Memphis Garden Wedding
What could be better than a groom in a gingham shirt and a bridesmaid in polka dots? The couple from today’s wedding from Heather Hester Photography held their ceremony in the backyard garden of one of their favorite restaurants, filled to the brim with gorgeous floral arrangements from Holliday.
From the bride: We had a very small, intimate wedding with about sixty people this past October. My husband and I selected a local restaurant known for its incredible southern food and support of local farmers. Because they grow their own vegetables and herbs, they have a beautiful patio and garden. We decided this would be a perfect place to hold our small soiree!
Our aesthetic was “garden party” with a bit of rustic thrown in the mix. Our florist created the most gorgeous bouquets with parrot tulips, dusty miller, succulents, and garden roses. I wanted our wedding to celebrate the natural elements of the garden—the greens and blues. We kept most of the wedding neutral with pops of navy, pink, and orange.
Because we only had about $10,000 to work with, my mom and I created most of the decor. We spent hours making pom-poms for wreaths and gardlands, garlands out of vintage fabric, distressing picture frames, hunting for old lace tablecloths and vintage glassware, and so much more. Our food was one of the most amazing aspects of our night (aside from getting hitched of course!). We had pork belly, polenta, and a fried egg to start, potato gnocchi as a second course, and Claybrook Farms beef with cauliflower, mushrooms, confit potatoes, and sugo.
Any advice for future brides planning their weddings now? Permeate the wedding with your personality! We had so many friends after the wedding tell us how “us” the wedding was. At first, I was nervous about what everyone would think about our small wedding. Would they like the food? What about the music? Was my dress okay? And then one day, I told myself to be quiet and just enjoy let it be about my husband and me. After all, that’s what it is all about. Also, allow yourself one bridezilla moment… and then that’s it! No more after that.
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Music:
First Dance: “You Are the Best Thing,” Ray Lamontagne
I love bluegrass music so throughout the remainder of the night, we had favorites like Nickel Creek, Chris Thile, the Civil Wars, and much more.
Wedding Location: Memphis, TN / Photographer: Heather Hester Photography / Flowers: Gina of Holliday / Wedding Venue and Caterer: Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen / Wedding Dress and Bridesmaid’s Dress: J. Crew / Wedding Shoes: Nina / Hair: Candy of Schonheits Salon / Makeup: Alexandra Nicole / Groom and Groomsmen’s Attire: J. Crew / Wedding Cakes: Muddy’s Bakeshop
Such a beautiful backyard wedding!
Congrats to the couple.
What a beautiful, intimate wedding…especially love the floral arrangements! :]
Love all the dainty details like the matching floral rings and the bowties! Fabulous wedding, congrats to the newlyweds!
That bridesmaid is SO adorable! Love the ceremony floral arrangement!
Absolutely love this! You can just feel how much love and romance there is between this couple! I love that it’s so apparent in every photograph; everything is so romantic and classy! Thanks for sharing!
This is absolutely stunning! I love all the DIY elements! They’ve done such an amazing job of everything!!! Thanks so much for sharing. xx
Loved the simplicity and elegance of the whole wedding. Gorgeous!
So absolutely gorgeous!
Great wedding! I love the decor and the personality that showed through the pictures. As a Memphis wedding photographer, I love the southern food and the restaurant.