Vintage Carolina Wedding

This Colonial inspired North Carolina wedding has all the right ingredients for a sweet Southern wedding. The result is playful and marvelous, including the real vintage shots from Richard Israel. From the bride: Our wedding styles morphed from Jesse James/old west to Colonial, to 1920′s-1940′s Clean-Country to Antique. As the bride, I think my problem was that I had too many ideas. Overall themes were as much as possible homemade, Old Time-Folk, and antique.

antique film wedding

From the bride: Our wedding styles morphed from Jesse James/old west to Colonial, to 20′s-40′s Clean-Country to Antique. As the bride, I think my problem was that I had too many ideas. Overall themes were as much as possible homemade, Old Time-Folk, and antique.

budget chic wedding

As far as feel, we wanted to combine the simplicity of how incredible love is and make any and everyone a part of our big day that wanted to be there. We wanted our friends and family to see us as we were and keep things as personal as possible and make it the best hoe-down they’d ever been to!

wet plate film vintage wedding photographs

tattooed groom pocket watch

antique Depression era vintage wedding

small budget wedding ceremony wooden sign

fashion cool groom wedding portrait

I called our wedding “clean country”, with cream and brown linens, bales of hay, folk music, open air dancing, bbq family meal, lots of greenery and trees.

A theme was antique, with our guys in suspenders with their hair combed tight and everyone in leather shoes. Six of the girls wore peach cotton skirts that the bridesmaids and I made, and two wore matching dresses. Our color scheme was peach, cream, and browns.

indie hipster wedding guests

vintage groom suspenders indie

cool wedding portraits bw

vintage wedding photos

wedding dress bustle

Advice from the bride: Have a short engagement (more than 6 months would have been too long to wait for me -when you know who you want to marry!), and don’ t waste time on DIY projects because the hardest part for us was having our best friends working hard with us the week of the wedding on finishing things up. We had hoped to have some great down time and just enjoy all of the people that were supporting us, then the week before, for example, the girls were all cooped up helping me sew through the night.

Wedding Vendors (North Carolina):

Florist: Amanda Bradley/Cherilyn Christie, flowers from The Fresh Market / Photographer: Richard Israel / Wedding Dress and makeup: My friend Casey McCuller made my dress with me, Casey McCuller also did my hair and makeup. / Shoes: Dillards / Wedding invitations: self-designed, letterpressed by Blue Barnhouse

September 3rd, 2010  |  Email to a friend
Category: Real Weddings, Vintage Weddings

Comments
  1. 1
    Suburban Sweetheart on September 3, 2010

    I LOVE that old-timey photo of all the men. And dear God, the bride’s dress is divine.

  2. 2
    Juliet on September 3, 2010

    Richard rocked this out!!! This is my favorite wedding ever that he’s done. :D

  3. 3
    Angela Gaspar Photography on September 3, 2010

    What a cool and unique dress!

  4. 4
    Natalya on September 3, 2010

    Love it!! Where in NC was it though?

  5. 5
    veronica on September 3, 2010

    Coolest. Wedding photos. Ever.

  6. 6
    forget.me.knot.weddings on September 3, 2010

    You guys rock..I must say you are now one of my fave “vintage/cool/chic” go to blogs!! Have a great weekend!

  7. 7
    Krystal on September 3, 2010

    I agree with her advice 100%!

  8. 8
    Amber on September 3, 2010

    i want your dress!! I was so ecstatic to see a dress that was finally what i wanted…then i saw it was homemade :( wish i had the guts to attempt that. Great job!!

  9. 9
    Leigh Pearce Weddings on September 3, 2010

    i love three things in this world: the south, vintage, and weddings. this wedding is like….. my mecca. *sigh*

  10. 10
    Megan on September 3, 2010

    WOW – beautiful concept, and even more beautiful execution!

    Anyone know where to find suspenders like this? I am getting married in October and having an Mid-Century Mod wedding with a 1950′s vintage superhero theme (www.thesuperwedding.com) and am looking for suspenders for the boys.

    Any thoughts, let me know at megans.harrod@gmail.com.

    Thanks!

  11. 11
    lydia {ever ours} on September 3, 2010

    her dress is pretty amazing. can’t believe her friend and her made it!

  12. 12
    monika on September 3, 2010

    I love the whole session, wow!!!

  13. 13
    cassaundra on September 3, 2010

    what a stunning wedding!

  14. 14
    Claire on September 3, 2010

    Great wedding. Love the whole thing and all the little things that give it the old fashion vintage feel.

  15. 15
    meghan cresawn on September 3, 2010

    I am blessed enough to know Aaron and Grace personally and was at the wedding, and WOW do the pictures do it justice! It was incredible. So excited they are featured on Ruffled. :)

  16. 16
    Lindsay on September 3, 2010

    I’m getting married in 2 days, and so grateful for the “don’t do DIY” advice! I sort of feel like a failed bride that I passed off my DIY, but I am still sane ~ which is amazing!
    What gorgeous photos…xo

  17. 17
    scotchminx on September 4, 2010

    This wedding is sooo awesome!
    I love weddings that reflect the couple.

  18. 18
    suzanne on September 4, 2010

    Super sweet wedding! And those vintage shots are the best i’ve ever seen!

  19. 19
    Paula@DWItaly on September 6, 2010

    I adore her dress and those black and white shots are so different to most modern wedding pics — really striking and fits right in with the theme

  20. truly subtle vintage at it’s very best – gorgeous images :-) x x

  21. 21
    3sa on September 16, 2010

    The wedding was at the Sherrill’s Inn, Fairview, NC which is owned by Hickory Nut Gap Farms

  22. 22
    joanna on November 13, 2010

    What a beautiful wedding! Can someone tell me where the groom and groomsmen got their suits? THanks!

  23. 23
    Grace Buchanan (Bride) on January 6, 2011

    I am SO excited about these pictures and the things people have said. ………… I wanted to respond to a few questions, but I dont know if the people asking will even receive these answers…

    The groomsmen all just found off-white shirts and brown pants and we bought the suspenders from Ebay. …

    And when I said “dont waste time on DIY” I didnt mean dont do it, I meant dont doddle. Get it done before the week of the wedding. I definitely think its worth it to DIY though. Anyone that doesnt take that time to put some personal touches into their wedding is missing out in my opinion. …

    Also, does anyone want to buy the dress? Hahah… I dont want to keep it. Though I am really really happy with it.

  24. 24
    Brittany on March 1, 2011

    GRACE!!!! i am so beyond interested in purchasing your dress! feel free to email me the info, size, price all that fun stuff! YAY!

  25. 25
    Amy - Chic Vintage Brides on January 6, 2012

    I adore everything about this wedding – the handmade bridal gown, the DIY details, the fab guests and gorgeous bride & groom, and last but certainly not least the fantastic photography! It is truly WOW!

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