Timeless Romance Blended With Chill Lakeside Vibes at This Sewanee, Tennessee, Wedding
John Fisher had an elaborate plan to propose to his college sweetheart, Noni Hill. “John tricked me into thinking we were going camping one spring weekend,” describes Noni. “He surprised me with a note in the mailbox directing me towards a surprise plane ticket to Seattle that boarded just an hour later!” Excited Noni rushed to the airport and flew from Oregon to Washington. She arrived at the hotel her beloved had booked to find their favorite bottle of wine, a bouquet of beautiful blooms and an empty room. “I hopped in the shower, wrapped myself up in the lush hotel bathrobe and sat on the edge of the bed nervously sipping wine and wondering where the heck he was,” laughs the bride. “After a few minutes, John waltzed into the room with a huge smile glued to his face. He immediately dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him.”
The pair focused on creating an electric atmosphere with timeless, spring-centered details with their wedding day. “I'm not a big fan of strict color palettes or exaggerated design, so I wanted the lively conversation, live music, laughter, dancing and guests to fill the space more than the decor,” Noni shares. “Without the beautiful people there, the decor may feel a bit too simple and neutral, but once the bright spring dresses, smiling faces and glasses of wine fill the shots, everything fits perfectly.” With this in mind, the bride and groom elected the make the florals and the bridesmaid dresses the only true source of color for the event. Set against the natural greenery of their alfresco reception, all other decor additions were white.
Speaking of style, “I had my eye on the wedding dress designer, Lola Varma, for years before we got married!” reveals Noni. “I love simple, clean, and timeless wedding style. The veil was my mother's and completed the look and made it feel Spanish and elegant.” Though her bridal look was formal, the wedding day didn’t start with primping for either bride or groom. “The morning of our wedding, I went to a nearby lake with 10-15 close gal friends of mine for an early morning swim and dance party,” she smiles. “At the same time (true to his nature), John encouraged his groomsmen and other friends to join him for an early-morning Crossfit workout complete with donuts and chocolate milk. Classic!”
Guests gathered in the striking All Saints' Chapel on Sewanee’s campus—Noni and John’s alma mater—to bear witness to the traditional wedding ceremony. Once the vows were complete, the wedding party and guests were guided to the outdoor cocktail hour space while the newlyweds took the scenic route. “Looking back, the most special moment of our wedding day was the 15-minute walk through the woods from our ceremony location to the reception location,” the bride tells. “We were high on life: giggling and smiling so much during this little escape from the wedding rush!”
Once everyone had arrived at the tented dining space, the celebration quickly picked up. Attendees ate their meals at long reception tables with crisp, white linens and simple table settings accented by small, delicate centerpieces of spring-toned flowers. “One thing John and I agreed on about the decor from day one is that we loved the combination of black-tie attire with a no-frills, outdoor setting. While the wedding ceremony and reception were formal, we really wanted our guests to let loose and feel comfortable. We loved seeing our guy friends barefoot in tuxes and my girl friends dancing in the grass while holding delicate cocktail coupes.”
Though there is plenty of great wedding inspiration out there for couples planning their big day, Noni and John urge brides and grooms to be wary of what’s popular. “Don't automatically do what all the social media trends tell you to do for your wedding. Everyone cares much more about the emotion, love, celebration and FUN than they do the welcome sign, first look, makeup artist and floral arrangements.” Noni adds an additional thought: “I think our generation is going to regret the fixation on wedding day makeup artists. Your guests want to see YOU, not a hyper-augmented version of you. We skipped on the makeup artists, and I couldn't have been happier. Of course, to each their own, but I wish more people would talk about this!”