Miller Crenshaw and Hunter Cowan have known each other for as long as either of them can remember. They grew up in the same town, went to the same high school and attended the same university. And on February 11, 2017, this hometown romance culminated in what was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful weddings Memphis has ever seen.

Miller says that two of her favorite moments of the whole day were the first kiss and walking back up the aisle as husband and wife!Pin
Miller says that two of her favorite moments of the whole day were the first kiss and walking back up the aisle as husband and wife!
Miller suggests that as other brides plan their wedding day to really try to maintain their original vision and not be swayed by fleeting trends. “Don’t let the hype of the world get to your wedding day,” Miller says. “Keeping it simple, I think, is the best way to go about it.”Pin
Miller suggests that as other brides plan their wedding day to really try to maintain their original vision and not be swayed by fleeting trends. “Don’t let the hype of the world get to your wedding day,” Miller says. “Keeping it simple, I think, is the best way to go about it.”

While they’ve known each other since they were children, and though Hunter has had eyes for Miller since elementary school, this couple didn’t actually spend time together until the week before Miller started school at Ole Miss. Hunter, who is a few years older than Miller, was a junior living in Oxford, and he went to a rush party that Miller also happened to attend. They hung out that night and were basically inseparable from then on.

A couple of years later, Hunter moved back to Memphis and started working at Raymond James, and two years after that, Miller returned to Memphis to join her mother’s interior design firm, Rhea Crenshaw Interiors. In April 2016, Hunter and Miller planned to attend Double Decker Arts Fest in Oxford. It had been a year since Miller graduated, and many of her friends were coming in for the festival, so she was thrilled at the chance to return to her beloved college town.

How stunning is this bride? Miller’s wedding gown is completely different from what she had originally envisioned, but with a full skirt, three different types of satin and a touch of lace, it proved to be absolutely perfect for her classic winter wedding.Pin
How stunning is this bride? Miller’s wedding gown is completely different from what she had originally envisioned, but with a full skirt, three different types of satin and a touch of lace, it proved to be absolutely perfect for her classic winter wedding.
This groom is as thoughtful as he is handsome! While carefully planning the surprise proposal, Hunter went so far as to create a fake invitation for an engagement party for a friend of his that Miller didn’t know well and have it mailed to Miller. She even RSVP’d to a fake email address he created! That is really above-and-beyond effort!Pin
This groom is as thoughtful as he is handsome! While carefully planning the surprise proposal, Hunter went so far as to create a fake invitation for an engagement party for a friend of his that Miller didn’t know well and have it mailed to Miller. She even RSVP’d to a fake email address he created! That is really above-and-beyond effort!

Before making their way to Double Decker, Hunter wanted to stop by Crenshaw, the small Mississippi town where Miller’s father grew up, a few minutes away from Oxford in the Delta. Hunter said he wanted to go see where Miller’s grandparents used to live and convinced an unenthused Miller to make the additional trip under the pretense that it may be her last opportunity to see the home, since it was being sold. After much convincing, she finally agreed. They pulled up to the house on a sunny morning in April and noticed a gardener tending to the front yard. They stepped through the front gate so Miller could take a photo of the house, a request from Hunter, while he headed back to the car. When she turned back around, she saw Hunter in the courtyard behind her, on one knee with a ring in his hand.

“I think the first thing I yelled out was ‘no!’ because I was so shocked,” Miller says. The gardener they had noticed when they first pulled up to the house was actually a photographer in disguise, so he began snapping photos, perfectly documenting the special moment. After that first wave of shock passed and Miller responded with an excited “yes!”, the newly engaged couple enjoyed glasses of champagne kindly set up for them by Hunter’s brother along with a limo ride to Oxford where they shared the news with their friends. The celebrations continued back in Memphis with a surprise party planned by Miller’s parents

Hunter and Miller chose February for the wedding day in part because they didn’t want to be overheated in their formal attire. Needless to say, they were surprised when an unseasonably warm 85-degree day greeted them in mid-February!Pin
Hunter and Miller chose February for the wedding day in part because they didn’t want to be overheated in their formal attire. Needless to say, they were surprised when an unseasonably warm 85-degree day greeted them in mid-February!

