Small Town Love and a Sophisticated Soirée

When you grow up in a small town, sometimes you meet the person you’ll one day marry when you’re 5 years old. And sometimes you don’t even realize you’ve known that person since you were 5 years old until your small town is already in your rearview mirror. At least, that was the case for Madison Knowles and Warren Stewart.

These two Albertville natives went to elementary school together, their parents served on PTO together, and they were best friends with a brother-sister-type relationship. “People always told us we were going to get married one day, and we were always rolling our eyes like ‘Yeah, right,’” says Madison. They were together constantly and talked every day, but the years passed and soon they grew up and went off to school. Madison attended the University of Alabama, and Warren headed to the other side of the state to Auburn University. They got wrapped up in their busy new lives and quit talking as much as they always had. When they returned home from their respective colleges for Christmas break, Madison says she realized how much she had missed Warren. Soon afterward they started dating, and they’ve been together ever since.

Madison and Warren have known each other nearly their entire lives, all culminating in the most elegant wedding day at none other than Regions Field.

Nothing says “timeless wedding” like a navy wedding paper suite with classic calligraphy and an interlocking monogram. We’re swooning over this invitation by Empress Stationery.

This bride envisioned her wedding day being timeless and elegant, and she captured exactly that with this stunning bridal gown from Bella’s. A flattering boat neckline, beautiful tone-on-tone embroidered bodice, full skirt complete with a row of tiny buttons, and gorgeous lace double keyhole back — this dress is the definition of elegance.

It rained the morning of the wedding, so Madison and Warren met for their first look at the Tutwiler Hotel. This is a moment Madison says she insisted on and is one she will never forget. How darling are these two?

Madison wanted to incorporate a rich, fall palette into the look of the day, so she dressed her bridesmaids in a gorgeous deep red while the men wore navy suits.

For the remainder of their college careers, Madison and Warren made their long-distance love work, seeing each other at home on school breaks, making trips across the state to see each other, and planning lots of Facetime calls. By the time senior year rolled around, Madison knew that a proposal was coming and, being a very private person, had only one request. “I told him ‘Whatever you do, don’t draw a lot of attention to me,’” she says. “He didn’t listen.”

On fall break their senior year of college, Warren tagged along with Madison and her family on a trip to New York City. Warren, who’d never been to New York before, was insistent that he and Madison go for a walk in Central Park. When they reached the iconic Central Park bridge, Warren asked her to stop and take a quick photo — something she says is pretty out of character for him — then got down on one knee. With onlookers cheering them on, Madison said yes, and the newly engaged pair went for a special celebratory dinner at Tavern on the Green with family who’d flown in for the occasion.

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Despite having grown up in the same, close-knit community, Madison and Warren were confident that they didn’t want a hometown wedding. They instead chose Birmingham as their wedding day destination — an easy 90-minute drive from home that would allow Madison and Warren to focus on what they wanted for the day and slightly limit the size and scope of the wedding.

The bride and groom headed downtown for a few shots after the rain cleared. A rainy wedding day morning makes for some gorgeous photos — the greens of the trees pop, and the light is beautifully filtered!

Rich reds contrast beautifully against creams and blush tones in Madison’s bridal bouquet, all beautifully framed with a touch of greenery.

Doesn’t Warren make the most handsome groom? We love the classic yet modern look of a guy in navy.

With Madison finishing up her senior year and her mom’s busy work schedule, they knew they would need some help executing the fall 2018 wedding day of Madison’s dreams. “We interviewed a lot of people and ended up going with Becky’s Brides, which was the best thing ever because I don’t know how we could have done it,” says Madison. So with the help of the team at Becky’s Brides, they selected Regions Field as their Birmingham venue — but not for the reasons you might think, as neither the bride nor the groom are baseball enthusiasts. Rather, it was a design decision. Madison, an interior designer, was drawn to the neutral decor, modern light fixtures, and large, beautiful windows offering guests gorgeous views of the city. Madison envisioned a classic, timeless day brimming with elegant touches and shades of navy, deep burgundy, and blush. And from there, Becky’s Brides took care of the rest.

These two grew up together and so for many years their relationship was more that of siblings than a romantic one. They make the sweetest pair!

The loveliest ceremony set up: an ethereal backdrop of white fabric accented with suspended hoops of greenery and florals.

Birmingham was the perfect wedding day destination for these two Albertville natives. It was far enough away to give them more options and freedom as they planned the day, but not so far as to be difficult for hometown guests to make the trip.

Madison, an interior designer, was drawn to the space at Regions Field for its neutral aesthetics and modern light fixtures. It was the perfect blank canvas on which to execute her timeless vision with the help of Becky’s Brides.

On October 20, 2018, after spending the morning alongside their closest friends and family members, Madison and Warren met for their first look at the Tutwiler Hotel and all the nerves Madison, especially, had been feeling suddenly faded away. The first look centered them in the midst of a busy day, Madison says, and allowed this shy bride to forget for a moment about all eyes being on her later that day. Then at 5 p.m. that evening, with the “Bridal March” filling the room at Regions Field, about 250 guests rose to their feet as the beautiful bride walked down the aisle toward her groom. The ceremony was beautiful, just as Madison had dreamed it would be, and then with a kiss and a pair of wide smiles, the new Mr. and Mrs. Stewart headed back up the aisle.

The color palette, the draped fabric, the florals — this reception design is seriously breathtaking.

The new Mr. and Mrs. share their first dance to “At Last” by Etta James. We can’t think of a more classic first dance for such a classically beautiful wedding day.

Four tiers of strawberry and vanilla cake with a sleek design and gold accents were just the ticket for Madison and Warren’s wedding cake. Magic Muffins made the cake so you know it was as delicious as it is beautiful!

For Warren, who is obsessed with all things boats and cars, a yacht-shaped groom’s cake was absolutely perfect. And for an extra-fun detail: Madison didn’t know their honeymoon destination until she saw the groom’s cake, complete with a “Destination Barbados” placard on it!

By the time they were introduced for their first dance at the reception, Madison finally felt the pressures of the day completely subside and was able to kick back and celebrate. The bride and groom shared their first dance to the ever-dreamy “At Last,” by Etta James. “We like old-school type love songs, that’s just our style,” says Madison. “The dance was so fun, and at that point I didn’t feel like everyone was watching me anymore. It was just like, ‘We made it, we’re here, it happened.’ So the first dance was really special.”

Later in the evening, another special moment came in the form of a serenade performed by the groom himself. Warren, a talented singer and musician, had initially wanted to sing during the ceremony, but they weren’t quite sure how to seamlessly incorporate it into the order of events. Instead, he hopped on stage with the band mid-reception and sang “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. He finished the song and wrapped his bride up in a big hug. Madison and Warren spent the rest of the night celebrating with their loved ones and exited the reception in a gorgeous vintage Rolls Royce while sparklers danced behind them.