Love-Letter Inspired Wedding | Jamie + Andrew

Jamie and Andrew’s long-distance relationship began with an ultra-romantic meeting thanks to a high school friend. From that moment on, they nurtured their spark into a full-blown love via love letters. Jamie told us that, “…because we spent such a large amount of it waiting to hear from each other and dreaming of our next visit, I felt like the heroine of a period romance novel.” Their wedding story began with an equally sweet and tender proposal (more on that from Jamie below) and their wedding celebration followed suit.

On their wedding day, these two channeled their vintage, timeless hearts with antique elements carefully selected for their meaning. Their centerpieces were stacks of hardback books with personalized bookmarks that doubled as favors!

From Jamie, who echoed her celebration’s style in our dreamy Magnolia gown:

 

How did your sweetie propose?

 

“On a perfectly chilly December evening five years ago, I joined Andrew’s sister (my high school friend) for her birthday at The Foundry in Athens, Georgia. A misty rain clouded the winter sky and settled over the lamp-lit cobblestone walkway; and as I rounded the corner, there he stood—handsome and waiting. I hadn’t known him before then despite him being my friend’s brother; but after that night, The Foundry became special to us—the place where we began our love story. Throughout that night, we shared more moments than some are lucky to have in months. It was the beginning of our long distance relationship—which we continued while he was making his start at the Naval Academy and I was pursuing a BFA at a college in Georgia. We held ourselves together in those early years with letters, postcards, and blissful visits.

The Foundry has withstood the test of time—and much like the night we first laid eyes on each other, I took in the beauty of the greenery-laden structure on November 24th, 2017—the night Andrew planned to propose. As I held my love’s hand that day, we strolled along the cobblestones reminiscing about our history with the venue and our first meeting. With my heart already warm in my memories, I couldn’t have anticipated how much it would swell in happiness as Andrew lowered himself to one knee to ask me to marry him.”

wedding dress: Lea-Ann Belter Magnolia via Kelly’s Closet | photographer: Sydney Duckworth of Loveleigh Co. |

How did you choose your gown?

 

“I knew when embarking on the search for a wedding gown that I wanted the experience to be equal parts unique and comfortable.  My one and only trip was to Kelly’s Closet—a gorgeous and eclectic little boutique in Atlanta. There, designers are selected with care and each dress is unique, so when I brought a mini entourage of six people, we were thrilled at the variety of lace and chiffon that surrounded us. We were all greeted with champagne and warm smiles and we began to pull our favorite dresses. While everyone at Kelly’s made sure that as a bride-to-be I followed my heart, it was such a beautiful and complex experience. In the end, after trying on dress after dress without that special feeling really occurring, my Magnolia gown was placed in front of me because it was the only dress with everything I dreamt of having. I was looking for a hint of lace with a beautiful dust of blush and a water-like silhouette. When I made my entrance into the room with the Magnolia on, the blush bow nestled at my waist and the lace delicately laid on my chest, the atmosphere around us was dreamy! My chest began to pound and we were all brought to tears. It was so perfect- maintaining my vision while also completely outside of the box. With the veil of matching lace nestled in my hair, I knew it was the one.“

 

Tell us about your day! What inspired its look and style?

 

“Our relationship was founded on letter writing and old-fashioned love. Because we spent such a large amount of it waiting to hear from each other and dreaming of our next visit, I felt like the heroine of a period romance novel. We cultivated our love with care and devotion. I wanted that energy and those emotions to be represented on the happiest day of our lives, so we decided to keep that traditional and classic spirit in our day. We used lace and salvaged items as the anchor of our decor- old family suitcases for cards, my antique typewriter for our letter to our guests, our polaroid camera for our guestbook… It all spoke of an old, vintage romance. Our centerpieces—stacks of old hardbacks in the colors of our wedding palate—doubled as favors for our guests with a personalized bookmark. Candles and petals and fairy lights swept around the room and the atmosphere was just magical.”

 

What was your favorite part of the day?

 

“One mass opinion that seemed very strong when I was planning the wedding seemed to be that the ceremony has a lot of weight, but the reception is really the part of the day that takes the cake. However, while the entire day was phenomenal, I truly feel that the ceremony is at the top of my list. We had an intimate amount of people—100 of our closest family and friends—and as I walked down the aisle, I took care to truly see our guests smiling back at me. I remember specific faces, each and every one beaming with love, and Andrew’s face as I neared him at the white arch draped with billowing white fabric and greenery. With palms on either side and our bridesmaids and groomsmen settled around us, seeing him waiting for me was better than I imagined it to be. We designed the ceremony with originality, and so many moments were so special—my dear friend sang for us as we engaged in our wine unity ceremony, we had a ring warming in which the rings were passed through our immediate family’s hands so that they could warm them with prayers and well wishes, and we read our own vows. The feeling of finally being able to kiss my husband was amazing. It was such a special part of the day!”

 

What was your first dance song?

 

“Our first dance song was ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love with You’ by Elvis Presley, performed by Ingrid Michaelson.”

 

What was your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?

 

“During the ceremony, I wore the lace garter my mother wore at her wedding. Around my bouquet of anemones, ranunculus, dahlias, and roses was a new pendant with the birthstones of our loved ones who have passed on and could not be there on our special day. I borrowed a pearl necklace from one of my bridesmaids that complemented the tone of my dress beautifully. My something blue, I decided, would be my eyes—which are the mirror image of my Peepaw’s. It felt like a nice way to honor his memory.”

 

Any advice for future brides/grooms?

 

“Advice that I was given that I would love to pass on it to try not to worry about the little things. They will absolutely get done. Yes, the placement of the tablecloths and the order of bubbles are important, but you won’t remember those things as much! Try to focus on the joy you feel and be mindful of every moment. I am so thankful that I made it a point to look at my guests as I walked down the aisle. Those moments are the things you should focus on.”

Jamie +Andrew’s Wedding Vendors

wedding dress: Lea-Ann Belter Magnolia via Kelly’s Closet | photographer: Sydney Duckworth of Loveleigh Co. |  day of coordination + decoration: Julie Doublet with I Do Weddings of Georgia | bouquets + boutonnieres:  Supposey  | venue: Lawn and Dining Room at The Mustin Beach Club at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola

Were you a Lea-Ann Belter bride? We’d love to see your pictures and share your story! Email [email protected].