Lake Martin has always been special to Ginny Hazelrig and Nathan Allred. It’s where they spent countless summer days floating in the water and enjoying the sun with friends and family. It’s where they first exchanged “I love yous.” And it was the perfect setting for their picturesque wedding on a beautiful September day last fall.
Ginny Hazelrig Allred and Nathan Allred on their wedding day at Lake Martin
Ginny and Nathan are the definition of a perfect match. They met through a mutual friend seven years ago, had an instant connection and have been together ever since. Nathan asked Ginny to be forever his at Christmas in 2014. He gave his future bride a meaningful Christmas gift, and when she looked up from opening it she found Nathan on one knee with an engagement ring in his hand. Ginny, of course, said yes, and from there, the couple began planning their September wedding and their future together.
Ginny says she and Nathan are best friends and incredibly alike, which made planning their wedding a fun and special experience for the couple. “My husband was not like most men, I guess. He actually enjoyed planning the wedding with me,” Ginny says. “He would come to all of the meetings with me, and I loved having his input.” Together, with the expert guidance of wedding planner Neillie Kirk Butler at Mariée Ami, Ginny and Nathan crafted a day that was as personal as it was beautiful, as classic as it was effortless and more fun than the couple ever dreamed.
A beautiful, blush pink rose hangs before twinkle lights at the reception.
They envisioned a wedding with a clean, modern look and classic accents, and, most importantly, a fun and personal day. And Neillie and her team at Mariée Ami created the day of their dreams. “One of the things I love about Neillie is that she just gets to know you and then takes your personality and incorporates it into the wedding,” Ginny says.
Their first decision when planning the day was the location. The family’s lake house is located in the Willow Point Country Club area, so they knew the country club would serve as the perfect spot for the reception, and the chapel at Children’s Harbor, with its charming lighthouse, was picture perfect for Ginny’s vision for the ceremony.
The couple walks to the lighthouse at the water’s edge, where a gorgeous wreath of flowers hangs in honor of their wedding day.
The reception was the ultimate celebration. Delicious food, festive drinks and a fabulous band all combined to make the evening a true night to remember. From the pink “cheers” drink stirrers to the tambourines and hot dogs handed out late in the evening, every detail created the day of Ginny’s dreams.
Now happily married and living in their new Birmingham home, Ginny encourages other brides to remember to savor the experience. “Enjoy every minute of it. Don’t stress over the little details,” Ginny says. “It all goes by so fast, and it will be perfect and you will be married!”
On the morning of her wedding, Ginny spent time with her bridesmaids, wrote a sweet letter to her groom and enjoyed a few calm moments before the excitement of the big day.
Nathan gets ready to see his gorgeous bride for the first time.
Ginny makes a beautiful bride in the gorgeous Olia Zavozina gown she found at Carriage House Weddings in Homewood. The dress, with its flattering fit-and-flare silhouette and intricate lace overlay, actually wasn’t what Ginny originally envisioned for her wedding dress. The dress was one of the first she tried on and it fit absolutely perfectly, so she knew right away she had found her gown! Here, her mom helps Ginny put the finishing touches on her look.
Ginny borrowed her sister’s diamond stud earrings and wore her mom’s antique diamond ring and bracelet for her “something old.” A pair of to-die-for cerulean blue Manolo Blahniks and her Olia Zavozina wedding gown completed the tradition.
There were countless memorable moments for the couple on their wedding day, but one of their favorites was the first look before the ceremony. “We went back and forth on whether or not we would see each other before the ceremony,” Ginny says. “Growing up, I’d always dreamed of that moment of seeing my husband when I first walk down the aisle. But I’m very emotional and I knew I would cry. Plus, we knew it would help with our nerves and with taking photos. It was a really special, intimate moment, and it really put the cherry on top for the whole day.”
The weather cooperated for Ginny and Nathan’s wedding day, and the lakeside setting provided an absolutely dreamy, perfect weekend.
Ginny and Nathan’s stunning invitation suite captures the classic elegance of their wedding day.
The couple incorporated shades of navy and gray with touches of romantic blush, combining to create a slightly nautical color palette.
“We wanted to have an antique boat for our getaway,” Ginny says. “We searched for one for so long and then found the perfect boat online — it turned out that the man selling it was one of my dad’s good friends who lives down the street from us. It was perfect!”
The couple loved planning their gift bags for their guests and incorporating personal touches into each one. The canvas tote bag featured a rendering of the lighthouse adjacent to the chapel, a Mariée Ami-designed watercolor map of Lake Martin, personalized koozies, Nalgene bottles featuring their wedding date with silhouettes of their dogs and a few of the couple’s favorite snacks, including Stacy’s pita chips and artichoke dip, the bride’s favorite Sour Patch Kids and the groom’s beloved cashews.
“I loved the chapel. It’s just a cute, quaint space right on the water,” Ginny says. “When we saw it, we knew it was the perfect place for the ceremony.”
We love a darling group of mini attendants, and Ginny’s sweet nieces and nephews are picture perfect in their nautical navy and white.
Ginny and Nathan chose to keep the wedding ceremony intimate, inviting about 150 family members and close friends. They then enjoyed dining and dancing at the reception with around 225 total guests.
The bride and groom steal a kiss before heading to their reception.
The kids eagerly head to the party!
Romantic, lush florals provided the finishing touches on the day. Roses, dahlias, hydrangeas, lisianthus and ranunculus in soft shades of pink and white were among the gorgeous blooms incorporated into the incredible arrangements.
The couple’s wedding planner, Neillie, took the trefoil pattern featured on the couple’s save the dates and created coordinating drum shades to feature at the reception. These consistent, thoughtful touches throughout the day gave it a personal and thoughtfully curated feel.
The setting was the perfect balance of clean and modern with classic and comfortable.
Ginny found her dream cake in the pages of a magazine and turned to Barb’s Cakes to create it. The cake featured beautiful, smooth fondant with edible handcrafted florals spilling down the side of the cake. The end result was absolutely breathtaking.
The cake was surrounded by roses and displayed under a trellis styled with lush greenery and roses suspended from above.
Ginny and Nathan are all smiles at their reception. The couple loved dancing the night away with their guests.
Guests of all ages had a blast at the reception.
The band, Party Crashers, kept the celebration going late into the night.
The bride and her bridesmaids belt out some party tunes.
Friends and family send the happy couple off with sparklers and cheers of love and support.
The newlyweds set off on the water.
Here’s to you, Ginny and Nathan, and your long, happy life together!
RESOURCES:
Photography: Rob and Wynter Ingram
Wedding planner: Mariée Ami
Wedding dress: Olia Zavozina via Carriage House Weddings
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Alfred Sung and Amsale
Groomsmen and groom’s formal wear: Men’s Wearhouse
Cake: Barb’s Cakes
Flowers: Lagniappe Designs
Ceremony: Children’s Harbor Chapel
Reception and Catering: Willow Point Country Club
Band: Party Crashers
Hair and makeup: Kerri Bunn
Logo, merchandise and stationery design: Mariée Ami
Videographer: Film Poets
Guest accommodations: Hampton Inn
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