From the Cathedral to the Country Club: A Classic Southern Soirée
From the cathedral and the country club to the white dinner jackets and the gorgeous hydrangeas, this soiree takes the cake for classic Southern wedding!
A perfectly elegant day brimming with romantic florals, beautiful bridesmaids, dapper groomsmen and an evening of joyous celebration with family and friends was the picture-perfect plan for the wedding of Joslyn Smith and Charlie Dennis. The pair tied the knot at Joslyn’s home church on June 4, 2016, and then danced the night away with their family and friends under a lush canopy of flowers.
PinAmong the many highlights of the day for Joslyn was getting ready at her childhood home with her bridesmaids and family. Those moments of relaxed laughter and respite before the busy day begins are so special!PinJoslyn found her beautiful wedding gown at Carriage House in Homewood. Her bridal consultant, Paige Drew, helped lead Joslyn to the mermaid-style gown with delicate lace overlay — and helped design it, as well.PinThe groom’s family hosted the rehearsal dinner in the backyard of the bride’s childhood home in Mountain Brook. Joslyn especially loved the hand-strung lights, which added a bit of whimsy to these beautiful portraits snapped before the ceremony.
Though their beautiful wedding day was certainly among the best days of her life, Joslyn describes the day that Charlie asked her to be his wife as perhaps her favorite day ever. The couple planned to spend Thanksgiving simply eating dinner and spending some quality time with Joslyn’s immediate family. The low-key day took a turn when Charlie caught his hard-to-surprise bride-to-be off guard by asking her to be his wife with a thoughtful, carefully planned proposal. He even arranged to bring the couple’s dog from St. Louis to be present for the surprise! Following the inevitable “yes” from Joslyn, the couple spent the evening celebrating with Joslyn’s family and a few of their closest friends who planned to stay in town just for the occasion. “I am not sure I have ever felt so loved by Charlie, family or friends as I did that day,” Joslyn says. “Each person was so thoughtful and it was just a wonderful day all around.”
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As evidenced by their family-centered engagement, the top focus for Joslyn and Charlie as they began to consider their wedding day was making sure it was a joyous, festive occasion for their loved ones. “Charlie and I have a lot of friends and large families, so we just wanted to enjoy being with them and make sure they had fun,” Joslyn says. Aside from that one key priority, when it came to planning the wedding itself, Joslyn was overwhelmed by the process and a bit at a loss. Fortunately, one of her best friends and bridesmaids, Louise Pritchard, is among the expert wedding planners at Mariée Ami wedding planning studio and was more than capable of creating a fun-filled wedding day to remember. Joslyn entrusted Louise with the details of the day — offered bits of guidance here and there — and enjoyed a more relaxed approach to the planning process.
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On the morning of the wedding, Joslyn and her bridesmaids sipped champagne as they got ready at her childhood home. Joslyn slipped on her elegant mermaid-style wedding gown with a delicate lace overlay and rainy satin buttons up the back, then stole away to the backyard to snap a few pre-wedding photos. The lush backyard had hosted the previous night’s rehearsal dinner and still featured enchanting hand-strung lights for a little extra magic in the portraits. Meanwhile, the groom and his groomsmen donned their handsome white dinner jackets, black bowties and tuxedo pants and met the girls at the altar.
PinWe love these effortlessly elegant bridesmaids dresses!PinIs there anything more classically Southern than a large party of handsome groomsmen dressed in white dinner jackets?PinThe bride’s home church, Cathedral Church of the Advent, is a beautiful stone building tucked among lush gardens in Downtown Birmingham.PinThe bride peeks into the chapel before walking down the aisle.
Joslyn grew up attending Cathedral Church of the Advent, a stunning stone building with dramatic cathedral ceilings, arched windows and intricate stained glass, which served as the perfect backdrop for the ceremony. Joslyn remembers walking down the long aisle toward her groom as her fondest memory from the wedding day. “The most special moment was when I first saw Charlie as I was walking down the aisle,” Joslyn says. “Seeing him for the first time completely took away any stress or anxiety I felt.” Flanked by their large wedding party and supported by all of their loved ones, Joslyn and Charlie exchanged “I do’s.”
