1. Real Weddings

Amy & Jeremiah: A Spring Wedding in Jackson, MS

Despite their different backgrounds (he is from the Midwest, she is from the deep South), Amy and Jeremiah's paths nearly crossed many times in the ye

Despite their different backgrounds (he is from the Midwest, she is from the deep South), Amy and Jeremiah's paths nearly crossed many times in the years prior to their introduction. Once they finally met at a house party in Miami, Florida, the two never diverged again. The Bride Amy Vaughan, 29, postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry The Groom Jeremiah Van Hecke, 31, attorney b4>The Date April 30

Amy had always pictured herself in a lace gown but the more I tried on, the more I disliked them, she laughs. In the end, she decided on a gorgeous full-length ivory silk Mikado gown by Carolina Herrera. The gown featured an a-line silhouette, full skirt, and chapel train. Special details included pieced panels accentuated with parallel rows of ivory stitching on the bodice and an asymmetrical waistline. A cathedral length veil made of borderless ivory silk tulle topped off the look.
The Southern traditions continued with the inclusion of both a bride's and a groom's cake. Amy's was a five-tier square vanilla cake smothered in white buttercream frosting and decorated with chartreuse sugar orchids.
Jackson's own Old Capitol Inn hosted Amy and Jeremiah's 300 guests following the ceremony. Guests roamed through the spacious ballroom and into the courtyard (highlighted by a glamorously decorated pool) during the reception. Navy and chartreuse accents, complemented by a simple white backdrop, gave the ballroom a modern, yet elegant, appearance.
Amy and Jeremiah chose a ceremony site that was both meaningful to the bride and to the community as a whole. Sacred Heart is a historic brick mission style-church built in 1930, significant to Amy because it was the location of her baptism. It is a beautiful, vintage space, made even more personal because it was filled to the brim with our family and friends -- people had to stand in the back, Amy remembers.
Jeremiah was surprised with his own two-layer chocolate cake emblazoned with the Green Bay Packers logo -- a sweet tribute to his Wisconsin roots.
The mother of the bride sewed outfits for the flower girls and tea girls, who acted as hostesses in training and gave out antique lace handkerchiefs to each guest, another Southern tradition.
Amy carried a richly colored bouquet including purple dendrobium orchids, purple tulips, lisianthus, grape hyacinths, irises, dark blue viburnum tinus berries, and peacock feathers. The bouquet also included rosemary, a Polish tradition, in remembrance of Amy's grandmother.
Amy's mom collected antique handkerchiefs for each bridesmaid to carry with her bouquet as a remembrance of the wedding.
The seven bridesmaids wore navy crepe-silk chiffon Vera Wang dresses that perfectly reflected the wedding's style as well as the colors. The cocktail length dresses, perfect for a spring wedding, featured a ruched bodice, v-neckline, spaghetti straps, and a kick flounce skirt. Silver high heels and jewelry of the bridesmaids own choosing -- to allow them to assert their own individuality, Amy explains -- made a stylish statement.
Bridesmaids carried monochromatic green bouquets composed of cymbidium orchids, green hydrangea, emerald roses, and miniature calla lilies. The maid of honor held a special bouquet that added blue and purple dendrobium orchids and grape hyacinths to the mix. All of the bouquets were wrapped in silk ribbons that Amy and her friends bought from La Droguerie in Paris, France.