1. Real Weddings

A Chic White Winter Wedding at Alys Beach Resort in Alys Beach, Florida

With friends and family by their sides, Blakeney Rader (25 and an occupational therapist) and Jake Black (27 and a VP of commercial sales at Columbus

With friends and family by their sides, Blakeney Rader (25 and an occupational therapist) and Jake Black (27 and a VP of commercial sales at Columbus Recycling) traveled to Alys Beach, Florida, to celebrate their nuptials with a chic all-white destination wedding. With Blakeney’s family’s vacation home nearby in Seagrove Beach, a tropical Florida wedding appealed to the couple. “The 30A location is my favorite destination spot, and I’ve always wanted to get married there,” Blakeney says. “I chose Alys because the architecture is so beautiful, with white buildings and gorgeous lush greens that I knew would be a perfect backdrop.” With winter white in mind, the couple decked out their wedding in shades of white, ivory and cream. “Everything was white—the tents, the floral arrangements, the linens, even the gowns,” Blakeney says. Gold decor warmed up the ceremony and reception spaces while adding a hint of glamour. A ceremony at Central Park Green and then a reception across the street at Kelly Green was convenient for guests. Blakeney and Jake exchanged vows under a white linen tent that was lined with ethereal curtains. Blakeney and Jake decked out their romantic ceremony site with a white fabric aisle runner lined with ivory rose petals, a chandelier, lush flowers and an arbor draped in sheer fabric. “The ceremony and reception tents had a whimsical, fairy-tale feel,” Blakeney says. During cocktail hour, the guests sipped cocktails and enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres of fried and baked oysters, jumbo lump crab cakes and truffle goat cheese crostini. Several food stations offered delicious treats like jumbo shrimp cocktail, citrus-marinated crab claws, tuna poke, mac and cheese and panko-crusted grouper fingers. The couple added personal touches throughout, from the "Blakeney and Jake" breath mints at the ceremony to custom Alys Beach T-shirts as wedding favors. The Compozitionz provided music, and the newlyweds shared their first dance to “Crazy Love” by Van Morrison. After dinner and dancing under the clear-top tent, the couple served late-night snacks of Chick-fil-A biscuits (their favorite breakfast) and exited surrounded by glitzy sparklers. —Marissa Hermanson

Before Jake popped the question, Blakeney hinted that she wanted a round solitaire diamond with a diamond band, which Jake had custom-made for her. For his wedding band, Jake chose a simple white gold band.
Blakeney’s all-white bouquet, bound with a piece of her mother’s wedding gown, included peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, roses and cascading orchids.
Blakeney wore a custom couture ivory Augusta Jones ball gown with a lacy bodice and layered organza skirt, which she accessorized with a Jenny Packham crystal headpiece, a Toni Federici chapel-length veil and Jimmy Choo wedges.
Jake accessorized the lapel of his classic black tuxedo with a simple white bloom.
Blakeney kept her makeup natural looking and wore her hair curled and down.
Blakeney’s maid of honor and matron of honor wore ivory Monique Lhuillier tulle trumpet-style gowns, while the other bridesmaids donned an array of ivory Monique Lhuillier chiffon gowns. “I wanted my friends to feel beautiful in their bridesmaid dresses. I chose different styles and let them pick the dress they wanted,” Blakeney says. “I loved that they all looked different but that their dresses were ivory.”
Jake and his groomsmen sported classic notch tuxedos in black with black bow ties and cummerbunds from Jos. A. Bank. On their wedding day, Blakeney gifted Jake a pair of socks that were embellished with the phrase “Just in case you get cold feet.” “Jake loves colored socks, so he gave his groomsmen brightly colored socks to wear for the wedding,” Blakeney says.
The couple exchanged vows under a white linen tent that was lined with ethereal curtains. Blakeney and Jake decked out their romantic ceremony site with a white fabric aisle runner lined with ivory rose petals, a chandelier, lush flowers and an arbor draped in sheer fabric.
During cocktail hour, friends and family were welcomed with champagne and passed hors d’oeuvres of fried and baked oysters, jumbo lump crab cakes and truffle goat cheese crostini.
Guests had plenty of food and drink to enjoy from four bars and five food stations. A chilled seafood station included jumbo shrimp cocktail, citrus-marinated crab claws and tuna poke on wonton crisps with soybean hummus. Guests also enjoyed a mac and cheese station along with panko-crusted grouper fingers and hand-cut fries.
The newlyweds’ towering eight-tier wedding cake alternated layers of satin white fondant with layers of sugar flowers in champagne, blush and cream shades. Embellishments included fondant appliques and lace piping.
Tables were cloaked in white sequined linens and topped with glitzy candelabras and white blooms. “Our floral arrangements were over the top. I love flowers and wanted gorgeous arrangements everywhere possible—even the chandeliers were used to hold arrangements with beautiful cascading orchids,” Blakeney says.
“Jake loves the song ‘Crazy Love’ by Van Morrison,” Blakeney says. “He didn’t make a lot of requests during the wedding planning, but that was one of them, so it was absolutely our first-dance song.”