Winter (and fall!) brides take note: when looking for the perfect way to dress your maids (and yourself, of course) for cooler temps, look no further than Kilbi + her attendants’ fur wraps and woolen shawls.  I love cool weather weddings and love, love love the splash of chocolate and ivory in an otherwise feminine color palette.  Kilbi’s maids wore pewter bubble-hem frocks from the Jim Hjelm collection and the groomsmen stone-colored Calvin Klein suits.   Did y’all catch the subtle peacock accents in the couple’s floral arrangements (courtesy of A Beautiful Event) and three-tiered  square confection from Crumb de la Crumb?  Hugs to Kellie Kano for sharing this stunning North Carolina soiree.  Don’t forget to take a peek at her original blog post before you go!

Three adjectives that describe the day are: Blissful, surreal and whimsical.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The blue Louboutins, the peacock feathers and the fabulous wine glasses we had made from FizzyArt for our wedding party
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: It was really quite simple. I had made appointments at several bridal salons in NC, so my mom and I ventured off to Nitsa's in Winston-Salem.  I tried on eight dresses and bought the second one. Mom and I cancelled all other appointments and went to lunch to celebrate.
Describe your wedding flowers: Our flowers were centered around the peacock feather and included various shades of ivory, champagne, green, blue and brown.
Describe your wedding cake: Our wedding cake was a simple three-tiered white cake with peacock feathers embossed on the cake.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Our first look; we have our fabulous photographer to thank for that! It was truly magical. Seeing each other for the first time, sharing those moments before we took our vows and knowing we were made for each other… it was truly incredible.  We also had an audience watching through the windows!
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We went with the standard Presbyterian vows. We did love the explanation for why we chose the peacock motif printed in our program:
The Peacock: a bird of protection and safe guarding, representing fidelity, good luck, harmony, and serenity. Since peacocks are pure at heart, loyal and faithful to their partners, they also symbolize eternal love.
What's next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We couldn't be happier to journey through the rest of our lives together. We are looking forward to sharing love and laughter, having children together and raising our family, and traveling the world.  Most of all, we are looking forward to enjoying every day and making memories together as husband and wife.

Thank you for sharing your wedding with us!  Congratulations to you both!

Kellie Kano is a Southern Weddings sponsor.

There are three things in this North Carolina celebration giving me a more-than-mild case of wedding envy: the bride’s flirty turquoise pumps, her ultra-feminine pink and white rose bouquet and her dress… her lovely lace-embellished, illusion-strapped Pronovias dress.  (Pronovias happens to be one of my very favorite designers, and I knew before I asked that this beauty had to be from their collection.)  Christian Louboutin gets the credit for Kilbi’s hot heels (natch) and A Beautiful Event created the bride’s romantic + sweetly understated bouquet.  Of course, we can’t forget to brag a little about Kellie Kano for capturing this serene seaside wedding on Bald Head Island!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. Boy meets girl walking into the hotel. Boy is girl's boss. Boy drinks lots of coffee and is a pretty funny dude. They are fast friends. Life is full of surprises and they realize they are more than friends. Boy and girl go on dates. They drink wine and laugh. Alot. Girl sees boy combing little girl's hair. Girl melts. Girl and boy realize they are meant for each other. Boy proposes in the dead of winter at the beach and girl spends next 10 months planning (and driving him crazy!). They say 'I do' on a magical day and dance the night away. Boy and girl honeymoon Down Under and have the time of their lives. Boy and girl start on their journey of 'happily ever after,' loving every second...
Describe the proposal (As told by the Groom) Originally, I had planned to propose to Kilbi at Lake Tahoe on an upcoming ski trip. I hadn't quite figured out the time and location, but thought that it would be a beautiful setting to ask her to marry me. However, a series of events and my suspicion that Kilbi was catching on to my plan called for a change of plans.

