Lindsey & Joe's Classic Southern Garden Wedding

Sarah Sullins Weddings
Jun 22, 2020
7 min read

Where to begin with this one.....Lindsey and I go wayyyyy back. Like 2005 way back. My family moved to Alabama in late 2004 and soon after our move this spunky, hilarious, drop dead gorgeous girl with the most beautiful red hair you've ever seen started coming over to our house pretty regularly. She and my younger sister, Katherine had quickly become middle school best friends and Lindsey soon became like another little sister to me...an extension of Katherine so to speak. They were always together and their friendship grew, changed, developed, and blossomed over the years. I could honestly write a novel of stories about those two, so finding a way to sum up how meaningful this girl is and her wedding was to me is difficult. I will just say that Lindsey allowing me to Plan and Design her wedding was truly special and I will never forget this day. The fact that her wedding was also my first publication is still blowing my mind...and Lindsey, I am still so grateful to you for entrusting this momentous day in your life to me!

So, before I get too emotional let's get to all the pretty details!

Lindsey wanted her southern roots to be honored in her wedding, but also wanted some drama with the aesthetic. Classic southern elegance with a moody palette in the summer, and lush secret garden vibe florals...I was here for it! Lindsey knew she wanted to get married outside of Cullman County where her and Joe were from because she wanted a look different than any of the Cullman area venues could provide. She fell in love with Historic Rucker Place in Birmingham, Alabama quickly and knew that the classic southern architecture combined with the precious garden area in the back was the perfect combination for her wedding vision.

And she was right! She couldn't have chosen a better venue. It was absolutely stunning!

Since they were going to be out of town they knew they were going to need over night accommodations the night before the wedding. We wanted to make sure that this place also went with the look of her wedding since her getting ready

photos would be taken here. The Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham was the obvious and perfect choice. It's so classic and beautiful and they work with wedding parties so well!

Lindsey and her maids stayed the night together at The Tutwiler and spent the morning sipping mimosas and getting ready with Lindsey's two precious daughters, and Lindsey's parents as well. It was a super relaxed, and super sweet time. Lindsey is an amazing hair stylist so she knew she would only be happy if she was the one to do hair, so Lindsey did the hair for the wedding and then her 14 year old niece did everyone's makeup and we were all blown away by her talent! When Tonya Volk arrived to begin photos, I surprised Lindsey with a faux champagne bottle to pop confetti, as a fun way to start the celebrations for the day! I somehow forgot that Lindsey is terrified of balloons popping and so watching her gear up to pop that confetti bottle was hysterical! But it made for some super fun photos!

One of my favorite moments of their day took place after Lindsey was dressed and ready. She shared an emotional first look with her Daddy and I still get teary-eyed when I think about it! This was the first of many emotional moments that day.

After everyone dried their tears some of my favorite photos of the day were taken out in front of the hotel! Lindsey knew she wanted purple and mauve tones so I helped her create a palette that was uniquely hers and it is one of my favorites to date! We started with 3 different shades of purple for the 3 bridesmaids. And then we asked the incredibly talented florist, Laure Friedman of LSL Event Design to not only use those 3 shades but to also bring in a few more shades to brighten this color palette up for summer. Laure knocked it out of the park!

The rest of the day was spent at Rucker Place and it was nothing short of magical! Lindsey and Joe celebrated with their closest friends and family with a semi-intimate ceremony and reception. That was somthing that was important to Lindsey, to keep their numbers small and the guest list to truly be the ones who mattered the most.

When we arrived, I made a beeline for the Garden where the Ceremony was going to take place and my jaw dropped when I saw Laure's masterpiece for the day...the stunning floral hoop that would be the ceremony backdrop! Lindsey had dreams of a subtle secret/encganted garden aesthetic for her ceremony and what Laure created was exactly that!

Joe was waiting on Lindsey when she and the bridesmaids arrived at Rucker, and they shared their First Look soon after her arrival! These two are such a beautiful couple and the way Joe looks at Lindsey is truly something.

