A Rustic Southern Wedding at The Mill at Yellow River in Porterdale, Georgia

Tara Gray, 25, who works at a nonprofit organization, and Alan Meincke, 27 an attorney, knew they were meant to be after meeting at a singles social event at their church. Though Tara caught his attention at the beginning of the night, Alan patiently waited until the event was over to make his move. The two started chatting and recognized that they had an instant connection. “We remained friends for the next six months, hanging out with our group of friends we developed through church. Little did I know that Alan had decided to take a break from dating for six months a couple week prior to us meeting,” says Tara. “At the end of those six months, on February 28th, Alan called me and asked me out on our first date. Once I figured out why it took him so long to ask me, I knew I had found a great man!” ,The two openly talked about marriage and both agreed they wanted to get the ball rolling. A few months later, during a trip to Asheville, NC to visit Alan’s mother, Alan took Tara to the Biltmore Estate, where he popped the question, presenting Tara with a picture book detailing their entire relationship. “Toward the end of the book, there was a page full of pictures of him buying the ring. I looked over at him and he got down on one knee. Of course I said yes!” says Tara. For their wedding, the couple wanted the day to exude Southern elegance with a rustic chic undertone. They incorporated lots of burlap, pearls and vintage pieces into the décor, which they paired with elegant arrangements of white peonies, ranunculuses, anemones, baby’s breath and pale pink spray roses. Details like the wedding invitations, decorative wooden signs and even the centerpieces themselves were all handmade by the Tara, her mother and her siblings and added an extra personal touch to the day.