A Serene Summer Wedding at the Birmingham Museum of Art
For Elise and Jackson Hedden, the Birmingham Museum of Art provided the perfect blend of natural beauty and artful design for their big day. Take a look inside this picture-perfect summer wedding!
Elise Cunha was an hour late for her first date with Jackson Hedden.
Well, sort of.
A month prior, they met on Hinge and scheduled a date when Elise returned home to Birmingham after traveling. Elise didnβt hear from Jackson again after that. Even on the day of their scheduled date, crickets. Elise assumed Jackson had ghosted her. That night, Elise went out with friends instead, who coincidentally decided to go to Carriganβs, the bar where she and Jackson had planned to meet. βI texted him, just in case, and said, βWeβre not meeting, right?ββ Jackson replied immediately, βWhat do you mean? Iβm here.β
When Elise finally arrived at Carriganβs with her friends, Jackson had ordered one of everything off the menu to ensure she was taken care of. He was also there with friends, so the coupleβs crew got to be a part of their memorable first date.
βThey all still make fun of me for being an hour late for our first date,β Elise shares.
That was in 2020. Elise has never been late for a date again.
Fast-forward to 2022. Jackson and Elise had yet another memorable date, this time ending with a proposal. They went out for a meal at Automatic Seafood, and Jackson slyly roped in a neighboring table to take video as he pretended to go to the restroom. He then positioned himself, kneeling behind Elise. Someone tapped her shoulder and told her to turn around, and there he was.
βEveryone was clapping. I got so nervous that I could not even stand and move. I just said, βCome back here and sit!ββ Elise shares with a laugh. βHe said, βWhatβs your answer?β and I said, βYes, I do, but many people are looking at us right now, so I canβt move!ββ
The couple worked with Kindred Weddings to plan their big day at the Birmingham Museum of Art. βWe wanted to have a wedding outside,β Elise explains. βWe visited many places, but none of them felt right or unique. Jack went to art school, which is where the idea of something more artistic came from. When we got to the museum, we said, βThis is it!ββ
Flowers from CS Floral Design beautifully tied in the vibrancy of the museum without stealing focus. βI love flowers and colors. They always make me happy,β Elise tells us. βHowever, since we were around many colors in the museum and didnβt know which art would be exposed then, we tried to get more neutral colors β¦ and bring more attention to the blue and pink flowers since we chose blue for the wedding party.β
For her dress, Elise trusted the talented team at The White Room to help her find The One, but it wasnβt what she had initially had in mind. βEverything that I had thought I wanted didnβt look good,β she explains. βSo after many trials, this was the one that felt like it was made for me.β
The couple exchanged traditional vows before 80 guests in the museumβs sculpture gardens. The combination of gorgeous weather and the museumβs artful influences was everything Elise and Jackson had hoped for.
After an ethereal ceremony, everyone made their way to the museumβs 8th Avenue Lobby for a cocktail hour and enjoyed champagne, margaritas, and whiskey.
Dinner featured a cultural culinary fusion, including burgers, tacos, and various dishes featuring chicken, crab, and shrimp. Guests danced the night away with a live band and enjoyed hilariously touching speeches from the coupleβs nearest and dearest.
Sugar and Stems beautifully combined Elise and Jacksonβs tastes in their brideβs cake and groomβs macaron tower. βHe loves red velvet, so the cake was red velvet,β Elise explains. βI love strawberry cake, so we got strawberry macarons since we were unsure if people would like strawberry cake. [That way], we both could have something that we wanted.β
After a picture-perfect day, the couple headed off to Hawaii on their honeymoon. Thank you for sharing your story and big day with us, Elise and Jackson!
RESOURCES
Venue: Birmingham Museum of Art
Photographer: Abby Lee Photography
Planner: Kindred Weddings
Brideβs Gown: The White Room
Bridesmaidsβ Dresses: Bellaβs Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Caitlyn at Asia Nicola
Groomβs Formalwear: Shaiaβs
Groomsmen: Jos A Bank
Stationery: AP Prints
Flowers: CS Floral Design
Catering: Kathy G & Co.
Entertainment: Tasteful Tea
Cake: Sugar and Stems
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Katie Leigh Matthews
A Birmingham native, Katie is a lifelong waterfall chaser and is passionate about the outdoors. She also loves connecting with remarkable women in the Birmingham community and bringing their stories to life. Katie has been writing professionally for over six years; you can find more of her work at Moms.com and Islands.com.