“The most elegant Southern barbecue dinner party you can imagine.” That was the bride’s vision for her wedding reception from the get-go. It was important to her to incorporate her Southern roots (Allison grew up in Tennessee) wherever possible, utilizing magnolia leaves at each place setting, incorporating blackberry filling in the cake to evoke the ones she’d picked for cobbler as a young girl and homing in on a family-style menu with plenty of Southern staples (mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken, a low-country boil).
“We wanted it to feel informal, fun and celebratory,” says Joby. That aesthetic spilled over into décor, as well, with flip-flops provided for dancing, cornhole boards made by the father of the bride and plenty of nods to the couple’s alma maters, the University of Tennessee and Ohio State. And, even though the couple agreed on no DIY when they started planning, they each got plenty hands-on: Allison hand-lettered invitations, signage, escort cards and place cards at each seat; Joby created the wedding website and welcome papers.
Still, even after all of that, their favorite moments were ones they couldn’t have planned: Allison’s face as she appeared over the ridge, the toasts from friends and family and the unexpected hot air balloon that touched down after the ceremony, providing the newlyweds with a picture-perfect moment.
