Nhadyne & Corregan 

October 5

Marietta, Georgia

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Q & A with the Bride & Groom:

1. What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

When we stepped onto the Hilton’s veranda and looked over the rolling golf course towards the woods, hills and setting sun, we couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate our wedding. We wanted to have our ceremony at a church, so we picked the friendliest and most welcoming church with a traditional sanctuary in the area. However, the grounds of the Hilton and the restaurant were the perfect place for an outdoor cocktail hour and an indoor reception.

2. Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. Music is an important part of both of our lives, so we wanted the music at the wedding to reflect our respective backgrounds and experiences. Nhadyne’s family is from Trinidad and Jamaica by way of England, and her grandfather, Winston Simon, pioneered the steel pan. We decided to have a steel pan player during the cocktail hour to honor him. As we took pictures across the golf course, we heard the Marley classic “No Woman No Cry” being played by the band, and the fusion of Trinidadian and Jamaican influences was perfect. We followed this up with an English DJ, who has lived here for a long time, and so knew UK, West Indian and American favorite songs to get everyone moving on the dance floor.

2. We decided to do an adults-only reception, and as a courtesy to our guests provided sitter services for those with children. Younger children got to play games, do arts and crafts, and get their faces painted, while the older children got to play in a video game truck that we rented. It was great to free the adults to stay for the whole event and have uninhibited fun without having to worry about the well-being or entertainment of their children.

3. Corregan is a big fan of microbrews and is particular about his beverages, so the Hilton’s beverage coordinator provided a customized selection of drinks for the event that were comparable to the standard list in price, but reflected our personal taste. The guests were delighted to have a different set of choices, and the distinctive selection added an additional flair and elegance to the event.

3. Give us the one moment from your wedding that you can’t stop thinking about.

At the end of the wedding, we departed through a path surrounded by our family and friends, lit with sparklers, to a waiting vintage Rolls Royce. As we were about to start, one of our friends’ daughters,  fresh from an exciting evening in the video game truck, and beautifully adorned in face paint from the sitters, jumped up excitedly and grabbed Nhadyne’s train. As we walked out and waved to everyone, she danced back and forth behind Nhadyne, while still managing to do a decent job of carrying the train. The moment was a bit surreal, and definitely magical and full of the love we had experienced the entire day. What a way to start a life together!

Erin & Taylor

May 21

Atlanta, Georgia

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Q&A with the Bride:

What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

Since our wedding was in May, we loved that the reception was indoor/outdoor so our guests could soak up the gorgeous spring weather. We lived about five miles from our venue, so we loved how close it was for all of our friends and family. We also knew the beautiful setting would make for some gorgeous pictures!

Which details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. The AMAZING flowers… especially the peonies.

2. The peach pie pops we gave out as our favors.

3. Everything about our reception was just perfect… from the food,  the cake, the band, and the place settings, it was all a dream come true.

If you could offer one piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding, what would it be?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. In the end, NONE of it matters, I promise!

Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

There are a few! I loved spending the day with my bridesmaids, mom and grandma. It was so much fun getting ready with them, we had a blast! I also love the memory I have of my dad and I right before he walked me down the aisle. Dancing with my husband was also something I’ll never forget, it was a moment I had always thought as a little girl.

Jo & Bobby

September 15

Mt. Vernon, Washington

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Q & A with the Bride: 

1. What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

My parents live in North Carolina and Bobby is from Texas – we both loved the Southern charm and feel of The Grand Willow. The venue was gorgeous with a large beautiful willow tree in the front yard, lights surrounding the greenery and hanging over the courtyard, French doors, grand staircase – it was perfect. There were several areas for guests to spread out both indoors and out and we hadn’t found that classic, romantic feel at any other venue. It was truly unique.

2. Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

I’m sure like any bride, I just adored my dress – especially the pockets. I wore a piece of lace from my mother’s wedding dress sewn onto the flower sash. My something old was a necklace pendant I’ve owned for years and wear nearly every day – I put on my bracelet; My something new were my dress and fabulous glittering shoes; My something borrowed and blue was a handkerchief with blue flowers from Bobby’s mom’s wedding that I kept in my pocket. It felt wonderful to have those pieces from two amazing women incorporated in my dress.

In lieu of a traditional guest book, we had a personalized map made with pins in the places we’ve been and love. There was a quote at the bottom that read “The greatest gifts we can give ourselves are roots and wings,” and the guest book next to it invited guests to share with us the places they have fallen in love with. We wanted to hear the adventures and stories from our friends and thought if we visited those places we could send them a picture thanking them for the idea.

