smiling all the way home, and kept saying how it was truly the best wedding ever.

Thank you for following along while I chronicled these memories! But no worries, the wedding features will continue, as I have the honor of featuring a few friends and blogging buddies and their wedding days. If you're interested in your wedding being featured, shoot me an email at piperellice at gmail dot com.

Also a huge thank you to all of our family and friends, near and far, who made this day the best day of our lives. We love you all!

Marrying McAfee | Merry Maids

My girls and I took a ton of stunning group and individual pictures prior to the ceremony. It was a perfectly breezy, although hot, April day, and these are some of my very favorite pictures from the day. It was a great time to loosen up a little before the ceremony began. 

One of my wedding tips to future brides is plan at least an hour in between your last pre-wedding picture and the ceremony. Guests with good intentions like to arrive early, up to an hour before the official start time, and I desperately did not want anyone to see me in my dress before walking down the aisle. The entire time we were taking pictures I was so worried about someone, especially my groom, seeing me! With a wedding start time of 6 p.m., we were back in the getting ready room by 5 p.m.

If you look closely at the girl's bouquets, you may notice something special: rose colored carnations. I specifically asked the florist to include a few of those blooms in my Phi Mu sisters' bouquets to represent our sorority bond. I also used a strip of fabric from my junior bridesmaids' dresses that I got monogrammed with my new monogram in navy as my bouquet wrap which had one of my favorite flowers in it, peonies! 

Don't you love how my little's gold glittery shoes matched mine?!

Manda is getting married!

This blonde bombshell is getting married tomorrow!!

Both Amanda and her hubs-to-be Jared were two of my very first friends in college at Georgia Southern. We've spent a lot of time together throughout the years, and I am so excited to be a part of their very big day. Amanda and her family have spent the last few months putting tons of personal details into the wedding which will be held on her family's property. Her amazingly talented older sister even designed and created the invitation suite, and will be doing all of the flowers!

Best wishes for the soon to be Mrs.; I hope you love being married as much as I do! Can't wait to experience this beautiful {although scorching!} weekend with one of my very best friends.

Marrying McAfee | Getting Ready

My mom made me a clover crown, just like
she used to when I played outside when I was little

{Read about the pre-wedding events here}

 After the rehearsal dinner, the girls and I all came back to my house for one last sleepover before the wedding. They surprised me with a box full of sweet notes and letters to read right before bed, which was the sweetest thing ever. My bridesmaids didn't miss a single detail the entire time, and I am so grateful for such precious memories. 

On Saturday morning, we got up early and headed to the wedding venue, Quinney Oaks Plantation in Millen, GA. Hair started at 9 a.m. as there were a lot of heads to do! We spent the morning relaxing, setting up some of the decorations, and listening to music. For lunch, some of the moms brought us Dairy Queen box lunches which was delicious and very needed after a week of not eating much due to nerves! Plus, who doesn't want a hot fudge sundae before they get married?! 

After lunch, I started my make up and my MOH's pageant pro sister came to do everyone else's make up for them. Once we had all hair and make up done, the bridesmaids put on their gowns and were ushered out of the room while my mom and my maid and matron of honor helped me dress. I was thankful for those moments with my mom and Kirstie and Niki, two of my longest friends. It was a great quiet time to reconnect briefly before things really kicked into high gear. 

We did a special little "first look" with my ladies in our dressing room and I love looking at pictures of their priceless reactions! My mom then prayed over me and my marriage which really turned on the waterworks for everyone. I'm so blessed to have such a godly example of a woman from my mother, and love these pictures that Ari Merritt Photography captured of that moment! 

Hair by Jordan Reddick at 30 Volume Salon in Statesboro 

Trying to cool off with my gin bottle!

My amazing Matron & Maid of Honor