Margaret and Clay’s stunning southern estate garden wedding took place on the property of both the bride’s parents’ and grandparents’ homes. Margaret grew up across the street from her grandparents and the charmed childhood inspired the gorgeous wedding day planned by Mariee Ami Ami with abundant florals designed by In Bloom and perfectly captured by Davy Whitener. Read on for more of the love, heartbreak and joy that went into the couples breathtakingly beautiful day.
Growing up across the street from your grandparents isn’t something most families experience, but this was the only upbringing that Margaret knew. Spending her childhood running back and forth between her home and her grandparents’ allowed her imagination to run wild as she saw the endless possibilities in these places. This experience made decision-making much easier when it came time for Margaret and Clay to choose where they would be married. They aptly chose for their ceremony to be in the backyard of Margaret’s parents’ home followed by an elegant reception in the backyard of her grandparents’ home.
When planning began, Margaret’s family was thrilled about the wedding and her grandparents were especially excited to immediately begin taking on projects to get their home ready for the celebration. Margaret’s grandparents have always had a special place in her heart because they played such a large part in her life, so she was ecstatic they would be part of the planning and her big day as well. The bride’s inspiration was pulled from the overall style of both homes and her desire to bring a real connection between the ceremony and reception. A watercolor of the bride’s home on the save the date was the perfect piece to set the tone for the entire wedding and many other classic southern themes were seen throughout the weekend.
Heartbreak overcame this family when Margaret’s grandfather fell ill during the planning and ultimately passed away before the big day. An immense void was felt by all, but when Margaret and Clay’s wedding day came it was evident he had a hand in the beauty of it – the perfectly manicured lawns, fresh potted window boxes, wrought iron gates and traditional beauty of the family’s spaces were a big part in the design of the wedding and it was all perfectly executed just as if he had been there to make sure of it himself. After a beautiful ceremony, the wedding party was led to the reception by a second line band which really got the party started. With the setting of his home surrounding the celebration, Margaret’s grandfather continued to shine down on the day as the happy couple danced into the night with their loved ones. The elegance of the evening concluded with the bride and groom departing in an antique Rolls Royce to begin their life as husband and wife.
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Photographer: Davy Whitener // Planning, Design and Paper: Mariee Ami Ami // Floral Design: In Bloom // Dress: Oscar de la Renta // Hair and Make-up: Celine Russell // Cake: Barb’s Cake // Tent and Rentals: Pre Events // Specialty Rentals: Please Be Seated // Catering: Shindigs // Videographer: Film Poets // Band: Atlanta Rhythm and Groove // Get Away Car: Coats Classic Cars // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box