des moines, iowa and beyond

workflow & systems strategist

Featured | Southern Elegance on The Perfect Palette

Celebrations

This beautiful Southern wedding design and editorial exudes charm and elegance. From the hospitality details to the classic attire and sweeping views, this wedding will stop you in your tracks. The layered textures and colors bring to life the history of the venue, the couple’s love story and dreams for their future. I am so honored to have this featured on The Perfect Palette blog this week, after almost a year of waiting to share this piece of my heart with you, lovelies!

Jessica and Anthony met on a blind date set up by friends on a beautiful early winter evening at a Dallas Stars hockey game. It turns out that Tony had wanted to ask Jessica out multiple times and hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to her, so it was perfect. They spent the evening cheering on their team and really getting to know each other.

Soon after that evening, they started spending more time together and enjoying cooking, hiking, sporting events of all kinds and travel. When it came time to take things up a notch, Tony proposed on their fourth anniversary over a perfectly cooked steak and Cabernet Sauvignon from a trip to Napa a few years prior. He proposed with his Grandmother’s ring, which had belonged to his Grandpa’s mother. It is a beautiful, bespoke piece made from a family heirloom earring that had lost its match at some point in time. Just like Jessica, it was elegant, original and stunning.

As they began planning their wedding, they wanted to stay in the Dallas area, but find a venue that reminded them of their many trips together. When we found Dove Ridge Vineyard, it was a perfect fit. The Vineyard harkened the trips to California they had so enjoyed, as well as felt like they were in a world of their own in French wine country and home in Texas all at once. The design was heavily inspired by their travels and the story of the venue.

When Janan and Joey began building Dove Ridge, they had a vision for strong marriages to begin there and become a destination of memories for many families to come.  The first time we toured the vineyard, I asked if the vines grew well through the rocky terrain. Her answer was such an inspiration for life and marriage that we have to weave it into the design. The grapes grow best and produce the best fruit when they have to fight through the rough dirt. Just like everything worthwhile in life and marriage, it is better when we take the time to work through the dirt and bloom on the other side. The trials make us stronger and build that foundation for thriving.

Before discussing the very intentionally curated details of the event design, let’s talk about the heart of the matter – the people. Jessica and Anthony surround themselves with joyful, loving, encouraging friends. As they got ready for the day, you could hear laughter echoing in all corners of the venue and hear whispers of excitement as you were passing a doorway.

Jessica’s Carolina Herrera gown from Lovely Bride Dallas was absolutely stunning! It was simple and modern, with sweeping romance in the long train and detailed stitching. Coupled with Anthony’s tailored navy and black tux from The Black Tux, these two are magazine ready! The bridesmaids’ attire complimented them so beautifully in “Aidan” by Jenny Yoo, rented from Vow to be Chic. You can’t have a wedding day without your glam squad! Meghan Bechtel and Fallon Farmer made the girls look absolutely beautiful with modern and timeless looks. To tie everything together, the bridesmaids were gifted jewelry from Everly Rings.

Like with any design, once we had the general concept and feeling determined, we began with the colors and textures.  Jessica wanted to bring in the feeling of their travels to Cabo and Aruba, some of their favorites, with bright colors that still felt very elegant. We pulled in blues of the ocean with a few warmer colors that reminded them of sunsets, architecture and the passionate people they met there. We also incorporated the stone textures of the vineyard and the brick paved streets. As a southern belle, Jessica also wanted to have a traditional and hospitable undertone to everything we did. We kept things fairly simple, but intentional.

From the moment guests received their invitation suite, created by the talented Goldie Design Co., they knew this would be romantic, timeless, elegant and bespoke. The custom drawn likeness of the venue coupled with watercolor and calligraphy details and velum overlay on the invitation let them know they’d be in for quite the affair.

That warm, hospitable experience continued as guests entered the beautiful venue. We welcomed them with carefully curated gift boxes from Loved & Found Box. Liz helped us make sure that the guests felt pampered throughout their whole day. She thought of everything, from a bottle of wine from the vineyard as a memento, to late night snack and breakfast oatmeal with fresh fruit to enjoy at the hotel. In case they wanted to enjoy the wine on a romantic or special evening, as a nod to J & A’s engagement, we also included a few taper candles for them. This special extra touch let them know that Jessica and Anthony truly valued their attendance, love and support.

