Truth be told, today was so daunting! I've got a lot on my plate with some upcoming weddings, an endless stream of emails that need some love, a home office that could be bombed and we wouldn't know the difference, and a garage full of inventory that needs to be cleaned and stored!
BUT what got me through the day was planning to blog Cara and Allen's effortless wedding day on the Eastern Shore of Alabama.
Cara and I first connected over email, while she was living in Texas with Allen (Serving in the U.S. Coast Guard), to talk about stationery. Like I had been hoping for, our wedding and overall styles overlapped completely and her stationery snowballed into a little more hands-on work: day-of styling and coordination! I have lived in Fairhope for just over two years now and feel so grateful for meeting Cara, she really was the ideal bride. Her family (and Allen's) were sweet and gracious and appreciated the important things for the big day, as well as the overall aesthetic!
Their wedding day was seriously, hands-down the most beautiful day. The weather couldn't have been better (and in South Alabama… you know that is no easy task). Cara's vision of a romantic evening with organic and Italian tradition came to life! From the natural and Southern ceremony, to the sunset and bistro lights.. the whole night was perfect!

All photos are by the talented, Adam & Jenn Photography. Other vendor details below!

Cara + Allen | Fairhope, Alabama | Adam & Jenn Photography | Victoria Austin Designs

I am a tad bashful to admit I still have a ton of favorites that I didn't post above, haha! To complete her reception space and aesthetic, Cara and her mom potted countless herbs, packaged Jordan Almonds (an Italian wedding tradition) in kraft favor boxes for each place setting, collected hundreds of antique brass candle sticks and more! It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple! The new Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are now stationed in Alexandria, Virginia, but I know Alabama misses them!

Photography: Adam & Jenn Photography | Stationery, Styling, Coordinating: Victoria Austin Designs | Florals: Wildflowers | Ceremony Venue: Family Farm | Reception Venue: The Venue, Fairhope | Rentals: SOHO Events and Rentals (farm tables) and Port City Rentals (terrace chairs) | Bridal Gown: Leanne Marshall via The Sentimentalist, Atlanta | Bridesmaids Gowns: Natalie Deayala via Bella Bridesmaids, Mobile

xoxo,

Tori

Happy June! Today, I am blogging a tidbit about a shoot I planned and styled back in February for Cottage Hill Magazine. I was so thrilled when editor, Katie, emailed me and explained that she is originally from Mobile (no way!) and was hoping to tie in our lovely little dot on the map in the latest publication. Of course, I said YES! I wanted to include some of our coast's most talented vendors and really create a shoot that cut out all the fuss, and focused on a woman's beauty. I didn't want to make this all about the "bride" despite the industry I work in. To me, the best part about my job is meeting so many talented and kind entrepreneurs, and in most cases, they are women. The wedding industry is full of girl bosses, and it's not an easy industry! Just ask Forbes, they put Event Coordinator in the top 10 most stressful jobs in 2015. Yikes. Anyways, I wanted to celebrate women, old and young, near and far. I hoped that with pulling the right vendors, we could have a laid-back day capturing just that. And keeping the "look" timeless and simple.
Ashley Upchurch Photography captured everything perfectly and she was beyond easy to work with! Our model, Paige Reaux (also a kick ass photographer on the Gulf), killed it all day in the freezing cold! I couldn't have done it without these two! Paige is so naturally beautiful, I knew she would be perfect for the gig. She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn. Southern Calligraphy calligraphed beautiful "letters to myself" that complimented our color scheme, with shades of ivory and gold. I loved how they turned out and brought some more "realness" to our shoot.

Absolutely love how these images turned out! And after a super busy Spring, they really bring me back to focus! See the full feature and editorial in Cottage Hill Magazine (The Captivated Issue) in Barnes and Noble stores! We have a special BTS video from Lifehouse Wedding Films to share soon too!
Ashley Upchurch Photography, Model: Paige Reaux, Calligraphy: Southern Calligraphy, Venue: Bellingrath Gardens, Videography: Cheree Givens, Lifehouse Wedding Films, Hair: Kathy Stringer, Salon Bella, Gown: Sarah Seven via Ivory and White
Planning, Styling and Florals: Victoria Austin Designs