This wedding had it all: a ceremony in a church, a classic reception, dirty dancing, and even a New Year's Eve party. We asked the bride Sarah about all the details of the preparations for the wedding, as well as her love story with Davis.
Tell us a little about yourselves.
Both born and raised in Chattanooga, Davis and I did not cross paths until our junior year of college when Davis just so happened to be on his fall break in Chattanooga. That's when our mutual friends introduced us on that fateful night five years ago. Long distances couldn't keep us apart, so we took turns driving between several cities to grow our relationship. We have stood the test of time and are finally able to say goodbye to long distance for good as we take on our next adventure together in Charlotte, NC as a married couple!
What do you do for a living and for fun?
I am a Stylist for a high-end women’s boutique and my husband is a Construction Manager for a commercial development company. In our free time, we enjoy being active outdoors, traveling, going out with friends, or cooking together just the two of us.
What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?
Being a New Year's Eve wedding, we knew we wanted a night that no one would forget. We wanted the night to be fun obviously but also romantic, timeless, and intimate. We wanted everyone to feel like they were at a big cocktail party so we brought in soft seating around the dance floor and outside area, had food stations rather than a plated dinner, and an incredible band to help get the party started for the evening. I pulled inspiration from old Hollywood glam and put a modern twist on it. The color scheme was focused on neutrals - champagnes, whites, and some pops of gold and silver throughout. My wonderful florist, Jamie Rehm of Bud Floral Events, decked the venue out with baby’s breath, hydrangeas, garden roses, orchids, and many more florals. To give the space a romantic feel, Jamie brought in floating candles and modern candelabras to place on tables and around the reception hall. Jamie is truly creative and she spent countless hours researching, creating mood boards, and working with her team to bring my vision to life. Our amazing decor team, Luma Design brought in huge disco balls that hung over the dance floor and bursting star pendants that hung from the ceilings outside to really illuminate the night! We added Cold Sparks on stage that went off right at midnight to add an element of surprise for my guests as well. The night could not have been complete without passed Lambrusco (our fun take on champagne) to celebrate with!
Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?
Our wedding took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We got married at Baylor School and had the reception at Parkside Hall. We chose Baylor Chapel to get married in since both my husband and father went to day school there so it was very sentimental to both our families - not to mention the gorgeous views on Baylor's campus made for spectacular photos! What drew us to Parkside Hall for the reception was that it was a new venue in town and would be unique to us. The venue itself was open, airy, clean, and minimal with gorgeous wood paneling details throughout the space. We also loved the way Parkside flowed inside and outside. We wanted to utilize both spaces for our large crowd and had the capability to do so with the sliding glass doors on both sides. We felt like the Hall fit the vision and overall feel of our NYE wedding perfectly!
How many guests did you have?
We had around 215 guests attend our wedding which we felt was a perfect number and amount for the evening!
Tell us about your outfits.
Davis wore a traditional black custom-made tuxedo from Yacoubian Tailors and I wore a custom-made gown from OZ Bridal with a modern structural neckline and detachable skirt. I added tulle fingerless gloves last minute and have zero regrets about that decision! I accessorized with Loeffler Randall heels and drop pearl earrings for the ceremony look. For the reception, my detachable skirt came off and I changed in to Jonathan Simkhai diamond studded heels!
What was your first dance song?
"L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole... The classic!
What flowers did you choose for the bride's bouquet and why?
I knew I wanted classic and romantic yet unique to me. I love calla lilies and wanted to somehow incorporate them into the bridal bouquet. My florist, Jamie, created the perfect bouquet for me which was a mix of calla lilies, garden roses, white roses, spray roses, ranunculus, peonies, and rose lilies. The bouquet was stunning!
What was your wedding cake like? And where did you order it?
I went for a wedding cake that reflected my trend-forward style. I found lots of inspiration for my cake on Instagram and saved my favorite pictures. From there, I met with my cake designer, Tara Simmons of Blue Willow Bakery, and we took the inspiration and dreamed up my 5 tier almond cake with cream cheese filling. The outside of the cake was solid buttercream with uneven edges and gold lining the edges. My cake was as yummy as it was breathtaking.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our wonderful jewelry designer, Sam Edwards, created the ring of my dreams! I could not have felt as beautiful as I did all weekend if it weren’t for my insanely talented hair stylist, Abigail Hubbard, and makeup artist, Jess Eubanks! I worked tirelessly with them both going over my vision and they nailed it! Our band for the night, Hi-Definition Atlanta Party Band, brought the house down. Their energy was exactly what our NYE wedding needed! Both my Photographer, Taylor English, and Videographer, Joseph Cochran took my vision to another level. I can’t say enough good things about their talents behind the camera as well as their lovely personalities and how easy they were to work with. I felt so comfortable when I was in their presence! Lastly, my wedding paperie was so beautiful thanks to Webbco Designs! Britt worked so hard to give me exactly what I wanted and I can’t say thank you enough!
Bride @sarahreillyculpepper
Photo @taylorenglishphoto
Planner @soireeseventplanning
Venue @parkside.hall
Dress @ozbridal_tn
MUAH @hairbyabbigailhubbard_ @ thecollectivebyepiphany
Florals @budfloralevents
