Hello, hello! Lauren, here today to introduce y'all to one of the sweetest brides to date and her equally adorable husband. We asked Shelby to walk us through the wedding planning process and some of her favorite details from the big day!
Personal stories about the couple from our Sweet bride, Shelby | We met in the 6th grade but our relationship didn’t begin until our Junior year of college. I had a school girl crush on Josh for as long as I can remember and used to pass notes to my friends in middle school about how cute he was. Our first date was to an engagement party that his brother hosted for a friend our Junior year. Four and a half years later we took an amazing 8 day road trip down HWY 1 from San Francisco to L.A. Josh proposed on the third night of our trip at sunset by the shoreline of Monterey Bay. The next morning we called our friends and families to share the big news then drove to Big Sur where we spent 3 days off the grid celebrating our future.
Location & Venue Details | I’ve always wanted a fall outdoor wedding at a classic southern venue, so I fell in love when we saw La Maison Gautier (“The Old Place”). It’s a waterfront property on the Singing River in Gautier, Mississippi covered with historical oaks and magnolias. Its gorgeous white house was built by the owners of the property in the late 1800s. I had instant goose bumps as soon as we saw the ivy-covered tree that we would exchange our vows under. We loved having both the ceremony and reception at the same place. It made the day more relaxed and allowed us to kick off cocktail hour right away!
DIY projects for the day from Shelby | The entrance of the aisle was lined with candles on an assortment of tree stumps we got from my parents property. I’m so grateful that my dad spent all that time cutting each one and hauling them back and forth from the venue.
Favorite memories of the day from Shelby | My favorite moment was seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle. We decided against a first look because we didn’t want to miss out on the magic of that moment, and it did not disappoint. I also loved when Josh read his vows. He’s generally a jokester about everything, so hearing him sincerely open his heart to me with promises for our future in front of all our guests was unforgettable. I’ll never forget the love we felt under that beautiful tree.
Music choices
First dance – Soulshine by Gov’t Mule
Father daughter dance– Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Mother son dance– One Love by Bob Marley
Recessional – Higher Love by Steve Winwood
Favorite Reception Memory from Shelby | My favorite part of the reception was dancing with the light up tambourines. You can’t help but get on the dance floor when someone puts a tambourine in your hand!
Inspiration behind the day
From the beginning it was very important to us that our love, personalities, and everyday life translated into our wedding day. We wanted it to be intimate and stunning, yet feel laid back. I enlisted Josh’s opinion in almost every decision – and boy was he a trooper! Our first decision was to use one of our favorite songs for our first dance, Soulshine by Gov’t Mule. Despite the fact that it’s not a love song, it just felt really true to ourselves, and everything fell into place from there. We included several New Orleans style details to showcase our love for the city we lived in post college. As for the design, the undeniable natural beauty of our venue paved a clear path for the whimsical, romantic, earth-toned theme we wanted. Love Good Rentals provided us with the most incredible rug that really tied our vision together. We placed it at the alter and then had it moved to the dance floor for our first dance. We stuck candles and eucalyptus garland in every corner of the venue to invoke the romantic ambiance. The Petaler Co. did an incredible job creating floral arrangements with plenty of foliage and texture. My bridesmaids wore champagne dresses as a neutral backdrop to their bouquets, and the groomsmen wore a slate blue tux to compliment the eucalyptus in their boutonnieres. My favorite floral detail though has to be the one-stem King Protea they recommended in place of the standard mother’s corsage!
Advice for Brides planning now
1.Leave it to the professionals. Halfway into our engagement I decided I wanted to learn calligraphy and address our own invitations. It sounded like a great idea but trying to learn a skill like that while also planning an entire wedding and working full time is not feasible. I ended up wasting money and adding unnecessary stress to myself. By the time I threw in the towel it was too late to pay a calligrapher so I ended up having the addresses printed on the envelopes.
2.Show your personalities and don’t brush off the groom’s crazy ideas. If the groom insists on funfetti wedding cake because it’s his favorite, add a layer of funfetti to the cake. It’s the quirky little details that your guests enjoy and make it your own (even if your cake baker thinks you’re crazy).
3.Follow up with your vendors several times and make sure your vision is crystal clear. When the wedding goes off without a hitch, you’ll be glad you did.
Vendor Information: Photographer: Megan Jolly Photography | Second Shooter: Jenn D Photography
Coordinators: Susan Kendricks | Floralss: The Petaler Co. Entertainment: Pick 6 Band | Catering: Broome's Catering Cake: French Kiss Pastries | Vintage Rentals: Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals
Lighting: ACE Party Rentals | Hair - Laken Register and Erika Burrow MUA - Olivia Schoenberger and Kaleigh Caraviello | Invitations: Caitlin Leman Calligraphy
Dress: Martina Liana | Bridesmaid Dresses: Hayley Paige Tuxes/Suits: Allure Men | Bridal Anklets: JoannaReedBridal