Following the bride and groom’s first kiss, the wedding party and guests headed over to the Mountain Brook Club, another special spot from Joslyn’s childhood. The already beautiful venue was transformed with the aid of colorful florals — blue, purple and cream hydrangeas, bright pops of white ranunculus, and boughs of lush greenery — and airy white linens draped at the doors and along the edges of the dance floor. The dreamy canopy of wisteria and greenery with twinkle lights draped over the dance floor set the tone for a perfectly romantic Southern summer reception, underneath which Charlie and Joslyn shared their first dance to “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole.
PinWalking down the aisle toward Charlie was the highlight of the day for Joslyn. She says in that moment, all of her anxieties and nerves about the day simply melted away.PinThe new Mr. & Mrs. Dennis!PinThe bride and groom steal a few moments together in the gardens before heading back into the church to take family photos.RELATED: The Ultimate Mother-of-the-Groom PlaybookPinA bit of rain couldn’t dampen this beautiful couple’s wedding day. After all, rain on your wedding day is good luck!PinThe large bridal party cheers on their beloved bride and groom.
Guests enjoyed a menu featuring Mountain Brook Club’s traditional dishes and a few additional selections made by the bride and groom and the father of the bride. “My dad was all about the food at the reception,” Joslyn says. “He is the ultimate entertainer and really helped plan all of the fun food.” Traditional fried chicken, okra and cornpone were served alongside an Alabama barbecue station featuring an array of local barbecue sauces and a Mobile-inspired station laden with oysters and shrimp in a nod to the groom’s hometown. Sips served included local moonshine and beer, liquor and, of course, “Orange Things” made to emulate Bottega’s famed cocktail. Guests danced the night away to a selection of hits by Evolution Party Band — including a few heated “dance-offs” among the guests — and refueled with late-night favorites from the bride’s and groom’s college days: “Quick Grill Messy Fries” and Bushwackers.
PinJoslyn grew up frequenting the Mountain Brook Club with her family, making it the perfect elegant venue for the couple’s reception.PinWe are never going to get over this romantic canopy of wisteria and greenery designed and built by Mariée Ami and Dykes Culp. Dreamy!PinEven the drink coozie favors, featuring elegant calligraphy and a romantic wreath-ringed monogram designed by Mariée Ami, had the touch of refinement present throughout the day.PinAlongside the barbecue station, Joslyn and Charlie offered a selection of Alabama barbecue sauces, including selections from Jim ’N Nicks, Full Moon and Dreamland.PinThe mother of the bride helped to inspire the breathtaking florals throughout Charlie and Joslyn’s wedding day. “She encouraged me to think about color rather than the sometimes traditional all-white and I think it worked out really well,” Joslyn says. And we agree! Classic floral design dressed in vibrant purples and blues makes for a stunning statement.PinJoslyn says her dad weighed in on many of the food selections offered at the reception. With a delicious menu, including fried chicken, okra, cornpone, barbecue, oysters and shrimp, we can’t say he steered them wrong!PinDelicate blue and purple hydrangea petals made of sugar add a personal touch to the design of this stunning six-tiered wedding cake.PinThe bride and groom cut the traditional first slice of cake.PinThe new Mr. & Mrs. share their first dance under the canopy to the classic “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole.PinThe bride and groom loved dancing with all of their friends and family and their high-energy band facilitated a great time for all of the guests. Joslyn even says there were a few dance-offs throughout the course of the night!PinThe band looks on while Joslyn and Charlie take the stage!PinJoslyn and Charlie depart their reception under a shower of white rose petals. Joslyn’s elegant going-away dress was hand-made by one of her closest friends from college who now is a fashion designer in New York.
The bride and groom were showered with white rose petals by family and friends as they departed the reception and headed toward their new life together as husband and wife. But for all the festivities, the beautiful wedding attire and romantic flowers, Joslyn says that “the best part of getting married is being married,” and we couldn’t agree more!
Cheers to you, Joslyn and Charlie!
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