In October of 2015, we had the pleasure of joining Eli and Aaron on their glamorous wedding day! Their color scheme was blue and white with accents of pink. The beautiful ceremony was held at The Abbey, and the lively reception was held right next door at The Mezz. From tiny details such as the happy couple’s names on champagne glasses, to personal touches such as the gorgeous wedding cake created by the bride’s mother and grandmother, to fun additions such as the “Date Night Jar” in which guests could write down suggestions for date nights, every piece of this wedding was personal and uniquely represented the love these two shared. Thank you so much to Kathy Thomas Photography for sharing these lovely photos with us, so that we can share them with you!
The day began with the ladies getting ready, with hair and make-up done by the masterful stylists at Beauty and a Bowtie. Eli gave each of her bridesmaids a cute personalized make-up tote and getting-ready shirts with their names embroidered on, as seen in their photo together. The gorgeous gown in the final picture was draped in white beads, and displayed her back tattoo of a tree. We loved that Eli chose a dress that highlighted something so personal and unique to herself.
Aaron and his groomsmen gathered outside for a photo, with the groom in a dark grey suit and groomsmen in light grey. Each sported a boutonniere with blue and pink flowers. Meanwhile, Eli and her bridesmaids met elsewhere outdoors, with each of the bridesmaids in a gorgeous blue gown and bearing a beautiful bouquet. Eli was, of course, dressed in white, with her cascading bouquet of blue, white, and pink. Both the bouquets and boutonnieres were arranged by Raining Roses Productions. And at last, it was time for the ceremony! All of the wedding party made their way to The Abbey and prepared for the show to begin.
The Abbey was set up with with a sparkly beaded curtain at the back, with a runway-esque white aisle runner featuring the initials of the bride and groom. Alongside the aisle there were white pillars topped with floral arrangements by Raining Roses. At the front of the ceremony space was a large sign welcoming the guests to Eli and Aaron’s wedding, and reminding them that it would be an unplugged ceremony, meaning they requested guests not to use phones or cameras during the ceremony. The ceremony was beautiful; after the groom, groomsmen, and bridesmaids took their places, there were two flower girls and a ring bearer, followed by Eli and her father. Eli and Aaron exchanged rings, said their vows, and were pronounced man and wife! They kissed and exited The Abbey, and their many family members and members of the wedding party joined them outside for an epic group photo.
After a brief outdoor photo shoot, the bride and groom made their way next door to the reception venue: The Mezz, which was set up as a glamorous, elegant blue and white reception hall, full of chandeliers and grand floral arrangements by Raining Roses. Guests found their table assignments on traditional seating cards. These and all of the paper goods were designed by Dogwood Blossom Stationery.
The reception was full of personalized details, everywhere you looked. The menu, created by Arthur’s Catering, was curated to Eli and Aaron’s tastes. The newlywed’s names were etched onto their champagne glasses at their sweetheart table, itself positioned underneath a gorgeous chandelier. The favors, personalized wine glasses, were packaged in blue & white favor boxes. Last but not least, there was a very fun table set up with the “Date Night Jar”, in which they asked guests to place their written-down date night ideas for the newlyweds to use in the many married days to come.
The personal touches continued with the cake. The multi-tiered masterpiece was lovingly made by the bride’s mother and grandmother, and rivaled any professionally-made wedding cake we’d seen. There were lace details and swirls of icing, all tastefully done. The cake cutter even featured a fun phrase: “Let’s having our cake and eat it too”.
The reception was nonstop Eli and Aaron-style fun. Their grand entrance into the reception hall had them holding up big “Mr” and “Mrs” signs, followed by their first dance together as husband and wife. Next up was the dinner buffet, provided by Arthur’s Catering, and the parent dances. The guests were then welcome to join in open dancing on the floor led by DJ Anwhat, as well as check out the photo booth provided by Click! Photo Booth and the coffee station set up by Cosmic Cafe. At the end of the night, the bride and groom escaped to their gorgeous classic getaway car, provided by Cole’s Classic Cars.
Thank you so much to Eli and Aaron for letting us be a part of their beautiful wedding, and to the venues and vendors that made this day such a success. We all wish the happy couple a long and joyful marriage!
Ceremony Venue: The Abbey • Reception Venue: The Mezz • Hair & Makeup: Beauty and a Bowtie • Planner: Anna Christine Events • Cake: Bride’s Mother & Grandmother • Florist: Raining Roses Productions • Catering: Arthur’s Catering • Photographer: Kathy Thomas Photography • Videographer: Seltzer Films • DJ: DJ Anwhat • Transportation: Southern Elegance Limousine • Coffee Bar: Cosmic Cafe • Photo Booth: Click! Photo Booth • Paper Goods: Dogwood Blossom Stationery • Car: Cole’s Classic Cars