A French-Inspired Spring Memphis Wedding

If Sarah Langsdon hadn’t been inspired to attend medical school, following in her father’s footsteps, she and Adam Albrecht may have never met. Luckily, she was, and they did, and on May 11, 2019, they decided on forever.

Sarah and Adam met through a mutual friend while Sarah was in medical school. They’d actually both attended Briarcrest Christian School, but their paths never crossed since Adam was four years older than Sarah. “We had immediate chemistry,” says Sarah. “We tend to be opposites. He is calm, I am hyper. And he would say things that would remind me of my dad. I will never forget him telling me I need to read Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People. My dad had already given me a copy, which I never read.”

They dated for three years as Sarah continued medical school, and weathered their fair share of challenges throughout. When Sarah started her rotations for school, Adam traveled with her to Jackson, Mississippi, where they discovered their lodging had bedbugs, and to New Orleans, where a washing machine flooded their rental and they had to wash clothes in the sink. But these two are always smiling and finding something to laugh about in any situation.

french-inspired wedding — The mother-of-the-bride, Carol Langsdon, did most of the planning of this wedding while the bride finished up medical school. Carol drew inspiration for the celebration from her travels to France. Doesn’t this reception setup look beautifully cozy and inviting?

This invitation suite is just lovely. We’re absolutely charmed by the greenery and dainty pink buds incorporated into the design.

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The cameo on Sarah’s bridal bouquet is her “something old,” a family heirloom from Adam’s mother’s side of the family. She borrowed her sister’s veil and wore a sash made from her grandmother’s wedding dress by Monte Anderson. She donned a blue sapphire and diamond pendant made from her grandmother’s engagement ring to complete the tradition.

Adam and Sarah soon knew that they wanted to get married, but with Sarah’s medical school and subsequent residency schedules, finding the time to do so would be difficult. She knew an elaborate proposal was simply not in the cards, as she was constantly traveling on plastic surgery rotations, so she didn’t expect much. But while she was traveling, Adam was planning. When Sarah returned home from a month-long rotation in Chattanooga, her dog Charlie greeted her at Adam’s door — with a ring tied to his harness. “When I came in the door Charlie ran to me with the ring on him,” says Sarah. “Keep in mind, Charlie is like my child, and I had not seen him in a month. It was such a wonderful surprise.”

With medical school coming to a close and residency looming, Sarah simply did not have time to plan a wedding. Luckily for her, her sweet mother Carol was more than up to the task, managing to envision, plan, and execute a beautiful day any bride would be thrilled with. Carol pulled inspiration for the day from her travels abroad in Avignon, France, where she noticed couples coming out of courthouses, there called Hôtel de Ville, in wedding dresses and suits and then going to a nearby park for a celebratory picnic. She was charmed by the simplicity of it, and when Sarah asked for her help in planning the day, her mind immediately went back to France … a simple and beautiful wedding day, teeming with flowers and greenery, plenty of decadent food and French wine, and a gorgeous setting.

mother daughter — Sarah wasn’t able to be very hands-on in the wedding planning process due to the demands of her school schedule. Lucky for her, she had a more than capable planner in the form of her sweet mother Carol, for whom Sarah is very grateful!

dress details — With precious little free time to shop for a wedding dress, Sarah knew she had to find one quickly. “I knew I wanted something traditional and something easy to dance and move in,” says Sarah. “I tried on maybe 20 dresses and was about to give up when I tried the Robert Bullock dress.” The sweetheart neckline beneath an overlay of intricate lace is absolutely gorgeous, and it had a traditional silhouette that suits Sarah perfectly.

Adam makes such a happy and handsome groom. We love his white bowtie, which served to distinguish him from his groomsmen.

ceremony — Emotions were high as Sarah walked down the aisle, arms linked with her mother and father.

On May 11, 2019, about 200 guests gathered at Germantown Presbyterian Church, the church Sarah had grown up in. When the doors swung open and “Canon in D” began to play, the bride, flanked by her mother and father, was overwhelmed with emotion. Through her tears, she made it to the end of the aisle and joined hands with Adam, where they promised to love each other forever. With a kiss it was official, and the minister raised his hand to bless the couple and their marriage — and the bride, in a moment no one in attendance will soon forget, gave him an enthusiastic high five. The moment brought laughter and levity to an otherwise traditional ceremony, and as her mother says, was just so perfectly Sarah.

bridal party — “Blue is Sarah’s favorite color, and sapphire is her birthstone, so it was easy selecting a blue color palette,” says Carol. And this pretty, light shade is absolutely perfect for Sarah and Adam’s spring nuptials.

bride and groom — Opposites attract: Where Sarah is bubbly, Adam is calm. Their wedding day, equal parts laughter and smiles and emotion and serious vows, represented them both perfectly.

spring wedding — The head table was a long, family-style table spanning the length of the room, lined with greenery down the center.

Guests made the quick drive over to nearby Bobby Lanier Farm Park, a sprawling 10-acre functioning farm with a barn that had been transformed into a casual venue right out of the French countryside. “It had been rainy and we had cooler temperatures, so we added a tent with walls beside the barn. It just was very special,” says Carol. “It really felt like what I wanted … it felt like you were in France.”

There, a beautiful seated dinner awaited them, featuring a summer squash soup, beef tenderloin with heirloom tomatoes, and Springer Mountain chicken over grits. The meal was the component the bride, a fabulous cook herself, was most concerned with while planning the wedding. “I am a huge foodie, so it was all I was worried about,” says Sarah. “It was awesome, and the caterer did an outstanding job. I told my mom that I didn’t care about anything other than I wanted a seated dinner with great food.” From there, the bride and groom tore up the dance floor with family and friends all night, with joyful smiles on their faces the entire time.

At the end of the night, Sarah and Adam exited the reception under a shower of bubbles and well wishes from their guests. They took a delayed honeymoon in Nantucket and have settled in Missouri while Sarah completes her residency and Adam continues his work as a data scientist.