1. Real Weddings

A Honeybee-Inspired Wedding at Ashton Gardens in Sugar Hill, Georgia

Embracing her love for honeybees, Candice Conley (34) married Alvin Darien (35) in a bee-centric celebration at Ashton Gardens in Sugar Hill, Georgia,

Embracing her love for honeybees, Candice Conley (34) married Alvin Darien (35) in a bee-centric celebration at Ashton Gardens in Sugar Hill, Georgia, near Atlanta. The “Meant to Bee”-themed party, which was brought to life with the help of Lissahn DeVance of Enraptured Events,  included blush roses, honeybees and a palette of gold, pink, blush and rose gold. “It was a beautiful wedding with a sweet flair of honeybees sprinkled throughout the venue,” Candice says. Honeybees were used throughout, from the invitation suite to the beehive table numbers and honeycomb menus and escort cards. Wooden beehive table numbers were embossed with phrases like “Meant to Bee” and “The Bee's Knees.” “No detail was left unattended to,” Candice says. At the dinner reception, tables were topped with flower arrangements, bee skeps and teapots embellished with miniature bees. “I decided on this theme because I have always had a fascination with honeybees and the benefits they bring,” Candice says. “I also wanted to bring awareness to a growing concern involving bees.” The newlyweds gifted favors of wildflower and clover honey from a local beekeeper. “A bee motif is a subtle reminder to support your local beekeeper,” Candice says. “I love to create a cause-worthy buzz!” Also paying homage to bees, the couple had a tea bar with an array of honeys and teas. —Marissa Hermanson

“I wanted a chic look that made a bold statement with lace,” Candice says. “I believe there is something classical and stunning when a bride wears lace.” She paired her stunning all-lace gown with a pair of Jimmy Choos and glitzy jewelry.
Alvin accessorized his tan suit with a custom blush bow tie and a fabric lapel.
“The bridesmaids were blushing in blush with rose gold jewelry and an off-the-shoulder long gown,” Candice says. Bridesmaids carried tight bouquets of blush roses, while Candice carried an elaborate 12-inch-wide bouquet of pink blooms. “It was almost too heavy for me to carry but absolutely gorgeous,” she says.
Candice and Alvin incorporated the Cord of Three Strands into their wedding ceremony. The old African tradition was done in lieu of a unity candle. “We agreed that this would be the best option for us because it signified that God is the head of our relationship,” Candice says. The couple also infused their religious ceremony with songs that were meaningful to them. “Alvin and I took a great deal of time choosing the right songs for the processional and major reception events. We still have guests talking about the song choices,” she says.
The rustic chapel’s altar was decorated with two large trees adorned in cascading blush roses. “The tall trees looked as though they were plucked from a garden or belonged with the trees that we could see from the floor-to-ceiling windows,” Candice says.
As a nod to Candice and Alvin’s bee theme, they created beehive table numbers and honeycomb menus and escort cards for their celebration at Ashton Gardens in Sugar Hill, Georgia. “No detail was left unattended to,” Candice says.

“You are marrying a help mate. So let him help,” Candice says about wedding planning with Alvin.
Tables were clad in blush linens and topped with gold chargers, flatware and centerpieces created from trees, bee skeps and rose-filled teapots. Wooden beehive table numbers were embossed with phrases like “Meant to Bee” and “The Bee's Knees.”

To pay homage to Alvin’s love for sports, he had a football- and basketball-themed groom’s cake.
Candice and Alvin's four-tier cake was embellished with a rose gold pattern on the first two tiers, cascading blush and ivory sugar flowers on the third tier and a honeycomb pattern on the bottom tier. The cake also was decorated with two honeybees and sat perched on a four-foot beehive that was covered in blush roses and greenery and had live bees buzzing around.