A Fairytale Atlanta Wedding at The Carlyle
Hanging lanterns, streamers of ribbon, and enchanting florals set the stage for this romantic Atlanta wedding with lots of unique touches.
Before we dive into this fabulous Atlanta wedding, letβs retell the Telepsβ origin story. Laura Beth Ellis and Matthew Telep met in 2016 at the popular Washington, DC bar, Smith Point. Laura Bethβs best friend and roommate, Carly, was dating Mattβs best friend and roommate, Ian. βAs one of the single roommates, I was always down to go out and hang out with new friends,β Laura Beth says. βWhen Carly invited me to go out with Ian and his friends to a bar one night, I was in!β
Boy, was Laura Beth glad she made that life-changing call. She met Matt on the dancefloor after taking advantage of an all-you-can-drink bar tab for a friendβs birthday. βI never thought this stranger I met at a bar would end up being my husband,β Laura Beth says. βMatt and I didnβt end up dating until about six months after we met. He moved into our neighborhood, so there was no avoiding him after that!β Laura Beth says.
Laura Beth and Mattβs engagement story is also one for the books. Christmas Eve is Laura Bethβs favorite day of the year, so Matt set out to plan something special in their home of Atlanta, GA β theyβd only been there a few months. βHe found out our apartment building was where my parents lived and got engaged!β Laura Beth says. βSo he made a plan to propose on a bridge at Bobby Jones golf course where my parents got engaged more than 30 years ago!β
It was snowing that evening, and Laura Beth was peeved when Matt suggested they walk to a mysterious Christmas party. Hair ruined and irritation boiling, they finally made it to the bridge, and Matt was on one knee. Laura Bethβs whole family came out from their hiding spots. βMy older brother dressed in all camouflage and hid in a tree to capture pictures!β Laura Beth recalls. βWe celebrated that night and continued our Christmas Eve tradition of church and dinner. [2020] was the perfect Christmas Eve and the perfect Christmas.β
Once they landed on a hometown wedding in Atlanta, Laura Beth tapped the same wedding planner,Β Yvonne Spiotta, that her older brother had used just four months earlier. She wanted a venue that she could make their own β something that wasnβt already defined by a particular look or vibe. Yvonne tossed up The Carlyle, a newer venue that opened in March 2020. βItβs a contemporary space we could design, decorate, and make into whatever we wanted,β Laura Beth said.
When it came to crafting the look of the evening, Lara Beth leaned on the professionals. βFlowers, decorations, etc. are not my forte,β she admits. βThank goodness I had the full team of my mom, Yvonne, and florist/decorator Britt Wood to help bring our vision to life.β They went into it without a theme but wanted to ensure the early March wedding favored spring vibes over winter ones.
βMy favorite colors are green and blue. That was really the only direction I gave the team,β Laura Beth says. βBritt has such an incredible eye for what looks best in a space. He turned The Carlyle into a magical forest with gorgeous flowers, lanterns, and greenery hanging from the beams. He even created a photo wall made of flowers and ivy.β Mattβs only request was that yellow forsythias show up somewhere in the venue. βBritt put the largest display of forsythias we had ever seen on top of the main bar in the buffet room. It was incredible,β Laura Beth adds.
On Motherβs Day weekend, 2021, Laura Beth asked her mom, aunt, and future mother-in-law to join her on the hunt for a dress. She started the day with just two reservations and an open mind. βI loved my experience at Bridals by Lori because I think I tried on every style just because I could! We laughed so hard at some, and we really liked others. At the end of my appointment, I loved three different pieces of three different dresses,β Laura Beth says.
After lunch and some cocktails, they went to Britt Wood Designs (yes, the same Britt who did her flowers!). βI tried on a lot of different styles with him too, but still wasnβt finding exactly what I was looking for,β Laura Beth says. βBritt asked me, βIf you could design your own dress, what would you do?β I described all of my favorite parts of the three different dresses. He wrote it all down and said, βIβm going to make your dress for you.β I looked at my mom pleadingly, and she nodded.β
Once the dress and the RSVP cards were in, the wedding weekend was upon them. βI was too nervous to write my own vows, so I wrote him a letter on the day of the wedding instead,β Laura Beth says. After exchanging traditional vows, a smiling crowd of more the 300 left the stately church and headed to The Carlyle.
They opted out of a first look, and Laura Beth said, βit was so fun that way!β Since they didnβt have a pre-ceremony photo session, the bride, groom, their families, and best friends posed for photographer Lauren Bowen ofΒ Peacock Photo Video while guests enjoyed a cocktail hour to get the party started.
Mattβs signature cocktail was a standard tequila soda, and Laura Bethβs was a Bramble. βIt was my favorite cocktail when I studied abroad in London when I was at Washington & Lee,β she tells us. β[Itβs] the perfect spring cocktail that brings together dry gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, crΓ¨me de mΓ»re, and crushed ice.β
For dinner, guests enjoyed several delicious buffet options in one big room. There was a beef carving station, a seafood tower, a pasta station, and a taco station. After the first dances and cake cutting, everyone was invited to hit the food room and sit anywhere, creating a communal, lively environment.
βI was extremely lucky and timed a five-week work sabbatical with our honeymoon,β Laura Beth says. They started at Sugar Beach in St. Lucia for a week, then repacked in Atlanta and headed to Beaver Creek to ski with family. Finally, they explored Yosemite for four days of hiking, fishing, and sightseeing. After more than a month of celebrations, weβre sure Laura Beth and Matt were excited to return home to Atlanta β this time, with a few new rings and a lot of new memories.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Laura Beth and Matt! And thanks to Lauren Bowen of Peacock Photo and Video for the fabulous photos.
RESOURCES
Ceremony:Β Peachtree Road United Methodist Church
Reception: The Carlyle
Planner:Β Yvonne Spiotta
Day-of coordinator:Β Yvonne Spiotta
Photographer:Β Peacock Photo Video
Flowers: Britt Wood Designs
Stationery:Β Simply Put
Hair and makeup: Page and Milly
Brideβs gown:Β Britt Wood Designs
Bridesmaidβs dresses:Β Birdy Grey
Groom and groomsmen attire: Tuxedo of choice
Catering:Β The Carlyle
Cakes: Anne Sineath
Entertainment:Β Evolution Party Band
Rentals: Britt Wood Designs
Glassware:Β Β The Carlyle
Linens:Β Party Tables Linen and Drapery
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Zoe Yarborough
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint staff writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant of eleven years. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.