Vintage Chanel and Modern Romance Come Together in This San Miguel de Allende Wedding

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

I did not have any official wedding colors, but I drew from the beauty of San Miguel when making design choices. I wanted there to be hints of terra cotta orange and dark green throughout the weekend.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

My vision for the wedding was not traditional. I wanted the reception to feel moody, with dim lighting and lots of candles. I wanted my guests to feel as if they were having dinner at a friend’s house, rather than dining at a reception. I was also heavily inspired by the stone and greenery in Casa San Jose. I felt it was both whimsical and homey at the same time.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

The first night I saw Gordie, a friend and I sent him and his friends drinks from across the restaurant. They ended up coming over to say thank you, and we all had a drink together. Gordie asked for my number that night, and we went out on a proper date the next weekend. We didn’t spend much time apart after that. We were engaged two years later in Napa, California. Staying true to ourselves, it was just the two of us, sitting on a blanket overlooking a vineyard. No friends, family, or photographers. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]From the first time I saw Danielle Frankel’s wedding dresses, I knew that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted something simple, but unique. Danielle Frankel does such an amazing job of making her dresses romantic yet edgy. My engagement ring, both of the wedding bands, and the earrings I wore on the day of the wedding were all designed and made by my cousin, Nicole Rottler Harlow. She makes everything by hand in her studio in Taylor, Mississippi. Mississippi has always been a very special place to me, and I knew very early on that I wanted Nicole to have her hand in all of the jewelry I would be wearing. The story behind my rehearsal dinner dress is also very special. When talking with my stylist, Emily Dawson (@Emily_bydesign), I told her I did not want to wear white the whole weekend. I wanted to incorporate different colors and vintage clothing when possible. Emily is the queen of vintage. She ended up finding me a vintage 1970s Chanel dress. I knew wearing black to my rehearsal dinner might be frowned upon by some, but I couldn’t have been happier with the dress, and more importantly, how it perfectly represented beautiful, romantic vintage clothing, while still giving me a bit of an edge that I was looking for.
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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

Gordie’s tux was handmade by the brand Hamilton (very fitting), a brand Gordie has been using for costume dress shirts and pants for years. It was an obvious choice for Gordie, and one he felt very confident and comfortable making.

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

When choosing the food for the reception, we knew we wanted to stay true to Mexico. Penzi made it impossible for our guests to have a bad meal. People couldn’t stop raving about the poblano corn soup.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

When it came to florals, I wanted them to feel natural. Since my vision was to keep the reception feeling homy, I did not want anything over the top. I went with simple, white flowers and greenery. The florals brought out the beauty of Casa San Jose, rather than distracting from it. One thing that was very important to Gordie and me was making our guests feel appreciated and loved. We kept our guest list very small for this reason. Gordie and I wrote letters to each of our guests, which were waiting for them at their seats to come dinner time. It was a great way to remind ourselves how truly blessed we are to be surrounded by such great friends, and we could tell it was a touch that made everyone feel like an important part of Gordie and I’s life together.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Unlike most aspects of my wedding, I wanted to be very traditional when it came to the wedding cake. I stuck with the classic almond-flavored sponge and vanilla buttercream. I loved the natural and imperfect florals that dotted the icing. The cake itself felt like a part of the background.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

When discussing what we wanted for our ceremony, Gordie and I decided it was essential that the person marrying us knew us well. We asked our friend Brad Neunuebel. Brad and Gordie were roommates freshman year of college and have been best friends ever since. Brad was with Gordie the night we met, so he has truly been there to see our relationship grow and change from the very beginning. Brad has become such an important and amazing friend to me over the years, and we really couldn’t have imagined anyone else marrying us. Brad was able to incorporate details about Gordie and Imeas individuals as well as a couple. He also threw in a quote by my favorite author, William Faulkner, which proved Brad was the right person for the job. “You don’t love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults”. -William Faulkner

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

Gordie and I wanted an intimate and small wedding, but also did not want the stress of sharing our vows publicly. We always knew we would write them for each other, but we weren’t sure how to share them in a meaningful way. We decided to read them to one another the morning of our wedding day. We woke up, ordered breakfast, and read our vows to one another before saying goodbye for the last time before meeting at the altar. It was one of the most special and meaningful memories I have from the entire weekend.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

One of the funniest memories I have from the weekend is the game of putting your drink on your head. It sounds weird, but throughout the weekend, one person would casually hold their drink above their head and wait for everyone else to notice and join in. The last person to pick up on the game would have to take a sip of their drink. This led to some hilarious photos and memories of tables and crowds of people with their drinks held above their heads.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]Another great memory from the weekend is the time I got to spend with my friends before getting ready for the wedding. I was adamant about not wanting to feel stressed and overwhelmed throughout the weekend. I wanted to look back on the whole weekend and remember moments of joy instead of stress. I spent time with my friends out by the pool at The Rosewood Hotel until just two or three hours before I would walk down the aisle. Some people would think this is crazy, but it allowed me to avoid overthinking. I did get sunburned and had a funny tan line you can see in my wedding dress, but it was worth it![/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]

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