1. Real Weddings

A Sophisticated Ethereal Wedding at Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia

After their courthouse marriage in May 2014, Rachel Lewis (32 and a US Air Force command post controller) and Rob Edwards (39 and a US Air Force firef

After their courthouse marriage in May 2014, Rachel Lewis (32 and a US Air Force command post controller) and Rob Edwards (39 and a US Air Force firefighter) celebrated their nuptials with a getaway at the stately Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia. “We fell in love with the hotel’s charm, history and sophisticated decor, and the staff was just amazing,” Rachel says. “It was the obvious choice.” Two years after their weekend rendezvous, the couple renewed their vows and celebrated their love surrounded by family and friends at the posh hotel. “Since we were having friends and family from all over the world, we wanted to give them a taste of the sophistication that can be found in the South,” Rachel says. “What better way to do that than being married at one of Georgia’s most iconic locations.” The bride drew her inspiration from the "Lord of the Rings" and a dream she had where she was walking in a moonlit enchanted forest. The ceremony altar was inspired by a painting of the White Tree of Gondor from "Lord of the Rings." A white tree with glowing lights provided their ceremony space with a magical backdrop, while plants and flowers lined the aisle, adding to the room’s mystical forest feel. A serene color scheme of gray, blue gray and lilac along with opulent florals and greenery made Rachel’s dream a reality. Since the bride and groom both come from large Southern families, food was important. During cocktail hour, they served mini fried green tomatoes, crab cakes and waffle-batter chicken bites. An array of specialty food stations and a chicken and petit filet dinner kept guests well fed. For favors, the couple gave guests boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to take home. “It was perfect since Krispy Kreme doughnuts are from North Carolina, like Rob,” Rachel says. “They're his favorite!” —Marissa Hermanson

The couple’s ivory invites set the tone for their sophisticated soiree. “It was just the right fit since we wanted something mystical but not fussy,” Rachel says of the laser-cut invites from Wedding Paper Divas. “Friends and family were definitely surprised.”
Rachel accessorized her Maggie Sottero gown with a BHLDN belt, star hair clips and matching star bracelet purchased in Vienna. She also wore a flower petal veil from Etsy and with Stuart Weitzman heels. “After months of searching for the right shoes, I finally found my Stuart Weitzman Nudist heels three weeks before the wedding (they are super-comfortable) and my Marabelle belt from BHLDN really added a touch of glamour to the whole look,” she says.
“I wanted the bridesmaid dresses to fit their personalities but still have an overall sense of uniformity,” says Rachel, who selected a gray chiffon dress from David’s Bridal that had a variety of styles. “We added a crystal sash, their earrings were gifts from me, and each sported braids or curls to match my style.”
The groomsmen looked dapper in black Calvin Klein two-button tuxedos that they accessorized with black vests and bow ties.
“I drew inspiration for the ceremony from a dream I had of walking through a temple of trees under moonlight to a glowing white tree,” Rachel says. “The ceremony altar was inspired by a painting of the White Tree of Gondor from 'Lord of the Rings.' A white tree with glowing lights provided their ceremony space with a magical backdrop, while plants and flowers lined the aisle, adding to the room’s mystical forest feel.
“Since Rob is Catholic, and I’m Christian, we knew we wanted to have a ceremony that was nondenominational but still expressed love as a gift from God that should be cherished,” Rachel says. The couple’s friend, who previously officiated their courthouse marriage, wrote the ceremony, quoting the couple’s favorite Shakespearean sonnet. “We also included our own vows, which were so touching and funny at times—I promised never to watch 'Game of Thrones' without Rob. We could feel the love of our family and friends embracing us as we made these lifelong promises to each other.”
In 2006, Rachel and Rob met while on active duty in Iraq. “It was my first deployment, so I was a little nervous about what to expect. Rob struck up a conversation with me on the flight, and after returning to our duty station in Japan, we developed a friendship.” The couple dated years later, went their separate ways but rekindled their romance in 2013.
“Since we were having friends and family from all over the world, we wanted to give them a taste of the sophistication that can be found in the South,” Rachel says of the posh Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia. “What better way to do that than being married at one of Georgia’s most iconic locations.”
The couple had a courthouse wedding in May 2014, and after their elopement, they celebrated with a vacation at Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia. “We fell in love with the hotel’s charm, history and sophisticated decor—and the staff was just amazing,” Rachel says. “It was the obvious choice for when the time came to select our venue.”
“The reception was styled from an idea I had of the centerpieces growing from tables sprinkled with stardust, along with a visit I had to the Atlanta Botanical Garden,” Rachel says. Tables were adorned with satin silver blue linens draped with sequined overlays. “I loved how they sparkled in the candlelight,” Rachel says. Table settings included silver chargers with white china and matching satin napkins.
“I knew I wanted an interesting blend of flowers and textures and a growing-out-of-the-table feeling,” Rachel says. A mix of roses, hydrangeas and greenery in pinks, purples and whites were used to create whimsical floral arrangements.
The couple’s three-tier cake was frosted in Swiss buttercream and incorporated two kinds of cake flavors: vanilla genoese with lemon and raspberry mousse for Rachel and red velvet for Rob. The cake was topped with cascading blooms in white, pink and purple. “Instead of a cake topper, we opted for a custom firefighter helmet shield with our names and wedding date in homage to Rob’s job,” Rachel says.
“The elegance of the ballroom and lobby enhanced the overall look of the wedding as the decor fit our color scheme,” Rachel says of the opulent interior of Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Since we’re Air Force, we've spent a lot of our relationship apart, and it takes a lot of work to maintain a long-distance relationship,” Rachel says. To honor their relationship, they chose “Take the World” by Johnnyswim as their first dance song. “The lyrics talk about how nothing can compare with our love,” Rachel says. “ 'In the rising tide, there’s no fear or fight that we can’t face together’—no matter what the world throws at us, as long as we stick together, we can take the world,” she says.