Audrey + Joe: A Classic Southern Wedding Celebration in Hickory, North Carolina
“We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of the places and people that helped us grow and led us to the place in our journeys where we were ready to begin a new chapter as husband and wife. We hoped to give our guests a “Taste of the Carolinas,” representing both Charleston, SC, where we met and fell in love, and Hickory, North Carolina, my hometown and a place that defines the word community.”
“My parents had been searching tirelessly for a place to call home in their new town of Hickory, North Carolina, a quaint and close-knit community that seemed to be the perfect place to raise their newborn daughter. When they stepped out into the garden of 522 2nd Avenue, they knew they had found it.”
“‘I can just picture Audrey getting married here,’ my Dad mused. Though I was only weeks old at the time, they saw the future they wanted to build unfolding in front of them, so they went right back inside and bought the house! Twenty-five years later, it’s still the home that we fill with love, laughter and many special memories. It’s where I learned to take my first steps, where I posed for pictures before starting kindergarten, where my dad pushed me around the backyard teaching me how to ride a bike, where my mom fixed my hair before prom...where I played, laughed, cried, and enjoyed many of life’s greatest milestones. This is the home where I grew into who I am today, and when Joe proposed I already knew exactly where I wanted to celebrate our marriage with all of our closest friends and family. When it comes to something this important, there truly is no place like home.”
“Our ceremony was held at First Presbyterian Church, a beautiful stone church found on the National Register of Historic Places, and the place where I grew from being held at the alter being baptized to my father holding me as he walked me down the aisle to my groom. I wore a lace gown with a Queen Anne neckline, cap sleeves and beading at the waist. My cathedral veil featured hand-embroidered Brussels lace and was selected by my late maternal grandfather on a trip to Europe 40 years ago and has been worn by all brides in our family since. I carried a bouquet of roses, hydrangea and peonies, accented by my paternal grandmother’s antique cameo brooch. The groom and groomsmen sported traditional black and white tuxedos, and the bridesmaids wore long blush tulle gowns. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were accented with lambs ear and brunia berries, and Joe’s rose boutonnière was wrapped in lace from my wedding gown.”
“After the ceremony, we had a traditional ushered receiving line that allowed us to personally thank everyone who attended. From there, guests only had to travel two blocks to my parents home, where we enjoyed a garden dinner soiree. We wanted it to feel elegant and classic, so we chose a light color palette of blush pink and champagne with gold accents. In staying true to the garden party theme, we filled the space with fresh blooms and varying floral arrangements. During cocktail hour, we passed hor d’oeuvres including strawberry bruschetta with goat cheese, pulled pork on sweet potato biscuits and crab cakes topped with herb aioli. We featured local brews from Olde Hickory Brewery and Appalachian Mountain Brewery on tap, as well as signature bride and groom mason-jar cocktails – “Joe’s Gentleman Ginger”, with Jack Daniels whiskey, ginger-ale, muddled mint and fresh lime juice; and “Audrey’s Hitched in Hickory”, with Firefly sweet tea vodka, lemonade and a splash of peach nectar. Guests could also craft their beverage at the bubbly bar set up in the garden greenhouse.”
“We tried to fill the space with personal details - the “family tree” with pictures of our families on their wedding days; lawn games where guests could play corn hole and croquet; my childhood playhouse set up for a tea party; “Well Wishes for the Mr. and Mrs.” where guests could write a wish and throw a coin in the stone fountain; garden benches, wicker and rocking chairs throughout to relax and converse with friends.”
“After cocktails, the wedding party entered the reception through the boxwood hedges and lined the dance floor as Joe and I shared our first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night,” which reminds us of our chance meeting on the dance floor at a Halloween party on the Charleston harbor.”
“For dinner, we served a plated meal consisting of bibb salad with cornbread croutons, smoked BBQ brisket, creamy shrimp and grits and summer succotash sourced from the local farmers markets. Our wedding cake was made up of three different pound cakes – traditional almond, vanilla with strawberry filling and lemon with lemon curd.”
“After dinner came heartfelt speeches, where my Dad shared many of the memories we had in the very spots where wedding guests were now seated. He was the proudest “Father of the Bride,” and was quick to pay homage to my favorite movie, which describes a story much like our own. ”
“When the toasts had been made and eyes had been wiped, everyone hit the dance floor for a magical evening of celebrating under the stars. Before our grand exit, guests walked to the front of the house along a stone path lit by hanging candles from the trees to gather their homemade strawberry jam favors and sparkler sticks for the send off. They lined the walkway and I’ll never forget running out the front door of my family home through all of the smiling faces of those nearest to our hearts. As Joe and I turned around to soak it all in, we knew it was the start of building our forever together. ”
What an absolute pleasure it has been to take this journey through the wedding process with Audrey + Joe! From the engagement session, to the bridal session, to the big day... we have had the most amazing time with these guys!
