From ball gown to wedding dress

Although the venue was booked, hundreds of decisions were waiting. There’s so much to planning a wedding, says Olivia. All those little decisions! Luckily for Olivia, Lou and Patrick, almost all of them were wonderfully easy, starting with the cream-colored invitations with fringed edges that Lou and Olivia chose with the help of stationer and invitation designer Martha Morris. Engraved in subdued gray script, they were traditional but not stuffy. Olivia’s wedding dress, a sleek, strapless design with a fitted top that flared out into an A-line skirt that allowed it to rustle as Olivia walked, was also an easy but completely unexpected choice.

We went to see satin and lace, Lou said. They were gorgeous but none of them really shined like I thought they would. We noticed a simple strapless dress and, on a whim, Olivia tried it on. It was as if a switch had been turned on. We knew we had found his style.

Although Olivia and Lou loved the dress, they decided to keep looking, just in case they found one they liked even better. It didn’t take long: at the next store, they found the perfect wedding dress. I’m not sure what I expected, but it was a wonderful experience, says Lou. Finding a veil with just the right amount of lace took a little longer, but in the end we found one that complemented the simplicity of Olivia’s dress perfectly.

Lou was afraid the flowers would be a challenge, but they turned out to be more beautiful than she could have imagined. Olivia couldn’t choose between all white or all pink, says Lou. Julianne Sojourner from My Friends Garden has found a way to use both. The flowers at the ceremony site were almost exclusively white, but along the way to the reception the color of the flowers gradually deepened, first to pale pink, then a bit darker, and finally to a bright, spring-like hue, she says. It was beautiful and so creative.

Olivia and Patrick’s rehearsal dinner took place on a lawn lined with mature trees and formal hedges outside the historic Piermont Cottage at Old Edwards. Guests were greeted by a large photo mosaic depicting highlights of Olivia and Patricks eight years together. Jodie came up with the idea of ​​celebrating all those special memories we’ve made, says Olivia. He also paid tribute to all the people who have had such an impact on our lives.

The seated dinner was designed to look like a garden party. We used monogrammed napkins with vintage china and sterling mixed together, says Jodie. After dinner, as the tent was set up again for the welcome party, we retired to the side yard for a bourbon tasting led by Olivias Uncle James. We ended the evening with scrumptious desserts and a bluegrass band.

The next day, Olivia and Patrick said their vows at Old Edwards Orchard House in front of a wooden cross adorned with white roses and greenery. Behind the cross, a wall of windows overlooked the sun-dappled mountain forest. Olivia was led down the aisle by 10 bridesmaids in pale pink dresses; since her father, Gary, had died, Olivia had been escorted by her brothers. The ceremony was a beautiful blur, but I’ll never forget how special it was the moment I first saw Patrick as I walked down the aisle, Olivia said.

Entering the reception to the sound of an instrumental trio, guests found themselves surrounded by elegant Julianne arrangements of pink and white roses, sweet peas, hydrangeas and tulips, which dotted the tables, filled the mantle of the stacked stone fireplace, hanging light fixtures, and spiraling around the five-layered wedding cake that topped an engraved silver stand. Outside, a covered stone patio opened onto a flower garden surrounding a verdant lawn. Although they briefly considered a sit-down dinner, Olivia and Patrick followed Southern tradition and hosted a stand-up reception that allowed friends and family to mingle throughout the evening. They also danced to the energetic sound of the Atlanta Showstoppers.

I’m so thankful we met when we did, Olivia said. It allowed us to be where we are now, which is where we need to be.