Since she was a little girl, growing up watching the weddings in Father of the Bride and The Parent Trap, Miller knew that her wedding would be a refined black-tie affair, a nighttime wedding with a large guest list so that all of their family and friends would be included in a fabulous night of joyful celebration. The bride and groom settled on a winter wedding. February was free from the heat of the Southern summer and the various allegiances of football season, it was after duck season and before turkey season, and it proved absolutely perfect for the formal downtown Memphis soiree Miller envisioned.

In keeping with her refined taste, Miller kept an elegant, muted color palette for her day. The bride and her 13 bridesmaids carried lush bouquets in shades of cream, green and silver-gray. Miller’s bridesmaids wore floor-length navy gowns and Hunter’s groomsmen dressed in tuxedos and black bow ties with custom-monogrammed cummerbunds. Miller says that her long-held, clear vision for the day, coupled with her work in interior design, helped her to make difficult decisions relatively quickly.

These vintage earrings belonged to Miller’s father’s mother and are the absolute perfect touch for a timeless bridal look. To finish off her wedding day ensemble Miller wore the veil that each of her cousins have also worn on their wedding day.Pin
These vintage earrings belonged to Miller’s father’s mother and are the absolute perfect touch for a timeless bridal look. To finish off her wedding day ensemble, Miller wore the veil that each of her cousins have also worn on their wedding day.
Gardenias, ranunculus, seeded eucalyptus and, in a nod to the bride, dusty miller, make up the gorgeous bouquets that Miller and her bridesmaids carried down the aisle. Pin
Gardenias, ranunculus, seeded eucalyptus and, in a nod to the bride, dusty miller, made up the gorgeous bouquets that Miller and her bridesmaids carried down the aisle.
These florals are absolutely to-die-for!Pin
These florals are absolutely to-die-for!

The morning of the wedding, Miller woke up at her childhood home in Memphis, a fuss-free choice, “like a bride would have done 30 years ago,” she says. Her bridesmaids gathered there to get ready for the wedding, and memories of many of her bridesmaids spending time together at the house back in high school covered the day in an additional layer of nostalgia. The girls enjoyed a leisurely brunch and relaxed in personalized navy robes while getting their hair and makeup done and getting ready for the celebration ahead. After every curl was pinned and every dress zipped, they took photos together and the bride and her maids headed to the church, where Hunter was waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

Miller and her bridesmaids spent the morning of the wedding getting ready in these personalized robes at Miller’s childhood home. So sweet!Pin
Miller and her bridesmaids spent the morning of the wedding getting ready in these personalized robes at Miller’s childhood home. So sweet!
Posing amid the greenery in the backyard of her childhood home, Miller is the very picture of a quintessentially Southern bride — elegant, beautiful, timeless.Pin
Poised amid the greenery in the backyard of her childhood home, Miller is the very picture of a quintessentially Southern bride — elegant, beautiful, timeless.
What a gorgeous group of bridesmaids! Those ear-to-ear smiles make it clear how happy these girls are to celebrate their bride!Pin
What a gorgeous group of bridesmaids! Those ear-to-ear smiles make it clear how happy these girls are to celebrate their bride!

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Is there anything more perfectly southern than a huge party of groomsmen in monogrammed cummerbunds? We think not!Pin
Is there anything more perfectly Southern than a huge party of groomsmen in monogrammed cummerbunds? We think not!
The guys take a breather — and a quick sip or two — before the ceremony begins.Pin
The guys take a breather — and a quick sip or two — before the ceremony begins.

Hunter and Miller didn’t see each other before the ceremony, so when the clock struck 6 p.m., Miller made her way down the “Bride’s Walk” toward the sanctuary, and the anticipation built to a fever pitch. She turned the corner on her father’s arm, and as “Canon in D” filled the historic chapel, packed to the brim with guests, this lovely bride locked eyes with her handsome groom and made her way down the aisle. There, they exchanged vows and rings and a joy-filled kiss, grinning the entire walk back up the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Cowan.

