When Evanne + Philip began planning the details of their wedding day, they knew they had to choose a venue where all their friends from Nashville (where they reside now) and their family from Virginia and Texas could come together in one central place. They decided on Barnsley Gardens (also featured in our Top 26 Coolest Places to Get Married) in Georgia, which inspired them to throw a gorgeous garden affair with the help of their dream team of wedding creatives – planner/designer, Jessica Sloane and floral/event designer, Amy Osaba Events. Aside from the beauty that met the eye, there was lots meaning behind many of the details that were incorporated. Below, Evanne tells us more about how her and Philip’s history of growing up together came into play on their big day:
Philip and I met when I was two and he was four. Our dads have been best friends since we were little kids. Even though we didn’t start dating until college, there were a lot of people at our wedding who watched us both grow up, and so we wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our families’ history together. There were lots of little ways that we did this, like having our sisters give the speeches at our reception rather than having traditional maid of honor and best man speeches (because who knew us better than the two people who’d been there from the very, very far-off beginning?) and having our dog stand in as best man (because our pets are family too!). My favorite way that we incorporated our family’s history into the wedding was in having Philip’s dad officiate the wedding. It made the moment when my dad walked me down the aisle extra special. Our dad’s, who’d been best friends for years, were face to face – one giving his daughter away and the other about to officiate his son’s wedding. It was a very special moment that encompassed the vision we had for our wedding: that it wasn’t just about the two of us but also about the people who’d brought us together and made us who we had become.
Big thanks to Austin Gros for the stunning captures and congrats to Evanne + Philip on their beautiful day!
We’re swooning over all the romantic details and the super-lush florals!
Processional: Book of Love – Peter Gabriel
Recessional: Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
First Dance: Everlasting Light – The Black Keys (arranged by Matt Mackey)
Such a good-looking bride, groom and wedding party, right?! Evanne wore an understated Carolina Herrera dress (with gorge shoes by Jimmy Choo), her bridesmaids looked lovely in dusty navy blue Amsale gowns and the guys wore sharp, gray Indochino suits!
We can’t get over this historical garden wedding setting! So stunning…
My advice is not to underestimate the degree to which the people you've invited to your wedding want to be there. It's easy to feel like you're asking a lot of your guests. We knew when we started planning our wedding that wherever we had it, most of our guests would have to fly in for the weekend. Throughout the entire wedding planning process, I worried about how much we were expecting of each individual person. We threw a full wedding weekend celebration so that we could talk to everyone who travelled in for the wedding and feel like we had made their travel expenses and vacation days worthwhile. The weekend of our wedding, I realized how much our guests wanted to be there no matter what, just because they were our people and wanted to be a part of this special moment in our lives. If I had realized that sooner, I would have saved myself a lot of worry!
photography: Austin Gros // venue name: Barnsley Gardens, Adairsville, Georgia // planning: Jessica Sloane // florals: Amy Osaba Events // wedding dress: Carolina Herrera // bride's shoes: Jimmy Choo // bridesmaid dresses: Amsale // hair stylist: Jordan Byers // makeup artist: Jordan Byers // groom attire: Indochino // videography: Anchor Heart Films // paper goods: Signora Mare // catering: Barnsley Gardens // cake: Frosted Pumpkin // music: Matt Mackey and the Brothers Brothers // officiant: Groom's Father // event design: Jessica Sloane + Amy Osaba Events
Such a gorgeous and romantic venue!
fab venue, love were their had the outdoor ceremony under the big tree. Just stunning.
I went on field trips to Barnsley Gardens as a child and never knew people could have their wedding in the gardens. It looks like an amazing place to get married!