Rainbow Wedding by Cindy Brown Photo at Blackstock Vineyards & Winery

Posted October 10th, 2011 by Callie Rogers | 2 Comments - Post A Comment

About a month ago, I showed you the rainbow color scheme-trend that’s catching on more and more daily! When I got Daniel and Kelly’s images from Cindy Brown Photo I did a little happy dance in my chair — the whole she-bang is dripping in a wide array of bright colors, textures and so much fun! You are going to love this one, people…trust me.

Tell us how you met! Daniel and I met in Auburn through mutual friends. I lived with 7 other sorority sisters, and most of them were going to his fraternity’s Halloween date party, but I needed a date. My roommate’s boyfriend got us together for the evening, and we danced all night. We started hanging out more regularly with that group of friends at tailgates for the rest of the football season. I don’t think either of us were expecting anything out of that first date party, but we just clicked and continued to hang out. All thanks to our matchmaker friends!

Can you give us an overview of the event? Our wedding was at Blackstock Vineyards & Winery in Dahlonega, Georgia. We timed the ceremony and reception around the sun setting towards the end of dinner, with the spectacular vistas and vines around the tables. We chose this location because we wanted to be engulfed in the natural landscape, but wanted easy access to indoor facilities and a covered area. The couple currently lives in Nashville, so made sure their guests’ experience in the North Georgia mountains and at the wedding was not only a celebration, but a exploratory experience as well. The bride, Kelly McGinnis, is an artist and works in the Education Department at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art and the groom, Daniel Terrell, works for Batten & Shaw, a general contractor specializing in medical facilities. The bride and her mother, Teri McGinnis, made many of the decorations, table linens, print materials and more themselves over the 6 month engagement.

Was there a specific theme or style? I designed everything thinking about colorful wildflowers, rustic elegance, natural textures and green, vibrant landscapes. From the watercolor mountains in the print material to the patterned green linens and the pops of color in the apothecary jar terrariums and organic and textural bouquets, nature and color were embodied our overall concept for the ceremony & wedding.

Now for the proposal…details! Daniel has been coming to the mountains for the annual McGinnis Family Christmas Dinner for 3 years now. In 2010, we went back to North Georgia, but Daniel had a ring in his pocket! I always said I wanted family to be involved with our engagement (trying to be subtle, of course) We arrived just in time to get ready for dinner, but all the showers were occupied, so Daniel insisted we drive down to the waterfalls in my neighborhood. We hiked down, looked around, and suddenly Daniel is on one knee with a white box. I’m not sure why, but I laughed for awhile, and then said ‘yes.’ As I entered my house, I see my brother-in-law through the glass door just smiling at me. My mom looked anxious, but exploded with excitement when we told her the news. I think she and my sister were glad they didn’t have to keep that secret anymore! When we met my extended family at the lodge, my grandfather insisted I stand on the grand hearth for our announcement. We celebrated with great food, wine and family. Daniel showed off the ring he designed using his grandmother’s and my mother’s diamonds for the engagement ring. Soon we would incorporate my grandmother’s diamonds into the wedding band.

What inspired the theme or style? I think our personalities, love for the mountains, and my love for color inspired the theme/style. We wanted to make sure to keep it casual, because Daniel and I are happy people that try to not take ourselves too seriously and laugh with each other. Spending that special time with our closest family and friends in a beautiful place with wonderful food and great music, made our wedding day everything we could have asked and more. The artistic touches were evident in many large design features and in the smaller details, but we enjoyed seeing our guests find all of them and ask how/if we created them ourselves. I LOVE color and Daniel wanted Auburn colors, so we gave Daniel more orange accents and navy ties and the girls every color! We really didn’t limit ourselves to one specific theme or color, so we could make it work if we wanted it.

Describe your wedding in one to two sentences: Our wedding was the most genuine representation of who we are, how we collaborate together, our love for each other, and our love for our family and friends. We added personal touches to countless details, but remained light-hearted overall, so we could just enjoy the wonderful moments of our wedding day.

