When Stephanie Wharton was a fifthΒ grader, she never imagined that the boy escorting her at The Racquet Club of MemphisβΒ cotillion class would escort her once again as her husband 13 years later.
According to Stephanie, she and her then-escort Paul Stephens βdidnβt necessarily become good friends,β but the duoΒ continued to encounter each other throughout middle school and high school. After high school the native Memphians discovered they were both headed to Ole Miss. As fate would have it, a close friendship developed in Oxford, and in their second semester of freshman year, Stephanie and Paul officially started dating.
PinMr. and Mrs. Paul Stephens on their wedding dayPinStephanie chose her wedding palette of burgundy, ivory, peach, gold and navy because she wanted something fall-like and not too βgirly.β
Throughout their courtship, the pair enjoyed spending time at Stephanieβs parentsβ ranch in Senatobia, Mississippi. On February 20, 2016, Paul took an unsuspecting Stephanie for a walk on the ranch. When they reached the lake, flowers, twinkleΒ lights and candles set the scene for Paul to pop the question. Upon returning to the house the newly engaged couple found their families ready to celebrate with champagne and pizza. To further the celebration, Paul and Stephanie returned to the site of their first date, The Como SteakhouseΒ in Como, Mississippi. Eight months later on October 22,Β the two exchanged vows in a Memphis-centric celebration.
PinStephanie and Paul exchanged traditional vows at St. Louis Catholic Church in East Memphis at a 6:30 p.m. ceremony.
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PinStephanie chose a strapless mermaid-style Liancarlo gown from Maggie Louise Bridal in Collierville.PinShe never expected to go with a strapless wedding dress but she fell in love with the fit and lace.PinStephanieβs mother surprised her by sewing a sapphire pendant into her dress to serve as her something blue β and borrowed and old! The pendant came from a ring Stephanieβs grandfather wore, a special way for her to include her deceased grandparents.PinThe first thing Stephanie did after the proposal was pick out the dresses for her dozen bridesmaids β floor length gowns in navy with varying necklines from Bella Bridesmaids.
PinStephanie and Paulβs wedding party makes for a handsome crew! Paul ordered a custom Hickey Freeman tuxedo from James Davis Menβs Clothier and selected suits in the same color for his dozen groomsmen.PinThree charming flower girls look adorable in dresses from Gia Marinaβs Bridal Accessories Shop.PinStephanie says that βwalking back up the aisle after our first kiss as a married couple was the best feeling.β The couple rode in a party bus to the reception with their wedding party, who danced and drank champagne the entire route.PinAs Downtown Memphis residents, Paul and Stephanie chose the Cadre Building as their reception site, where this floral installation by Holliday Flowers & Events served as a jaw-dropping backdrop. Out-of-town guests stayed at the nearby historic Peabody Hotel, and the rehearsal dinner was also held downtown at Felicia Suzanneβs.PinβWe tried to put a little bit of Memphis in everything,β says Stephanie. Welcome bags for the out-of-towners included Elvis chocolate bars from Dinstuhlβs, Wolf River Popcorn, seasoning from Rendezvous, personalized koozies and a map of Memphis.PinPrior to entering the reception, Paul surprised Stephanie in the Cadreβs bride-and-groom room with a bottle of wine she had brought back from her time spent studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa.PinYet another nod to Memphis β the Stephensβ first dance was to Elvis Presleyβs βBurning Love.βPinThe six-layer wedding cake from The Flour Garden was a mix of Italian cream cake, strawberry and traditional white with buttercream frosting.
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PinThe chocolate groomβs cake showcased Paulβs love of craps and the Memphis Grizzlies.Pin550 guests danced the night away to the sounds of Party Planet.PinGuests dined buffet-style on the bride and groomβs favorite foods, including sushi, chicken biscuits, ravioli, New York strip sliders and shrimp.PinMemphisβ famous Gibsonβs Donuts served as delicious party favors.
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PinTowards the end of the evening, hot Krystal burgers on platters were served to dance-weary guests.PinStephanie tosses the bouquet to the next lucky bride-to-be!PinGuests showered the ecstatic couple with flower petals as they departed. Paul and Stephanie honeymooned in Bora Bora. βWe had the time of our lives, and I cried when we had to leave!β says Stephanie.
Congratulations on your marriage, Paul and Stephanie, and thank you for sharing your story with us!
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