We love a gaggle of littles dressed all in white! How sweet are these kids heading up the aisle?Pin
We love a gaggle of littles dressed all in white! How sweet are these kids heading down the aisle?
The gorgeous bride and her sweet dad walk down the aisle.Pin
The gorgeous bride and her sweet dad walk down the aisle.
Choosing not to do a first look maintained an important tradition for Hunter and Miller and made the walk down the aisle that much more special. “We really wanted to make that moment really exciting and fun,” Miller says. “He hadn’t seen me. No one had seen my dress until my bridesmaids saw it two hours before the wedding. It was all just a surprise and a really happy moment.”Pin
Choosing not to do a first look maintained an important tradition for Hunter and Miller and made the walk down the aisle that much more special. “We really wanted to make that moment really exciting and fun,” Miller says. “He hadn’t seen me. No one had seen my dress until my bridesmaids saw it two hours before the wedding. It was all just a surprise and a really happy moment.”
The morning of the wedding Miller woke up and discovered that she had lost her voice! “I did not have a voice. I mean, no words were coming out of my mouth,” Miller says. “It would come and go throughout the day, and then at the altar I tried to speak and nothing came out. People thought I was crying, and I wasn’t crying — I just couldn’t speak!”Pin
The morning of the wedding Miller woke up and discovered that she had lost her voice! “I did not have a voice. I mean, no words were coming out of my mouth,” Miller says. “It would come and go throughout the day, and then at the altar I tried to speak and nothing came out. People thought I was crying, and I wasn’t crying — I just couldn’t speak!”
The couple shares their first kiss as Mr. & Mrs. Cowan!Pin
The couple shares their first kiss as Mr. & Mrs. Cowan!

The reception followed at The Columns, a circa-1929 former bank lobby in downtown Memphis with grand, towering ceilings and 22 marble pillars framing the space. Birch trees with spindly branches draped in twinkle lights brought an air of enchantment and a touch of the outdoors into the space. The bride and groom surprised their guests with a lighthearted, high-energy first dance.

Miller’s vision for trees draped in twinkle lights, perfectly executed by her wedding planner, Mona Dunlap, transformed the grand reception venue at The Columns into an utterly enchanting space. “I love bringing the outdoors in,” Miller says. “Something about that is very inspiring, and I thought that element would be a bit different while still timeless and classic.”Pin
Miller’s vision for trees draped in twinkle lights, perfectly executed by her wedding planner, Mona Dunlap, transformed the grand reception venue at The Columns into an utterly enchanting space. “I love bringing the outdoors in,” Miller says. “Something about that is very inspiring, and I thought that element would be a bit different while still timeless and classic.”
Miller’s father is a commercial baker, and though he doesn’t typically make wedding cakes, he did lovingly craft Hunter and Miller’s dreamy six-tier white cake with buttercream icing. Miller’s florist added the finishing touches, dusty miller and white ranunculus delicately arranged on each tier.Pin
Miller’s father is a commercial baker, and though he doesn’t typically make wedding cakes, he did lovingly craft Hunter and Miller’s dreamy six-tiered white cake with buttercream icing. Miller’s florist, Garden District, added the finishing touches, dusty miller and white ranunculus delicately arranged on each tier.

“Our first dance was probably my favorite part of the entire day, besides the getting married part, of course,” Miller says. “We danced to ‘Proud Mary’ by Tina Turner, and no one knew about that. We love to dance, so it was really fast and ‘Proud Mary’ is just one of those songs that every time we hear it at a wedding or when we’re out at Raiford’s, it just really gets us excited.”

Hunter and Miller love to dance and didn’t feel the need to do any practicing before their first dance to “Proud Mary.” “We had done no practicing whatsoever, and about 30 seconds before we went in, Hunter said that he needed to check and make sure he could do something real fast, so he picked me up and threw me right to left and then underneath his legs,” Miller says.Pin
Hunter and Miller love to dance and didn’t feel the need to do any practicing before their first dance to “Proud Mary.” “We had done no practicing whatsoever, and about 30 seconds before we went in, Hunter said that he needed to check and make sure he could do something real fast, so he picked me up and threw me right to left and then underneath his legs,” Miller says.

