A classic Southern wedding at The Oaks Plantation in Pike Road, Alabama

After much waffling due to the sheer intimidation factor, I decided to finally tackle blogging the wedding where I took more pictures than any other wedding I’ve ever shot (before or since). That day, I filled almost every memory card I brought and if you know me, then you know I’m anal retentive enough to bring A LOT more than I think I’ll need. I couldn’t help myself though, because every time I turned around, there was another flower, another funny face, another little something that I couldn’t walk past because it needed a picture. The thought of condensing all of that into a blog post made me want to curl up in the fetal position with a dozen Krispy Kremes, but I did it. Drumroll, please…

wedding rings and embroidery at pike road wedding

It was classically Southern – a summer outdoor wedding at a plantation home (The Oaks Plantation in Pike Road), a lace gown, a whole mess of bridesmaids and a groom’s cake worthy of Steel Magnolias (more on that later). Though I’m not a native Southerner, I’ve been here long enough to know that if it sits still, you can monogram it. Monograms were everywhere at this wedding, including the bridal party’s “getting ready” shirts, and the ribbons on their bouquets, thanks to Kimberdoodles Monogramming and Embroidery Designs.

invitation suite and monogrammed ring bearer pillow at montgomery wedding lace wedding gown and chanel perfume at montgomery wedding pink badgley mischka bridal shoes and bride helping mom get ready

Yes, they are this adorable in person. They might be two of the nicest people on the planet, and I’m not just saying that because they left a tin of cookies on my porch at Christmas. I’m not even saying that because Lauren’s mom offered to take care of me when I’m old, since I don’t have any kids to put me in a home when I’m all crotchety and inappropriate. I’m saying that because they humor me when I’m being a great big dork, which is pretty much all the time. That, my friends, is saying something.

Cutest thing about this picture that you didn’t know: the dashing silver-haired gentleman officiating the wedding is the groom’s grandfather.

Crystal Strickland and her team from Southern Posies did a fantastic job pulling the entire event together, from the planning stages, to the flowers, to the celebratory champagne table that awaited guests (and bride and groom) as they exited the ceremony.

A room was set up specifically for the younger guests, and included kid friendly food, as well as plenty of candy, games and supervision. And let’s not forget a cart from Nancy’s Italian Ice to keep the kiddos cool (gotta stay hydrated, right?).

The food was handled by the always fabulous Tammy Griffin and the crew from A Catered Affair, and included a biscuit bar. Yes, biscuits are a very Southern thing, especially when you have several different types of biscuits and a slew of toppings and fillings to choose from like the guests did here – from jams to ham, to apple butter. But I think the biscuit bar wasn’t just a featured Southern food, it was also a little shout out to the bride, aka “Pea Biscuit”. Confused? Well, hang onto your biscuits, because this is where the story gets ridiculously adorable. When Lauren was a little girl she wasn’t such a fan of English peas, but of course mom insisted that Lauren eat her vegetables. Normally Lauren would smash the peas into her mashed potatoes to make them more palatable, until one day, mom didn’t make mashed potatoes the same day she made peas. So Lauren did what any clever Southern girl would do: she got up, went and got a biscuit that mom had made earlier, cracked that puppy open, and smashed her peas into that instead. Fast forward a few years to when Lauren got her first car, a green VW Beetle. The license plate spelled out…you guessed it. Pea Biscuit. 😀

And just in case you weren’t a fan of biscuits, or the meat at the carving station, or the fried green tomatoes, or anything else on the spread of good eats, you could drown your sorrows in a table full of desserts. There’s no super cute story to go with these, but who needs one? They’re DESSERTS. And they’re TEENY.

Out on the back porch, artist Barbara Davis was commissioned to paint the reception scene live as it happened. Yes, really. If you look closely at the next few pictures and scroll back up to this painting, you’ll immediately recognize the vintage furniture, the floral arrangements, and even the outfits of some of the guests.

As if this wedding didn’t already seem like it came out of a movie, Lauren’s dad couldn’t quite keep a hold on his emotions during his toast. Neither could Lauren’s mom. And neither could Lauren. Y’all, I could not deal. These people are too sweet. As they say in the meme world: DIS TEW MUCH!!! Good thing I was heading out shortly after that with Lauren and Alex and their video team to take advantage of the late day light and shoot a few more portraits.

The bride’s cake (by Vickie’s Cakes) had its own room, surrounded by the bridal portraits we had taken a few months before the wedding. Classic round tiers, with a white on white monogram, the cake was decorated by Crystal with pink and white flowers to match the flowers used throughout the day.

The groom’s cake (by La’s Cakes) sat outside, and if you remember the movie Steel Magnolias, you’ll remember the inspiration for this groom’s cake: red velvet, in the shape of an armadillo. In the movie, Shelby (Julia Roberts’ character) says, “People are gonna be hacking into this poor animal that looks like it’s bleeding to death.” Judging by the guests’ reactions, I’d say the cake was effective. No word on whether the pink flowers on the bride’s cake were ‘blush’ or ‘bashful’ though. 😉

If the armadillo dismemberment was too much and guests were headed home, they could grab a sweet treat on the way. Since Alex is a Mobile boy and a fan of Moon Pies, it was only natural to put them alongside bottles of RC Cola as wedding favors.

After plenty of time on a packed dance floor, an impromptu performance of “Ice Ice Baby” by a bridesmaid’s fiance, and a few turns in the photo booth, the newlyweds made their exit in a 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud from Coats Classic Cars.

Lauren & Alex: thanks so much for letting me be a temporary Taylor/Fleming (Imma call it ‘Flaylor’!). May you never eat another English pea, and always get the tail end of the armadillo cake!