AND, big news....
We're also very excited to announce that Audrey + Joe's wedding will be featured in the next issue (Winter/Spring 2016) of Southern Bride Magazine, due out on stands just before Christmas, so be sure to keep an eye out for them in the magazine! You'll be able to pick a copy up at Barnes & Noble! Congratulations Audrey + Joe! :)
xoxo
Jason + Heather
www.revivalphotography.com
Featured Wedding Pros:
Wedding Coordinator – Tara Bland, Tara B’s Eventful planning, Hickory, NC
Caterer – Jessica Fryer, Liazzo’s Catering, Hickory, NC
Cake - Shannon Hayes, Sugar Plum Fairies Bakery, Hickory, NC
Florist – Darlene Haun, Wildflowers, Taylorsville, NC
Music - Mo’ Money Band, East Coast Entertainment
Ceremony Musicians - "Martha Hill, who is the organist at First Presbyterian Church and the Executive Director of the Western Piedmont Symphony, helped us find the musicians to fit our needs. She played both the organ and the harp during the ceremony, and then she put together a string quartet which I believe was composed of musicians from the symphony: Ms. Amanda Gentile, Violin; Mr. Victor Li, Violin; Mr. Patrick Jones, Viola; Ms. Edie Royal, Cello. Mrs. Ellen Mitchell also performed a solo of The Lord's Prayer. Fun fact, Mrs. Mitchell was my Choir Director and Handbell Director growing up in the church, and Dr. Hill was my middle school principle!" - Audrey
Rentals – It’s My Party; Party Reflections
Hair and Make Up: Charisse Crammer, Charisse C Beauty
Bridal Gown – Justin Alexander
Alterations - Tomie Walker
Bridesmaids Shirts - "My parents neighbor, Mrs. Debby Rush, has a monogramming business that she runs out of her beautiful historic home and she monogrammed the shirts for us. They have been our neighbors since we moved to Hickory and I grew up in school with her boys." - Audrey
Bridesmaids Dresses – Jenny Yoo
Groom and Groomsmen Tuxedos – Vera Wang
Invitations – Sally Brown, Hen and Chicken Papers, Hickory, NC
Favors - "Another good family friend, Mrs. Sharon Frye, did the strawberry jam favors. She has practically raised me and I was so excited to showcase her "famous" strawberry jam. She cans every year and she is especially known for her strawberry jam...they certainly go fast around our house! All of the proceeds from her canned goods go to support a scholarship fund she started for her late niece, Maggie Lauren Matheson." - Audrey
Transportation - Burke Christian Tours
Honeymoon - "For the honeymoon, we took a 12 night Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Equinox. The cruise left out of Barcelona, Spain, and we arrived a day early to have some extra time to explore the city. We stayed at Hotel Curious. From there, we got on the ship and our stops included Villefranche and Nice, France; Pisa, Italy; Rome, Italy; Amalfi Coast, Italy; Mykonos, Greece; Santorini, Greece; Rhodes, Greece; Ephesus, Turley; and it ended in Athens, Greece." - Audrey
Cinematography - Twenty-One Films, Raleigh, NC
Photography – Heather and Jason Barr, Revival Photography
“I just can’t say enough great things about Revival Photography! They came highly recommended from the start of our wedding planning process and I could tell they would be the perfect photographers from their work alone, but when I met Heather and Jason it absolutely sealed the deal! They are such wonderful,talented people and they truly go above and beyond to exceed expectations. They listened and delivered on every idea I shared, and they came up with so many creative and special ways to capture our wedding moments. We loved Revival so much that we used them for engagement photos and a bridal session in addition to full day wedding photography and it was worth every penny and so much more! I have already received SO many compliments on our photos and I couldn’t be happier with how they captured the essence of our wedding and brought it to life. Their responsiveness to messages was incredible and they made my husband and I feel so relaxed and comfortable through the whole process. They took time to get to know us and our families, and they worked tirelessly to give us exactly what we were looking for rather than trying to fit us into a certain mold or style. It was an absolute pleasure and honor to work with Heather and Jason and no matter the occasion I would recommend Revival Photography every time.”