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“We really tried to stay true to ourselves,” Miller says. “I really wanted the wedding day to be what I had always envisioned, and we wanted every single person we know to be included and to feel like they were really a part of it.”Pin
“We really tried to stay true to ourselves,” Miller says. “I really wanted the wedding day to be what I had always envisioned, and we wanted every single person we know to be included and to feel like they were really a part of it.”

Guests enjoyed a decadent buffet of winter comfort foods prepared by Elizabeth Heiskell Catering that Miller describes as a hunter’s delight, including a biscuit bar with country ham, gumbo, pork tenderloin, potatoes au gratin and fried okra, just to name a few of the decadent dishes. After enjoying the delicious meal, guests danced the night away to Motown music performed by the Jimmy Church band. Toward the end of the evening, they brought out Miller Lite hats (as a nod to the bride’s name and the groom’s love for hats), Miller Lite 40s (the staple drink at their beloved Raiford’s) and chicken-on-a-stick (the late-night snack of choice in Oxford).

Miller says that one of her must-haves for the reception menu was a biscuit bar. “I absolutely love biscuits,” Miller says. “My grandmother always serves us biscuits and jam, so I knew I had to incorporate that.”Pin
Miller says that one of her must-haves for the reception menu was a biscuit bar. “I absolutely love biscuits,” Miller says. “My grandmother always serves us biscuits and jam, so I knew I had to incorporate that.”
Hunter didn’t plan to have a groom’s cake, but Miller’s dad surprised the bride and groom with a custom cake made to look like the dance floor at Paula & Raiford’s, the legendary disco spot in downtown Memphis where Hunter and Miller love to dance the night away.Pin
Hunter didn’t plan to have a groom’s cake, but Miller’s dad surprised the bride and groom with a custom cake made to look like the dance floor at Paula & Raiford’s, the legendary disco spot in downtown Memphis where Hunter and Miller love to dance the night away.
The perfect “hat tip” to both the bride and groom: Miller Lite hats were distributed during the reception!Pin
The perfect “hat tip” to both the bride and groom: Miller Lite hats were distributed during the reception!
Does this not look like the most fun reception crowd ever?Pin
Does this not look like the most fun reception crowd ever?

At the end of the night, their guests showered Mr. and Mrs. Cowan with rice, and the newlyweds piled into an antique car and drove off toward their next chapter as husband and wife.

The inspiration for their antique getaway car came directly from the weddings Miller saw in movies as a little girl. Being driven away from the reception through the streets of downtown Memphis in a gorgeous vintage Ford? What a dream!Pin
The inspiration for their antique getaway car came directly from the weddings Miller saw in movies as a little girl. Being driven away from the reception through the streets of downtown Memphis in a gorgeous vintage Ford? What a dream!
True to her classic aesthetic, Miller wanted to have a traditional rice-throwing exit, but since throwing actual rice outside is no longer allowed, they settled for synthetic rice instead. This photo absolutely nails that classic look!Pin
True to her classic aesthetic, Miller wanted to have a traditional rice-throwing exit, but since throwing actual rice outside is no longer allowed, they settled for synthetic rice instead. This photo absolutely nails that classic look!

Thank you for sharing your magical day with us, Miller and Hunter! Cheers to countless married days as happy as this one!

RESOURCES

Photography: Taylor Square Photography
Wedding planner: Mona Dunlap Events
Wedding dress: Ann Barge, Maggie Louise
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Hayley Paige Occasions
Groom: Oak Hall
Cake: Father of the Bride
Flowers: Garden District
Venue: Calvary Episcopal Church
Reception: The Columns
Rentals and decor: White Door Events
Catering: Elizabeth Heiskell Catering
Band: Jimmy Church
Makeup: Angela George
Hair: Sharon and Kelly with Kelly Beers Salon
Merchandise and stationery design: The Stovall Collection
Videography: John Christian Williams

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Author: Kellie Grammer
About the Author
Kellie Grammer

Kellie is a freelance writer stealing time between her toddler's play dates to write mostly about weddings for StyleBlueprint.