Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met on a dating app. I was hiding out from Covid in NYC–where I lived at the time–and stationed at my parents house outside of Atlanta. It’s as Hallmark as it sounds. Lucas builds swimming pools, I make dog food commercials. We’re a perfect creative pairing. We’re chronically obsessed with our dogs, having friends over to cook for, collecting colorful art, and being in bed at 9:30.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
When we were researching venues in Atlanta–and were admittedly overwhelmed–we both knew it had to be at home. Lucas and I got married in our backyard and had the reception at our favorite Tex Mex restaurant. We bought our house years ago, tore it apart to the studs and started over - the whole gamut. Buying out the Tex Mex restaurant, Superica, ATL, prevented a lot of scary decision-making since it’s already decorated in a style we love. We didn’t have to pick linens or silverware or decor, just some flowers and a dance floor and we were in business.
How many guests did you have?
150.
What was your budget?
$50,000.
Tell us about your outfits.
When I was trying on dresses at Kellys Closet in Atlanta, I asked for something unique. I’m sure a lot of women go in asking for this. Maybe a cape, a sleeve, a glove. I was told there was some piece in the back they’ve never been able to make work, so I asked to try it on. It was the Lauren top from House of Flora, when I put it on top of the Sarah Seven dress I knew they were both coming home with me. As far as jewelry, I picked some fun pieces from Laura Estrada.
For Lucas, we both wanted to find him a green suit. Turns out, the exact color we were looking for was harder to track down than we expected. Luckily, he eventually spotted one on the Octobre website and some Ariat cowboy boots to go with.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Photography and guest experience were the most important parts.
Photography- we wanted wedding photos that feel like the day itself. Colorful, lively, a little blurry. We wanted to look back on our photos and laugh. Which we’ve done over and over again thanks to our photographer, Aly Hansen.
Guest experience- for us, that’s amazing food, good music, and little something fun to take home. Lucas remembered loving an energetic 2-piece band from his college days, an easy decision there. We had a blind contour portrait artist doing portraits of our guests for them. And we lucked out with an absolutely killer florist that came out of left field thanks to our coordinator.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
A lot of our friends and family came up to us throughout the night, and after the fact, saying our wedding was so us. It was the best compliment we could’ve received. Our people know we’re a very casual duo, who love good food and colorful art. And we knew if we were going to throw ourselves a party, it would have to include those things.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Make decisions based on what you like, not because it’s what other people do. If you and your partner love fajitas and bright colors, incorporate those. If school buses are cheaper than charter buses, school buses it is. The rules about what a wedding should be are all in our heads. And for sticking to a budget, pick a few priorities and only splurge there. Then go as cheaply as possible on (or skip completely) everything else.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Gosh, there wasn’t a vendor we didn’t love.
Our photographer, Aly Hansen, was the first vendor that we booked. We picked our wedding day based on her availability and she blew us out of the water and into the next universe.
Our portrait artist, Jeremy Ray, won over the hearts of every person he drew and left with 150 new best friends.
Our Month Of Coordinator, Shelby Elaine Studios , made the day special in a million little ways. My dad couldn’t be there due to a dementia diagnosis, and Shelby and Parker (florist) printed a picture of the two of us and tied it to my bouquet so he’d be with me. There were tears. And speaking of Parker, he was still in college when we met him but he’s going to be a star one day. Completely understood our vision the first second we met him.
Our reception venue, Superica, ATL–who was just as excited as we were to have our wedding there–made it an epic time.
Photographer: Aly Hansen @alyhansenweddings | Planning: Shelby Elaine Studios
@shelbyelainestudios | Flora: Parker Everson @parkerspetalsatlanta | Ceremony Location: Couples Backyard | Reception Location: Superica, ATL @supericatexmex | Celebrant: a friend of the couple | MUA: Julie Ann Levan Beauty @julieannlevanbeauty | Hair: Ann Fran @annfranstyles | Catering & Beverages: Superica, ATL @supericatexmex | Cake: Maggie's Cakes @maggiesscakess | Stationery: by the Bride | Entertainment: Tim Tyler & Lane | Portrait Artist: Jeremy Ray @jeremyrayis | Dresses: Kellys Closet @kellysclosetatl, Sarah Seven @sarahseven, House of Flora @_houseofflora | Suit:
Octobre @octobre_editions | Shoes: Tony Bianco @tonybianco @ariatinternational | Other Jewellery: Laura Estrada @lauraestradajewelry