What were the playful twists that made the event unique? There were a lot of handmade items in our wedding. Daniel and I are very resourceful and practical people, and I think the quirky, crafty touches really demonstrated that. From paper bag lanterns and custom bridesmaids necklaces to bug spray baskets and signed chairs for a guestbook. Almost everything we made ourselves for the wedding can be used again with great memories. We also really wanted to incorporate family as much as possible. We decided to highlight all the family tie-ins with ‘Fun Facts’ near the signing of the ‘guest chairs.’ The rainbow cake and chocolate, Auburn groom’s cake really expressed our personalities too. Daniel’s love of sports met my love for color for our exit, when we gave our guests foam fingers, mini megaphones and shakers!

We want to know all of the details about your wedding! Was is small and intimate or big and traditional? It was a medium sized wedding that had some southern and family traditions mixed in with original and unique additions. We wanted an outdoor wedding, but under a covered structure and easy restroom access. We worked with individual vendors to create the perfect menu, unique cakes, stunning flowers and more. It was a lot of work, but I think we learned a lot!

Did you DIY the details? I think it’s better to list all the things we made. • Linens (the floral, pattern table toppers and burlap runners)
• Monogrammed Burlap pillows for rocking chairs • ‘T’ paper bag lanterns • Bridesmaids necklaces • All graphic design (Save-the-Dates, ‘Sign the Chairs’ label, Bug Spray Label, Koozies & Napkins, Ceremony Programs, ’Reserved’ Signs, Fun Facts, Get away license plate) • I even have sketches that I drew & sent to the florist! It was awesome working with another type of artist on this one. We had a great time brainstorming!• We made granola for the welcome bags with custom ‘Mmmm…Enjoy!’ tags. • My grandmother sewed all the guest bags with a patterned fabric & burlap.• We made welcome ‘packets’ for our guests using DIY invitations from a craft store. We listed restaurants, trails, and local attractions in Dahlonega. We also include driving directions and a map to the Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding location. All matched the general wedding design concept. • I love glitter, so I made ‘BAR’ and ‘MR. & MRS.’ signs. It was the only place my family and Daniel would allow glitter • I sculpted & fired the ceramic blue birds for the cake topper.

Tell us about your wedding gown and what your wedding party wore! My gown was an ivory ‘fit & flare’ with straps. The bridesmaids work short, navy dresses in whatever style they wanted with colorful necklaces. The groomsmen wore khaki suits, light blue shirts, and navy ties.

What was the most memorable moment? The entire ceremony. Daniel and I had a ‘Sneak Peek’ before the ceremony, which really calmed my nerves. I was able to really absorb everything during our ceremony after that, so I could just be excited, happy and completely obsessed with my future hubby! After all the time & energy I spent on every tiny detail with planning, I only saw Daniel, and it was just what I needed.

What was the best wedding advice you received? “Plan a relaxing honeymoon. You’ll need it and love it.” I think I slept 20 hours one day by the pool, on the beach and at night. We both needed to recover!

Tell us about the food and desserts. Mmmmm! Honeybrook Catering did a fabulous job and really listened to me when I talked about my love for color. The food not only tasted wonderful and filled the boys up, but it was beautiful. We enjoyed our meals too, because they set-up a space for the bride & groom with their plates of food. Daniel and I loved having a moment to enjoy the food we chose together months prior and be with each other. The cakes were just as yummy and beautiful!

What kind of energy did your entertainment give? I think we all started to break a sweat dancing by 8:00 pm. Daniel and I love to dance, and so do our family and friends! When I look back at the pictures, my blood starts pumping because everyone was dancing, smiling and having a great time. I think all of us were exhausted the next day! At the end of the night, Daniel and I were waiting to leave and one of the band members stopped to thanked us for such a great time! I don’t think the band was expecting such an interactive and dancing group, but they rocked it! I think our first dance, Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy, set the mood for the night.

If there was one thing you could change, what would it be? I forgot to get pictures of high school, college and post-college groups of friends. Luckily, we were all dancing together, so they are in a more candid shot with me!

What were the honeymoon plans? Costa Rica, and I would recommend it to anyone! They were so friendly, eager to teach you about their country, and adventurous. Being at an all-inclusive resort allowed us to relax and be pampered a bit, but we enjoyed zip lining, going on wildlife tours and more.