On Justine and Lee’s wedding day, as we were about to start photos with Lee and his groomsmen, he paused for a moment and asked me if he looked ok. Among an entire day of memorable moments, this one stood out to me the most because I could tell how important it was to him that he look his best for Justine. Of course he looked perfect, but I nearly laughed thinking how I was sure Justine would marry him wearing a paper sack. Their romantic backyard-style ceremony was one I hope to never forget. Their personal vows were so touching, and their expressions upon being pronounced man and wife were priceless. Justine and Lee are the type of couple that everyone falls in love with, and without a doubt, they captured our hearts. Simply icing on the cake (or, in their case, cream on the pie) was that their wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Their venue is fantastic in that the ceremony area looked like a garden setting while we also got to take photos on a beach – in Tennessee! We also loved the champagne bridesmaids dresses and the coral details Justine worked into her white and champagne color palette. Not to mention that the J+L tags on her DIY wedding favors were adorable! – Kandi Hodges of 2 Hodges Photography
What is your favorite wedding day memory?
Gosh, my favorite wedding day memory?!? That’s a tough one… there were SO many but if I have to choose one I would say the moment right after we walked back down the aisle as Husband and Wife! I’m pretty sure I screamed with joy! That was such a fun moment! We couldn’t stop smiling at each other, it was perfect!
What did you DIY for your wedding?
Originally we were going to have an outdoor wedding with everything DIY-ed but with the fear of potential rain we decided to move it indoors to a beautiful venue. Because we moved our wedding to a venue some of the things that we had planned on doing ourself was no longer necessary. However, there were a few things that we still did. Part of the centerpieces were decorated mason jars – my Mom and sister spent countless hours decorating those and they looked beautiful! Another DIY feature that we had were our wedding favors! We made our own Vanilla Extract – it’s A LOT easier than you think and such a unique and fun gift to give! My sister is the super creative one in the family and she was a life saver when it came to planning my wedding! She created our invitations as well as our thank you cards, painted a cute sign that my brother carried walking down the aisle as well as painted our coffee cups with “Mr.” and “Mrs.”… She’s amazing!
Something old, new, borrowed and blue?
My something old and borrowed were mixed together in one – My Aunt let me borrow a ring that both her and my mom wore when they each got married! Such a special thing for me to get to wear it as well! My something new was my dress and my something blue was the color on my toe nails!
Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?
My advice for brides currently in the planning process would be hire a wedding coordinator!! I was lucky to have close friends and family members step into this role so I didn’t have to spend money on it BUT let me tell you something… having a person/people directly focused on the planning part of the wedding helps you be able to enjoy the last few months of this “single” chapter in your life! My wedding day was so relaxing not only for me but also for my bridesmaids and family because we knew for sure that everything was already taken care of- that is one of the greatest gifts you can give your bridal party, a day of pampering and relaxation that ends with one heck of a party! – Justine, the bride
Event Credits
Photographer: 2Hodges Photography // Venue and Florals: The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farms // Catering: Brown Bag // Pies: Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop // Officiant: Mack Card // DJ: Jim Ogle // Brides dress and accessories: Davids Bridal // Hair: Todd Mullins // Makeup: Bangs and Blush // Bridesmaids attire: Nordstroms // Men's Attire: Belk // Decor, favors, invitations and stationary: DIY