Lindsey's girls, Ava and Adley, joined them next! I have to tell y'all a little story. When Joe proposed to Lindsey, he also "proposed" to her girls and asked them if it was okay if he could be their new Bonus Daddy! Talk about the sweetest thing ever. Lindsey and Joe wanted to make sure they were included in the whole day and wanted the emphasis to be not only on their union, but in the union of their new family! For example, they were introduced all together at the reception and their DJ announced, "Introducing to you for the first time, The Martin Family!" So like I mentioned earlier, there were many tears shed that day, from Lindsey's sweet moment with her dad, to watching the girls dance and interact with their new Dad, to some incredible toasts...it was an emotional day!

The Ceremony was no different! Tears. Were. Shed. Lindsey's brother got ordained so that he could perform their ceremony and it was a complete surprise to the family that he was going to do that until wedding week. The light was glorious, the atmosphere was breathtaking, and we all witnessed some next-level love and joy. Lindsey and Joe wrote their own vows and Lindsey walked down the aisle to one of her and her daddy's favorite Elvis songs. The look on Lindsey's and Joe's faces as they were walking back down the aisle says it all to me!

Of course, that light had to be taken advantage of so Lindsey and Joe stepped away for some more gorgeous photos together! Which I highly recommend doing...nothing beats that Just Married glow! Their guests headed inside to enjoy the fabulous dinner provided by Savoie Catering and drinks from the bar.

So one of the ways we brought the Southern feel Lindsey wanted for their wedding was with her menu selections for dinner. From brisket to okra and green beans their guests I'm sure felt right at home. Everything was delicious and beautifully displayed! Another thing we did to bring that classic southern vibe out was with the guest book alternative. Guests signed a custom watercolor painting of their gorgeous, historic, southern venue. It turned out so beautiful and is one of my favorite guest books to date!

After Dinner, Lindsey and Joe joined the party and it was such a fabulous night. Lindsey and Joe shared their first dance, and their happiness filled the room! Then...y'all get your tissues...Joe had a special dance with the girls and it was the most precious thing. The smiles on their faces were truly priceless...they had started the day as flower girls and ended the night with a new, amazing bonus dad! More father-daughter goodness followed when Lindsey danced with her Daddy. There's just something about that Father-Daughter Dance that gets me every time!

All wedding days are emotional in one way or another, and this day had already proven to be just that. But none of us were ready for what came next. I told you at the beginning that Lindsey was my sister's best friend and that they had a long history and that she was practically family. What I didn't tell you is that my sister was expecting her first baby and was 6 months pregnant at the time of the wedding...and that she was the matron of honor which meant she was giving a toast at the wedding. So take 14 years of friendship, and being so incredibly happy for your best friend and her precious daughters, and then sprinkle some baby hormones into the mix and you have one incredible toast that left the whole room in tears. My sister, Katherine, recounted Lindsey's undeniable strength throughout the years, and ended by saying she was so glad that Lindsey didn't have to be strong by herself anymore and that there would be fewer bumps in the road for her and the girls now that they had Joe. Y'alllll! I was a blubbering mess and there may be a few tears on my keyboard as I type this right now. It was such a beautiful testament to their friendship and my goodness I cannot believe that my job description includes the privilege of witnessing so many once in a lifetime type of moments.

But enough of this mushy stuff! The rest of the night was so much fun. People danced, laughed, ate cake, and then right before the send-off Lindsey and her older daughter Ava sang a song to Joe together. Lindsey and Joe ran through a row of sparklers, and headed back to the Tutwiler for the night before heading out on their New England road trip honeymoon. It was an absolutely perfect day, and I cannot believe it was 2 years ago tomorrow! Happy Anniversary Lindsey and Joe! May God continue to bless your marriage and family as richly as He already has! See Full Vendor Credits below and click here for their feature in Alabama Weddings Magazine.