The dessert table and DIY projects. The favors, seating chart, programs and other details were definitely a labor of love. Instead of a bridal shower my bridesmaids, girlfriends and I got together and spent a whole day working on these little details. It was much more meaningful than receiving a bunch of gifts – not that there’s anything wrong with that – and turned out beautifully! The dessert table was like something out of a magazine. It’s one of my favorite pictures. With the crates and lights, it was rustic and elegant at the same time. We had four different kinds of cupcakes and two kinds of cookies.

3. Give us the one moment from your wedding you can’t stop thinking about.

One of the best moments was when we played the shoe game. Many of our family members are spread out across the country, and it was a fun way to let them learn a little about us and laugh at some unexpected answers. We picked personal questions and played just before our first dance. It was great having our (amazing) MC/DJ ask, who was the reigning champ of our fantasy football league and hearing our guests laugh loudly when I shot my shoe up proudly, and Bobby slowly raised mine in shame. Or clap and laugh harder when Bobby’s shoe was raised to the question “Who takes the longest to choose what to wear.” Of course, they liked it when we disagreed on a question. It was memorable and a lot of our family members had never seen something like that before. Our MC made it light, fun and people are still talking about how hilarious he was throughout the night. It was a really fun time.

Liz & Ryan

October 20

Cleveland, Georgia

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Q & A with the Bride:

1. What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

The scenery/setting itself is breathtaking. It’s the most magical place. We fell in love from the second we drove through the gates and saw the pasture.

2. Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. The personal touches Ryan and I put into it. We were inspired by Pinterest to make several things that really made our wedding special. (favors, signs, pictures, etc.)
2. Our cake topper! It was my gift to Ryan and featured our two dogs. He was shocked, and it was perfect.
3. The band we hired, The Geeks! They were amazing, and thanks to them, everyone had the best time.

3. If you could offer one piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding, what would it be?

Plan your wedding together and really enjoy it. Remember it is your day, not anyone else’s. We paid for our whole wedding (hence, the long engagement), so we didn’t include anyone else in the planning or ask for any opinions along the way, and it really helped make the process less stressful and fun. The day was really about us and was exactly what we wanted.

4. Give us the one moment from your wedding that you cannot stop thinking about.

For me, it was riding up in the carriage while the bell was ringing, everyone turning and looking at me. I was already holding back tears when I looked to the end of the aisle and saw Ryan, who was also choked up. It was an incredible moment. Just as special to Ryan and I both was the father/daughter dance I shared with my dad, who is paralyzed. He was paralyzed four and a half years ago, so that moment really meant a lot to us. There wasn’t a dry eye during that dance, and I will forever cherish it.

Jen & Michael

September 4

Richmond Hill, Georgia

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Q & A with the Couple:

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

The Food.  For our rehearsal dinner, we had a Low Country Oyster Roast, with all the trimmings.  Just when we thought that couldn’t be beat, Juan Carlos and his staff prepared the most amazing wedding dinner, including Curry Crusted Mahi Mahi with Jerk Braised Short Rib Ragout and Apple French Fries.

The Music.  Music has always been a big part of our relationship, so making sure the music was just right was really important to us. For the Oyster Roast we dumped a bunch of our favorite music, ranging from Ryan Adams and the Old 97’s to Country Classics and Top 40 on to an iPod.  We hit random and let it play. Somehow, the right song was always on.  For our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour, we used a local band, The Train Wrecks, who covered “Breath of Love” by the David Mayfield Parade for the processional and Johnny Cash’s “Walk the Line” for the recessional.  At the cocktail hour, they played the song we got engaged to during an Old 97′s concert, “Question” when we were announced.  And finally, for our first dance, we used a live acoustic version of “Desire” by Ryan Adams. 

The Attention to Details.  Thanks to Alysse at Morgan Gallo Events, we were able to add subtle personal touches to virtually everything at the wedding from custom figurines of our dog and rabbit to “reserve” our table and my mother’s old silver tea set on the dessert table.  We were able to use  versions of our monogram on the wedding invitation to have custom monogrammed pillows made. 

Even today, people still talk about the music and the unique little touches. 

If you could offer one piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding, what would it be?

Try to take the craziness in stride and don’t let the process ruin the prize. 

Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

The Ceremony.  It was the one thing we refused to compromise on or take “suggestions” from friends and family.  From the first stroke of the guitar until we “Walked the Line,” it was entirely ours.  We ended up spending hours upon hours working with the minister to craft each word of the ceremony and vows.   It was truly surreal standing there between these centuries-old live oak trees, thinking about how we were just starting our life and hoping that we could be as strong, and our roots as deep, as those majestic trees.