Amy shared her perspective of the wedding day with us and there were SO many wonderful tidbits, we thought we’d share them with YOU!
Tell us about the inspiration for your wedding day…
I am an artist to aesthetics and detail are very important to me. My vision was to portray a feeling of intimacy, customization, farm style and romance. Blue is our favorite color so a mix of blue tones was our main color with peaches, sage greens, & touches of pink was our color palette.
How did you go about choosing your wedding venue?
Cade and I had heard about Carillon beach Meeting house from an interior designer that I have created artwork for. We spent a date night going to a few different venue options. when we arrived at the meeting house we fell in love with the small white chapel and the intimacy yet openness of the space.
Were there any DIY aspects to your wedding?
I had so many DIY aspects to my wedding! Again I’m an artist so wanted to my own STAMP on my wedding.I hand-painted our verve bottle for the champagne toast, painted a large abstract painting using our wedding palette colors, painted an original image of our venue, the meeting house both of these were on display at the wedding.
I handprinted the place cards on watercolor paper and put a simple watercolor brushstroke with guest names.
I drew the meeting house and had them printed on a hand fan in navy blue. On the backside was the program with our songs and wedding party etc. Guests loved these with the heat of July on the coast.
I printed 2 pieces from waterscape “Amore” collection to give as wedding favors. They were displayed on a faux boxwood wall hanging from twine and clips.
I painted the beverage menu on an old mirror I found at a thrift store.
I drew sketches for Renee of my Vision for the tables, & ceremony sheer curtains and set up.
Finally, Cade and His best man Brewed their own beer inspired from Cade and myself love of cooking together and our favorite herb, basil. They named it the CAMY Saizon and printed my artwork from the Amore” ( inspired from my courtship with Cade) collection on the bottles.
I felt so pleased to see it all come together when I walked into the chapel.
What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
I LOVED My floral selections. Tracy with Vine and Petals created my vision and it exceeded my expectations. Our bouquets were whimsical and organic and full of color. I added a dusty blue ribbon to them and on my bouquet I attached a small pin of Mother Mary that was pinned on me the day I was adopted. It was my something old.
I wanted the large wooden cross to be left simple but had dried ecuclipus and olive leaves tied with the dusty blue ribbon hanging on the end of the aisle chairs. for the reception we did long farm style tables with dusty blue hand-dyed gauze, mixed with olive and eucalyptus branches. We had color large florals in a gold vessel at center of the table
Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
We added the white ice cream cart with umbrella and put donut holes skewers on it instead of a groom’s cake. One of the favorite parts of our wedding was being older , 48, and having many of our life friends and families travel from all over the country to celebrate us. We had 75 guests that came from 16 different states. I loved the blending of our two families with our kids ranging from 26 to 12. having all 4 of them stand beside us during the ceremony was priceless.
I loved the wedding decor inside but also outside, the sparkling lights that twinkled from the large oak trees to the hanging chandeliers outside.. Renee set up a lounge area and just made the whole outside and inside feel magical and intimate and whimsical.
How did you both choose your wedding day look?
I selected my dress from Mararget Ellens bridal store. It was a Martina Liana Dress handmade with intricate Italian Lace with buttons hand sewn along the back. I customized the dress by reducing the plunge line and shortening. I was able to alter my look during the wedding from straps to them removing them after for the reception. Because this is my second marriage and I am older, I didn’t want a long train or a veil. I opted for a half-up hairstyle with my long blonde hair in loose curls finished with a diamond clip and intricate diamond earrings.
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
I just remember the moment when we were saying our vows surrounded 75 of our most special family and friends and looking Cade in the eyes while holding hands and it was like He, Myself and God were the only three in the room. It’s a moment I felt His blessing and I will always cherish.
Was there anything that helped keep your nerves in check on the day of?
My faith… God was with me and calmed my anxious heart. I received a beautiful keepsake from Cade that he had written in the morning of and went for a run around carillon beach. my Maid of honor was my daughter Elise, 21 and junior bridesmaids were my stepdaughters Cara, 12 and Cailyn 13. They slept with me the night before and we all had a bonding day getting all prettied up for the special ceremony. Having that time with all of the girls was so special.
Do you have any wedding planning advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
Make it about you and your partner’s vision, not your parents or friends. personalize as much as you can to make it YOUR day. Make a binder, Make a Pinterest board and find a great wedding planner like we did! Also- I would advise to make a list or communicate with your photographer of specific shots that you want beforehand. We did not do this and regret it.
We did a lot of upgrades from the preplanned packages that Renee had to offer and she was great to give advice and options to our desires. Some of the food, we added an old-fashioned bar, more details in the wedding decor details.
Finally, if there is a slight chance of rain just pay for the tent. We went back and forth and ended up paying for a tent that we didn’t use bc it ended up not raining. When you pay for the tent you pay for a dance floor so we opted use that still on the day of but kept it outdoors as planned.
From your perspective now- what element impacted your wedding day vision the most?
The meeting house is set up for the ceremony but then it turns over and is set up with tables for the reception. When I walked in to eat and saw the decor the thing that struck me the most was the sparkling dripping candles in and the candelabras that lined the farm-style tables. They just added this elegance and intimacy to the space .
Anything else you guys would like to share with readers about your wedding experience?
Our wedding day was all we could ask for and more. Renee and her team did a wonderful job.
Vendor Credits
Wedding Planning + Decor: A Wedding Collection | Venue for Ceremony + Reception: Carillon’s Meeting House | Florals: Vine and Petals | Hair: Elyse Hudson | Makeup: Stacey Alderson | Photographer: Photography by Miranda | Cake: Sweetly Sisters | Catering: Culinary Productions | Bartenders: Gulf Coast Bartenders | Officiant: Jeff McMillen | Rentals: Panache Tents
