by: Where to start with this stunner of a wedding?! Leanne and Gray's classic spring wedding radiates southern charm perfection with a splash of Art Deco. From Leanne's stunning bouquet and ravishing rose centerpieces, to the beautiful array of shiny, lacy, and floral-filled bridesmaids dresses—their day was full of elegant details in every way imaginable. We know you'll love it as much as we do!
A Classic Spring Wedding
Couple: Leanne and Gray
Location: Atlanta, GA area
Theme: Classic with subtle Art Deco
Colors: Beautiful neutrals
Pretty neutrals of taupe, blush, green, grey, and white strewn about the details of their day added a beautiful touch! Set at a gorgeous church and historic country club, their classic spring wedding day was nothing short of dreamy and romantic. Their photographer of ShelbyRae Photographs captured every chic detail. Their wedding day photos showcase a story of southern romance, stylishly classic details, and of course, fun. {Leanne and Gray both graciously shared highlights of their day with us, too ... we love their candidness!}
The lovely couple invited guests to their "classic-yet-subtle Art Deco-esque" celebration with a stunning wedding invite suite designed by their friend ... that they uploaded to a blank template at MagnetStreet Weddings.
"We did a general Google search for stationary websites and found MagnetStreet. One of our close friends had offered to design all of our invites and save the dates, so the ability to upload custom files was a huge selling point! We loved how easy it was to get proofs ready and approved and the quality was amazing. We were so thankful for having custom invites from our good friend, Edson."
"We were married at Clairmont Presbyterian Church in Decatur, GA, where Leanne’s grandparents attend service every Sunday. Leanne’s mother and father were married here as well in 1983. It meant a lot to be able to share that bond and experience."
Something borrowed, blue, old, and new
"Yes we did! With our families being such a big part of our lives and the planning as well, most everything old and borrowed was connected to them. We had a few that are no longer with us, so being able to include them and their memory made the day that much more special. For instance, Gray’s wedding band was his godfather’s ring before he passed on. The stones in my necklace and earrings were old family heirlooms that had been reused in new settings. The ring bearer’s pillow was made by my Grandmother, and we borrowed it for the ceremony. And for the blue piece, I wore a blue hair piece tucked quietly within my hair."
A gorgeous wedding dress
"We searched a few places not having any luck. I was a little discouraged, because I still wasn’t completely sure of what I wanted. My dress search team was my grandmother and sister, both of which are far too nice to say anything bad about any of the dresses, trying not to discourage me. We finally found the dress in a small shop in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood in Atlanta. When I tried it on, I knew right away it was the one. It was a feeling hard to describe because it was a rush of so many emotions."
"We did not have a first look. Leanne left it up to me to decide and my preference was to go the traditional route. I always wanted the sensation of seeing my bride for the first time as she was walking down the aisle. When the doors opened and I saw her coming, it was like feeling every happy memory we’ve ever shared come flooding back. The pictures clearly show me trying to keep it together."
"Our favorite photo would be the one where Gray is picking me up and spinning me around on the front lawn of Cherokee after the ceremony, but before the reception. Once we said 'I do!' and the milestone events of the night were completed, the weight of all the stress started to melt away."
"Our reception was at the Cherokee Town Club in Atlanta. Gray’s parents are members there so it was an easy choice. Allison, the wedding coordinator at Cherokee was amazing and made the whole planning experience a breeze. They handled a vast majority of the logistics in-house, which makes things very simple."
Cake!
"It was a classic light and fluffy white cake with Grand Marnier icing. It was a simple three tier cake. One of the layers had a delicate marble fondant and the other two were classic white plain fondant. We can’t wait to dig in to the top on our anniversary!"
Highlight of the day
"Definitely our introduction and first dance. It was the first time we were able to look out to the whole crowd, stop, and enjoy all the love in the room. It kicked off a great reception that will always be our favorite night. Plus we got to show off our goofy side by having the whole wedding party march to the Star Wars theme in wearing Stormtrooper masks. It helped to set the mood for a fun celebration."
"For our honeymoon ... we’re flying into Munich, Germany on the 3rd day of Oktoberfest and from there spending two weeks backpacking through Austria, Italy and Croatia. We’re looking forward to a much needed vacation!"
Their advice
"Enjoy the time. We had almost 18 months of engagement and it flew by. If you can, give yourself plenty of time to plan and try to knock out one big thing at a time. Also don’t forget you're planning YOUR wedding. It’s so easy to get caught up trying to plan all the little, unimportant details, but make sure you both enjoy the night. Be sure to stop and take it all in."
Best wishes to the new Mr. and Mrs.! And a very special thanks to their vendors:
Photography: ShelbyRae Photographs | Invite design: ELEX Design | Ceremony Venue: Clairmont Presbyterian Church | Reception Venue & Coordinator: Allison Shultz , Cherokee Town & Country Club | Flowers: Flowers by Holland | Bridal gown: Suite Bridal | Tuxes: Jos A. Bank
