This is the last of our 2015 series ‘Wednesday Weddings.’ We’ll be back with more each February and July. However, we do feature weddings one-two times a month in our Southern Edition, so you can get your fix there! Special thanks to our Wedding Sponsor: Mariée Ami.
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Brought together by their Alabama roots, Cameron Perry and Claude Estes met while living miles away from their hometown of Birmingham, Alabama and working for the same company in New York City. They discovered that they not only hailed from the same town, but the same street–their parents still live a few houses apart. Their love of Birmingham, mutual interests and group hangouts, usually centered around Alabama football games, brought them together and solidified their connection.
The series of events that preceded their May 2, 2015 wedding included a beach proposal in Costa Rica during an Estes family vacation. What began as an afternoon getting caught in the rain and enjoying lunch at a beach-side restaurant, ended with Claude on one knee. After popping the question in the sand (a moment that Cameron never expected), the newly engaged couple made their way back to the house and an unsuspecting Cameron was greeted by her family who had flown to Costa Rica. With both families present, they kicked off the engagement celebration and nine months later they said “I Do” in their shared hometown.
During lunch before Claude’s proposal, Cameron expressed how important it was to have her family present when they got engaged. Claude acknowledged this when he asked her to marry him and apologized that he could not make it happen. She was surprised to find her family waiting at the house!
The couple didn’t look too far from home when planning their late spring wedding–returning to the church and club that had been parts of their childhood. Two weeks before the wedding, Claude got a new job in Birmingham, so they were able to move back home, together, before tying the knot. The festivities kicked off on Friday night with a rehearsal dinner at The Country Club of Birmingham and a welcome party for the younger folks and out-of-town guests. The welcome party gave Claude and Cameron the opportunity to spend some time with their loved ones before the rush of the big day.
To put a personal stamp on the day, Claude and Cameron worked with Allison Banks to have a CC logo created. Cameron loved the end result and is excited to have something the couple can use even after the wedding had passed. They chose to let the logo appear on everything from invitations and koozies to napkins and t-shirts. The invitations complimented the day’s color scheme.
At 6:00 p.m. on May 2, 2015, Cameron’s father accompanied her down the church aisle and her stepfather gave her away. Following the procession, during which the bride looked stunning in her Anne Barge dress, the couple exchanged traditional vows in The Cathedral Church of the Advent with around 600 friends and family as witnesses. The reception brought everyone back to the Country Club of Birmingham and consisted of delicious food, refreshing libations and plenty of dancing. Once the newlyweds made their entrance, they cut the cake and shared a first dance together as husband and wife. Then the party really began.
The wedding décor came together with a common thread of pops of pink. Cameron is a bright person and knew from the outset that she wanted to incorporate hot pink and gold sparkles. Her mom and wedding planner, Nellie with Mariée Ami, were able to make this vision a reality in the most sophisticated and elegant way. The Club is a popular spot for local weddings but on the evening of their nuptials, it was revamped. With elegant decorations, a tented area outside and an elevated lounge area, the space was transformed and Cameron attributes many of the thoughtful details and personal touches to her mother.
The photos below do a magnificent job of capturing the various elements of this wedding day.
Something old: Cameron wore the veil crafted from lace her great-grandmother brought back from Italy. Family members, including her Grandmother, mother and cousins, have all worn the veil. Something new: her dress and heels were both new items. Something borrowed: her mother lent Cameron a pair of earrings for the day. Something blue: in addition to a blue garter, the bride had a blue heart, along with her initials, stitch to the inside of her wedding dress.
Cameron always envisioned herself in a ball gown with a sweetheart neckline. The bride-to-be tried on the Anne Barge from Kleinfeld in NYC and again at a local Birmingham bridal boutique. While she loved the dress, she was not ready to say “Yes!” Finally, countless dresses later, she returned to Kleinfelds and said, “Yes” to one of the first dresses she had tried on.
The gals prepped in the kitchen of Cameron’s family home, where Cameron’s girlfriends often gathered over the years.
Before the ceremony, the boys got ready at Claude’s family home.
The groom and groomsmen looked dashing in white dinner jackets.
Lilly, Balfour and Churchhill are beloved members of the Crowe/Perry and Estes families and it was fitting they made an appearance on the big day.
From the moment the newlyweds entered the room, it was a continuous party.
Additional seating areas were situated on raised platforms. This idea came to the bride’s mother, who is short and often finds it impossible to look over the crowds at receptions. The live painter was also stationed on an elevated surface to give him a broad view of the party.
Guests were treated to a buffet-style dinner consisting of southern favorites as they mingled inside and outside the Club, which was decorated with golds and pinks.
Cameron’s mom embraces her inner DIY-er and crafted these white studded boxes!
The wedding cake was a vanilla cake with alternating layers of filling (cream cheese and cream cheese with strawberry) and the groom’s cake was chocolate and caramel. The groom’s cake was made in the shape of a V, which gives nod to the fact that he is the fifth man in his family to be named Claude Hugh Estes.
The live painter captured the celebratory atmosphere of the reception, giving the couple a tangible way to remember that important day countless years later.
Cameron and Claude shared their first dance as Mr. & Mrs. Estes to “Cheek to Cheek” by Frank Sinatra. Cameron then shared a dance to “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” by the Tams with her stepfather, who she affectionately calls Funny Man, and danced with her father to “My Girl” by The Temptations.
One of the most memorable moments for Cameron was when the band asked Claude to go on stage and sing the beginning of Shout! “He really belted the ‘Feel Allllllllriiiiiiiiiggghtt’ part, and it was amazing! The dance floor erupted after that, and didn’t stop for hours until we had to leave,” Cameron recalls. As the guests worked up an appetite on the dancefloor, they were offered sliders and fries and cookies. After the newlyweds slipped away in their vintage getaway car, mini pizza boxes were passed around–it was the perfect way to cap off a memorable evening.
The couple hopped into a vintage car, loaned to them by a family friend, and road off in style to their honeymoon in St. Barths. Claude took the reins on planning and Cameron only knew to pack her bathing suit.
Claude and Cameron, we are thankful at your willingness to share the details of your breathtaking wedding ceremony and reception. We wish you many, many years of happiness and love as you continue to enjoy the journey of marriage.
RESOURCES
Photography: Bryan Johnson from A Bryan Photo
Wedding Planner: Neillie Butler and Emma Reich from Mariee Ami
Wedding Dress: Anne Barge from Kleinfeld in NYC
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Groomsmen and Groom’s Formal Wear: Mr. Burch Formal Wear
Cakes: Barb Sullivan from Barb’s Cakes
Flowers: Leah Hazzard
Ceremony: The Cathedral Church of the Advent
Reception: The Country Club of Birmingham
Catering: The Country Club of Birmingham
Band: The Atlanta Showstoppers
Hair/Makeup: Celine Russel
Merchandise/Stationary Design: Mary Baugh from Mariee Ami
“Logo”: Allison Banks
Videographer: Kinora Films (click here to watch the wedding video)
Live painting: Ronald Bayens
Guest Accommodations: Aloft Birmingham Soho Square in Homewood
https://styleblueprint.com/birmingham/sign-up/
