Elegance + Nostalgia – A Beautiful Botanical Garden Wedding in Georgia

The photos that Los Garcias snapped throughout Tega + London’s Athens, Georgia wedding day are just too good not to share.

Tega’s a speaker, host, spoken word artist, and writer, and London’s a freelance graphic and motion designer and bass guitarist, and the creative bride + groom said their “I do’s” surrounded by the lush greenery of State Botanical Garden of Georgia. The vibe of the day? Sophisticated, dreamy, and vibrantly joyful.

“Culturally, London is half Taiwanese and I’m Nigerian,” says Tega. “We’re also both creatives, so we felt very strongly about showcasing our cultures and personalities throughout the wedding.”

And the artistically minded couple did just that. There are lots and lots of creative and unique-to-them details to love—Tega’s floral bridal accessories, the jewel tone-packed bridal party palette, the nostalgic + playful reception decor, and so much more.

We could go on and on. Way better to let you see for yourself!

“LISTEN! I knew from the moment I got engaged that I didn’t have a desire to try on dresses at a store in front of people. I watched way too many episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress” to put myself through that!” says Tega of her experience finding this ethereal, embellished wedding gown. “It was important to me that my dress was what I felt great in, which is low back and something unique and fun. I decided to search for a dress online and found the perfect one on Azazie. And for less than $500 too?! Say less! As soon as I saw it, I measured myself, ordered it, and the rest was history.”

We love the way that London’s elegant double breasted tuxedo paired with his crew’s classic black groomsmen suits.

Check out our A to Z guide to men’s formalwear if you need some help navigating all of the wedding suit possibilities.

Tega found her delicate floral wedding veil from Etsy!

We are very into the rich jewel tones and earthy greens of these bridesmaid dresses.

Oh, and how fab are Tega’s beaded floral wedding earrings?? Such a great way to add some color to a bridal look.

“As most love stories begin, we started off as friends,” remembers Tega. “And as any good friend would, I spent time trying to set him up with other girls because I couldn’t believe he was single!”

“At the same time, he was waving metaphorical neon signs in front of my eyes that said, “HEY! I LIKE YOU!” Yet I never noticed! Obviously, I ended up getting the picture because we’re married now!”

The day’s floral design combined sweet pastels with all sorts of warm + vibrant tones. No coincidence that the arrangements paired so well with the embroidery in Tega’s veil!

The Ceremony

This sunny + leafy green surroundings of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia conservatory are pure magic!

Take a look through our collection of the best greenhouse wedding venues if you like the idea of a wedding day full of lush foliage.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"The Flower Garden" by Joe Hisaishi
Recessional
"I'm A Believer" by Smash Mouth
First Dance
"I Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon

Fun fact: Tega did her own wedding hairstyle and wedding makeup! Loving the sophisticated low bun bridal updo she created.

Definitely visit our big list of the best long sleeve wedding dresses if you’re loving Tega’s bridal silhouette as much as we are.

Our Favorite Memory
Both of us remember the day in detail, but our first moment as husband and wife was unforgettable. The first thing we did was take time to sit in gratitude and thank Jesus for such a special day. We had a few minutes of worship through song where we got to pray, sing, and thank God through the song "Most Beautiful" by Maverick City Music. Jesus is the center of our relationship and in that moment, it felt as though the room went still. You could imagine that there were many tears in that moment!

The Reception

WOW! This takes us back! Tega + London made their unique wedding reception seating chart out of colorful alphabet magnets!

“From the elements of color, to the Uno cards on the table, to the dry-erase board and magnets for seating, and even choosing to do Chinese takeout for dinner,” the couple says, “we wanted our guests to experience joy, community with one another, and the beauty of nostalgia.”

Let’s hear it for Tega’s glamorous gold oval cut engagement ring! So much sophisticated sparkle.

Our Advice
From the bride: "For starters, I'd start with the fact that the wedding day is just that -- an investment in a single day that's representative of the couple. The marriage itself, though, is a beautiful lifetime investment in the growth, health, and sustenance of the couple. My advice for planning your wedding is to start with discerning what makes you two unique. Your generosity? Your humor? Your creativity? Your joy? Your love of all things The Office? Whatever that is, how can you create space for others to experience that on your day? Another HUGE thing is that you CAN work within a budget! Our wedding was mainly DIY and it was stunning."

For the second half of the celebration, Tega switched into this stunning reception dress. Recreate the timeless look by exploring our collections of our fave high neck wedding dresses and bridal gloves!

“A lot of the entire day is DIY. From doing my own wedding makeup, styling my hair, and my green wedding shoes, the entire day was filled with fun, creative quirks,” Tega says. “The wedding is a single day — make it YOUR day as a couple and experience the joy of inviting others in!”

You know we love to see some green wedding shoes! Especially a pair as cute as these Natalina sandals by Sam Edelman!!

Congrats, Tega + London, on your dreamy + sophisticated botanical garden wedding day! All the best from GWS!