We had visited Bald Head Island over New Year's and had really fell in love with the island. Over the previous couple of months, we had looked at somewhere very similar to get married, called Palmetto Bluff. So when we visited Bald Head, the unique feel and layout of the island was perfect for a smaller and more special wedding, which was exactly we wanted. After returning from the island, we made inquires as to what dates were available for a wedding at Bald Head Island. Fortunately, there were still a few dates left in the Fall, which was exactly when we wanted to get married!  We planned to go to BHI to look at the chapel and other wedding locations the following weekend. She had discussed visiting BHI with her mother, wanting her to go, but her mom wanted to see some "hardware" prior to making wedding plans. If momma is not happy, then nobody is happy :). I knew I had to act smoothly and swiftly because I wanted to make sure that we would be able to get our date at BHI for this year. I wanted this special day to be perfect for Kilbi, just as she had always wanted. My mind was set and I did not want to wait a moment longer to marry her.

With her parents’ help, we devised a plan for Kilby and I to head to the beach for the weekend and for her parents to join us later that night. (My parents, who were already down at the beach, were also part of the plan.)  I had my mother make dinner reservations for Kilby and me at a quaint restaurant on the water. After a nice dinner and some conversation over a bottle of wine, I tried try to throw her off track with discussion of the ideas to visit BHI to make plans for our wedding. At this point, there still was no ring so that plan had been put on the back burner and was a bit of a sore subject. However, little did she know I was about to change that very quickly!

Out of nowhere I pulled the ring from my pocket and asked Kilbi if she would marry me. I think my quick change of direction threw her off-guard.  She was in total shock!  All I remember is her crying and freaking out from sheer excitement. Her reaction, which we both laugh about now, was better than I could have ever imagined. All of our plans and thoughts of spending our lives together had now become a reality. We were getting married on November 21, 2009 and the rest is history...

Kellie Kano is a Southern Weddings sponsor.

You probably already know what I’m going to say first about this Atlanta wedding from Adam at W. Scott Chester: I. want. those. shoes.  Like now.  Seriously: I’ve seen a few brides opt for these hot pink Kate Spades and I’m now more than a little jealous.  But I digress: this is Karen’s day (or a post about it anyway), and I have to admit, they’re the perfect accent to the bride’s classic J.Crew sheath.  Bloom Floral Design created expertly coordinated pink and white bouquets, and Lulu’s Bakery designed the couple’s rock-candy-covered confection – so fun!  Before you go, hop on over to the Chesters’ blog to see full-coverage of the day.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. We met through mutual friends at a party.  We would see each other from time to time and would always talk.  But then it became more frequent and we were running into each other every weekend.  He eventually asked me out on a date and we’ve been inseparable ever since. 
Describe the proposal. We were stopping by Glenn’s condo to drop off some things, and we decided to have a cocktail on his terrace.  We began reminiscing about our first date and all of the great times we’d spent on the terrace.  Then he pulled out the ring and proposed.  I was in so much shock that I barely heard anything he said.  I just cried and stared at the ring.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Unforgettable, heart-warming and amazing.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The candle globes our florist hung above us for the ceremony.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I went to a number of bridal shops and they all had great dresses, but I wanted something really simple.  I had a gut feeling I would end up buying my dress from JCrew (because I am a huge JCrew fan), and I did.  Best of all, it only took a few days from the time I ordered it to the time it arrived on my doorstep!
Describe your wedding flowers: Ranunculus! I originally wanted peonies, but they were out of season.  Ranunculus are a year-round flower and are not very expensive.  I had an all white-ranunculus bouquet and my sister, who was the matron of honor, carried shades of pink ranunculus, cabbage roses and bouvardia.  
Describe your groom's cake: Glenn picked Q*bert as his groom’s cake because back in the ‘80s, Glenn spent all of his days in the arcade.  One day, he played Q*bert all day on one quarter.  He eventually had to end his game because the pizzeria closed.  But rumor has it that he actually held the world record for some time.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Limiting the number of guests.  We wanted to have all of our friends there but, at the same time, realized we had a budget to stick to.  
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time that day.  Waiting to see each other for the first time brings back so much emotion, and you get to share that moment with your family and friends. It’s definitely the way to go.  
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We just bought a new house and have been moving in ever since the wedding.  We can’t wait to start our new life there together as husband and wife.  

Congratulations, Karen + Glenn!  Good luck on your new home!

W. Scott Chester is a Southern Weddings sponsor.