An outdoor ceremony set beside a tranquil lake. Beautiful sofas scattered throughout an open field. An enchanting forest stroll leading to one of the most incredible reception tents you’ll ever see. A happy couple soaking in every moment. Organized by a world-class event designer, this luxe lakeside wedding in Jemison, AL, had it all!
As soon as she said, “Yes!” the bride and groom knew there was only one place special enough for their wedding: Jemison, Alabama. “From the very beginning, it was clear how much the family cherished their country property; it was a place filled with memories and meaning,” says Neillie Butler, president and founder of Mariée Ami, a Birmingham-based wedding planning studio that was charged with handling the big day.
Planning began by exploring the property, looking for that special spot that at once felt intimate and personal yet could also support the couple’s grand plans. “From there, we designed the event to feel like a journey, a thoughtful progression,” Neillie tells us. “Whether guests were arriving, moving to the ceremony, or transitioning into the reception, each moment was intentionally crafted to feel seamless and special.”
Neillie shares that the bride and groom wanted the day to carry a relaxed yet vibrant feel, full of color and personality — just like them. “I knew I wanted lots of color, so we worked with Mariée Ami and our designers at HMR Designs to create the perfect color story for our wedding,” the bride explains, “But funnily enough, my bouquet was all white flowers!”
The Mariée Ami team collaborated with the Chicago-based event designers to bring the couple’s vision to life. “When the project allows, we love collaborating with talented design firms from around the country to bring a truly unique vision to life,” Neillie says. “Given the creativity of this particular vision, we knew [HMR Designs] would be the perfect fit — and they absolutely delivered.”
The bride was thrilled with the collaboration. “[Mariée Ami] arranged for us to meet Rishi Patel and the team of HMR in Chicago, where they had prepared a mock-up of each of the venue spaces. We were blown away,” she says.
The wedding featured four designated spaces throughout the day: the ceremony, cocktail hour, sit-down dinner, and reception lounge, with each catering to the couple’s unique vision.
First, the ceremony. Guests took their seats along the outdoor rows, furnished with delicate chairs interspersed with plush green and blue sofas.
The bride’s dress, a Savin London from The White Room in Birmingham, Alabama, provided yet another opportunity for color, one the bride hadn’t expected. “I never thought about buying a dress with blue details but fell in love with it,” she says, “I tried on several dresses but kept coming back to that one.”
Following the ceremony, guests were led to a garden coffee and cocktail hour, where ornate tables and chairs dotted the open lawn, along with more couches, loungers, and an elegant serving bar. Nitro Espresso Martinis, a Mezcal Painkiller, and a Passionfruit Champagne Spritzer were served along with a coffee cart by Cala Coffee and hors d’oeuvres.
Next, it was time for dinner and dancing. The family constructed a lit boardwalk just for the event to guide guests to the reception. Once through the trees, guests were greeted by a sight they wouldn’t soon forget.
The couple wanted the reception meal to be an experience all its own, so Mariée Ami worked with HMR Designs and Tasting TBL to deliver. They came up with the idea of seating guests around an open kitchen, providing an immersive experience.
Executing the idea, however, was no easy feat. “One of our biggest challenges was designing a fully functional open kitchen from scratch,” Neillie explains. “Without a standard chef’s kitchen to rely on, we had to carefully craft a space that was not only operational for the culinary team but also visually striking — essentially turning something that is usually ‘back of house’ into part of the event experience.”
After dinner, the wedding band lured guests to the dance floor, playing everything from Florence & the Machine to ABBA and Marvin Gaye. “The upbeat vibe and mix of genres kept all ages on the floor all night!” the bride says.
“Instead of a traditional dance floor, we designed a post-dinner speakeasy-style lounge, where guests could mingle, sip, and dance in a way that felt fun and intimate — perfectly capturing the couple’s unique spirit,” Neillie shares.
As often happens, the enchanting day flew by. The bride’s advice? Make a pact with your husband-to-be to stick by each other’s side from the ceremony forward. “It is so easy to be pulled away from each other to talk to loved ones, and the day is way too short not to spend every minute together that you can!” she says.
When it was time to send off the happy couple, only the Bronco would do. The couple drove off into their happily ever after with ground sparklers illuminating their path.
RESOURCES
Venue: Private property in Jemison, Alabama
Planner: Mariée Ami
Event Design: HMR Designs
Photographer: Clark Brewer
Videographer: Resolute Wedding Films
Bride’s gown: Savin London from The White Room
Hair & Makeup: Celine Russell
Groom’s Look: Shaia’s
Invitations, programs & menu cards: Mariée Ami
Flowers: HMR Designs
Catering: Tasting TBL
Entertainment: White Noise Band through Dart Collective
Cake: Barb’s Cakes
STYLEBLUEPRINT RESOURCES:
Planning a wedding? Check out StyleBlueprint’s two Wedding Resource Guides. (More to come!):
- StyleBlueprint Nashville’s Wedding Resource Guide
- StyleBlueprint Birmingham’s Wedding Resource Guide
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