Today’s real Atlanta wedding comes to us from one of our preferred Atlanta wedding photographers, Joseph Aczel. He documented the wedding of Karen and Dan June 5th at the Old Courthouse on the Square in Decatur. Because so many of the couple’s guests traveled from out of town for the celebration, Decatur was the perfect part of Atlanta to bring guests. Lots of shopping, entertainment and food, without lots of travel. Great thinking!
Dan had one of the greatest proposal ideas I’ve heard yet. He had a book created and bound the told the story of their relationship with the last page reading “Will you marry me?” Of course, Karen said yes!
Karen and Dan wanted an elegant and timeless look for the reception so they opted for a soft ivory and pink color choice and a neutral shade of black for the bridesmaid dresses. They accentuated a subtle Southern theme through the food and drinks offered at the reception. More info about tall that goodness below.
The best wedding planning advice Karen has to share is a few tidbits she received from various friends. When it came to honeymoon planning she says “wait until Monday to leave for the honeymoon. This turned out to be great advice as it gave us a day to unwind before leaving for Belize.” Saying Thank You to the parents and noting Etsy is a bride’s best friend (yes, we agree too!) are a few tips she just could not leave out.
On music Karen says… “One of the most important things to us in planning the reception was that there be a great band and lots of dancing. Without hesitation, we turned to old friend and local musician, Francisco Vidal. Fran & friends rocked a good blend of music and kept the party going all night.”
Karen and Dan accentuated their southern roots at their wedding with food! In her interview she says “I grew up in Dallas, Texas, Dan grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and we met in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite both of us being raised in the South, we have friends and families from all over the country. One thing that we wanted to do throughout the weekend was to share some of our favorite things from Texas, South Carolina and Atlanta with our guests.” The couple chose to play up the south with their menu and drink specialties…..Here are all the juicy deatils on food and fun from the rehearsal dinner to the reception. Karen explains…
“Given the fact that the majority of our guests were coming in from out of town, we decided to throw a large “Rehearsal BBQ” and invite all of the guests rather than a smaller gathering of immediate family / wedding party. When it came to selecting the caterer, there was never a doubt that we had to use Fox Brothers, our favorite BBQ restaurant in Atlanta. Marie and team were fantastic…highly recommended!! The menu featured some of our Fox Brothers favorites. Dan’s mom put together some theme appropriate centerpieces for the BBQ using Mason Jars, South Carolina Flag Ribbon and flowers from Trader Joe’s on Peachtree.
Cocktail Hour. After the ceremony, the reception kicked off with a cocktail hour featuring some Texas themed appetizers / beverages, including stuffed jalapenos. One of the big hits of the cocktail hour was the ‘signature cocktail,’ Texas Margaritas. Dan will tell you that he labored over the recipe and was forced to drink a liter of Tequila to find the perfect blend of flavor, while easing up on the kick so that some of the older guests would not have to be wheeled out before the first dance. I’ve included the recipe as we stand by it!
3 Parts El Jimador Tequilla
1.5 Parts Grand Marnier
4 Parts Margarita Mix (Mr & Mrs. T’s)
2 Parts OJ
In addition to the margaritas and traditional wine/liquor, we added some flair to the traditional bar set up by providing local brews once again (Sweetwater 420, Atlanta Brewing Company – Red Brick Ale, and Terrapin Golden Ale) as well as some Shiner Bock beer as a nod to Texas
Reception Food. We went pretty traditional on the menu, but Avante did a fantastic job. Avante also provided the cakes. We had a traditional white wedding cake adorned with roses and peonies and a shamrock groom’s cake for Dan (a Notre Dame grad).”
Photography: Joseph Aczel Photography | Venue: Old Courthouse on the Square | Catering, Cake, Rentals: Avante Catering | Reception Music: Francisco Vidal Band | Florist: Bloom Floral Design | Invitations: Reaves Engraving | Programs: Pink Orchid Invites | Day-of coordinator: A Big To Do Event | Hair and Makeup: Scoobie West | Ceremony Music: Bob Cardone | Getaway Car: Atlantic Limousines
Heather | August 16th, 2010 | See all posts by Heather
[...] Check us out on Atlanta Occasions! Karen and Dan’s Wedding! [...]
Karen and Dan were a blast to work with. We wish them the best of luck!
Beautiful wedding Karen and Dan. Glad Scoobie’s makeup and hair worked out!