Rachel & Steven
April 14th, 2012 ~ Auburn, AL
At a very specific point in your life --late 20's, early 30's--you start to attend alot of weddings. I, myself, held my own wedding earlier in February, and will have attended 8 more weddings and/or engagement parties through March of 2013!
But I was really excited to attend the wedding of Rachel & Steven, not only to celebrate with them, but also to experience a true Southern wedding.
Steven
& Rachel met while attending college at Auburn University. Rachel
was a local from Alabama and Steven was originally from New Jersey.
In the New York / New Jersey area, we pretty much know what to expect: a quick ceremony, an overabundance of food that no one can possibly finish, and a blinged-out reception. Unless you have deep pockets, or you are truly taking the time to think about the details and personal touches of your big day, weddings in the Northeast can be very similar.
On the flip side, all the way down in Opelika, Alabama, I had no idea what to expect! I was pleasantly surprised. We can certainly learn some lessons from Southern hospitality!
They keep with tradition: Firstly, Rachel chose to have her ceremony at the Auburn United Methodist Church, one of the oldest churches in the area. I was really impressed at the way the ushers took every woman's arm and escorted her to her seat. If she had a husband/date, he would walk behind them and follow them to their seat. How cool is that?! Normally, I see grandmothers or aunts of the bride & groom being escorted, but I had never seen it done in such a dignified manner for each and every female guest. It truly makes every female guest feel special. Rachel & Steven even took pictures in front of Auburn University, their Alma Mater.
Southerners seem to take their time: I meet many brides who don't want to have a full Mass, they would rather opt for a quick 15 minute ceremony. The bride & groom's respective parents each took turns walking down the aisle to light their "end" of the unity candle, which I thought was very touching. Ultimately, Steven & Rachel would use the two pre-lit taper candles to light their own main candle, symbolically joining their families. I was so damn lazy at my own ceremony, I opted not to even have a unity candle!
When Rachel's father walked her up to the altar to meet Steven, he spoke to her for what felt like an entire minute before handing her off to be married. I wasn't odd or unusual and there wasn't anyone eying them down to hurry up: it was a moment between father & daughter and it was respected. I didn't even ask Rachel what her father had told her, as I'm sure it was very special and should stay just between them. Even at the wedding reception, numerous toasts were made; in the Northeast, we want to immediately get into party-mode, but in the South, we are reminded why we are having a party at all! Family & friends treated us to speeches and funny stories about the bride & groom, and everyone listened attentively as we were all thanked for traveling from all over the country to share in their special day.
They serve good food, y'all: In the North, we can't seem to satiate ourselves: we are all afraid to be judged, and so we pile on the cocktail stations and extras we can't really afford, all in the name of out doing someone else. In the South, they stick to what they like to eat!
The rehearsal dinner was a barbecue in a rustic old barn, and our wedding dinner was a choice of chicken or beef with home style macaroni and cheese and green beans--and don't forget the biscuits. Delicious! I even had their traditional sweet tea for the first time.
Maggie Sottero gown and she even had the same Swarovksi covered Benjamin Adams Catherine shoes that I wore to my own wedding! Guests were dressed impeccably and with class. Ever worry that someone will have a wardrobe malfunction at your wedding? It definitely was not a concern at this reception.
A Southern wedding can be a lesson for all brides: choose what you love, let your personality shine through and you can guarantee your guests will have a good time!
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