Southern Simplicity Wedding Ideas

Really, how could we keep ourselves from falling in love with this styled shoot? It’s got heaps of natural elements, a jaw-dropping woodland setting, gorgeous pinks and reds, and not to mention one of the yummiest cakes we’ve seen in a long time. Crystal Stokes Photography, The Graceful Host, and Springvine Design were the ideal team to put this wedding inspiration together, and they knocked it high and far out of the park.

From the event designer, Ashley of The Graceful Host: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci. It is this idea simplicity that inspired our team to craft an inspiration shoot that highlights the genuine beauty and ultimately, innate sophistication, of a wedding. I wanted to design a wedding that captured my idea “simplicity”, that is organically based, creative in style, and inspired by nature. I found a team that was equally as inspired by simplicity as I am. To all of us, nature exemplifies simplicity in every way, so you’ll see an emphasis on organic style through artistic expression. I started with a color palette inspired by nature – lush greens and earthy beige, with pops of color like rich burgundy and soft peach. And I’ve incorporated more natural elements into the design – raw leather to tie the flatware, linen napkins, an exposed wood table, and a driftwood ceremony arch.

Floral designer Springvine Design captured the beauty of nature in the way she layered floral textures to maintain a simple yet interesting artistic design. The table centerpiece is a vignette of vintage green glass pedestal vases, which compliment the green and amber glassware. She even created a beautiful floral chandelier from grapevine, silver dollar eucalyptus, red roses, spray roses and hand dyed dupioni silk with votive candles, suspended from the trees, that hung near the delicious cake display. The chandelier was an easy DIY project and added a touch of elegance to our backdrop. The bridal bouquet included anemones, ranunculus, succulents, blue thistle, austwater garden roses, red piano garden roses, Queen Ann’s Lace, white veronica, spray roses, peppermint geranium, and jasmine wrapped in hand dyed dupioni silk.

Being that Charlotte is a Southern city, we had to include some elements that speak to southern hospitality! I included a potted succulent favor with the inspiration being “love blossoming.” I also designed a welcome basket that would greet guests upon arrival to the wedding weekend and included within it a mini bottle of champagne, natural soap, a Rewined candle, and a lavender sachet. I wanted to put together a welcome package with simple items that would greet the senses and give guests a feeling of relaxation, just as beautiful landscapes often do.

As I’m sure you’ve caught on, the details of the design were very important and deliberate in thought. But, the most important detail of all is that of beauty. Brides who want to celebrate beauty always inspire me! And, I wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the beauty of nature, of simplicity, of creativity, and most importantly, of love. It was important to our team that this shoot be approachable to brides, and show elements that can inspire brides to embrace simplicity within their own weddings. We also wanted to incorporate ideas that brides could easily duplicated within their own wedding, which is why I’ve referenced a few easy DIY elements – the signature drink, floral chandelier, and the hand-dyed dupioni silk to name a few.