As guests entered for the ceremony, they were greeted by a bright, modern set up, complete with ghost chairs and a romantic altar draped in soft fabric and floral accents. We wanted the backdrop to be elegant, romantic and clean, so as to allow their love and the commitment they were making to take center stage.  After the ceremony, guests celebrated the new Mr. & Mrs. with a flower petal toss as they made their way up the aisle.

Since we had everything at Dove Ridge, the guests were immediately swept into the reception space, full of color, music and inviting tablescapes. Big D Party Rentals provided all of our rentals, linens and tableware. We were able to go into the showroom and try a few different combinations until we got it just right. For the guest tables, we wanted to differentiate from the other tables in the room.  We chose the beautiful Spa teal Jute linens for texture and color, coupled with Cadet Blue shantung napkins to tie in the sweetheart table. With blue being Anthony’s favorite color, we wanted to accent the sweetheart table with that.  Each selection in the place settings was equally important. The gold detail was to echo the warm tones we wanted to incorporate. We were also able to order in Tara china with stunning floral detail. These were chosen for not only their beauty and color palette, but to tie in the vines of the vineyard and Jessica’s love of flowers. Topped by a gold lined salad plate to keep a simple layering and lighten the settings. The gold rimmed goblets reminded Anthony of some his grandparents have in their dining hutch that were used only on special occasions and holidays.

When deciding head table versus sweetheart table, Jessica and Tony wanted to be able to spend a few quieter moments together, taking in the guests gathered to celebrate with them. So, we placed them at the front of the reception space, framed by the beautiful floor to ceiling stone fireplace. As most couples do, they also had champagne flutes at their settings. However, these weren’t just anyone’s flutes, they were Jessica’s parents’ that they’d been gifted for their wedding. Both Jessica and Anthony wanted to pay homage to their families’ marriages and borrow pieces that held importance and memory for them.

One of my favorite details were the sweetheart table chair details. While ghost chairs were used throughout the event, we wanted to set theirs apart, but not with signage, since no one was behind them. We decided to use floral elements to climb the backs of their chairs. From the back, if even only for a photo, the vines make it feel so cozy and frame them together so perfectly as they embark on this new adventure of marriage. Again, bringing in the elements of the vineyard and Jessica’s floral obsession.

Tareka at Loft22 Cakes designed a beautiful and unique hexagon wedding cake with a buttercream technique to mimic the waves and fluid open skies at their favorite travel destinations. We kept the cake table simple with an ivory shantung linen to allow the cake to shine and become more of an art piece until it was time to serve.

As dinner wound down and toasts were given, you could feel the energy amp up in the room. When it came time for their first dance, it was nothing short of out of a fairy tale. The way Jessica’s dress swept across the floor and the two of them were lost in each other’s eyes was breathtaking. Guests enjoyed the rest of the evening dancing, chatting and partaking in the stunning views the vineyard has to offer.  When I think of personality, elegance, deep love, community and joy, I will always think of Jessica and Anthony’s wedding and design. It was certainly one for the memory bank and a treasure to have been the first at Dove Ridge Vineyard.

xoxo, Jenn

 

Styling, design & coordination: Harper Hadley Events ||  Photography: Ellen Ashton Photography || Venue: Dove Ridge Vineyard || Floral design: Kate McLeod Studio || Hair/Makeup: Meagan Bechtel & Fallon of Love & Pout || Rentals: Big D Party Rentals || Paper/Calligraphy: Goldie Design Co. || Gown: Lovely Bride Dallas || Bridesmaid attire: Vow to be Chic || Tux: The Black Tux || Jewelry: Trumpet & Horn / Everly Rings || Bakery: Loft 22 Cakes || Gift Boxes: Loved & Found Box || Models: Jenna C, Ryan F, Alexandra, Amber

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *