Real Wedding: Sara & Harrison

We got a phone call from Molly, Sara's mom, a little before Harrison was set to propose to Sara. She was already on top of it, wanting to go ahead and get dates we were available, checking venue availability, and we knew right away we would love her. We were right of course, she even stayed after the wedding was over and hung out for a little gushing about all of the little details of the day. She and Sara were the cutest little duo and we loved every second of planning with them.

Sara chose Montgomery Country Club as her reception venue and after getting to know her, we knew aesthetically, that bringing a unique approach to the venue space was a must. Crystal quickly put pen to paper and put together a transformation of the ballroom that truly felt like you were in a different space altogether. 

Sara and Harrison were married at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery in the sweetest ceremony. After the vows, guests were greeted at Montgomery Country Club with white-dinner-jacket-clad servers with chilled glasses of champagne to toast the newlyweds.  We had string instruments playing in the background as guests made their way inside and the day was as beautiful as ever. The band and a late night pass of Chris' Hot Dogs (a Montgomery staple) kept guests on the dance floor the whole night. It was the sweetest celebration of Sara and Harrison!

Sara and Harrison had some of our favorite welcome boxes ever! We had so much designing these boxes filled with a few of their favorite things. The cookies that featured their precious pup Tucker were our favorite addition!  For their invitation suite, we worked hands on with Amberly Shelton Paperie to come up with a beautiful paper design plan.  We had magnolias incorporated as a nod to a few special things:  one of Sara's fav flowers, Harrison's home state of Louisiana as well as the location of Sarah and Harrison's first date which was in New Orleans at a Saints vs. Giants game.

Tell us about your season of engagement!

Our engagement was relatively quick (7 months to the day) so we hit the ground running as soon as Harrison proposed. It was a whirlwind, but it didn't give us any time to second guess ourselves which was such a blessing. While we were engaged we moved from Washington, DC to Birmingham, started new jobs and grad school, and still got to celebrate with all of our friends and family in our hometowns of Shreveport and Montgomery. It all went by so quickly, but by the time July came around I was so ready for the big day I don't think I could have waited any longer! 

What was your favorite memory of your wedding day?

Both Harrison and my favorite memory of our wedding day was our first look. With just the two of us in the courtyard of the church it was such a quiet, still moment where we got to take in all of the excitement and gravity of the day. The sweet smile on his face when he turned around to see me for the first time is something I'll never forget! 

What advice would you give a newly engaged couple?

The reason you are planning a wedding is so much more important than the details of the wedding itself. You are marrying your best friend and starting a family together. The parties are fun and the decorations are beautiful, but don't let those outshine the excitement you have to make this person your partner for life. Through the planning process, I realized that I was far more excited to be married than I was to have a wedding, and I think that's exactly how it should be.

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding?

When we decided to have our reception in the ballroom of Montgomery Country Club, I knew I wanted to transform it into a space that our guests felt they had never seen before, even though so many from Montgomery had (many, many times). I had my "jumpin' in your jammies" 4th birthday party in that exact room... needless to say I've spent a lot of time there myself and wanted it to feel completely different on this day. Southern Posies knocked it out of the park on our request. Crystal came through with custom drums to cover the outdated chandeliers on the ceiling, live trees to surround the ballroom, bars with our personalized crest on the front, and a 24-foot floral wall of my dreams hung above the stage. The look on my family and friends' faces when they walked into that familiar space is something I'll always remember!  

After establishing a color palette of dusty blues and greens and ivories, we got a new box of linens from Party Tables and this particular one matched perfectly. We LOVED it and it was the center of a lot of our design ideas going forward.

Underneath those big beautiful blue drums, are crystal chandeliers. Crystal pitched the idea to cover the existing chandeliers with custom drum shades in the perfect shade of ivory and blue to accentuate the tall ceilings and truly transform the space.  After numerous meetings and measurements, we had Party Tables create and carefully install these drum shades OVER the chandys. Aren't they breathtaking? 

What's been your favorite thing about being married?

I told my roommate the week after I met Harrison senior year of college that I thought I was going to marry him, and now I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe that it came true! We recently bought our first house, and my favorite moments are those when we are piled on the couch eating Toll House cookies with our 90 lb black lab on top of us (trying to sneak a cookie himself). I feel so so lucky that this little family is mine. 

Vendors

Planning, Design & Florals: Southern Posies

Ceremony Venue: First United Methodist Church

Reception Venue: Montgomery Country Club

Hair and Makeup: Perfectly Undone Beauty

Bride's Gown: The White Room

Bridesmaids Attire: Bella Bridesmaids

Bride's Cake: Cake Designs

Groom's Cake: Cake Designs

Catering & Bar: Montgomery Country Club

Late Night Hot Dogs: Chris' Hot Dogs

Videography: Megan Pettus Videography

Ceremony Entertainment: Beth Hoener, Joel Gregory, & Dennis Herrick

Reception Entertainment: City Heat

Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Mr. Burch Formalwear

Photography: Kim Box Photography

Photo Booth: Darren Freeman

Specialty Rentals: Collection Event Furnishings

Lighting: Special Event Lighting

Drapery and Specialty Linens: Party Tables

Linens: BBJ Linens

Rentals: Brendle Rentals

Stationery: Amberly Shelton Paperie

Welcome Box Cookies: Natalie Tucker

Transportation: Rare Transportation

Getaway Car: Memories in Motion Classics

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