1. Real Weddings

Alice & Deke: A Formal Wedding in Nashville, TN

Despite attending separate boys’ and girls’ schools, Alice and Deke first met in the eighth grade. They became good friends until sophomore year when

Despite attending separate boys’ and girls’ schools, Alice and Deke first met in the eighth grade. They became good friends until sophomore year when they took their platonic relationship to a romantic level. “He pursued me relentlessly...and we've been together ever since,” Alice says. The Bride Alice Fort, 23, manager of a clothing store The Groom Deke Shearon, 23, student at NYU Law The Date June 2 Although they had been together for years, Deke still managed to surprise Alice with an off-the-cuff proposal. One night, Deke hustled Alice into a cab without explaining where they were going. With Alice still perplexed, he reached into his bag and pulled out a sparkling engagement ring. “I was shocked and I cried, but I'm pretty sure the cab driver had no idea what was happening,” Alice says. The two began planning their dream wedding set at a ritzy country club.

Antique silver pitchers and vases filled with freesia, roses, and peonies in pink, peach, and green adorned each table, adding a vintage feel.
Guests were seated in the main ballroom along with the band and dance floor. Chandeliers, candles, flowers, and antique silver set a glamorous, romantic mood. The couple also set up a lounge area near the bar with banquets and bistro tables.
Alice’s six bridesmaids, including her twin sister (who was maid of honor), wore black, tea-length, shantung silk dresses with a portrait collar and cummerbund. The bride gave each girl a different vintage-style brooch, which they either pinned to their dresses or in their hair.
Keeping with the couple’s traditional theme, Alice and Deke chose a classic church with dark wood and beautiful stained-glass windows.
Basic white escort cards with scripted print lined the table, which was covered in pink rose petals and the same blush-colored linen used on the dining tables.
Simple and chic, the bride carried a bouquet made of peonies, English roses, and lily of the valley in pink, white, green, and peach.
The couple shared their first dance to “Let’s Stay Together,” by Al Green, and closed the evening with “New York, New York” as homage to their permanent residence. “It got all our New York friends all riled up,” Alice says.
Blush-colored linens draped the tables, which were adorned with green chargers and antique silver centerpieces overflowing with hydrangeas, English roses, and peonies. Chandeliers and candles set a serene scene.
Working with the baker to create a vintage-inspired design, the bride chose a five-tiered, round, lemon cake with lemon curd filling, which sat on a bed of pink and white roses. Alice found a vintage cake topper from the ’20s to perfectly complement the couple’s old Hollywood theme.
The groom wore a simple white and green boutonniere made of amaranthas and lily of the valley.
Alice incorporated family heirlooms on the cake table, including an Italian lace tablecloth, a silver candelabra, cake knife, and champagne goblets. “Incorporating these elements made it even more special,” Alice says.
Alice wore her hair in a traditional, glamorous style with curled sides pulled into a low bun and fastened with a vintage-style crystal brooch.
The bride’s favorite part of the evening was at the end when friends and family threw rose petals and the band played “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The couple drove off in an elegant 1964 Jaguar with a special treat inside -- chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne.
Clad in ivory, satin, tea-length dresses with pink sashes, Alice’s four flower girls each carried a kissing ball made of pink peonies, English roses, and green hydrangeas.